Dasavatara is an exquisite retelling of the ten divine incarnations of Lord Viṣṇu, from the wondrous Fish (Matsya) to the prophesied Savior of Kali Yuga (Kalki).
Rooted in the Srimad Bhagavata and Viṣṇu Puraṇa, this collector’s edition beautifully unravels the timeless principles of creation, preservation, and transformation through vibrant stories and captivating illustrations
The word 'avatāra' is derived from the Sanskrit root, 'tr', and literally means to descend. An avatara is thus the descent of a divine force. Avataras of the Supreme are, by the admission of our Purāņas, innumerable. Some appear on earth, and others in other realms of creation. Also, the Puranas state that these avataras are distributed between the different epochs of creation. According Advaita-vedānta, the personification of Godhead is in itself an avatāra. It is, in reality, the descent of the formless and the nameless Supreme in a name and a form. The purpose of such avatāras, it is stated, is threefold. Avatāras descend in order to vanquish evil, re-establish order, and redeem humanity.
In the light of the redemption of humankind, avatāras act as exemplars. In other words, an avatāra like the Rama avatāra is meant as an example of how human life is to be led. 'Divyadāmpatya', or the concept of a divine couple, is a delectable sprout of the concept of avatarahood. In the scheme of divyadāmpatya, the Supreme assumes the role of the father and the mother of creation, and the created beings become the children. In extension, all of creation becomes one brotherhood under the parentage of divinity. In this book are presented the ten popular avataras of Lord Vişnu, starting from the Matsya Avatāra to the Kalki Avatāra. Anecdotes presented in this book are based primarily on two Śrī Vaisnava texts, namely, the Śrīmad Bhagavata and the Vişnu-Purāņa.
Ancient Bharatiya thought has, for centuries, centred on finding the meaning of human life and trying to unravel the mystery of creation. The painstaking inquiry that has consumed preceptors for centuries has led to the corpus of esoteric literature that is, Vedic literature. Along with the four Vedas that are revelations of a higher consciousness, the Itihasas and Purānas form the quintessence of the ancient Bhāratīya teachings. These teachings serve as idealistic reminders and practical guidelines for a purposeful and fulfilling sojourn called life. They remind us of the ephemerality of life on earth and encourage us to seek purpose beyond the fleeting. They teach us of our inner reality - the 'T' that rests within each, created as an experiencer (of the external world) not different from that which is experienced and the experience itself.
Three primary philosophical schools of thought have concretised over the centuries to help man recognise his inner world Advaitavāda (monism), Viśişțādvaitavāda (qualified monism), and Dvaitavāda (dualism). Six theistic schools are accepted within the tradition of Sanatana Dharma that personifies the Supreme. In other words, the formless Supreme, described as beyond attributes in the Vedas, is transformed into an approachable and relatable personal God in the Puranas that form the basis for the six theistic schools. The six schools are Saiva, Vaisnava, Śākta, Gānāpatya, Kaumāra, and Saura¹. Although the six seemingly varied schools speak of a multiplicity of Gods, the underlying reality is that the Supreme is one but perceived as many by the wise.
As the many facets of a perfectly cut diamond add brilliance, so does the worship of the Supreme, in its many facets, as Lord Siva, Lord Vişnu, and so on. The theistic schools declare that devotion to a personal God (bhakti), service to that personification (pūjā), and ceremonial study of scriptures (pārāyaņa) as the three redeeming acts every man must engage in. The three vital acts, when indulged in with dedication, lead to the end of an illusion that this world alone is reality. This, in turn, results in an unquenchable quest for a permanent truth one's inner reality. Although all theistic schools agree that there is a permanent inner reality, each school defines inner reality differently. This is also the case with the various schools of philosophy.
Vedas (1234)
Upanishads (519)
Puranas (637)
Ramayana (770)
Mahabharata (381)
Dharmasastras (172)
Goddess (535)
Bhakti (253)
Saints (1640)
Gods (1322)
Shiva (410)
Journal (176)
Fiction (66)
Vedanta (386)
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