Dashavatara (Sanskrit: दशावतार, daśāvatāra) are the ten primary avatars of Vishnu, a principal Hindu god. Vishnu is said to descend in the form of an avatar to restore cosmic order. The word Dashavatara derives from daśa, meaning “ten”, and avatāra, roughly equivalent to “incarnation”.
The ten avatars are:
- Matsya (fish): In the Satya Yuga, Vishnu appeared as a fish to save Manu, the first man, and his wife from a great flood.
- Kurma (tortoise): In the Satya Yuga, Vishnu appeared as a tortoise to help the gods churn the ocean of milk.
- Varaha (boar): In the Treta Yuga, Vishnu appeared as a boar to kill the demon Hiranyaksha, who had stolen the Earth.
- Narasimha (half-man, half-lion): In the Treta Yuga, Vishnu appeared as a half-man, half-lion to kill the demon Hiranyakashipu, who was terrorizing the world.
- Vamana (dwarf): In the Treta Yuga, Vishnu appeared as a dwarf to defeat the demon Mahabali, who had conquered the three worlds.
- Parashurama (axe-wielding warrior): In the Treta Yuga, Vishnu appeared as Parashurama, a warrior who killed 21 kings and restored the rule of the virtuous.
- Rama (ideal king): In the Treta Yuga, Vishnu appeared as Rama, an ideal king who fought the demon Ravana and rescued his wife Sita.
- Krishna (divine cowherd): In the Dwapara Yuga, Vishnu appeared as Krishna, a divine cowherd who played pranks on the gopis and taught them about the meaning of life.
- Buddha (enlightened one): In the Kali Yuga, Vishnu appeared as Buddha, a teacher who preached the path of non-violence and compassion.
- Kalki (warrior king): In the Kali Yuga, Vishnu will appear as Kalki, a warrior king who will destroy evil and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity.
The Dashavatara are a popular subject of art and sculpture in Hinduism. They are also depicted in many Hindu texts, including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Dashavatara are a reminder of Vishnu’s commitment to protecting the world and upholding dharma.