History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c91.267
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c91.267
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declines and impiety grows up, I create myself. Age after age I am born for the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers and the establishment of piety'. The same idea occurs in some of the *parvans* of the Mahābhārata, as in Vanaparva 272. 71 and Āśvamedhika-parva 54. 13. None of the ten *avatāras*, except those of Kṛṣṇa and probably Rāma, ('Rāmaḥ śastrabhṛtām-ahaṁ', Gītā X. 31) are, however, mentioned by name in the Bhagavad-gītā. The number and names of the avatāras are not uniform in the Mahābhārata. In the Nārāyaṇīya section of the Śāntiparva (chap. 339. verses 77-102) only six avatāras and their exploits are expressly mentioned, viz Varāha (bringing up the earth submerged in the ocean), Narasiṁha (killing demon Hiraṇyakaśipu), Vāmana (vanquishing Bali and making him dwell in Pātāla), Bhārgava Rāma (extirpating kṣatriyas), Rāma, son of Daśaratha (killing Rāvaṇa), Kṛṣṇa (killing or vanquishing Kaṁsa, Narakāsura, Bāṇa, Kālayavana, Jarāsandha, Śiśupāla). Then the same chapter¹⁶²² mentions ten avatāras as follows: Haṁsa, Kūrma, Matsya, Varāha, Narasiṁha, Vāmana, Rāma (Bhārgava), Rāma Dāśarathi, Sātvata, Kalki. Here Buddha is omitted and Kṛṣṇa is called Sātvata and Haṁsa is added. In the Harivaṁśa¹⁶²³ it is said that the past avatāras have been thousands and in future also they would be thousands. Śāntiparva says the same thing. The Harivaṁśa (I. 41. 27 ff) names only the following and their exploits, viz.
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Varāha, Narasiṁha, Vāmana, Dattātreya, Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma), Rāma, Kṛṣṇa and Vedavyāsa. But as Keśava is said to be the 9th (I. 41. 6) it is to be understood that Matsya and Kūrma were counted, though not expressly named and Kalki Viṣṇuyaśas is mentioned as a future avatāra. The usual ten avatāras are named in Varāha¹⁶²⁴ (4. 2, 48. 17-22, 55. 36-37), Matsya 285. 6-7, Agni (chap. 2-16 stories about all ten), Narasiṁhapurāṇa (chap. 36), Padma VI. 43. 13-15). In Vāyu 98. 68-104 the text presents the avatāras in a confused manner and appears to mention ten avatāras, viz. Varāha, Narasiṁha, Vāmana, Dattātreya, Māndhātṛ, Jāmadagnya, Rāma (Dāśarathi), Veda-vyāsa, Vāsudeva, Kalkin Viṣṇuyaśas. In Brahmāṇḍa III. 73. 75 ff there are lists of avatāras different from the present ten. In the Bhāgavata the avatāras of Viṣṇu are mentioned in several places In I. 3. 1-25 twenty-two avatāras including Brahmā, Devarṣi Nārada (who promulgated the Sātvata system), Nara-Nārāyaṇa, Kapila (who taught to Asuri the Sāṅkhya system), Dattātreya, Ṛṣabha, (son of Nābhi and Merudevī),¹⁶²⁵ Dhanvantari, Mohinī, Vedavyāsa, Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, Buddha, Kalki are mentioned. In II. 7 twenty-three avatāras are mentioned, many of which are the same as in I. 3, but in II. 7 Dhruva, Pṛthu son of Vena, Hayagrīva are mentioned, the first two of which are mentioned as avatāras hardly anywhere else. In Bhāgavata XI. 40. 17-22 the following avatāras are mentioned, viz.
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Matsya, Hayaśīrṣa, Kūrma, Sūkara, Narasiṁha, Vāmana, Bhārgava Rāma, Rāma, Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Buddha, Kalki. In Bhāgavata XI. 4. 17-22 sixteen avatāras are set out, viz. usual ten plus Haṁsa, Datta (Dattātreya), Kumāra (Nārada), Ṛṣabha, Vyāsa and Hayagrīva. Twelve avatāras are noted in Matsya 99. 14 and Padma V. 13. 182-186. The Prapañcasāratantra (ascribed to the great advaita teacher Śaṅkarācārya) mentions (in Paṭala 20. 59) Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Nṛsiṁha, Kubja (i. e. Vāmana), three Rāmas (i. e. Bhārgavarāma, Dāśarathi Rāma and Balarāma), Kṛṣṇa and Kalkin (i. e. it omits Buddha). The Ahirbudhnya Saṃhitā (5. 50-57) enumerates 39 avatāras of Vāsudeva, that are set out by Otto Schrader in his Introduction to the Pañcarātra and the Ahirbudhnya Saṃhitā, pp. 42-43. The Viṣṇupurāṇa¹⁶²⁶ states that Lakṣmī follows Viṣṇu in his avatāras The Purāṇas are full of the descriptions of the exploits of Viṣṇu in his several avatāras. But it should not be supposed that Śiva had no avatāras The Vāyu (chap. 23) mentions 28 avatāras of Maheśvara the last of which was Nakulī (Lakula) as verse 221 says. In Varāha 15 10-19 all avatāras are praised except that of Buddha. But Varāha (48.
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20-22) provides that worship of Narasiṃha frees men from the fear of sins, of Vāmana leads to removal of delusion, of Paraśurāma to wealth, one should worship Dāśarathi Rāma for the destruction of cruel enemies, one desirous of a son should worship Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, one who desires a handsome form should worship Buddha and one should worship Kalkin for the slaughter of enemies.¹⁶²⁷ The Agnipurāṇa (chap. 49. 1-9) describes what characteristics the images of the ten avatāras should possess and says that the image of Buddha should be represented as having a quiet face, long ear-lobes, fair complexion, wearing an upper garment, seated in Padmāsana posture and his hands should have the *varada* and *abhaya* poses.