7 iconic avatars of Lord Vishnu and why they came on Earth

Lord Vishnu is popularly known as the Dashavtar or the one who has 10 forms. He is the preserver and the sustainer of the Universe, and when he falls into his deep sleep for 4 long months, the Chaturmas period, all of the world’s celebrations and events halt. He rests on the Sheshnag, holds the Sudarshan Chakra in one hand, and a lotus flower in the other, and makes sure that the world functions correctly. And out of the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu, with one yet to arrive, there are 7 that are considered ever so important and powerful. Here we mention 7 iconic avatars of Lord Vishnu and what their purpose on Earth was.

The first avatar of Lord Vishnu was the Matsya avatar or the Fish form. According to Hindu scriptures, when the universe faced an initial ending, Lord Vishnu came down to Earth in the form of a fish to save the scriptures, the Vedas, and a single man, Manu. It is said that when the world was nearing its end, the Matsya avatar instructed Manu to build a large boat and bring the seeds of life on it so that everyone and everything could start afresh. When the flood engulfed all forms of life, Matsya took Manu’s boat deep into the Himalayas where he performed great rituals to start the world again.

The next avatar of Lord Vishnu was the Kurma, which was a tortoise who helped keep a mountain stable. It is said that during the Samudra manthan the Devas and Asuras used the serpent Vasuki as the churning rope, and Mount Mandar as the rod. But as the pressure from both sides grew, the mountain began to sink. This meant that the Samudra manthan would have to be halted and both the Asuras and Devas would be in danger. But then Lord Vishnu took the Kurma avatar, turning himself into half tortoise, half God, and then with his shell he pushed up the Mount Mandar again so that the Samudra manthan could continue.

After the Kurma avatar, came Lord Vishnu’s Varaha avatar, the boar form with tusks and strength. It is believed that a demon named Hiranyaksha had received a boon from Lord Brahma, and upon getting the boon he turned vicious. He began tormenting humans and Gods alike, and soon he captured Bhudevi, the Earth Goddess, and took her deep into the Patal lok. When the Earth began to drown, Lord Vishnu took on the Varaha avatar, save Bhudevi, and killed Hiranyaksha with his sharp tusks.

The fouth avatar of Lord Vishnu was the Narsimha avatar who came on Earth to save Prahlad, his devotee, and end the torment of Hiranyakashipu, a demon King. According to scriptures, legends, and beliefs, Hiranyakashipu was a demon ruler who had the boon that he won’t be killed by any man, God, or even animal, and thus he began to think highly of himself. He instructed everyone to worship him, and not the Gods, and only he was truly immortal. But his anger did not work in front of his son Prahlad who worshipped Lord Vishnu with all his heart. And so, Hiranyakashipu tried to kill his own son, Prahlad, and just before he could do so, Lord Vishnu took the form of Narsimha, half man and half lion, and with his powerful grip ended Hiranyakashipu’s reign.

The 6th avatar of Lord Vishnu was Bhagwan Parshurama, the one who came on Earth to end the tyrannical rule of evil kings. Parshuram was a Brahmin who had to take on ‘Shashtra’ to protect mankind from evil kings, and was tasked with maintaining equality in the society. He held an axe in his hand, which is said to be a gift from Lord Shiva, and it was the same axe he used to kill and end the evil Kshatriya rulers.

The 7th avatar of Lord Vishnu was Lord Ram, the righteous one who is worshipped widely all over India. It is said that when the world grew tired of Ravan’s atrocities, Lord Ram was born to end his reign. Lord Ram was the King of Ayodhya, but was then sent into ‘Vanvaas’ or exile in the forest by his father. With him went Maa Sita and Lord Lakshman, adhering to their roles and responsibilities of a devoted brother and wife. And when Ravan abducted Maa Sita, his end came near as Lord Ram’s army marched to Lanka, to rescue Maa Sita.

Between Lord Vishnu’s Ram avatar and Kalki avatar, we also have the Krishna and Buddha avatar. And Kalki avatar is yet to come, destined to end the Kaliyug and usher in a new world. It is said that Lord Vishnu will come again in the form of Kalki, a warrior riding a white horse, and he will finish off any evil that was consumed with corruption, greed, and unrighteousness. It is also said that Parshuram and Ashwatthama will guide and train the Kalki avatar to complete its purpose of destroying evil and begin the Satyug again.