3.1.2 Avatars of Vishnu: the Dashavatara and the 22 avatars of the Bhagavatam

Explained

The ten avatars and why each came.

Matsya in more detail (Skandha 8, last chapter, 24).

• Satyavrata, a royal sage who ruled the Dravida country, was offering water in the river Kritamala. A tiny fish fell into his palms and begged for safety from bigger fish.
• It outgrew his water-pot, a bigger vessel, a pool and a lake, until he knew it was Vishnu.
• The fish warned that the flood would come on the seventh day. He was to board a boat with the seven sages (Saptarshis), plants and seeds. The boat was tied to the fish's single horn with the serpent Vasuki, and Matsya taught him the knowledge of Brahman on the way.
• The asura Hayagriva had stolen the Vedas as they slipped from the mouth of the sleeping Brahma; Matsya killed him and gave the Vedas back.
• Satyavrata was later born as Shraddhadeva, son of Vivasvan (the Sun): he is Vaivasvata Manu, Manu of the present (7th) manvantara. The Matsya Purana is the teaching Matsya gave to Manu on that boat.

Kurma and the churning (Samudra Manthana, Skandha 8).

• The devas lost their strength through Durvasa's curse on Indra, so on Vishnu's advice they made a truce with the asuras, led by Bali, and churned the Ocean of Milk for amrita.
• Churning rod: Mandara, which devas and asuras could not lift; Garuda carried it to the ocean for Vishnu. Rope: Vasuki. Support: Kurma, when Mandara began to sink.
• The asuras took Vasuki's head end, thinking the tail beneath them; the devas held the tail.
• First to come out was the poison Halahala (Kalakuta). Shiva drank it and held it in his throat, so he is Nilakantha.

• Mohini (Vishnu's enchanting female form) charmed the asuras into handing her the pot and served the amrita to the devas only.
• Rahu sat in the devas' row in disguise; the Sun and the Moon pointed him out, and Vishnu cut off his head with the Sudarshana. The head had tasted amrita and lived on; hence the eclipse story.

Varaha (Skandha 3).

• The Earth had sunk to Rasatala. A tiny boar came from Brahma's nostril, grew to a huge size, dived in and lifted the Earth on his tusks.
• Hiranyaksha wanted a fight. He challenged Varuna in the ocean; Varuna said only Hari could defeat him. Hiranyaksha found Varaha lifting the Earth and mocked him.
• Varaha first set the Earth safely on the waters, then fought him, mostly with maces, and killed him as twilight neared.

Varaha and Narasimha: the two brothers. Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu were sons of Diti and Kashyapa. They were the gatekeepers Jaya and Vijaya of Vaikuntha, cursed by the four Kumaras to be born as asuras.

Narasimha's boon-breaking (Skandha 7). Brahma's boon said Hiranyakashipu could not be killed by man or beast, by day or night, inside or outside, on earth or in the sky, by any weapon. Narasimha was neither man nor beast. He came out of a pillar, killed him at twilight, on the threshold, holding him on his lap, and tore him with his nails. No god, not even Lakshmi, could calm him afterwards; Brahma sent Prahlada, and the Lord grew gentle when the boy bowed at his feet.

Vamana and Bali (Skandha 8).

• Aditi, grieving for the devas, kept the Payovrata taught by Kashyapa: twelve days (Phalguna Shukla 1 to 12) living on milk and chanting "Om namo bhagavate Vasudevaya".
• Vamana was born on Bhadrapada Shukla Dvadashi, in the Shravana nakshatra (Vamana Jayanti). As Indra's younger brother he is Upendra.
• Gifts at his sacred-thread ceremony:

• Bali, grandson of Prahlada, had won the three worlds. Vamana came to his sacrifice at Bhrigukachchha on the Narmada and asked for three paces.
• Shukracharya warned Bali and, when Bali kept his word, cursed him to lose his kingdom. Bali's wife Vindhyavali brought the golden water-pot for the gift.
• Vamana grew into Trivikrama: one step covered the earth, the second the heavens; the water Brahma poured on that foot became the Ganga. Garuda bound Bali with Varuna's noose, and Bali offered his own head for the third step.
• Bali was sent to rule Sutala, with Vishnu as his gatekeeper, and promised to be Indra in the Savarni (8th) manvantara.

Parashurama and Kartavirya (Skandha 9).

• Kartaviryarjuna, Haihaya king of Mahishmati, got his thousand arms by serving Dattatreya. He once even captured Ravana.
• He took Kamadhenu from Jamadagni's hermitage by force. Parashurama destroyed his army of 17 akshauhinis, cut off his arms and brought the cow back.
• Jamadagni said a brahmin must forgive and sent him on a year's pilgrimage. Kartavirya's sons later killed Jamadagni; Renuka beat her breast 21 times, and Parashurama cleared the earth of wicked Kshatriyas 21 times. Their blood filled five lakes, Samantapanchaka. He gave the earth to brahmins and lives on Mount Mahendra.

Dattatreya. Atri and Anasuya had three sons: Dattatreya (Vishnu's part), Soma (Brahma's part) and Durvasa (Rudra's part). His birth is in Skandha 4.

Balarama. A part of Adishesha. Yogamaya moved Devaki's seventh child into Rohini's womb, so he is Sankarshana ("drawn out"). Other names: Balabhadra, Haladhara (he carries a plough), Halayudha; his second weapon is the pestle (musala). Upendra is not his name; it is Vamana's.

Krishna.

• In earlier ages Devaki and Vasudeva were Prishni and Sutapa, and Vishnu was their son Prishnigarbha; then they were Aditi and Kashyapa, and he was Vamana; the third time he was Krishna.
• He held Govardhana on one hand for seven days against Indra's storm (popular telling: on his little finger).
• The sages Nara and Narayana were born again as Arjuna and Krishna.

The 22 avatars of Skandha 1, chapter 3 (in the text's order):

What the less familiar avatars did.

• Kumaras: sons of Brahma who stayed lifelong celibates and taught knowledge.
• Narada: taught the Satvata (Pancharatra) tantra, the way of works done for God.
• Nara-Narayana: sons of Dharma and Murti; did penance at Badarikashrama.
• Kapila: taught Samkhya and bhakti to his mother Devahuti (Skandha 3). The 60,000 sons of King Sagara were burnt to ashes when they insulted him and accused him of stealing the sacrificial horse that Indra had hidden (Skandha 9).
• Dattatreya: taught self-knowledge (anvikshiki) to Alarka and Prahlada. In Skandha 11 an avadhuta, identified with him, tells King Yadu of his 24 gurus from nature.
• Yajna: son of Ruchi and Akuti; served as Indra in the first (Svayambhuva) manvantara.
• Rishabha: son of Nabhi and Merudevi; father of Bharata, after whom Bharatavarsha is named; showed the path of renunciation. Jains honour him as the first Tirthankara.
• Prithu: born from the arm of the dead wicked king Vena; milked the Earth as a cow for crops, so the Earth is called Prithvi.
• Dhanvantari: came out of the ocean with the amrita pot; god of Ayurveda.
• Vyasa: son of Parashara and Satyavati; divided the Veda and composed the Mahabharata and the Puranas.
• Hamsa (in the longer list of Skandha 2): Vishnu as a swan answered the Sanakadi sages (the Hamsa Gita, Skandha 11).

The 14 Manus (Skandha 8). One day of Brahma has 14 manvantaras.