Vageesh Express
Deity of
the Month – Dasavatharam of Mahavishnu
The manifestation of Mahavishnu are many and will be described over two
articles. In this first article, Dasavatharams, the ten appearances of Vishnu
will be detailed. Puranas say that Bhagavan Mahavishnu has appeared in this
world nine times so far to protect this world and its people from evil. The ten
manifestations are Mastyam, Koormam, Varaham, Narasimham, Vamanam,
Parasu Rama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna and Kalki. A brief story behind each manifestation
follows.
1.
Mastyam:
(Fish): Brahma at the end of his day's
work of creation was resting in Brahmalokam. An asura called Hayagreeva (horse
faced) stole the Vedas from Brahma and disappeared in the ocean. Brahma arose
from his rest and realized that the Vedas were missing. Without the Vedas, Brahma could not continue
with his duty of creation. Upon his
prayer, Vishnu took the form of a fish to retrieve the Vedas from the depths of
the ocean.
2.
Koormam: (Tortoise): The sage Durvasar had presented a garland of
flowers to Deva King Indra. The
arrogant Indra carelessly gave it away to his elephant Iravatham, which
trampled it. Durvasar became very angry
and cursed all Devas to lose their strength which had caused them to become
arrogant. The devas in their weakened state were attacked by the Asuras. The
Devas prayed to Vishnu for salvation.
Vishnu asked them to work with Asuras and churn the Palazhi, or ocean of milk, to get the nectar of
deathlessness, to regain their strength.
The great mountain Mantaramalai offer itself to be the thistle and the
snake Vasuki offered itself to be the rope for churning. When Devas and Asuras began churning, the
mountain started to sink and Vishnu took the form of a tortoise and supported
the mountain so that the churning could go on.
3.
Varaham: (Boar):
The Asura Hiranyaksha performed tapas to Brahma and obtained a boon that
neither Devas nor man could kill him. He then started a campaign of plunder
across the worlds. He carried the world under the sea. To save the world,
Vishnu took the form of a boar, dived into the ocean, carrying the earth on his
tusks, brought the earth out and then
killed Hiranyaksha.
4.
Narashimha: (Half man, half lion): Asura Hiranyakasipu obtained a boon from Siva
that he could neither be destroyed by gods, goddesses, human beings, animals,
during day or night, indoors or outdoors, in air or water, or by blood
spilling. Having secured such a
comprehensive boon, he set out to occupy and rule all the three worlds and
drove Devas out of Devalokam. Even
Vishnu had to leave Vaikundam to escape Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu had a spiritual son named
Prahalada who was an ardent devotee of Vishnu, much to the annoyance of
Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu challenged
his son to reveal Vishnu’s presence and said that he would annihilate Vishnu if
he appeared front of him. Prahalada told his father that Vishnu was everywhere,
even in the pillar in front of him.
Hiranyakasipu broke open the pillar with his mace. Vishnu appeared in form of Narashimha, half
man, half lion. It was the twilight hour, which was neither day nor night. He picked up Hiranyakasipu and sat on the
steps which was neither indoors nor outdoors, split open his stomach, ate his
intestines and drank all his blood thus fulfilling the asura’s boon.
5.
Vamana:
(dwarf): Rakshasa emperor Mahabali
conquered the three worlds with his strength.
However, he used his strength to harass Devas and all the rishis. To
protect people from the harassment of Mahabali, Vishnu came to the world as
Vamana or dwarf Brahmin boy. Mahabali
performed a great yagna and gave alms to every Brahmin who attended it. When Vamana’s turn came, he asked emperor
Mahabali three footsteps worth of land measured by his own feet. On seeing the size of Vamana, Mahabali asked
him to take villages, or cities under his rule since three footsteps worth of
land would amount to nothing. However,
Vamana stood firm. Mahabali conceded in
spite of caution by rakshasa guru Sukracharya.
Vamana measured the earth and sky in two footsteps and asked Mahabali
where he could place his one remaining step.
Mahabali offered his head.
Vamana set his foot on Mahabali’s head and pushed him to Patala lokam.
6.
Parasurama: Vishnu was born as the son of saint Jamathagni and Renuka. When king Kathaviryajuna went for hunt, he
saw Jamathagni in meditation. The saint
did not answer any of the king’s questions since he was in deep meditation. Hence the king became angry, beheaded the
saint, put his head in his lap, and went on his way. When Parasurama returned, he was shocked by his father’s state,
and took a vow to annihilate all Kshathriyas.
He carried out his vow using his axe he got from Siva. Finally, he stopped his revenge when he
confronted Rama.
7.
Rama: Rakshasa King Ravana performed extreme tapas
towards Siva and obtained various boons.
With those boons, he controlled everybody and everything. Since he was a Siva bhakta, it was very
difficult to destroy him by anybody.
Finally everybody went to Vishnu and asked him to vanquish Ravana. Vishnu was born to Emperor Dasaratha as
Rama. On Vishnu’s command, Adisesha
(great snake), his conch, and chakra were born as his brothers Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shathrugna. When Ravana took Rama’s wife Sitha and
imprisoned her, Rama vanquished Ravana.
8.
Balarama:
Vishnu was born as Balarama, elder brother of Krishna in Gokulam. He was the strongest person in the
world. His weapon was the plough. He was fairest to the core and despite his
familial conncection to Krishna, he supported Duryodhana since he thought the
empire was won by him by in gambling and he thought Arjuna showed himself
before the specified time for agnathavasam (incognito-living) was over. In this incarnation, he destroyed many asuras
and protected the people.
9.
Krishna:
Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva in Mathura as their eighth
child. Krishna grew up in Gokulam as
the son of Yasodha and vanquished Kamsa, his maternal uncle who had imprisoned
his parents. Krishna became friend,
philosopher and guide of his own brother-in-law Arjuna. He became the charioteer of Arjuna in the war at Kurukshetra and
helped the Pandavas win the war without using any weapon himself. He used intrigue, diplomacy, shrewdness and
cunning to make sure Mahabharata war took place and Duryodhana was
destroyed. He explained the Dharma to
Arjuna through Bhagavad Githa, or Song Divine.
10.
Kalki: (Final incarnation in the Kaliyuga): Vishnu will appear on this earth one more
time when Kaliyuga is about to end. Vishnu promised before the atart of the
Mahabharata war that he would appear one more time in the kaliyuga when evil
begins to rule over the good that he appear on this earth as Kalki and save the
good people.
The various manifestation os Vishnu even when seen from a modern outlook,
align with Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
Life forms began in the sea (fish) then became amphibian (turtle) and
progressed towards animal, dwarf people, hunters, farmers and diplomats. Dasavatharam also shows how Vishnu, as our
preserver appeared and will appear again in this world several times to
preserve it and save us from evil. Let
us pray for Vishnu’s blessings and protection from evil.
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