Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1221

c4.1221

"And after that to make it possible for the Lord with four faces to rule his subjects justly and well. He took various incarnations with his portions, the first four of which are four persons, Sanaka, Sananda, Sanātana and Sanatkumāra, in the order given, four or five-year old children, well-versed in the four Vedas, the four always inseparable wandered everywhere come to the world to show the merits of Brahmacarya (the vow of celibacy). To kill Hiraṇyākṣa and to lift up the earth He took the form of Sūkara (Pig). To show the world the tattva (essence) of Sat (good) and tama (darkness) He took the form of hermit Nārada. To show the merits of penance He became Nara and Nārāyaṇa. To impart to the world the meaning of Sāmkhya Yoga (Indian Philosophy dealing with evolution and union with the Supreme Spirit) He came as Kapila the learned. To teach the world the laws of chastisement He was born as Datta of the wife of Atri. Then He came as Yajña to become Indra. The next incarnation He took was Ṛṣabha, the noble King. To shorten and flatten the earth He came as Pṛthu. To recover the Vedas he took the form of Matsya (fish). To remove wrinkles and grey hair the gods had churned the sea of Milk and then to lift the mount Mandara He went under it and as a bird He got up on it. To give the world Āyurveda (the scripture of medicine) He came as Dhanvantari. To entice Asuras and to recover Ambrosia from them He took the form of Mohinī. To save the devoted Prahlāda and to slay his father He came in the form of Narasimha. Then as Vāmana the younger brother of Indra to deceive Mahābali and to recover the lost worlds for the gods he came. To destroy the Kings who were haters of Brahmins He came as the son of Jamadagni. Then he took the incarnation of Veda Vyāsa. And to slay the giant Rāvaṇa He became Śrī Rāma. Next we see Him as Balabhadrarāma. Then He came as Devakīsuta [son of Devakī (Kṛṣṇa)]. Next He came in the Kaliyuga as Śrī Buddha and at the end of Kaliyuga He will come as Kalki. And there are many incarnations still to speak of."