Avatar

An **avatar** (Sanskrit: अवतार, IAST: *avatāra,* Indo-European: *awóteros*) is a deliberate descent or incarnated manifestation of a deity or daemon spirit to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being in Hinduism (i.e., Vishnu for Vaishnavites) and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation".[1][2]

The term is most often associated with Vishnu, though it has also come to be associated with other deities.[3] Varying lists of avatars of Vishnu appear in Hindu scriptures, including the ten Dashavatara of the *Garuda Purana* and the twenty-two avatars in the *Bhagavata Purana*, though the latter adds that the incarnations of Vishnu are innumerable.[4] The avatars of Vishnu are a primary component of Vaishnavism. An early reference to avatar, and to avatar *doctrine*, is in the *Bhagavad Gita*.[5]

Shiva and Ganesha are also described as descending in the form of avatars. The various manifestations of Devi, the Divine Mother principal in Hinduism, are also described as avatars or incarnations by some scholars and followers of Shaktism. The avatars of Vishnu carry a greater theological prominence than those
 of other deities, which some scholars perceive to be imitative of the
Vishnu avatar lists.

Recently, the term *avatar* has been used to signify "an interactive representation of a human in a virtual reality environment",[8] that is, an online persona used in computer gaming or internet communities.

**Avatar: The Last Airbender** is also the title of an animated television series which aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. A sequel series **The Legend of Korra**, aired from 2012 to 2014.

## Avatar versus incarnation

The manifest embodiment is sometimes referred to as an incarnation.[27]
 The translation of avatar as "incarnation" has been questioned by Christian theologians, who state that an incarnation is in flesh and
imperfect, while avatar is mythical and perfect.[28][29] The theological concept of Christ as an incarnation, as found in Christology,
 presents the Christian concept of incarnation. According to Oduyoye and Vroom, this is different from the Hindu concept of avatar because avatars in Hinduism are unreal and is similar to Docetism.[30] Sheth disagrees and states that this claim is an incorrect understanding of the Hindu concept of avatar.[31][note 1] Avatars are true embodiments of spiritual perfection, one driven by noble goals, in Hindu traditions such as Vaishnavism.[31]

## Avatars of Vishnu

The concept of avatar within Hinduism is most often associated with Vishnu, the preserver or sustainer aspect of God within the Hindu Trinity or Trimurti or the one and only supreme God for followers of Vaishnavism.

Vishnu's avatars typically descend for a very specific purpose. An oft-quoted passage from the Bhagavad Gita describes the typical role of an avatar of Vishnu—to bring *dharma*, or righteousness, back to the social and cosmic order:[1][3]

The descents of Vishnu are also integral to His teaching and
tradition, whereas the accounts of other deities are not so strictly
dependent on their avatar stories. Although it is usual to speak of
Vishnu as the source of the avatars, within the Vaishnavism branch of Hinduism Narayana, Vasudeva, and Krishna are also seen as names denoting divine aspects which descend as avatars.[1]

The Bhagavata Purana describes Vishnu's avatars as innumerable, though there are ten incarnations (*Dasavatara*, Sanskrit: ten avatars) that are widely seen as his major appearances.[1][4] Krishna and Rama are the two mostly widely known and worshiped avatars of Vishnu, with their stories told in the two popular epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.[15] Different lists of Vishnu's avatars appear in different texts, including: the *dasavatara* from the Garuda Purana; lists of twenty-two, twenty-three, and sixteen avatars in the Bhagavata Purana;[16] thirty-nine avatars in the *Ahirbudhnya saṃhitā*;[17] the *dasavatara* again in Agni Purana; the first eight of the *dasavatara* in Padma Purana. The commonly accepted number of ten was fixed well before the 10th century CE.[16] In addition, various Vaishnava saints and founders are considered to be partial avatars.[18]

The various avatars categorized in many different ways. For example: *Purusavatara* is the first avatara; *Gunavataras* are represented by the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) who each preside over one of the gunas (rajas, sattva, and tamas); *Lilavataras* are the well-known ones, and include *Avesavataras* (beings into whom part of God Himself has entered) and *saktyamsavesa* (into whom only parts of His power enter); *Kalpa-*, *Manvantara-*, and *Yuga-avataras* descend during different cosmic ages.[19]
Some Vaishnavism schools consider Krishna to be the source of all avatars (Krishnaism).

### Dashavatara

The ten best known avatars of Vishnu are collectively known as the *Dasavatara* (a dvigucompound meaning "ten avatars"). This list is included in the Garuda Purana (1.86.10"11).[20]

The first four are said to have appeared in the Satya Yuga (the first of the four Yugas or ages in the time cycle described within Hinduism). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth descent in the Dwapara Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The tenth, Kalki, is predicted to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.[21]

1. Matsya, the fish-avatar who saved Manu

 – the progeniter of mankind from the great deluge and rescued the Vedic
 scriptures by killing a demon. Story can be found in the Matsya Purana.

1. Kurma, the tortoise-avatar, who helped in the Samudra manthan – the churning of the ocean. Story can be found in the Kurma Purana.
2. Varaha, the boar-avatar, who rescued the earth from the ocean, by killing her kidnapper-demon Hiranyaksha. Story can be found in the Varaha Purana.
3. Narasimha, the half man-half lion avatar, who killed the tyrant demon-king Hiranyakashipu, to rescue the demon's son Prahlada, who was a Vishnu-devotee
4. Vamana, the dwarf-avatar, who subdued the king Maha Bali. Story can be found in the Vamana Purana.
5. Parashurama, sage with the axe who killed the thousand-armed king Kartavirya Arjuna
6. Rama, the king of Ayodhya and the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana
7. Krishna, the king of Dwarka, a central character in the Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata and reciter of Bhagavad Gita. However, in the original Dasavatara stotra, Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna, is stated as the eight incarnation, while Krishna (Lord Kesava) is the source of all the incarnation.[22]
8. Gautama Buddha[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]
9. Kalki

 ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is
expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga. Story can be found in the Kalki Purana.

### In the Bhagavata Purana

As many as forty specific avatars of Vishnu are mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, though the book adds that the number is innumerable.[36] Twenty-two avatars of Vishnu are listed numerically in the first book:[37]

1. Four Kumaras (Catursana) [BP 1.3.6] – the four Sons of god Brahma and exemplified the path of devotion.
2. Varaha [BP 1.3.7] the Lord lifted the earth out of the ocean and battled Hiranyaksa.
3. Narada [BP 1.3.8] the divine-sage who travels the worlds as a devotee of Vishnu
4. Nara-Narayana [BP 1.3.9] – the twin-sages
5. Kapila [BP 1.3.10] – a sage and one of the founders of the Samkhya school of philosophy
6. Dattatreya [BP 1.3.11] – the combined avatar of the Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He was born to the sage Atri became a great seer himself.
7. Yajna [BP 1.3.12] – the lord of fire-sacrifice, who took was the Indra – the lord of heaven
8. Rishabha[*disambiguation needed*] [BP 1.3.13] – the father of King Bharata and Bahubali
9. Prithu

 [BP 1.3.14] – the sovereign-king who milked the earth as a cow to get
the world's grain and vegetation and also invented agriculture

1. Matsya [BP 1.3.15], he appeared to Manu and saved him from the flood.
2. Kurma [BP 1.3.16], he supported the process of amrit-manthan.
3. Dhanvantari [BP 1.3.17] – the father of Ayurveda medicine and a physician to the Devas.
4. Mohini [BP 1.3.17] – the enchantress
5. Narasimha[BP 1.3.18], he vanquished Hiranyakasipu to save Prahlada, his devotee.
6. Vamana [BP 1.3.19], he was born to Aditi and brought out the humility in Mahabali.
7. Parashurama [BP 1.3.20], he cleaned the earth of all Kshatriyas three times over.
8. Vyasa [BP] 1.3.21] – the compiler of the scriptures – Vedas and writer of the scriptures Puranas and the epic Mahabharata
9. Rama [BP 1.3.22], he vanquished the Rakshasa Ravana.
10. Balarama [BP 1.3.23]
11. Krishna [BP 1.3.23], he participated in the Mahabharata and is the protagonist of many stories and parables.
12. Buddha [BP 1.3.24]
13. Kalki [BP 1.3.25], he will incarnate at the end of the current Kaliyuga with Parashurama as his guru.

Besides these, another four avatars are described later on in the text as follows:

1. Prshnigarbha [BP 10.3.41] – the son of Prshni
2. Hayagriva [BP 2.7.11] – the horse-faced avatar
3. Hamsa [BP 11.13.19] – the swan, he expounded on the Vedas to Sage Narada.
4. Golden avatra [BP 11.5.32] – the avatara in Kali-yuga for propagating hari-namasankirtan.[38]

## In Swedhuismos

Avatars are known as *awóterōs*, the manifestations of gods, spirits or daemons on earth. Possession of a human by a god, spirit, or daemon can also be called an awóteros.

### Avatars of Dyeus

In Everlasting Honey, Dyeus takes the avatar or manifestation of a bear to the queen of the local tribe. He can take any form, so he can manifest into anything as an avatar. This aspect of Dyeus is emphasized more with Zeus of Greek mythology.

### Avatars of Welṇos

Welṇos took the form of a three-headed sea serpent known as Ṇchis, to protect the Golden Apples from Perqū́nos.

## References

* http://religion.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar
* http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar