#ŚrīmanNārāyaṇa #Avatāra #Bhagwatham #SrimadBhagwatham

Yesterday, I posed a question on avataras for which there are some wonderful views by many learned people.

Though that topic is still open for discussion, I thought of listing down all 24 avataras of ŚrīmanNārāyaṇa

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All the avatars are described in Srimad Bhagwatham Skanda 1, Chapter 3. It is critical to understand the concept of 16 Kalas which comprises of:

5 Indriyas
5 Karmendriyas
5 Bhootas (elements)
1 Mind

जगृहे पौरुषं रूपं भगवान्महदादिभि: ।
सम्भूतं षोडशकलमादौ लोकसिसृक्षया ॥ १ ॥

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1. Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanatkumara:

In the creation called "Kaumara", Bhagwan took the avatara of Brahmana kumaras & practiced tough Brahmacharya

स एव प्रथमं देव: कौमारं सर्गमाश्रित: ।
चचार दुश्चरं ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मचर्यमखण्डितम् ॥ ६ ॥

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2. Varaha Swamy :

To lift up Bhoodevi who was hidden at Rasatala

द्वितीयं तु भवायास्य रसातलगतां महीम् ।
उद्धरिष्यन्नुपादत्त यज्ञेश: सौकरं वपु: ॥ ७ ॥

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3. Narada :
In the creation called "Rsi" , Bhagwan took the form of Devarshi Narada to preach Nishkama Bhakti

तृतीयमृषिसर्गं वै देवर्षित्वमुपेत्य स: ।
तन्त्रं सात्वतमाचष्ट नैष्कर्म्यं कर्मणां यत: ॥ ८ ॥

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4. Nara Narayana :
In the creation called "Dharma Kala", Bhagwan took birth as Dharma's children Nara - Narayana and practiced meditation for self control

तुर्ये धर्मकलासर्गे नरनारायणावृषी ।
भूत्वात्मोपशमोपेतमकरोद्दुश्चरं तप: ॥ ९ ॥

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5. Kapila:

Bhagwan took this form and explained Sankhya shastra & explained the same to a Brahmana called Aasuri

ञ्चम: कपिलो नाम सिद्धेश: कालविप्लुतम् ।
प्रोवाचासुरये साङ्ख्यं तत्त्वग्रामविनिर्णयम् ॥ १० ॥

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6. Dattatreya:

To satisfy Anasuya's prayers, Bhagwan took the form of Dattatreya & taught Brahma Jnana to many including Prahlada

षष्ठमत्रेरपत्यत्वं वृत: प्राप्तोऽनसूयया ।
आन्वीक्षिकीमलर्काय प्रह्लादादिभ्य ऊचिवान् ॥ ११ ॥

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7. Yajnaavatara:

Born as the son of a prajapati called Ruchi & his wife Akoothi, Bhagwan along with his son Yaama & other devatas protected Swayambhu Manvanthara

तत: सप्तम आकूत्यां रुचेर्यज्ञोऽभ्यजायत ।
स यामाद्यै: सुरगणैरपात्स्वायम्भुवान्तरम् ॥ १२ ॥

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8. Rishabha Deva:

Born as the son of Nabhi Raja and his wife Meru devi, Bhagawan taught the best ashrama of paramahamsa marga to world

अष्टमे मेरुदेव्यां तु नाभेर्जात उरुक्रम: ।
दर्शयन् वर्त्म धीराणां सर्वाश्रमनमस्कृतम् ॥ १३ ॥

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9. Prithu:

He milked all the medicines and grains from mother earth and benefited the entire mankind

ऋषिभिर्याचितो भेजे नवमं पार्थिवं वपु: ।
दुग्धेमामोषधीर्विप्रास्तेनायं स उशत्तम: ॥ १४ ॥

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10. Matsya:

At the end of Chakshusha manvanthara, when all worlds were submerged, he saved the creation paving the path to next manvanthara

रूपं स जगृहे मात्स्यं चाक्षुषोदधिसम्प्लवे ।
नाव्यारोप्य महीमय्यामपाद्वैवस्वतं मनुम् ॥ १५ ॥

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11. Koorma

He took the form of Koorma to support the Mandhara mountain during samudra manthana

सुरासुराणामुदधिं मथ्नतां मन्दराचलम् ।
दध्रे कमठरूपेण पृष्ठ एकादशे विभु: ॥ १६ ॥

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12. Dhanvanthari
13. Mohini

He took the form of Dhanvanthari to get amrutha from the ocean and Mohini to ensure that devas got their share of the amrutha

धान्वन्तरं द्वादशमं त्रयोदशममेव च ।
अपाययत्सुरानन्यान्मोहिन्या मोहयन् स्त्रिया ॥ १७ ॥

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14. Narasimha

He took the form of Narasimha to annihilate Hiranyakashipu and establish Dharma

चतुर्दशं नारसिंहं बिभ्रद्दैत्येन्द्रमूर्जितम् ।
ददार करजैरूरावेरकां कटकृद्यथा ॥ १८ ॥

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15. Vamana

Born as Upendra to Kashyapa and Aditi, he restores the tri-loka to Indra & sends Bali to Patala

पञ्चदशं वामनकं कृत्वागादध्वरं बले: ।
पदत्रयं याचमान: प्रत्यादित्सुस्त्रिपिष्टपम् ॥ १९ ॥

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16. Parashurama

Born as son of Jamadagni, he traveled around earth 21 times and destroyed the adharmic kshatriyas.

अवतारे षोडशमे पश्यन् ब्रह्मद्रुहो नृपान् ।
त्रि:सप्तकृत्व: कुपितो नि:क्षत्रामकरोन्महीम् ॥ २० ॥

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17. Veda Vyasa

He was born as son of Parashara and Satyavati to divide the vedas and spread the knowledge across the world

तत: सप्तदशे जात: सत्यवत्यां पराशरात् ।
चक्रे वेदतरो: शाखा द‍ृष्ट्वा पुंसोऽल्पमेधस: ॥ २१ ॥

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18. Sri Rama

Born as a king, Sri Rama was an epitome of a human and rid earth of Ravana

नरदेवत्वमापन्न: सुरकार्यचिकीर्षया ।
समुद्रनिग्रहादीनि चक्रे वीर्याण्यत: परम् ॥ २२ ॥

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19. Balarama
20. Sri Krishna

Born into Yadu Vamsha, Bhagwan yet again establishes Dharma

एकोनविंशे विंशतिमे वृष्णिषु प्राप्य जन्मनी ।
रामकृष्णाविति भुवो भगवानहरद्भ‍रम् ॥ २३ ॥

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21. Buddha

Born as son of Ajana in Magadha, Bhagwan is born as Buddha to bring back atheists into the fold

तत: कलौ सम्प्रवृत्ते सम्मोहाय सुरद्विषाम् ।
बुद्धो नाम्नाञ्जनसुत: कीकटेषु भविष्यति ॥ २४ ॥

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22. Kalki

At the end of Kali Yuga, Bhagwan shall take the form of Kali as the son of a brahmana called Vishnuyasha

अथासौ युगसन्ध्यायां दस्युप्रायेषु राजसु ।
जनिता विष्णुयशसो नाम्ना कल्किर्जगत्पति: ॥ २५ ॥

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23. Hamsa
24. Hayagreeva

Though only 22 avataras are described, Hamsa and Hayagreeva are considered other 2 avataras of Bhagwan making the overall number as 24.

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It should be noted that there are many many more avataras that continue to happen in time as below

अवतारा ह्यसङ्ख्येया हरे: सत्त्वनिधेर्द्विजा: ।
यथाविदासिन: कुल्या: सरस: स्यु: सहस्रश: ॥ २६ ॥

ऋषयो मनवो देवा मनुपुत्रा महौजस: ।
कला: सर्वे हरेरेव सप्रजापतय: स्मृता: ॥ २७ ॥

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References:
Srimad Bhagwatham - Gita Press version
Pictures : Copyright of original owners, courtesy Google

Śrī kr̥ṣṇārpaṇamastu

References:

Shlokas courtesy: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/ 

cc: @ImPranav_M - This answers some of our old questions..