{"id":956,"date":"2023-01-18T11:32:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T06:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vishwanadh.com\/?p=956"},"modified":"2024-06-09T13:28:55","modified_gmt":"2024-06-09T07:58:55","slug":"dasavatara-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vishwanadh.com\/?p=956","title":{"rendered":"What are Da\u015b\u0101vat\u0101r\u0101s?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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If you have any association to this part of the World (that is Bharat<\/em>), it is natural to have got this question in your mind, sometime or other. I am no exception. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

But then, I (too) belong to the same generation which never bothered to know the right answer because we fashioned the idea that Pur\u0101\u1e47\u0101s<\/em> are anyway cock-and-bull-stories, so there is no need to probe into the truth about a myth. In fact, each time I tried to give the answer to myself, I used to count anywhere between eight and a dozen or even more. The end result is, that the pictures of these Da\u015b\u0101vat\u0101r\u0101s<\/em> haunted me wherever I went, each one appearing with a different combination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why should I care?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Whether I like it or not Da\u015b\u0101vat\u0101r\u0101s<\/em> is part of my culture. So, instead of facing this question from my offspring sometime in future and end up saying, ‘I do not know’, I embarked on the probe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the difficulty?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The internet age made the process of seeking answers to pertinent questions relating to Indic culture, history is all the more difficult. No! I am not talking only about Wikipedia, with an agenda. I mean, everything that is written and built on misinformation including the websites which generate content on the fly from the garbage that is called ‘data’. To top it all, like an icing on the cake, we have social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the problem, then?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

First, the question now for me was, what is the right question for the header of this post? I considered having a header ‘How many Da\u015b\u0101vat\u0101r\u0101s<\/em> are there?’ This may look appropriate for someone who does not even know ‘das<\/em>‘ is a dh\u0101tu<\/em> (root-word) from sa\u1e43sk\u1e5bta\u1e43<\/em> which means ten. Or perhaps he is also confused like me about the count. Then, I thought my question itself may be considered incorrect, so settled for the above heading which covers everyone who does not know anything about the word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the first part (Da\u015b\u0101<\/em>) is already inadvertently clarified, let us go the second part of the key word in question viz., avat\u0101r\u0101<\/em>. For humans, animals and other living beings the word birth is used. But when the Param\u0101tama<\/em> himself decides to appear on this earth, it is called avatara\u1e47a<\/em> (dissent from above). Whether God exists or whether he takes human or animal forms is not the point here. Maybe we can take that question some other time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to determine the right source?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Now the question is, what should be my go to source – which is also authentic – to look for the correct answer(s). Since, the concept (of Da\u015b\u0101vat\u0101r\u0101s<\/em>) itself is from Pur\u0101\u1e47\u0101s<\/em>, let us see what \u1e63rimadbh\u0101gavata\u1e43<\/em> has to say. For the starters, \u1e63rimadbh\u0101gavata\u1e43<\/em> is one of the a\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101da\u015ba (18) mah\u0101 pur\u0101\u1e47\u0101s<\/em>. These mah\u0101 pur\u0101\u1e47\u0101s<\/em> and an additional 18 upa pur\u0101\u1e47\u0101s<\/em> are all authored by Vy\u0101sa Bhagav\u0101n<\/em> (Vy\u0101sa Mahar\u1e63i<\/em>). This makes our job easy. We do not have to go to multiple Pur\u0101\u1e47\u0101s<\/em> for confirmation about avat\u0101r\u0101s<\/em> of \u015br\u012b mah\u0101 vi\u1e63\u1e47u<\/em> because all are authored by the same person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some more context, please?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Vy\u0101sa Bhagav\u0101n<\/em> (a.k.a B\u0101dar\u0101ya\u1e47a Mahar\u1e63i<\/em>) also authored \u015br\u012bmah\u0101bh\u0101rata<\/em> (which contained the quintessential text for san\u0101tan\u012bs<\/em> viz., \u015br\u012bmadbhagavadg\u012bta<\/em> said to be right from the mouth of bhagav\u0101n sr\u012bk\u1e5b\u1e63na<\/em>). In addition, Vy\u0101sa<\/em> also authored Brahmas\u016btr\u0101s,<\/em> which is more like a compendium of discussions to establish that only brahman<\/em> \/ \u0101tman<\/em> is THE reality and everything else is not. Here, you may wonder why the same person who wrote Brahmas\u016btr\u0101s<\/em> also wrote Pur\u0101\u1e47\u0101s<\/em>. This is because the ancient ri\u1e63\u012b’s<\/em> recognized the adhik\u0101ra bheda<\/em> (individuals having different levels of competency). Nirukta\u1e43<\/em> (the science of etymology) under ved\u0101\u1e43gas<\/em> (auxiliary limbs which are internal to Ved\u0101s<\/em>) points out that the understanding of reality is layered in three different levels. (1) \u0101didaivika<\/em> (primordial) (2) \u0101dibhautika<\/em> (physical) (3) \u0101dhy\u0101tmika<\/em> (spiritual). We can talk about these in detail at a different time. But the point here is that these different works of Vy\u0101sa<\/em> have different level \/ stage of target audience for each category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, what is in scope now?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Having now understood the layered approach, our scope for the inquiry is limited to jotting down what are all the avat\u0101r\u0101s<\/em> of \u015br\u012b mah\u0101 vi\u1e63\u1e47u<\/em>.<\/strong> We will now see that we find all the details we want in Canto 1 – Chapter 3<\/em> of \u1e63rimadbh\u0101gavata\u1e43<\/em>. You can see all relevant \u015blok\u0101s<\/em> at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vy\u0101sa Bhagav\u0101n<\/em> cautions that avat\u0101r\u0101s<\/em> of \u015br\u012b mah\u0101 vi\u1e63\u1e47u<\/em> are countless and attempting to count is like counting the number of streams which source water to a perennial water-body (1.3.26).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, what is the verdict?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

(1) Initially, consider the Vir\u0101\u1e6d<\/em> or Puru\u1e63a <\/em><\/strong>r\u016bpa<\/em> <\/strong>(form) of \u015br\u012b mah\u0101 vi\u1e63\u1e47u<\/em> as the indestructible seed which gives form to all the j\u012bv\u0101s<\/em> (sentient beings) (1.3.5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) First, Brahm\u0101<\/strong> (and his four sons viz., Sanaka, Sana\u1e43dana<\/em> et al<\/em>) (1.3.6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3) Second, Var\u0101ha<\/em><\/strong> (1.3.7)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(4) Third, Devar\u1e63i N\u0101rada<\/strong><\/em> (1.3.8)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(5) Fourth, (a) Nara<\/em><\/strong> (b) N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a<\/strong><\/em> (twin sons of King Dharma<\/em>) (1.3.9)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(6) Fifth, Kapila Mahar\u1e63i <\/em><\/strong>(who founded \u1e63\u0101\u1e43khya<\/em>) (1.3.10)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(7) Sixth, Datt\u0101treya<\/strong><\/em> (born to atri mahar\u1e63i<\/em> and anas\u016bya devi<\/em>) (taught spirituality to alarka, prahl\u0101da, yaduvu, haihaya <\/em>and others) (1.3.11)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(8) Seventh, King Yaj\u00f1\u0101<\/strong><\/em> (born to Praj\u0101pati Ruci <\/em>and \u0101k\u016bti<\/em> during sv\u0101ya\u1e43bhuva manva\u1e43tara\u1e43<\/em>) (1.3.12)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(9) Eighth, \u1e5b\u1e63abhadevu\u1e0du<\/em><\/strong> (born to mah\u0101r\u0101ju n\u0101bhi<\/em> and mer\u016bdevi<\/em>) (1.3.13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(10) Ninth, P\u1e5bdhu Mah\u0101raja<\/strong><\/em> (Founded agriculture and herbal cultivation. Mother Earth got her second name p\u1e5bdhvi<\/em> from him). (1.3.14)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Milestone:<\/strong> Vaivasvata Manva\u1e43tara<\/em> – Current period of Manu<\/em> starts, post completion of previous Manu<\/em>‘s (C\u0101k\u1e63u\u1e63a Manva\u1e43tara<\/em>) term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(11) Tenth, Matsya<\/strong><\/em> (1.3.15) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(12) Eleventh, K\u016brma <\/strong><\/em>(1.3.16)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(13) Twelfth, Dhanva\u1e43tari<\/strong><\/em> (during samudra mathana\u1e43<\/em>)) (1.3.17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(14) Thirteenth, Mohini<\/em><\/strong> (alongside dhanva\u1e43tari<\/em> during the same event viz., samudra mathana\u1e43<\/em>) (1.3.17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(15) Fourteenth, Narasi\u1e43ha<\/em><\/strong> (1.3.18)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(16) Fifteenth, V\u0101mana<\/em><\/strong> (1.3.19)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(17) Sixteenth, Para\u015bur\u0101ma <\/strong><\/em>(1.3.20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(18) Seventeenth, V<\/em><\/strong>y\u0101sa <\/strong><\/em>(born to Par\u0101\u015bara<\/em> and Satyavati<\/em>) (1.3.21)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(19) Eighteenth, R\u0101ma<\/em><\/strong> (1.3.22)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(20) Nineteenth, (a) \u015br\u012b k\u1e63na<\/strong><\/em> and (b) Balar\u0101ma<\/strong><\/em> (1.3.23)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Milestone:<\/strong> S\u016bta Muni<\/em> who was narrating all these verses under reference is fore-telling the future avat\u0101r\u0101s<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(21) Twentieth, Buddha<\/em><\/strong> (to seduce those who hate theists) (1.3.24)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(22) Twenty first, Kalki<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now count the major avat\u0101r\u0101s<\/em> yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is the moral?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

(1) If something is so obvious, yet so confusing, inquire and find out yourself. (2) Never depend on Wikipedia or Quora, find the right text \/ scripture. (3) Remember there is no substitute for a competent guru.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy exploring!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Image Courtesy: <\/strong>Manju Sattiraju<\/em>
P.S.:<\/strong> All errors \/ mistakes are my own<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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References<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

From: \u1e63rimadbh\u0101gavata\u1e43 – Canto 1 – Chapter 3<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

etann\u0101n\u0101vat\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e43 nidh\u0101na\u1e43 b\u012bjamavyayam \u0964
yasy\u0101\u1e43\u015b\u0101\u1e43\u015bena s\u1e5bjyante devatirya\u1e45nar\u0101daya\u1e25 \u0965 1.3.5\u0965<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

sa eva prathama\u1e43 deva\u1e25 kaum\u0101ra\u1e43 sargam\u0101\u015brita\u1e25 \u0964
cac\u0101ra du\u015bcara\u1e43 brahm\u0101 brahmacaryamakha\u1e47\u1e0ditam \u0965 1.3.6\u0965<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

dvit\u012bya\u1e43 tu bhav\u0101y\u0101sya ras\u0101talagat\u0101\u1e43 mah\u012bm \u0964
uddhari\u1e63yannup\u0101datta yaj\u00f1e\u015ba\u1e25 saukara\u1e43 vapu\u1e25 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>7\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

t\u1e5bt\u012bya\u1e43 \u1e5b\u1e63isarga\u1e43 ca devar\u1e63itvamupetya sa\u1e25 \u0964
tantra\u1e43 s\u0101tvatam\u0101ca\u1e63\u1e6da nai\u1e63karmya\u1e43 karma\u1e47\u0101\u1e43 yata\u1e25 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>8\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

turye dharmakal\u0101sarge naran\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47\u0101v\u1e5b\u1e63\u012b \u0964
bh\u016btv\u0101”tmopa\u015bamopetamakaroddu\u015bcara\u1e43 tapa\u1e25 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>9\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

pa\u00f1cama\u1e25 kapilo n\u0101ma siddhe\u015ba\u1e25 k\u0101laviplutam \u0964
prov\u0101c\u0101suraye s\u0101\u1e45khya\u1e43 tattvagr\u0101mavinir\u1e47ayam \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>10\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u1e63a\u1e63\u1e6dhamatrerapatyatva\u1e43 v\u1e5bta\u1e25 pr\u0101pto’nas\u016byay\u0101 \u0964
\u0101nv\u012bk\u1e63ik\u012bmalark\u0101ya prahl\u0101d\u0101dibhya \u016bciv\u0101n \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>11\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

tata\u1e25 saptama \u0101k\u016bty\u0101\u1e43 ruceryaj\u00f1o’bhyaj\u0101yata \u0964
sa y\u0101m\u0101dyai\u1e25 suraga\u1e47airap\u0101tsv\u0101yambhuv\u0101ntaram \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>12\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a\u1e63\u1e6dame merudevy\u0101\u1e43 tu n\u0101bherj\u0101ta urukrama\u1e25 \u0964
dar\u015bayan vartma dh\u012br\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e43 sarv\u0101\u015bramanamask\u1e5btam \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>13\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u1e5b\u1e63ibhiry\u0101cito bheje navama\u1e43 p\u0101rthiva\u1e43 vapu\u1e25 \u0964
dugdhem\u0101mo\u1e63adh\u012brvipr\u0101sten\u0101ya\u1e43 sa u\u015battama\u1e25 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>14\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

r\u016bpa\u1e43 sa jag\u1e5bhe m\u0101tsya\u1e43 c\u0101k\u1e63u\u1e63odadhisamplave \u0964
n\u0101vy\u0101ropya mah\u012bmayy\u0101map\u0101dvaivasvata\u1e43 manum \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>15\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

sur\u0101sur\u0101\u1e47\u0101mudadhi\u1e43 mathnat\u0101\u1e43 mandar\u0101calam \u0964
dadhre kama\u1e6dhar\u016bpe\u1e47a p\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dha ek\u0101da\u015be vibhu\u1e25 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>16\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

dh\u0101nvantara\u1e43 dv\u0101da\u015bama\u1e43 trayoda\u015bamameva ca \u0964
ap\u0101yayatsur\u0101nany\u0101n mohiny\u0101 mohayan striy\u0101 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>17\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

caturda\u015ba\u1e43 n\u0101rasi\u1e43ha\u1e43 bibhraddaityendram\u016brjitam \u0964
dad\u0101ra karajairvak\u1e63asyerak\u0101\u1e43 ka\u1e6dak\u1e5bdyath\u0101 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>18\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

pa\u00f1cada\u015ba\u1e43 v\u0101manaka\u1e43 k\u1e5btv\u0101g\u0101dadhvara\u1e43 bale\u1e25 \u0964
padatraya\u1e43 y\u0101cam\u0101na\u1e25 praty\u0101ditsustrivi\u1e63\u1e6dapam \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>19\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

avat\u0101re \u1e63o\u1e0da\u015bame pa\u015byan brahmadruho n\u1e5bp\u0101n \u0964
tri\u1e25saptak\u1e5btva\u1e25 kupito ni\u1e25k\u1e63atr\u0101makaronmah\u012bm \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>20\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

tata\u1e25 saptada\u015be j\u0101ta\u1e25 satyavaty\u0101\u1e43 par\u0101\u015bar\u0101t \u0964
cakre vedataro\u1e25 \u015b\u0101kh\u0101 d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dv\u0101 pu\u1e43so’lpamedhasa\u1e25 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>21\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

naradevatvam\u0101panna\u1e25 surak\u0101ryacik\u012br\u1e63ay\u0101 \u0964
samudranigrah\u0101d\u012bni cakre v\u012bry\u0101\u1e47yata\u1e25 param \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>22\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ekonavi\u1e43\u015be vi\u1e43\u015batime v\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47i\u1e63u pr\u0101pya janman\u012b \u0964
r\u0101mak\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101viti bhuvo bhagav\u0101naharadbharam \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>23\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

tata\u1e25 kalau samprav\u1e5btte sammoh\u0101ya suradvi\u1e63\u0101m \u0964
buddho n\u0101mn\u0101janasuta\u1e25 k\u012bka\u1e6de\u1e63u bhavi\u1e63yati \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>24\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ath\u0101sau yugasandhy\u0101y\u0101\u1e43 dasyupr\u0101ye\u1e63u r\u0101jasu \u0964
janit\u0101 vi\u1e63\u1e47uya\u015baso n\u0101mn\u0101 kalkirjagatpati\u1e25 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>25\u0965<\/p>\n\n\n\n

avat\u0101r\u0101 hyasa\u1e45khyey\u0101 hare\u1e25 sattvanidherdvij\u0101\u1e25 \u0964
yath\u0101vid\u0101sina\u1e25 kuly\u0101\u1e25 sarasa\u1e25 syu\u1e25 sahasra\u015ba\u1e25 \u0965 <\/em>1.3.<\/em>26\u0965<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

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