1 - Incarnations of Vishnu

1. I bow to Lord Hari, the un-born, un-ageing, endless, identical with Knowledge, Supreme, auspicious, pure, beginningless, devoid of physical body and sense-organs, the inner presiding deity of all living beings, the unsullied and the only omnipresent force that transcends all illusions. 

2. With mind, Speech and actions, ever and anon, I offer my obeisance unto Hari, Rudra, Brahma, Ganesha and the Goddess Sarasvati. 

3-5. The learned Suta,1 well-versed in all pauranika lore, ever-calm, a master of all sacred scriptures and a great devotee of Lord Vishnu happened to visit the holy forest Naimisha2 in the course of his pilgrimage. As he was sitting on a holy seat contemplating on the sinless Lord Vishnu the learned Suta was adored by Shaunaka3 and other holy sages of the Naimisha forest-the sages who were effulgent like the sun, yet ever calm and ever engaged in the celebration of sacrifices.

1. The sutas in the Pauranika age were regarded as venerable persons who preserved the genealogies of deities, sages and kings in the form of songs and ballads. [Vide details in SP (AITM) p.I. fn. 2.].

2. A forest near the Gomati-river. Here Sauti related the Mahabharata to the sages. Also refer SP (AITM) p. 2107; Linga (AITM) p. 800).

3. A great sage, the author of the Rugveda Pratishakhya and other Vedic compositions. (Also see SP (AITM) p.I. fn. 1).

The Sages said: 

6. O Suta, we ask you, since you know everything. Who, among the gods, is the most godly, almighty, worthy of our worship? 

7. Whom are we to contemplate upon? Who creates the universe? Who protects it? Who destroys it? Who is the source of religion? Who is known to be the suppressor of the wicked? 

8. What is the form of that God? How is the process of creation explained? What are the religious rites to propitiate him? By which Yoga can he be attained?

9-10. What are his incarnations? What is the origin of different lineages? Who assigns the various duties to persons of different castes1 and ashramas2 of life? Who controls him? O wise sage, narrate to us all this and everything else. Tell us the most excellent stories of Narayana.

1. There are four main castes prevalent among the Hindus: (i) Brahmana, (ii) Kshatriya, (iii) Vaishya and (iv). Shudra. (Vide SP AITM) p. 2098).

2. According to Hindu scriptures, man's life-Span is divided into four periods (Ashramas) viz., (i) Brahmacharya, (ii) Gruhastha, (iii) Vanaprastha, (iv) Sannyasa. That is to say, (1) a period of studentship totally devoted to study and preparation for life, (ii) a period of householder ship enjoying the worldly life, (iii) a period of retired life in the forest and (iv) a period of complete renunciation.

Suta said: 

11. I shall recount to you the Garuda Purana, the essence of the anecdotes of Vishnu. Formerly, this was narrated to Kashyapa3 by Garuda. I heard it from Vyasa4 the past. 

3. A great sage, the legendary father of deities and demons. (Also refer SP (AITM) p. 2104, Linga (AITM) p. 798). 

4. The renowned sage, author of the Mahabharata. (vide Linga (AITM) p. 808.) 

12. The Lord Narayana alone is the most powerful almighty of all gods. He is the supreme soul. He is the supreme Brahman.5 All this world originates from him.

5. Brahman-an indefinable supreme power.

13. For the preservation of the universe the unborn, unageing, deathless Vasudeva assumes various incarnations6 in the form of Kumara etc. 

6. Vishnu's preserving and restoring power is manifested in a variety of forma called avataras literally ‘discents’ but more intelligibly 'incarnations' in which a portion of his divine essence is embodied in a human or supernatural form possessed of super-human powers. All these avataras become manifest for correcting some evil or effecting some good in the world. (CDHM P: 361). Ten incarnations of Vishnu are accepted universally-Fish, Tortoise, Boar, Man-lion, Dwarf, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. Bhagavata-Purana enumerates twenty-two incarnations and asserts that in reality they are innumerable. Garuda-Purina follows the suit. (Vide details in CDHM pp. 33-8.)

14. At first, that god, Hari, assumed the form of Kumara7 and O Brahman, performed the unbroken vow of Brahmacharya (celibacy), very difficult for everyone. 

7. A son of Shiva: generally known as Karttikeya. (SP (AITM) p. a104; Linga (AITM) p. 798). 

15. Secondly, the lord of sacrifices took up the form of a boar lifting up the earth that had sunk deep into the nether region. 

16. The third incarnation was in the form of a sage. Assuming the form of the divine sage (Narada1) he expounded the Satvata Tantra2 the philosophy of inactivity of actions.

1. The famous legendary age, a great devotee of Vishnu. (SP (AITM) p. 2108; Linga (AITM) p. 801.)

2. Obviously refers to Narada-Samhita of Pancharatra ritualistic work on Vaishnavism.

17. In the fourth incarnation Lord Hari, assuming the form of Nara-Narayana3 practised penance for the preservation of religion. He was honoured by gods as well as demons.

3. They are said to have been practising austere penance on the Himalayas, which excited the fear of Indra who sent down several damsels to disturb their austerities. But Narayana put all of them to shame by creating a nymph Urvashi from a flower on his thigh who excelled them in beauty. (SSED p. 281; SP (AITM) p. 2108; Linga (AITM) p. 801.)

18. The fifth was in the form of Kapila,4 the foremost among the Siddhas5 who instructed Asuri in the philosophy of Sankhya6 which had been ravaged by the lapse of time and categorised the twenty-five) tattvas (elements). 

4. A renowned sage who reduced to ashes the sixty-thousand von of Sagara (SP (AITM) P. 2114, Linga (AITM) p. 798).

5. Siddhas-A class of semi-divine beings. (refer SP (AITM) P. 2114; Linga (ATM) p. 804). 

6. One of the six systems of Hindu Philosophy attributed to sage Kapila. This philosophy derives its name from the fact that it describes twenty-five tattvas (true principles) with the object to achieve the final emancipation of the twenty-fifth tattva, viz., the Purusha or Soul, from the bonds of his worldly existence the fetters of phenomenal creation. It conveys a correct knowledge of the twenty-four tattoos and effects the disentanglement of the Soul from their vicious influence. It regards the whole universe to be a development of an inanimate principle-Prakruti, while Purusha is altogether passive and simply a looker-on. It agrees with the Vedanta in being synthetical, and differs from the analytical Nyaya. or Vaisheshika; but its great point of divergence from the Vedanta is that it maintains certain principle which the Vedanta denies, chief among them being that it does not admit God as the creator and controller of the Universe, which Vedanta affirms, (SSED. P. 596.) 

19. The sixth incarnation was in the form of Datta,1 the son of Atria2 and Anasuya.3 When Lord expounded the philosophy of Anvikshiki (Metaphysics) to Alarka, Prahlada4 and others.

1. Popularly known as Dattatreya, he is regarded as an incarnation of Brahmi, Vishnu and Shiva. 

2. The name Atri occurs in the Rugveda as well as in the Epic and Puranic literature. (CDHM p. 32. Also refer SP (AITM) p. 2096; Linga (AITM) p. 624). 

3. Wife of Sage Atri. She is taken as a model for chastity. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva incarnated as her son Dattatreya. (SP (AITM) p. 2095; Linga (AITM) p. 642.) 

4. Son of Hiranyakashipu. 

20. Then in the seventh incarnation he was born as Yajna,5 the son of Ruchi6 and Akuti,7 as a result of propitiation by Indra and other gods in the Svayambhuva era.8

5. He had the head of a deer and was killed by Virabhadra at Daksha's sacrifice. According to the Harivamsha, he was raised to the planetary sphere by Brahma, and made into the constellation Mruga-Shiras. (CDHM P 371.) 

6. Father of Yajna and Dakshina.

7. A daughter of Manu Svayambhuva and Shatarupa. 

8. Svayambhuva was the first Manu and his period of reign is called Svayambhuva.

21. In the eighth incarnation he was born as Urukrama the son of Nabhi and Merudevi. He indicated to women the path of duty deserving respect of people of all stages of life. 

22. In the ninth incarnation, as requested by the sages, he took up the form of Pruthu.9 With the milk of potential herbs, he resuscitated the brahmanas and other creatures. 

9. Son of Vena. He milked the earth in the form of a cow and gave a new life to the creatures who were suffering on account of a famine, (For details, CDHM PP. 242-3.) 

23. He took the form of a fish in the great Deluge at the end of Chakshusha Manvantara10 and saved Vaivasvata Manu11 by putting him in a terrestrial boat.

10. The period of the reign of the sixth Manu (SP (AITM) p. 9106; Linga (AITM) p. 800; SSED. P. 493; SED. P. 784; CDHM pp. 199-201 for Manu and Manvantara). 

11. The seventh Manu, father of Ikshvaku etc. (SP (AITM) p 2106; Linga (AITM) p. 8oo; SSED. p. 473; SED P. 784; CDHM pp. 199-201). 

24. In the eleventh incarnation the all-pervasive Lord took the form of a tortoise and bore the Mount Mandara1 on his back while the gods and demons churned the ocean.

1. Mandara-a famous mount in Indian legends. (SP AITM) p. 2106; Linga (AITM) p. 799)

25. In his twelfth and thirteenth incarnations as Dhanvantari2 and a woman Mohini respectively,3 the Lord gratified the gods and charmed others. 

2. Dhanvantari— The deity of medicines, (SP (AITM)p. 101 fn. 82) 

3. Mohini—a celestial nymph; according to the legend of Samudra manthana, Vishnu assumed the form of Mohini to cheat the demons of the distribution of nectar. 

26. In the fourteenth incarnation as Man-Lion4 he tore the powerful demon with his fierce claws just as the matmaker tears the willow-barks.

4. Vishnu assumed this form of half-man and half-lion to kill Hiranyakashipu who was empowered with a boon that neither men nor animals could kill him.

27. In his fifteenth incarnation, assuming the form of Vamana5 he went to the sacrificial altar of Bali.6 Wishing to regain heaven, he begged of him three steps of Space.

5. Vamana-the dwarf. Linga (AITM) p. 514). 

6. Bali—the celebrated king of the nether world (SP (AITM) P. 750; fn. 147, 955; Linga AITM) p. 514).

28. In his sixteenth incarnation as Parashurama7 seeing the princes inimical to the brahmanas he became infuriated and made the earth devoid of kshatriyas twenty-one times.

7. He vowed to destroy the Kshatriyas altogether from the earth (SP (AITM) p. 751 fns. 151-2 p. 1453; fn. 211).

29. In his seventeenth incarnation he was born of Satyavati8 and Parashara.9 Seeing men deficient in intellect, he created branches of the tree of Veda.

8-9. The parents of sage Vyasa.

30. After that in his eighteenth incarnation he became a Prince Rama10 and, in his desire to do work of the gods, performed many deeds such as bridging the ocean. 

10. A son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya; (SP (AITM), p. 751 fn, p. 1236 fn. p. 94, 1613; Linga (AITM) p. 118.) 

31. In his nineteenth and twentieth incarnations obtaining birth as Balarama1 and Shrikrishna,2 in the family of the Vrushnis3 the Lord lessened the burden of the earth.

1-2. Well-known brothers celebrated in Indian Literature. Krishna killed Kamsa, the demonic ruler of Mathura. (SP (AITM) P. 2104)

3. Vrushni was a descendant of Yadu. His descendants were called Vrushnis. 

32. At the juncture of Kali4 era, in order to delude demons, he will be born in the Kikata5 country as the son of Jina6 and named as Buddha.7 

4. The last incarnation in the cycle of four eras (yugas), supposed to have begun after the Mahabharata war. (SP (AITM) p. 2103, Linga (AITM) p. 798). 

5. Kikata-famous for Gaya, a holy place of the Hindus. It is identified with Magadha (modern South Bihar). 

6. Jina-there seems to be some confusion here about the name of Buddha's father. 

7. Son of Shuddhodana. (SP (ATIM) 2098).

33. Again in the eighth juncture (change of cycles) when all kings will be on the verge of extinction, the Lord of the universe will be born of Vishnuyashas8 and named as Kalki.9 

8-9. The last incarnation is yet to take place (SP (AITM) p. 2103). 

34. Thus O Brahmanas! innumerable are the incarnations of Hari, the Omnipotent Lord. 

35. From them originate creations etc. They have to be worshipped and propitiated by Vrata10 and other religious rites. Long ago, Vyasa narrated to me this Garuda Purana.

10. Vratas means religious austerities. (Linga (AITM) p. 808).