7.3. Incarnations (dasha-avatara) of Vishnu

On The doctrine of the ten incarnations of the Lord Vismu was an integral part of the Pancaratra or the Bhagavata creed. The Dasavataras are very popular and commonly recognised. ten different occasions god assumed the form of a man or an animal on the earth to destroy certain Asures and to set right

- 204 the wrongs done to the world by them. Bhagavadgita explains the ideology underlying the Avetarsvada. 32 33 The 47 th Chapter of Matsya Purana is devoted to the enumeration of Visnu's incarnations. When unrighteousness (Adharma) prevails, Vismu appeared for the good of the world. All the Avataras show the universal character of god as allpervading and all-sustaining. The origin and the divine mission of these Avataras are fully described in the Puranes and are well-known in popular accounts of Hindu Mythology. The decorative reliefs of the Vaisnava shrines represent these ten Avataras. Varaha, Narasimha and Vamana as separate figures are more common than the others. Chapter 49 of the Agni Purana describes all the ten Avataras viz. Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Buddha and Kalki. Matsya Purana, Chapter 260, enumerates Narasimha and Vamana. Skanda Purana Chapters 19 and 63 describes Rama and Krsna. Bhavisya Purane Chapter 12, gives description of Narasimha. Visnudharmottara, Chapters 76, 78 and 85 give details about Varaha, Narasimha and Vamana. MATSYA, KURMA AND VARAHA. According to Agni Purana, the Matsya incarnation should be made to resemble a fish in shape while that of the Kurma should be so made as to look like the prototype of the tortoise. The incarnation of yaraha (Boar) should be endowed with a human

- 205 body and should be depicted as carrying a Gada (club) and other weapons in his right hands, and the divine conch shell, the goddess Laksmi or a lotus flower in the left. It is said in the Visnudharmottara that Varana is the Aniruddha form of Visnu, the embodiment of might, and with his power he lifts up the earth on the tip of his cusk. He may be represented either as a human boar (Nrvaraha) or as a simple boar. Nrveraha should be represented on the back of the Sesa in the alidha and pose or his left hand which holds Sahkha Vasundhara (the earth) should be shown in the form of a woman. His other hands should carry Padma, Cakra and Gada. In the second type Varaha in human form should be represented like Kapila in meditation. Or he may be represented with two hands in the act of carrying the globe of the earth. Holding the earth seems to be one of the common characteristics of the human boar. Udayagiri cave near Bhilsa, Madhya Bharat illustrates a striking Varahavatara image. Here the two-armed Varaha is shown with his left foot on the coils of Adisesa. He has just lifted Prthvi from beneath the waters with his right tusk. At the Mahabalipuram composition, the god lovingly holds up Prthvi with his front two hands and looks at her with his boar face. 34 NARASIMHA According to Agni Purana, the image of Narasimha is to be furnished with four hands, two holding the celestial ring

206 weapon and the conch shell and the other two engaged in tearing open the entrails of the great demon, Hiranyakasipu. The Gharwa Paikore (Bengal) and many other north and south sculptures in stone and Bronze represent such type of Narasimha image. The Matsya Purana describes the image of Narasinha in the following words 'The god and demon should be shown fighting with their legs interlooked; the former should appear as being repeatedly attacked by the tired demon who should be shown as holding a sword and a shield'. The Ellora sculpture of Narasimha seems to agree with this type of image. In this sculpture, the interlocking of the leg of Narasimha 35 with that of Hiranyakasipu is beautifully carried out. The Visnudharmottara says that Hiranyakasipu is a personification of evil and ignorance and Narasimha, the form of Sankarsana is the destroyer of ignorance. According to this authority, the image of Narasimha should be represented in the alidhasana pose; it should be clothed in a blue garment, adorned with ornaments, and its face and mane should be surrounded with flames. Narasimha should be represented as tearing the bosom of Hiranyakasipu with his sharp nails. VAMANA. The fifth Avatara of Visnu has two aspects in sculpture, one the dwarf incarnation of Vamanavatara and the other the huge collossus (Virat arupa or Trivikrama). Matsya Purana mentions that the image of Vamana should be executed according to the Saptatala measure. The Matsya Purana (260, 36, 37)

. 207 describes the figures of Trivikrama and Vamana. The image of Trivikrama should be sculptured to represent his striding over the earth and that of Vamana as holding Kamandalu in his one hand and an umbrella in the other. His face should be shown humble (dIna). Agni Purana says that the Vamana incarnation of Visnu should be represented as a dwarf, carrying a stick or an umbrella, or should be made as possessed of four arms. The Visnudharmottara mentions that god Vamana should have crooked limbs and fat body, should carry staff and be prepared for study. His colour is dark like durva grass and he wears black antelope skin. The same authority mentions that the image of Trivikrama should hold the Danda, Pasa, Sahicha, Cakra, Gada and Padma in their natural forms and not in the human forms (ayudha purusas). It is added that Trivikrama should be sculptured with up lifted face and with large eyes (Visphariteksanah). T.A.G. Rao observes that in a number of cases, the face of Trivikrama is slightly uplifted in conformity with this description. The Mahabalipuram relief and the Badami relief depict the figure of Vamana with Daitya King and his attendant and also of Trivikrama with eight hands. Separate figures of Vamana are very rare and such figures are always four armed as suggested by the Agni Purana. PARASURAMA 36 The next three incarnations of Visnu are Parasurama, Raghava Rama and Balarama. The Agni Purana describes Parasurama as carrying a bow and an arrow, together with a sword and a

- 208 battle - axe in his four hands and the Visnudharmottara adds that he should be so represented as to make him difficult to look at on account of his matted locks of hair, and he should be shown as wearing an antelope skin. In the Dasavatara slabs, Parasurama is shown as two armed and a battle - axe in his hand. - axe in his hand. The four-armed image of Parasurama from Ranihati (Dacca) agrees with the description of the Agni Purana but the weapons shown in his hands are battle 37 axe, Sankha, Cakra and Gada. SRIRAMA. Images of Raghava Rama (Dasarathi) are usually of the same description. The Agni Purana says that Rama should be represented as carrying a bow and an arrow in his two hands, and equipped with a sword and a conch shell as well. The Visnudharmottara says that the figures of Bharata and Satrughna should also be associated with that of Rama, but that these figures as well as the figure of Laksmana should not have the Mauli (Kirita - Mukuta) on the head. Separate cult images of Sri Rama with sita, Laksmana, Bharata, Satrughna and also Hanumana are of a comparatively later period. In the dasavatara reliefs, Sri Rama is usually depicted as two-armed, his hands holding a bow and an arrow. BALARAMA According to the Agni Purana, Balarama is required to carry the Gada and the Hala, if he is shown as possessing two

- 209 arms. If he is represented with four arms, the plough and the conch shell should be placed in the two upper and lower left hands and the Musala (Pestle) and the Cakra in the two right hands. The Visnudharmottara says that Bala should be white, wearing a deep blue garment, with eye dialeted through wine, wearing kundalas and carrying the plough share and the club. In the early Bhagavata religion, Balarama was worshipped along with Vasudeva (Krsna). A very early image (of 2 nd Century B.C.) of Balarama is at Lucknow Museum. It is a standing figure with a canopy of serpent hoods. He holds a Musala (club) in his right hand and Hala (plough) in the left hand. His dress is similar to that of the Yaksa images consisting of a heavy turban, ear-rings and a dhoti. The images of Balarama in the Kusina or the Gupta period are distinguishable by the serpent hood as well as a wine cup in his left hand. In the Gupta image he is shown with four hands. KRSNA. 38 Many stories connected with the life of Krsna, are told again and again by the Harivamsha, the Bhagavata and the other Puranas. The Visnudharmottara (11I. 76 - 3) says that Krsna should have in one of his hands the Cakra and that Rukmini should have in her right hand a nilotpala. Separate sculptures of Krsna with his two consorts Rukmini and Satyabhama are found.

210BUDDHA The Agni Purana and the Visnudharmottara Purana describe the image of Buddha. According to the Agni Purana, Buddha should be sculptured as a man of fair complexion, wearing a cloth and sitting on a lotus flower with its petals turned upwards. His ears should be made comparatively longer. The image should appear calm (Santatma). His hands should be in Varada and Abhaya poses. The Visnudharmottara adds that Buddha should be covered with the Masaya (the yellow garb of the ascetic) and on the shoulder there should be Civara. The Purana calls him Dhyani. The image of Buddha as described by the Puranas occurs in Hindu sculpture. T.G.Rao observed that throughout the Calukya and oysala countries, Buddha is seen to have been invariably included among the ten avataras of Vismu and his image is found wherever those avataras are portrayed. The stone image of the Dhyani Buddha from Borobudur is very famous displays the above characteristics described by the Puranas, KALKI 39 The Kalki-avatara of Vismu has not yet taken place and is predicted to come off about the end of the present Kali Yuga. According to the Agni Purana the image of Kalki should carry the Dhanus and the Bana and should ride on a horse. The image may also be made to carry the Khadga, the Bana, the Cakra and the Sahkha. The Visnudharmottara prescribes only two arms to

- 211 Kalki. The Purana describes him as 'a powerful man angry in mood, riding on horse back with a sword in his raised hands which can be recognised in the last figure of the Dasavatara slabs. The Matsya Purana Ch. 47, V. 106 includes Mandhata in the list of the Avataras of Visnu.