Kalki Avatar by London Swaminathan
Narasimha Avatar sculptures, images
Trivikrama, Vamana Avatar sculptures, images
Post No. 15,321
Date uploaded in London – 29 December 2025
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
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Avatars
Avataara means a descent. The incarnation of a deity, especially of Vishnu. The origin of avatara is in the Rig Veda. Three steps of Vishnu, Varaha Avatara in the story of Emusha are in the Vedas. Flood story of Matsya Avatara is in all cultures around the world.
Boar incarnation is in Taitriya Samhita and Satapata Brahmana of Yajur Veda.
Kurma/ Tortoise Avatara is in Satapatha Brahmana as Prajapati assuming a form of Tortoise.
Matsya/Fish Incarnation
Fish Avatara is also in the same Brahmana book in the story of deluge. Manu found a small fish which grew to a large size which he left in the ocean. It directed him to construct a ship, Manu fastened the vessel to the horn of the huge fish. All boarded the ship and the fish/ Matsya Avatar saved them. Mahabharata repeated the story with some variations.
Kurma/Tortoise Avatara and the Churning of the Milky Ocean
The germ of this Avatara is Satapata Brahmana book. Later additions in the Puranas show Vishnu assuming the tortoise form. In the Satya Yuga, he placed himself at the bottom of the ocean of milk and made his back the base or pivot of the Mandara Mountain. The gods and demons twisted the great serpent Vasuki round the mountain and dividing into two parties, each took an end of the snake as a rope and thus churned the ocean until they recovered the desired objects.
These were
Amrita- elixir of life;
Dhanvantari- Father of Medicine holding the cup of Amrita;
Lakshmi- Goddess of Fortune and Walth;
Suraa- Goddess of Wine;
Chandra- the Moon;
Rambha- Apsaras beauty;
Uchchaisrvas- Divine Horse;
Kaustuba- a celebrated jewel;
Parijata- paarijaata- a Celestial Tree;
Surabhi- Divine cow of Plenty;
Airavata- Elephant;
Sankha/ Conch- Conch of Victory;
Dhanus- a famous bow;
Visha/Poison.
Lord Siva devoured the poison to save Devas and demons, but his wife Parvati prevented it going down his gullet. When it was stopped at his neck/throat, that became blue in colour. So Siva was called Neelakanta (Blue throated). This name is in the Vedas and 2300 year old Sangam Tamil literature.
All these avataras were sung by Tamil saints. And many of them are in Tamil Sangam books. That shows all the Hindus from Himalayas to Kanyakumari were very familiar with Hindu Puranas.
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Narasimha – man lion –avatara is more popular than Varaha avatara. in Tamil he is known as Singa Perumal.
The story of this incarnation of Vishnu is as follows:
Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu were two demon brothers, hostile to Vishnu. Hiranyaksha was killed by Varaha avatar. Hiranyakasipu, then became the king of the demons and vowed eternal war with Vishu. His young son, Prahlada, was however became a devotee of Vishnu. Hiranyakasipu tried all means to change his mind, but in vain. Exasperated with this he asked the young boy, if his god Vishnu was all pervasive, could be found in the pillar in front of him; and then hacked it with his sword. The pillar cleft in twine and oust burst from it to the astonishment of Hiranyakasipu, the angry god in the shape of a Man-Lion. He tore to pieces the impious demon king. He was called Ugra Narasimha.
His anger subsided after Prahlada’s prayer; then he became Lakshmi Narasimha.
Yoga Narasimha is another form in which the god is seen squatting in a meditative mood. Simhachalam, Ahobilam , Namakkal, Narasimham near Madurai, Singa Perumal kovil are some of the places sacred to Narasimha. The usual Vaishnava symbols Sankha and Chakra are seen in his upper arms. The monolithic Ugra Narasimha found in the ruins of Vijayanagara was established by Krishna Deva Raya in 1528 CE. Statues of Narasimha are found on mountain tops, caves and deep forests. He has four hands.
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VAMANA / TRIVIKRAMA AVATAR
Vamana, the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu, is worshipped as Trivikrama – in Tamil Ulgalantha Perumal. Trivikrama means ‘god who took three strides’. Tamil name means ‘the lord who measured the universe’ (with three strides).
The story is a powerful demon king named Bali, the great grandson of Hiranyakasipu conquered the three worlds and ruled them, in spite of his birth, in charity and with justice. Indra, the chief of devas, was thus superseded. Devas got alarmed and requested Vishnu to restore Indra to his legitimate position.
Vishnu could not go to war against Bali, as he was a virtuous king. So, he went in the guise of a dwarf Brahmana, as a Brahmachari, Vedic student. He begged of Bali for three feet of land on which he could sit and meditate on God undisturbed. The generous Bali granted the request. Then the dwarf grows to a height transcending the world, take in at one step the whole earth, covering the sky with the next, and demanding of Bali to show him room for the third. True to his promise, Bali offered his own head, on which the placed his foot and sent him down to lower regions. Because he was just, he was allowed to return to his kingdom every year. That day is celebrated even today.
At Tirukkovilur in Tamil Nadu is a celebrated shrine of Trivikrama. Another one is in the Ulagalanda Perumal temple at Kanchi. Mahabalipuram has one figure with eight hands. Brahma is also shown touching the finger of the god.
In the Ramaswami temple in Kumbakonam is a sculptured pillar on which the story of Vamana avatar is well represented.
Representations of Vamana figures with water pot and an umbrella are found in the demarcation stones of fields granted in charity.
A festival in honour of Bali is observed by the people of Mysore on the first day after Deepavali Amavasya.
In Kerala, people connect Bali with their harvest festival, the Onam, in which they worship a clay figure of this high-minded emperor. It is supposed that the king is permitted by Vishnu to visit every year the fair earth over which he ruled once and to satisfy himself that the people are quite happy and glad as in his time.
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Rama and Krsina Avatar sculptures, images
Vishnu Avatar images, on Snake bed
KALKI AVATAR
Kalki avatar is only a prospective incarnation in which the god is expected to appear as a powerful hero riding on a white horse- back, a sword in hand, to suppress the growing wickedness of the Mlechchas (anti Hindu elements).
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BUDDHA
The Buddha avatar is a later addition by Jayadeva of Orissa and so Hindus don’t worship him. No deity of Buddha is found in any old Hindu temple.
Apart from these avataras , lord Vishnu is depicted in various forms in ancient Hindu temples.
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RAMA and KRISHNA
Most popular avataras Rama and Krishna are worshipped throughout India. All their leelas or their victories over demons are shown in paintings and sculptures. Since all these are in epics and Puranas, most of the people know the stories behind them.
In Sangam Tamil literature even the Yamnua River and Gopikas episode is sung by a poet. Untold stories of Rama are found in Sangam Tamil books.
Over 20 Avataras are mentioned in the Puranas. But only ten are called Dasaavataaraas (Dasa= Ten)
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PARASURAMA
Three Ramas were sung by the saints: Dasaratha Rama, husband of Sita; Balaraman- brother of Krishna and Parasuraman- Rama with axe on his shoulder. He was born as the son of Jamadagni in Treta Yuga. He fought with arrogant Kshatriyas and finished their domination. But he bowed to Rama, a Kshatriya, and gave all his strength to him.
—Subham—
Tags- Avatara, incarnations, Ten, Dasa, Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English-36; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம்-36
Tamil and Vedas 