Lord Vishnu, performs his pastimes in many forms even though he is unborn. This act of his is for his own pleasure, as a result of which the desires of the devotees are also fulfilled. The descent of the Lord Vishnu from His eternal abode on earth is called ‘Avatar’. The Lord Hari has assumed many incarnations and has done the work of saving the saints, crushing the evil and establishing religion by his pastimes. He has infinite incarnations. Here is a brief demonstration of Incarnations of Lord Vishnu:
1. Story of Matsya Avtaar
Diti had sons like Makara, Hayagriwa, the mighty Hiranyaaksha, Hiranyakasipu, Jambha and Maya. Makara went to Brahmaloka and fascinated Brahma and took the entire Vedas from him. Thus, having abducted the vedas, he entered the ocean. Then the whole world became irreligious. At the request of Brahma, the Lord Vishnu assumed the form of a fish and entered the ocean and tore the demon Makara with the tip of his snout and killed him. He brought the entire Vedas with their limbs and offered them to Brahma. (Padma Purana)
2. Story of Varah Avtaar
Svayambhuva Manu, who had received the command from Brahma to start the creation, saw the earth drowned in the ocean of doom. Brahma, thinking that the earth had gone into the abyss, how to get it out, took refuge in the Almighty Lord Vishnu. At that moment, a boar the size of a thumb came out of the nose of Brahma, who was thinking, and in an instant he became a huge mountain-like creature and began to roar.
The Lord Vishnu in the form of a pig first jumped into the sky with great speed. Then he entered the water with his body as hard as a thunderbolt. He reached across the water, cutting through the water with their arrow-shaped hooves. There he saw the earth, the shelter of all living beings in the abyss. He came out with the earth on his teeth. To hinder his path as he came out of the water, the mighty Hiranyaksha attacked him inside the water, striking him with a mace. Lord Vishnu killed him in a playful way.This was the first of all incarnations of lord Vishnu.
3. Story of Kacchap Avtaar
When the three worlds, including Indra, were devoid of glory by the curse of Durvasa. Then Indra and others took refuge in Brahma. Brahma took everyone to the abode of Lord Vishnu and praised him. The Lord Vishnu told him the trick of making a treaty with the demons and working together for samudra manthan. On churning, first poison will come out, do not fear it and then many gems will come out, do not covet them. In the end, nectar will come out, and I will give it to you to drink with wisdom. The gods went and made a treaty with king Bali, the king of the demons.
Now the gods and demons started churning the ocean. When the churning of the ocean began, despite being held by great gods and demons, Mandarachal mountain began to sink in the ocean due to its heavy weight and no support below. Seeing all this they were heartbroken. Lord Vishnu immediately took the form of a very large and strange tortoise which was one of the incarnations of lord Vishnu. He entered the sea with one lakh of his wings and lifted Mandarachal on his back. Then the gods and demons again started churning the ocean with great speed.
4. Story of Narasimha Avtaar
When Lord Varaha had killed Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu decided to do penance and attained a boon of not getting killed. Lord Brahma gave him the boon of not being killed by any creature made by brahma. That world-conquering demon, by his might, snatched away the places of all the guardians of the world and himself started living in Indra Bhavan.Prahlad, among the sons of Hiranyakashipu, was a devotee of lord hari since birth, so he wanted to kill him. In order to save his devotee prahlad, one of the incarnations of lord Vishnu narasimha appeared and killed Hiranyakashipu.
5. Story of Vaman Avtaar
King Bali was performing a great yagya on the north bank of river Narmada. All the gods were worried that if Bali completed the yagya then he would be the powerful amongst all. At the same time, the incarnations of lord Vishnu a brahmin named Vamana appeared to destroy the yagya. Lord Vaman appeared with an umbrella, stick and Kamandalu filled with water in his hand.
Then Bali said to Vamana – It seems that you want something. Whatever you want, please ask from me. God was pleased and asked for the earth three steps from his stride to that Bali got agreed.
As soon as the resolution was made, the Vamana form of the Lord grew so much that all the living creatures started appearing in the senses and in the body of the Lord. Seeing this entire universe in the Supreme Lord, all the demons became frightened. He measured the entire earth with one square. He encompassed the sky with his body and all directions with his arms. Measured heaven with other steps. There was nothing left to take the third step.
After that, Lord Vaman said – In two steps I have measured all your earth and all the worlds, now you will suffer hell due to non-fulfillment of your promise. Lord Vaman insulted him a lot, but King Bali did not waver from his patience. He gave a very beautiful answer, Lord! Let me ask you one thing. Is wealth big or rich? God said – Since wealth remains under the control of the rich, the rich is greater than the wealth. Bali said – Lord! You have measured my wealth in two steps. There is one step left, so please put that step on my head.
6. Lord Parshuram
Once a kshatriya king went to a forest and lost the path. While searching for the right path he reached an aashram of a sage . The sage gave him proper hospitality, due to which he was surprised as to where did the forest dweller get such opulence? After coming to know that all this was the glory of Kamdhenu, he asked the sage for a cow, when he did not give it, he snatched it by force and also took the sage’s life. Lord Parashuram who was an incarnations of lord Vishnu, was not at home at that time. On reaching home he found his mother mourning. On knowing the reason, he resolved to destroy the earth. It is said that in mourning the mother beat her chest 21 times, hence he destroyed the earth twenty one times.
After destroying the Kshatriyas for the twenty-first time, Parshuram performed Ashwamedha Yagya and donated the entire earth to Kashyapji. With the intention that the earth should not be completely devoid of Kshatriyas, Kashyapji told them that now this earth is ours, now you go towards the south sea. Since Parashuramji’s ancestors had also requested Parashuramji to desist from this act of destruction by calling it inappropriate and Kashyapji also asked him to leave the earth. hence Parashuramji went towards the South Sea. Samudra gave them a place on Mahendrachal situated under it. Shri Parshuramji is eternal. Some fortunate virtuous souls also get to see him.
7. Story of lord Ram
Lord Ram took four forms and was incarnated as the son of king Dashrath.
One day amidst all this joyousness, Shri Vishwamitraji comes and asks king Dashrath to take Shri Ram and Shri Lakshman for the protection of his Yagya. Shri Ram and Lakshman easily killed innumerable demons like Tadka, Marich, Subahu etc. who were creating obstacles in the Yagya. The yagya ended smoothly. Then, along with Shri Vishwamitra, he went to Janakpur to see Sita’s Swayamvar, the huge Shambhu-Dhanu. It could not even move, Shri Ram broke it from the middle.After this, good news was sent to Shri Ayodhya and when Shri Dashrathji came with a wedding procession for the marriage of Shri Ram, but the marriage of all the four princes took place.
Sensing his old age, Shri Dashrath Maharaj wanted his beloved, eldest, best son Shri Ram to appoint him as the crown prince.But to please Kaikeyi, as per the orders of his father, following his promise, brave Shri Ram went to the forest. Sita and Laxman also went with the Lord. Thereafter, Ravana kidnapped Sita. Then, as per the advice of Shabari, he met Shri Hanuman and befriended Sugriva and as per Sugriva’s statement, after killing Bali in the battle, Shri Ram installed Sugriva on his kingdom.
Then that monkey king Sugriva also called all the monkeys and sent them to find Sita. After this, Shri Ram, along with an innumerable monkey army, troubled the ocean on the shore of the ocean with arrows as bright as the sun. Then the river lord Samudra revealed himself, then on the advice of Samudra, Shri Ram got the bridge built from Nal-Neel. Going to Lanka from the same bridge, Lord Ram killed Ravana with his sword and got Sita.
8. Story of lord Krishna
One of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of Krishna in Kansa’s prison. All the activities of Lord Shri Krishna since his birth are amazing and supernatural. Krisna killed Putana, Trinavarta, Bakasur, Vatsasur, Dhenukasura and Pralambasura . Protected the cows surrounded by forest. Suppressed Kaliyanaag and saved his father from the python. After performing the Leela of the Govardhan, Indra and Kamdhenu came and performed abhishek of Lord Krishna.
Thereafter Akrur came to Vrindavan from Mathura and along with him Lord Shri Krishna and Balramji left for Mathura. Shri Balram and Krishna went to Mathura and killed Kuvalayapid elephants, Mushtik, Chanur and Kansa etc. Freed mother Devaki and father Vasudev from prison and also freed King Ugrasen from prison and placed him on the throne. Then he studied at Sandipani Guru’s house and brought back his dead sons.
He defeated and killed demons Jarasandha and Kalayavan was burnt to ashes by Muchukunda. After settling in Dwarkapuri, everyone was taken there overnight. Kalpavriksha and Sudharma assembly was brought from heaven. Lord Krishna abducted Sri Rukmini after defeating many enemies in the battle. He also killed demon Bhaumasur and gave shelter and married sixteen thousand ladies.
He helped his childhood friend Sudama and killed demons like Shishupala, Paundrak, Shalva, evil Dantavakra, Mur, Panchajanya etc. by pulverising their strength and manhood. By making the Pandavas his instruments in the Mahabharata war, he took a huge burden off the earth and in the end, under the pretext of the curse of the Brahmins, he got the unruly Yadu dynasty killed. Based on the curiosity of Shri Uddhavji, he formulated complete self-knowledge and religious decisions. In this way, there are infinite wonderful supernatural pastimes of Lord Krishna, which purify the living beings of the world.
9. Story of Incarnation of Buddha
The power of the demons had increased. The gods could not stand before them and ran away for their lives in fear of the demons. Demons started doing yagya and started getting powerful so Lord Shri took the form of Buddha. He had a broom in his hand and used to sweep the path and step on it.
In this way Lord Buddha reached near the demons and preached to them – ‘Performing Yagya is a sin. Yagya leads to violence against animals. How many living beings are destroyed in the burning fire of Yagya. Look, how hard I try to avoid violence against animals. First I clean the path by sweeping, then I step on it.
The demons were impressed by the teachings of Saint Buddhadev. He abandoned Yagya and Vedic conduct. As a result, his strength weakened within a few days. the gods attacked those weak and defenseless demons and defeated them. Gautama was named ‘Gautama Buddha’ After gaining enlightenment. He moved to Varanasi and gave his first sermon at Sarnath.
10. Story of Kalki Avatar
At the end of Kaliyuga, when even the houses of the righteous will be hindered in the story of God, Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas will become hypocrites and Shudras will be kings. The kings will almost become robbers, then the Lord will take incarnation in the form of a child in the house of Vishnu Yash in the village of Sambhal to rule the Kaliyuga.
Parshuramji will teach them the Vedas. Shiva will teach him how to use weapons, and will give you a horse and a sword. Then Lord Kalki will take the army of Brahmins and destroy the Mlecchas spread all over the world. By destroying the sinful wicked, they will be the initiators of the Satya Yuga. Those Brahmin princes will be very strong, intelligent and mighty. According to Dharma, having achieved victory, he will become a Chakravarti king and will bring joy to this entire world. (Mahabharata, Vanaparva)
