MYTHOLOGY OF AVATARA
Avatara literally means descent, especially of a deity from the heaven and its appearance on the earth, but generally it indicates incarnation of Vishnu to protest the righteous and punish the wicked.
The origin of the concept of avatara has been traced in the Vedic literature. The Shatapatha Brahmana refers to the deified form of fish(Matsya), tortoise(Kurma) and dwarf (Vamana). It is said that having assumed the form of Tortoise Prajapati created offspring and in the form of a boar he lifted the earth from the waters. The Taittiriya Brahmana repeats the story relating to boar lifting earth from water. It also alludes to Narsimha or Man-lion, Reference to deified fish is found in the Shatapatha Brahmana which relates to the legend of the great deluge.
In the Shatapatha and Taittiriya Brahmins the Avataras of fish, tortoise and boar are represented as the manifestations of Prajapati Brahma. However in later mythologies these Avataras have been specifically related to Vishnu. The great Gupta Kings Samundragupta and Chandragupta were devout adherents and patrons of the Bhagavata cult related to Vishnu. It was during their reigns that Vaishnavism became the most popular religion in India. In the Gita, some sections of the Mahabharata and the Puranas which assumed their final shape in the Gupta period (320-550 A.D.). Vishnu was elevated to the position of supreme god and was represented as the almighty savior of man-kind who incarnated himself from time to time in human or animal forms for the protection of the pious and destruction of the wicked.
As regards the actual number of avataras there are different versions. However, generally it is accepted as ten. Very often the order of names in the list differs. The names of ten Avataras are as follows ;
1. Matsya (fish) 2. Kurma (tortoise) 3. Varaha (boar) 4. Narasimha (man-lion)5. Vamana (dwarf) 6. Parashuram 7. Ram Chandra . 8. Balaram (He is replaced by the Buddha in some texts) 9. Krishna and 10. Kalki ( which is to come).
This is the standard list of Avatara. However, sometimes changes are also found in numbers. The Mahabharata while adhering to ten names , makes a significant change – it includes Hansa (Vihangama – the bird). The Bhagwata Purana also has mentioned this avatara. The Harivansha Purana has added another important name Lotus ( Padma) .
The number of Avataras went on increasing, as a result of constant meditation and speculation about the origin of the Universe and evolution of life and civilization on it and enquiry into the ultimate reality and it reached twenty four. Out of these some were full Avataras and some partial. Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Lotus and Hansa are cosmogenic in which animals and plants have been deified, while Narasimha, Vamana, Parashuram, Ram Chandra, Balarama and Krishna are depicted as human beings representing various stages in the evolution of human civilization as a result of development of technology and lastly Kalki incarnation points out to the direction of future scientific and technological developments.
A critical examination of the mythology of Avataras reveals the mystery of life on our planet and its evolution quite similar to the theory of evolution and natural selection as propounded by Darwin .
There is evidence to prove that all living beings on our planet have descended from the same original ancestors. Indians in contrast to other religions have emphasized this kinship between the man and the animal and even plants and written on the existence of mind in many of them.
MATSYA-The Age of Fishes: Many scientists have speculated about the beginnings of life on our planet, but there is no definite or convincing idea about the way in which life began. However, there is a general consensus at least on one view that life began in water and that its earlier forms which have left fossils were vertebrates(Ekashringa tanu of Puranas) animals or the earliest fishes. In the Indian mythology it is known as Matsya Avatara, marking the beginning of the age of Fishes.
The early world was of strong tides and currents, not favourable to animals of bigger size. Their existence could be possible when the tides and currents calmed down sufficiently for their survival. This changing phenomena was rightly speculated by Indian thinkers. In the Shatapatha Brahmana which describes the great deluge it is mentioned that a tiny fish landed on the palms of Manu, who taking pity on it, put it in his Kamandlu in which it began to grow in size slowly so much so that at last Manu had to release it in the ocean. On the eve of deluge the fish arrived and rescued Manu by toeing his boat to a safe place at the top of the mountain. This kind of evolution from a small fish to big one must have taken millions of years to materialize.
PADMA -LOTUS-The Age of Plants: During the age of Fishes there was no soil and the life existed only in the sea. Subsequently when extensive shallow seas and lagoons came into existence fishes spread out towards the land. Scientists believe that plants preceded animals. But there was no real soil which could provide some stiff support to it to hold up straight when the water was withdrawn . Lotus is a representative plant that came into existence in this period. It could survive in the swamp after the evaporation of water.
The earth was gradually taking shape and the way was cleared for the evolution of animal life.
KURMA - Tortoise: The Age of Amphibia – Now large number of insects also came into being . Hitherto almost all living beings breathed air dissolved in water and only some of them learnt to breathe outside the water.
Geologists believe that there existed many shallow lagoons which slowly dried up. Some of the fishes which could not find a safe passage to water survived by crawling out of the dried up lagoons. They adapted themselves to the new situation and in the course of time developed legs and began to eat land plants or insects. Fossils illustrating various steps in the process are available now. In course of time such animals came into being by the processes of evolution and natural selection as are called amphibian like the tortoises and turtles. They started laying eggs on land and returned to water. They did not hatch them. Eggs carried on their development independently before hatching to a stage so nearly like the adult form that the young ones when they came out of the shells could breath in the air from the first moment.
Please consult book for further study
The origin of the concept of avatara has been traced in the Vedic literature. The Shatapatha Brahmana refers to the deified form of fish(Matsya), tortoise(Kurma) and dwarf (Vamana). It is said that having assumed the form of Tortoise Prajapati created offspring and in the form of a boar he lifted the earth from the waters. The Taittiriya Brahmana repeats the story relating to boar lifting earth from water. It also alludes to Narsimha or Man-lion, Reference to deified fish is found in the Shatapatha Brahmana which relates to the legend of the great deluge.
In the Shatapatha and Taittiriya Brahmins the Avataras of fish, tortoise and boar are represented as the manifestations of Prajapati Brahma. However in later mythologies these Avataras have been specifically related to Vishnu. The great Gupta Kings Samundragupta and Chandragupta were devout adherents and patrons of the Bhagavata cult related to Vishnu. It was during their reigns that Vaishnavism became the most popular religion in India. In the Gita, some sections of the Mahabharata and the Puranas which assumed their final shape in the Gupta period (320-550 A.D.). Vishnu was elevated to the position of supreme god and was represented as the almighty savior of man-kind who incarnated himself from time to time in human or animal forms for the protection of the pious and destruction of the wicked.
As regards the actual number of avataras there are different versions. However, generally it is accepted as ten. Very often the order of names in the list differs. The names of ten Avataras are as follows ;
1. Matsya (fish) 2. Kurma (tortoise) 3. Varaha (boar) 4. Narasimha (man-lion)5. Vamana (dwarf) 6. Parashuram 7. Ram Chandra . 8. Balaram (He is replaced by the Buddha in some texts) 9. Krishna and 10. Kalki ( which is to come).
This is the standard list of Avatara. However, sometimes changes are also found in numbers. The Mahabharata while adhering to ten names , makes a significant change – it includes Hansa (Vihangama – the bird). The Bhagwata Purana also has mentioned this avatara. The Harivansha Purana has added another important name Lotus ( Padma) .
The number of Avataras went on increasing, as a result of constant meditation and speculation about the origin of the Universe and evolution of life and civilization on it and enquiry into the ultimate reality and it reached twenty four. Out of these some were full Avataras and some partial. Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Lotus and Hansa are cosmogenic in which animals and plants have been deified, while Narasimha, Vamana, Parashuram, Ram Chandra, Balarama and Krishna are depicted as human beings representing various stages in the evolution of human civilization as a result of development of technology and lastly Kalki incarnation points out to the direction of future scientific and technological developments.
A critical examination of the mythology of Avataras reveals the mystery of life on our planet and its evolution quite similar to the theory of evolution and natural selection as propounded by Darwin .
There is evidence to prove that all living beings on our planet have descended from the same original ancestors. Indians in contrast to other religions have emphasized this kinship between the man and the animal and even plants and written on the existence of mind in many of them.
MATSYA-The Age of Fishes: Many scientists have speculated about the beginnings of life on our planet, but there is no definite or convincing idea about the way in which life began. However, there is a general consensus at least on one view that life began in water and that its earlier forms which have left fossils were vertebrates(Ekashringa tanu of Puranas) animals or the earliest fishes. In the Indian mythology it is known as Matsya Avatara, marking the beginning of the age of Fishes.
The early world was of strong tides and currents, not favourable to animals of bigger size. Their existence could be possible when the tides and currents calmed down sufficiently for their survival. This changing phenomena was rightly speculated by Indian thinkers. In the Shatapatha Brahmana which describes the great deluge it is mentioned that a tiny fish landed on the palms of Manu, who taking pity on it, put it in his Kamandlu in which it began to grow in size slowly so much so that at last Manu had to release it in the ocean. On the eve of deluge the fish arrived and rescued Manu by toeing his boat to a safe place at the top of the mountain. This kind of evolution from a small fish to big one must have taken millions of years to materialize.
PADMA -LOTUS-The Age of Plants: During the age of Fishes there was no soil and the life existed only in the sea. Subsequently when extensive shallow seas and lagoons came into existence fishes spread out towards the land. Scientists believe that plants preceded animals. But there was no real soil which could provide some stiff support to it to hold up straight when the water was withdrawn . Lotus is a representative plant that came into existence in this period. It could survive in the swamp after the evaporation of water.
The earth was gradually taking shape and the way was cleared for the evolution of animal life.
KURMA - Tortoise: The Age of Amphibia – Now large number of insects also came into being . Hitherto almost all living beings breathed air dissolved in water and only some of them learnt to breathe outside the water.
Geologists believe that there existed many shallow lagoons which slowly dried up. Some of the fishes which could not find a safe passage to water survived by crawling out of the dried up lagoons. They adapted themselves to the new situation and in the course of time developed legs and began to eat land plants or insects. Fossils illustrating various steps in the process are available now. In course of time such animals came into being by the processes of evolution and natural selection as are called amphibian like the tortoises and turtles. They started laying eggs on land and returned to water. They did not hatch them. Eggs carried on their development independently before hatching to a stage so nearly like the adult form that the young ones when they came out of the shells could breath in the air from the first moment.
Please consult book for further study