The Dashavatar: Lord Maha-Vishnu's Ten Divine Incarnations for Restoring Dharma
In Shreemad Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shree Krishna tells Arjuna,
“yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter-4, Verse 7,8, Vyasdev)
Purport:
In the above verse, addressing Arjuna as the ‘descendant of Bharata,’ Lord Shree Krishna says, “Oh descendant of Bharata, whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, and a predominant rise of irreligion, at that time I incarnate Myself. To protect the pious, vanquish the miscreants, and re-establish the principles of religion, I manifest myself in every era (yuga).”
Goswami Tulsidas, in his Granth ‘Ramcharit Manas’, has said,
“jaba -jaba hōī dharama kī hānī,
bāḍhahi asura adhama abhimānī,
taba-taba dhari prabhu vividha śarīrā,
harahi dayānidhi sajjana pīrā”
(Source: Ramcharit Manas, Goswami Tulsidas)
Purport:
In the above lines, Goswami Tulsidas has said that when humanity strays from the path of Dharma, there will be a surge of demonic and irreligious power. At such times, Lord Maha-Vishnu will appear in the world through one of His avatars to restore righteousness, exterminate the demons, and protect the sages, monks, human beings, and demigods.
Thus, Lord Maha-Vishnu has taken various avatars in the different yugas to restore balance and harmony in the universe and protect good from evil. Dashavatar (sometimes spelled as Dasavatar or Dashavatara) refers to the ten primary incarnations of Lord Maha-Vishnu. The Sanskrit word ‘Avatar’ means ‘incarnation’ or ‘manifestation.’ Of the ten avatars, the first five appeared in the Satya Yuga. They are the ‘Matsya Avatar,’ the ‘Kachchapa/Kurma Avatar,’ the ‘Varah Avatar,’ the ‘Narasimha Avatar,’ and the ‘Vamana Avatar.’ Similarly, Lord Narayana incarnated in two avatars in the Treta Yuga: the ‘Rama Avatar’ and the ‘Parsuram/ Bhrigupati Avatar.’ Again, Lord Narayan assumed two avatars in the Dwapara Yuga: the ‘Krishna Avatar’ and the ‘Haladhar/Balram Avatar.’
It is said that Lord Narayan will take three avatars in this Kali Yuga, of which only two are considered a part of the Dashavatar. ‘Geeta Govinda,’ the famous lyrical composition written by the great devotee and esteemed poet Jayadeva, and Shreemad Bhagavat Purana and other holy scriptures vividly describe these ‘ten-avatars’ or ‘Dashavatars’ of Lord Maha-Vishnu. A brief description of the Dashavatar is below.
1. Matsya Avatar (The Fish incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu):
In the holy scripture of Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana, the great sage Vedvyas has carved out the details about the Matsya Avatar as quoted below,
“asīd atīta-kalpānte brāhmo naimittiko layaḥ
samudropaplutās tatra lokā bhūr-ādayo nṛpa
kālenāgata-nidrasya dhātuḥ śiśayiṣor balī
mukhato niḥsṛtān vedān hayagrīvo ’ntike ’harat
jñātvā tad dānavendrasya hayagrīvasya ceṣṭitam
dadhāra śapharī-rūpaṁ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ”
“atīta-pralayāpāya utthitāya sa vedhase
hatvāsuraṁ hayagrīvaṁ vedān pratyāharad dhariḥ”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 1 – Chapter 3, Verse 7,8,9, 57)
In the Geeta Govind, Shree Jayadev Maharaja mentions the Matsya Avatar as follows,
“pralaya-payodhi-jale dhritavan asi vedam
vihita-vahitra-caritram akhedam
kesava dhrita-mina-sarira jaya jagadisa hare”
Both the verses above glorify the Matysa Avatar, the first incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu. Matsya Avatar is associated with preserving knowledge and nature and saving humanity from destruction.
Purport:
In the Satya Yuga, when the world was facing a great deluge (Jala Pralaya), Lord Maha-Vishnu took the form of a giant fish or Matsya to save the world and guided a giant boat (ark) carrying Manu (who became the progenitor of humanity), Sapta Rishis (The Seven great sages) and all the various species of animals, grains, and plants to safety. While the deluge was taking place, a demon named Hayagriva had stolen the Vedas (sacred Hindu texts) from Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, and had hidden them in the ocean’s depths. To retrieve the Vedas, Lord Maha-Vishnu took the form of a fish (Matsya) and entered the ocean. In Matsya form, He found the Vedas, defeated and killed the demon Hayagriva, reclaimed the Vedas, returned them to Lord Brahma and resumed His divine form.
In this manner, Lord Maha-Vishnu in Matsya Avatar saved humanity from devastating annihilation through Manu’s ark and the Vedas, the source of knowledge, from the demonic forces.
Thus, the Matsya Avatar symbolizes the power of Lord Maha-Vishnu to protect the righteous and destroy the evil forces that threaten the balance of the universe.
2. Kacchapa/Kūrma Avatar (The Tortoise incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu)
In the Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana, the great sage Vedvyas has written about the Kurma (tortoise) incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu as follows,
“pṛṣṭhe bhrāmyad amanda-mandara-giri-grāvāgra-kaṇḍūyanān
nidrāloḥ kamaṭhākṛter bhagavataḥ śvāsānilāḥ pāntu vaḥ
yat-sanskāra-kalānuvartana-vaśād velā-nibhenāmbhasāṁ
yātāyātam atandritaṁ jala-nidher nādyāpi viśrāmyati”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 12, Chapter 13, Verse 2)
Purport:
The above verse glorifies the Kurma (also referred to as Kacchap) Avatar, the second incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu. Devas (Demi-Gods) and the Asuras (demons) were constantly at war at one time or another during Satya Yuga. The Devas, losing their authority to the Asuras, approached Lord Maha-Vishnu for help. Lord Maha-Vishnu realized the Devas needed something to become immortal and advised them to perform Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the cosmic ocean of milk (Kṣīra Sagara), to produce the nectar of immortality (Amrita). To perform the churning, the Devas and Asuras had to work together and use the ‘Mandara’ (Mandrachal) Mountain as the churning rod, with ‘Vasuki’, the serpent, as the rope. Lord Maha-Vishnu took the form of a giant turtle or the Kurma Avatar and supported the mountain on His back during the churning. This resulted in the emergence of various treasures, including Amrit (elixir of immortality), which the Gods eventually consumed.
Poet Jayadeva, too, in his poem Geeta Govinda, praises the Kurma Avatar as follows,
“kshitir iha vipulatare tishthati tava prishthe
dharani-dharana-kina-cakra-garishthe
kesava dhrita-kurma-sarira jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
The above verse describes how the mighty Earth rests on Lord Maha-Vishnu’s back and how He is the greatest among those who hold up the Earth (dharaṇīdhāraṇakiṇa). He is also depicted as a turtle (kacchapa rūpa), referring to the Kurma Avatar, where Lord Maha-Vishnu took the form of a turtle to support the churning of the ocean.
The Kurma Avatar is, thus, considered a symbol of stability, patience, and determination and was necessary to maintain the balance between good and evil in the world.
3. Varāha Avatar (The Boar incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu)
Revered sage Vedvyas has described the third incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu, the Varaha Avatar, in Shreemad Bhagavat as follows,
“tamāla-nīlaṁ sita-danta-koṭyā
kṣmām utkṣipantaṁ gaja-līlayāṅga
prajñāya baddhāñjalayo ’nuvākair
viriñci-mukhyā upatasthur īśam”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 3, Chapter 13, Verse 33)
Poet Jayadeva, has illuminated this Avatar through the following lines,
“vasati dasana-sikhare dharani tava lagna
sasini kalanka-kaleva nimagna
kesava dhrita-sukara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
According to the above verse, Lord Maha-Vishnu had appeared in the Varaha Avatar to rescue the Earth, which the demon Hiranyaksha had submerged into the ocean. Lord Maha-Vishnu is depicted as a massive boar with a human body in this Avatar. He plunges into the sea, kills the vicious Hiranyaksha, and lifts the Earth out of the ocean on His tusks, thus restoring balance and order in the universe.
4. Narasiṁha Avatar (The Half Lion and Half Man incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu)
Revered sage Vedvyas has glorified the fourth incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu, the Narasimha Avatar, in Shreemad Bhagavat as follows,
“divi-spṛśat kāyam adīrgha-pīvara- grīvoru-vakṣaḥ-sthalam alpa-madhyamam
candrāṁśu-gauraiś churitaṁ tanūruhair viṣvag bhujānīka-śataṁ nakhāyudham
durāsadaṁ sarva-nijetarāyudha-praveka-vidrāvita-daitya-dānavam”
“viṣvak sphurantaṁ grahaṇāturaṁ harir vyālo yathākhuṁ kuliśākṣata-tvacam
dvāry ūrum āpatya dadāra līlayā nakhair yathāhiṁ garuḍo mahā-viṣam”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 7, Chapter 8, Verse 21,29)
Poet Jayadeva has written about the Narasimha Avatar in Geeta Govinda as
“tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-sringam
dalita-hiranyakasipu-tanu-bhringam
kesava dhrita-narahari-rupa jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
Both of the above verses exalt the fourth incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu, the Narasimha Avatar (half-man and half-lion), which the Lord assumed to protect His devotee Prahalad from his demonic father, Hiranyakashipu, who had a boon from Lord Brahma, that he could not be killed by a man or any living being, neither in air nor on the ground, neither inside nor outside of any dwelling, neither during day nor at night, by any weapon, living or non-living. Tyrannical Hiranyakashipu, who thought himself immortal, unable to kill his son Prahalad, an ardent devotee of Lord Maha-Vishnu, had challenged him to show the presence of Lord Maha-Vishnu anywhere in the universe. Prahalad had replied that the Lord was omnipresent and existed even in a stone pillar. Hiranyakashipu smashed the pillar with his mace, and Lord Maha-Vishnu emerged from the broken pillar in His Narasimha Avatar. He attacked Hiranyakashipu at twilight, neither inside nor outside: on the threshold of his palace. He killed him by placing him on His lap (neither in air nor on the ground) and tearing his chest apart with His claws, without using any weapon, thus saving Prahalad and restoring the balance of the universe again.
5. Vāmana Avatar (The Dwarf incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu)
The great sage Vedvyas has written about the fifth incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu, the Vamana Avatar, in Shreemad Bhagavat as follows,
“yat tad vapur bhāti vibhūṣaṇāyudhair
avyakta-cid-vyaktam adhārayad dhariḥ
babhūva tenaiva sa vāmano vaṭuḥ
sampaśyator divya-gatir yathā naṭaḥ”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 8, Chapter 18, Verse 12)
“dhātuḥ kamaṇḍalu-jalaṁ tad urukramasya
pādāvanejana-pavitratayā narendra
svardhuny abhūn nabhasi sā patatī nimārṣṭi
loka-trayaṁ bhagavato viśadeva kīrtiḥ”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 8, Chapter 21, Verse 4)
Poet Jayadeva, too, has written about the Vamana Avatar in Geeta Govinda as
“chalayasi vikramane balim adbhuta-vamana
pada-nakha-nira-janita-jana-pavana
kesava dhrita-vamana-rupa jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
The above verse lauds the Vamana Avatar, the fifth and first human incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu. At a certain point, Hiranyakashipu’s great-grandson and demon King Bali, through dint of severe penance, had gained control of all three worlds, including the realm of King of Demi-Gods, Indra. A perturbed Demi-God Indra, feeling threatened by King Bali, had sought help from Lord Maha-Vishnu to reclaim his lost kingdom and stature.
Lord Maha-Vishnu agreed to help Demi-God Indra regain his celestial kingdom and, in this Avatar, Lord Maha-Vishnu appeared as a dwarf Brahmin boy, carrying a wooden stick, a ‘Kamandalu’ (water pot), and an umbrella called Vamana. Vamana went to King Bali and, per Brahmin tradition, requested only three steps of land as alms. The king, being a generous person, conceded. However, Vamana then revealed His actual form and grew so tall that He covered the Earth and the sky with His two steps. To honor his words, for Lord Vamana’s third step, King Bali offered his head, which Vamana placed His foot on, thus pushing him to the Patala, the underworld/underworld.
Pleased with Bali’s devotion, Vamana granted him a boon to rule the netherworld. The Vamana Avatar symbolizes the triumph of virtue over vice and the importance of humility and devotion.
6. Paraśurāma Avatar (The Warrior-Sage incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu)
The great sage Vedvyas has written about the sixth incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu, the Parsuram Avatar, in Shreemad Bhagavat as follows,
“yam āhur vāsudevāṁśaṁ haihayānāṁ kulāntakam
triḥ-sapta-kṛtvo ya imāṁ cakre niḥkṣatriyāṁ mahīm”
“tam āpatantaṁ bhṛgu-varyam ojasā
dhanur-dharaṁ bāṇa-paraśvadhāyudham
aiṇeya-carmāmbaram arka-dhāmabhir
yutaṁ jaṭābhir dadṛśe purīṁ viśan”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 9, Chapter 15, Verse 14, 29)
Poet Jayadeva, too, has glorified the Parsuram Avatar in Geeta Govinda:
“kshatriya-rudhira-maye jagad-apagata-papam
snapayasi payasi samita-bhava-tapam
kesava dhrita-bhrigupati-rupa jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
The above two verses describe the sixth incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu. The Lord took the Parshuram Avatar, also called the Bhrigupati Avatar, in the Treta Yuga. In the Parshuram Avatar, the Lord is depicted with an axe in His hand. He is said to have eliminated the Kshatriya caste to rid Mother Earth of their oppressive and cruel behavior. It is noted that an enraged Parshuram avenged His father’s death by wiping off the entire Kshatriya clan as many as twenty-one times from Earth.
Overall, the verse highlights the significance of Lord Parshuram’s role as a warrior and destroyer of evil who brought peace to the Earth by eliminating corrupt rulers and promoting Dharma.
7. Rāma Avatar (Maryada Purushottam incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu)
The great sage Valmiki has written about Lord Rama as follows,
“tataḥ prajagmuḥ praśamaṁ marudgaṇā,
diśaḥ prasēhurvimala nabhōndhdhabhavat
mahī cakaṁmpē na ca mārutō babai,
sthira prabhaścāpyabhavat divākaraḥ”
(Source: Rāmāyaṇam- Chapter on the war between Rama and Ravana, Yuddha Kāṇḍam ,Verse 111)
Similarly, the lines that have been written about Rama Avatar in Adhyatma Ramayana are quoted below,
“ēvaṁ stutastu dēbēśō viṣṇustidaśapuṁgabaḥ
pitāmaha purōgāṁstān saravalōkanamaskr̥taḥ”
“Abrabīta trīdaśāna sarvāna samētān dharmasaṁhitān
saputrapautraṁ sāmātyaṁ samantijñātibāṁdhavam
hatvā kuraṁdūrādharṣaṁ dēvarṣīṇāṁ bhayābaham
daśavarṣa śahasrāṇi daśavarṣaśatāni ca
vatsyāmi mānuṣē lōkē pālayan pr̥thivīmimām
rāvaṇēna hr̥taṁ sthānamaskākaṁ tējasā saha,
tvayādya nihatō duṣṭaḥ punaḥprāptaṁ padaṁ svakam”
Poet Jayadeva has praised the Rama Avatar in Geeta Govinda as
“vitarasi dikshu rane dik-pati-kamaniyam
dasa-mukha-mauli-balim ramaniyam
kesava dhrita-rama-sarira jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
The verse above describes Lord Rama as the seventh incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu. In this incarnation, Lord Rama is depicted with a bow and arrows. He killed the demon king Ravana and freed His wife Sita from Ravana’s captivity. Establishing righteousness during the Treta Yuga was the main task of Lord Rama’s incarnation.
In this task, He was assisted by Lakshmana (one of His younger step-brother) and Hanuman (incarnation of Lord Shiva in physical body of a monkey). The chronicle is documented in the epic Ramayana. Lord Rama’s life is an excellent example of moral excellence and stability in marriage. He was the best king in ruling His subjects, a mighty warrior, and a brave person. Just His name was enough to scare away the demons and wrongdoers. His conduct was so ideal that His kingdom was considered an ideal kingdom on Earth. Therefore, even today, we refer to an ideal kingdom as ‘Rama Rajya’.
8. Balrāma/ Haladhar Avatar
In the Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana, sage Vedvyas has written about the Balrama incarnation as follows,
“sa ājuhāva yamunāṁ jala-krīḍārtham īśvaraḥ
nijaṁ vākyam anādṛtya matta ity āpagāṁ balaḥ
anāgatāṁ halāgreṇa kupito vicakarṣa ha
pāpe tvaṁ mām avajñāya yan nāyāsi mayāhutā
neṣye tvāṁ lāṅgalāgreṇa śatadhā kāma-cāriṇīm
evaṁ nirbhartsitā bhītā yamunā yadu-nandanam
uvāca cakitā vācaṁ patitā pādayor nṛpa”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 10, Chapter 65, Verse 25, 26, 27)
Further, poet Jayadeva, too, has praised the Balrama Avatar in Geeta Govinda:
“vahasi vapushi visade vasanam jaladabham
hala-hati-bhiti-milita-yamunabham
kesava dhrita-haladhara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
The meaning of the above lines is that during the Dwapara Yuga, when Lord Balarama was playing with His friends in village ‘Gopapura’ (a female friend is called ‘gopi’, and a male friend as ‘gopa’, termed after Gopapura) near the banks of the Yamuna River, and then they all went to take a bath in the river. However, out of her arrogance, the Yamuna River did not allow them to bathe. At that time, enraged Lord Balarama broke the pride of the Yamuna river by changing its course with the help of his Divine Plow.
9. Buddha Avatar
In the Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana, sage Vedvyas has written about the Buddha incarnation as follows,
“tataḥ kalau sampravṛtte sammohāya sura-dviṣām
buddho nāmnāñjana-sutaḥ kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 1, Chapter 3, Verse 24)
Poet Jayadeva has glorified the Buddha Avatar in Geeta Govinda as
“nindasi yajna-vidher ahaha sruti-jatam
sadaya-hridaya darsita-pasu-ghatam
kesava dhrita-buddha-sarira jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
These lines explain that Lord Buddha is considered as the ninth incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu. To enlighten the atheists in the Kali Yuga, Lord Buddha is believed to have been born in ‘Kikata’, a place in present-day Odisha, as the son of Anjan (some also claim He was born in Lumbini, Nepal without conclusive evidence as His birthplace remains as a matter of debate). According to modern belief, Gautama Buddha is the same as the Buddha Avatar. A few years before the end of the Kali Yuga, He appeared in this incarnation to restore Dharma by removing the practice of animal sacrifice in religious rituals (such as yajnas).
10. Kalki Avatar
In the Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana, sage Vedvyas has written about the Kalki Avatar as follows,
“athāsau yuga-sandhyāyāṁ
dasyu-prāyeṣu rājasu
janitā viṣṇu-yaśaso
nāmnā kalkir jagat-patiḥ”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 1, Chapter 3, Verse 25)
Poet Jayadeva has exalted the Kalki Avatar in Geeta Govinda as
“mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavalam
dhumaketum iva kim api karalam
kesava dhrita-kalki-sarira jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
Of all the ten avatars of Lord Maha-Vishnu, only the emergence of the Kalki Avatar is yet to be recognized by this modern world (The Lord has incarnated, but His identity is revealed only to few fervent devotees). In this Kali Yuga, Lord Kalki will manifest in a fierce form akin to a comet. Holding a large sword in His hand and riding a black and white horse, He will destroy the wicked, sinners, oppressors, wrongdoers, and infidels. Thus, He will establish righteousness on Earth for the upcoming Satya Yuga (the next era in ‘Yug Chakra,’ the cycle of Yugas’).
The descriptions of the above ten incarnations (‘Dashavatar’) are widely available. What is gained by reading it, and about this, the Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana describes as,
“ śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī”
(Source: Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapurana – Canto 1, Chapter 2, Verse 17,18)
Poet Jayadev, too, has lyrically explained the benefits one reaps by reading and listening to the ‘Dashavatar‘ as,
“sri-jayedeva-kaver idam uditam udaram
srinu sukha-dam subha-dam bhava-saram
kesava dhrita-dasa-vidha-rupa jaya jagadisa hare”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
That is, reciting the hymn ‘Dashavatar’ of Lord Maha-Vishnu is auspicious and brings happiness. One who reads or listens to it is bestowed with the Lord’s blessings and is freed from the clutches of worldliness.
In his literary work Geeta Govinda, the renowned poet Jayadeva concludes his lyrical poem ‘Dashavatar’ with a notable passage as follows,
“vedānuddharate jaganti vaha bhūgolate mudbibhrate
daityaṁ dārayate baliṁ chālayate kṣatrakṣayaṁ kurvate
paulastyaṁ jayate halaṁ kalyate kāruṇyamātanvate
mlecchān mūrcchayate daśākr̥takr̥te kr̥ṣṇāya tubhyaṁ namaḥ”
(Source: Geeta Govinda, Poet Jaidev Goswami)
Purport:
The above text expresses reverence and gratitude towards Lord Krishna for His ten avatars, which include taking the form of Matsya (fish) to rescue the Vedas from the deluge, taking the form of Kurma (turtle) to support the Mandara mountain during the churning of the ocean, taking the form of Varaha (boar) to rescue the Earth from the depths of the sea, taking the form of Narasimha (half lion and half man) to defeat the demon Hiranyakashipu, taking the form of Vamana (dwarf) to trick and overthrow the demon king Bali, taking the form of Parashurama to annihilate the Kshatriya clan, taking the form of Lord Rama to defeat the demon king Ravana, taking the form of Lord Balarama to wield the plow as a weapon, taking the form of Lord Buddha to spread compassion, and taking the form of Kalki to slay the wicked. Poet Jayadev thus expresses deep respect and pays homage to Lord Krishna for His divine manifestations.
The author of the holy scripture, Bhaviṣya Mālikā, Mahapurush Achyutananda, writes in his book ‘Asta Gujjari’ that,
“bhāva vinodiyā ṭhākura bhakta vatsala hari,
bhakta nka pāīṁ kalevara daśa muratī dhari”
(Source: Asta Gujjari, Achyutananda Das)
Purport:
The above verse means Lord Maha-Vishnu is compassionate towards His devotees and is considered the embodiment of emotions. He understands the feelings of His devotees. Across different eras, He has incarnated in ten avatars to ensure the welfare and prosperity of His followers.