Hindu gods – avataras
According to the Kūrma Purana (1.9), an The Hindu word for incarnation of a god in a human (or animal) form on Earth. The spelling ‘avatara’ comes from the Sanskrit. is an appearance or incarnation of one of the gods or goddesses on Earth. Many Hindus believe that a god or goddess takes the form of a human or animal in times of great need, to save humanity from danger or evil. For example, the seventh avatara of Vishnu is the aspect of Brahman responsible for the preservation of the world. Vishnu forms one part of the Trimurti, along with with gods, Brahma and Shiva. is A Hindu deity, the hero of the Ramayana story, another avatar of Vishnu., who lived on Earth and fought the evil ten-headed demon Ravana. In Hindus who focus their worship on the god Vishnu. Hindu communities, the stories of the ten avataras of the god Vishnu are especially important.
Avataras of Vishnu
Vishnu is one of the three gods of the The three main deities of Hinduism. Refers to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.. As the god of preservation, he keeps life going. To do this, Hindus believe he has appeared nine times on Earth across the ages (with a tenth avatara still to appear in the future). The most famous avataras of Vishnu are the seventh (Rama) and the eighth (Krishna). Kalki will be the tenth and final avatara to appear. The narrative says he will ride in on a white horse to destroy all the evil in the world.
| 1 | Matsya – The Fish |
| 2 | Kurma - The Tortoise |
| 3 | Varaha - The Boar |
| 4 | Narasimha - The Man-Lion |
| 5 | Vamana - The Dwarf |
| 6 | Parasurama - The Angry Man |
| 7 | Lord Rama - The Perfect Man |
| 8 | Lord Krishna - The Divine Statesman |
| 9 | Balarama - Krishna’s Elder Brother |
| 10 | Kalki - The Mighty Warrior (still to come) |
| 1 |
| Matsya – The Fish |
| 2 |
| Kurma - The Tortoise |
| 3 |
| Varaha - The Boar |
| 4 |
| Narasimha - The Man-Lion |
| 5 |
| Vamana - The Dwarf |
| 6 |
| Parasurama - The Angry Man |
| 7 |
| Lord Rama - The Perfect Man |
| 8 |
| Lord Krishna - The Divine Statesman |
| 9 |
| Balarama - Krishna’s Elder Brother |
| 10 |
| Kalki - The Mighty Warrior (still to come) |
| Source of wisdom and authority | What does it mean? |
| “The supreme Lord said: ‘both you and I have had many births, O Arjun. You have forgotten them, while I remember them all. (Bhagavad Gita 4.5)” | Lord Krishna, eighth avatara of Vishnu, is speaking here to a king named Arjun. Krishna is teaching Hindu ideas to Arjun. In this verse Krishna is called the Supreme Lord because an avatara is, literally, a god on Earth. Krishan can remember his own previous incarnations, but humans like Arjun forget, and become too concerned with the one life they are living presently. |
| Source of wisdom and authority | “The supreme Lord said: ‘both you and I have had many births, O Arjun. You have forgotten them, while I remember them all. (Bhagavad Gita 4.5)” |
|---|---|
| What does it mean? | Lord Krishna, eighth avatara of Vishnu, is speaking here to a king named Arjun. Krishna is teaching Hindu ideas to Arjun. In this verse Krishna is called the Supreme Lord because an avatara is, literally, a god on Earth. Krishan can remember his own previous incarnations, but humans like Arjun forget, and become too concerned with the one life they are living presently. |
Shakti, an avatara of Parvati
Hindu traditions recognise that there is a female force, with power and energy, that can be identified in various goddesses. For Hindus who focus their worship on the god Shiva., Shakti is the consort of the god A Hindu deity. The aspect of Brahman responsible for destruction and renewed creation. Some Hindus regard Shiva as the one Supreme Deity.. She is the creative energy of motherhood and fertility. Her huge energy and power are shown in her A statue of a god or goddess which has been made holy through a special ceremony; a term for any statue of a god or goddess. by the weapons she carries in seven of her eight arms, and the tiger she rides. One hand is open, meaning ‘fear not’.
Hindus who worship Shakti recognise that the divine is found in the female. Other forms of the goddess – such as Parvati, Durga and Kali – are seen by devotees of Shakti as aspects of Shakti’s creative energy.
Question
In Hindu worship, what is an avatara?
Avataras are appearances of the gods and goddesses on Earth, for example the ten avataras of Vishnu.
