10 Avatars of Vishnu: Restoring Balance and Destroying Evil Indian Mythology

Dashavatar | The 10 Avatars of Lord Vishnu

Lord Vishnu is believed to take avatars in order to restore balance and destroy evil in the world. The 10 primary avatars of Vishnu are known as the Dashavatara of vishnu:

1. Matsya Avatar – The Fish

Matsya avatar is depicted as a fish or half-man, half-fish form. He warned Manu about the great flood and helped him save all living beings and the Vedas.

2. Kurma Avatar – The Tortoise

Kurma avatar supported Mount Mandara on his back during the Samudra Manthan. The devas and asuras churned the ocean of milk on Mount Mandara to obtain amrita, the nectar of immortality.

3. Varaha Avatar – The Boar

Varaha avatar fought the demon Hiranyaksha for 1000 years and killed him. He then rescued the earth goddess Bhudevi from the bottom of the cosmic ocean.

4. Narasimha Avatar – The Man-lion

Narasimha avatar killed the demon king Hiranyakashipu who was persecuting Vishnu’s devotee Prahlada. He took the form of a human-lion to kill the demon as per the boon granted to Hiranyakashipu.

5. Vamana Avatar – The Dwarf

Vamana avatar tricked the demon king Mahabali by asking for only 3 paces of land. When Mahabali agreed, Vamana transformed into a giant and covered the whole earth and heaven in 2 steps.

6. Parashurama Avatar – The Angry Man

Parashurama appeared to kill evil and arrogant kings who had become corrupt. He rid the world of kshatriyas 21 times using his axe.

7. Rama Avatar – The Perfect Man

Lord Rama took avatar as a human to kill the demon Ravana and rescue his wife Sita. His story is told in the Hindu epic Ramayana.

8. Krishna Avatar – The Divine Statesman

Lord Krishna appeared as the 8th avatar to kill his evil uncle Kamsa and establish dharma. He delivered the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield.

9. Balarama/Buddha Avatar

Some traditions consider Balarama as the 9th avatar while others consider Buddha. Balarama was Krishna’s elder brother while Buddha founded Buddhism and spread the message of ahimsa.

10. Kalki Avatar – The Mighty Warrior

Kalki avatar is yet to come. He will appear as a mighty warrior riding a white horse to end the present age of darkness and chaos.

What boon did Hiranyakashipu receive that required the Narasimha avatar?

What Boon Made Narasimha Avatar Appear

The Narasimha avatar of Lord Vishnu appeared to kill the demon king Hiranyakashipu who had received a powerful boon from Lord Brahma. This boon made Hiranyakashipu virtually indestructible, forcing Lord Vishnu to take the Narasimha avatar to kill the demon.

Hiranyakashipu was the brother of Hiranyaksha, who was killed by Varaha avatar of Vishnu. To take revenge, Hiranyakashipu started performing intense penance to please Lord Brahma. After many years, Lord Brahma appeared before him and granted him a boon.

Hiranyakashipu asked for the following boon:

Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence, 
during the daytime or at night,  
nor on the ground or in the sky.  
Grant me that my death not be brought about by any weapon,  
nor by any human being or animal.
Grant me that I not meet death from any entity, living or nonliving created by you.

In short, the boon made Hiranyakashipu invincible and impossible to kill by any ordinary means. Armed with this boon, Hiranyakashipu started persecuting devotees of Vishnu, including his own son Prahlada.

To kill the demon, Lord Vishnu had to appear in a form that was neither man nor beast, and kill Hiranyakashipu at a time and place that did not violate the conditions of the boon. This is why Lord Vishnu took the Narasimha avatar – half man, half lion – and killed the demon at dusk, on his lap, at the threshold of the palace.