Daśa Avatāra in the Narasiṃha Purāṇa
An avatāra is a “descent”: a form in which Bhagavān comes into the world to protect dharma. Daśa means ten, and the Daśa Avatāra are the ten chief avatāras of Bhagavān Vishṇu. The Narasiṃha Purāṇa lists these ten in Chapter 36, with a short description of each, and then tells their stories in detail in Chapters 37–54.
The Narasiṃha Purāṇa’s list is Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasiṃha, Vāmana, Paraśurāma, Balarāma, Kṛshṇa, Buddha and Kalki. It names Balarāma, not Rāma, among the ten, and it names the Buddha avatāra as the form that appears in the Kali Yuga (the present age) before Kalki.
The Ten Avatāras
This is the Narasiṃha Purāṇa’s list, as Mārkaṇḍeya gives it in Chapter 36:
| # | Avatāra | Short description in the Narasiṃha Purāṇa |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matsya (the fish) | Took the form of a fish and brought back the Vedas, which Madhu and Kaiṭabha had stolen from Brahmā; killed those daityas (asuras) with the Śārṅga bow |
| 2 | Kūrma (the tortoise) | Took the form of a tortoise and held up Mount Mandara during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthana) |
| 3 | Varāha (the boar) | Took the form of a great boar and lifted the earth; killed Hiraṇyāksha, who had stolen the earth’s supporting śakti (power) |
| 4 | Narasiṃha (the man-lion) | Took the form of a man-lion and killed Hiraṇyakaśipu, the great enemy of the devas; freed Prahlāda |
| 5 | Vāmana (the dwarf) | Took the form of a brāhmaṇa boy (a dwarf) and bound Bali, giving back Indra’s place and the three worlds to the devas |
| 6 | Paraśurāma | Born as a brāhmaṇa-warrior; cleared the earth of kshatriyas (warrior kings) who went against dharma, twenty-one times |
| 7 | Balarāma | As Balarāma, killed Pralamba and other rākshasas |
| 8 | Kṛshṇa | Killed Kaṃsa and other enemies of the devas; spoke the Bhagavad Gītā at Kurukshetra |
| 9 | Buddha | Appears in the Kali Yuga (the compassionate teaching avatāra) |
| 10 | Kalki | At the end of the Kali Yuga, rides out on horseback, destroys the mlecchas (barbarians) and restores dharma |
What Is Special About This List
Balarāma in place of Rāma: the Narasiṃha Purāṇa’s list of ten clearly names Balarāma as the seventh avatāra, not Rāma. Even so, the Purāṇa tells the story of the Rāma avatāra in full across six chapters (Chapters 47–52). This includes a stotra (hymn of praise) by Brahmā that calls Bhagavān Rāma Rāvaṇāntakṛt, “the one who ended Rāvaṇa”. But Rāma’s name does not appear among the ten in the list of Chapter 36.
The Buddha named clearly: the Narasiṃha Purāṇa clearly includes the Buddha as the form that appears in the Kali Yuga before Kalki.
Kalki as the last avatāra: the Kalki avatāra is described in Chapter 54, the same chapter that describes the nature of the Kali Yuga. Kalki is born at Śambhala to the brāhmaṇa Vishṇuyaśas. He rides a swift horse, carries divine weapons, and destroys the armies of the mlecchas. He performs the great Bahukāñcana yajña and begins a new Kṛta Yuga (the age of truth).
Where Each Avatāra’s Story Is Told
| Chapter | Avatāra and content |
|---|---|
| 36 | Introduction: an overview of all the avatāras |
| 37 | Matsya avatāra: the killing of Madhu and Kaiṭabha |
| 38 | Kūrma avatāra: the churning of the ocean |
| 39 | Varāha avatāra: the killing of Hiraṇyāksha |
| 40–44 | Narasiṃha avatāra: the story of Prahlāda and the killing of Hiraṇyakaśipu |
| 45 | Vāmana avatāra: Bali’s yajña and Trivikrama (the three great steps) |
| 46 | Paraśurāma avatāra: the killing of Kārtavīryārjuna and the twenty-one campaigns |
| 47–52 | Rāma avatāra: a full summary of the Rāmāyaṇa |
| 53 | Balarāma and Kṛshṇa avatāras: a full summary of Kṛshṇa’s life |
| 54 | Kalki avatāra and a description of the Kali Yuga |
Sources
- Narasiṃha Purāṇa, Chapter 36
- Narasiṃha Purāṇa, Chapters 37–54