Posted on: 1 February 2012

Watercolour and gold on paper, Scroll drawing of ten incarnationa of Vishnu, South India - ca. 1771 - ca. 1779

Marks and inscriptions:

'1. The Fish denotes the fatal day / When Earth beneath the Waters lay. / Macha Awataram' The fish incarnation of Vishnu (Matsya avatara)
'2. Th'amphibious Turtle marks the time / When it again the shores could climb. / Koorma Awataram.' The turtle incarnation of Vishnu (Kurma avatara)
'3. The Boar's an emblem of the God / Who raised again the mighty clod. / Waraha Awataram' The boar incarnation of Vishnu (Varaha avatara)
'4. The Lion-king and savage trains / Now roam the woods, o[r] graze the [plains]. / Narasheem Awataram' The man-lion incarnation of Vishnu (Narasimha avatara)
'5. Next [came the] Little Man's reign / Oe'r earth an[d wa]try' main / Wamana Awataram' The dward incarnation of Vishnu (Vamana avatara)
'6. Ram with the Axe then takes his stand, / Fells the thick forests - clears the land. / Parasurama Awataram' Rama with the Axe (Parasurama avatara)
'7. Ram with the Bow 'gainst tyrants fight[s] / And thus defends the people's rights. / Shreerama Awataram' Rama with the bow (Rama avatara)
'8. Ram with the Plough turns up the soil, / And teaches man for food to toil. / Balarama Awataram' Rama with the Plough (Balarama avatara)
'9. Buddha for Reformation came, / And formed a Sect well known to fame. / Boodha Awataram' Vishnu as the Buddha (Buddha avatara).
'10. When Kalki mounts his milk white Steed, / Heav'n, Earth, and all will then recede! / Kalkeekawataram' Vishnu as a warrior on a white horse (Kalki avatara).

Source: V&A, London


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After RamaavatAram it is Krishnaavataaram in the picture, not Buddha!

The dashavataras are relatively a later creation. Which scripture cotains the full cogent account of the dashavataras? Weren't Balarama and Krishna brothers? Why is Parshurama considered one of the avataras? He is said to have wiped out the Kshatriyas 17 times (when one time should have been enough!). When was Buddha coopted in Hindu mainstream dharma? It is interesting to note that the first three are animal form, the fourth half animal half man and the last six are humanoid.

matsya: life in water ; kurmo: amfibian life; boraho: mamal & non human; nrisinho: human form with animal's merrit; wamana: human but not fit 4 human civilizatn; parasuram: human who can turns forest clean; ram: human who can grow food; krishno/ balaram: human with political mind; buddhha: human with wisdom; kalki: the concept of PRALOY. For a new start/ SRIRTI

The figure on the lotus is holding the conch and the discus in the upper two arms; the confusion is with the other two arms which seem to be resting on each other as if in mditative posture- giving a possible interpretation as Buddha; or may be it is possible that the idea of absorbing The Buddha as one of the avatars of Vishnu- was in transition. The Tlugu text isn't clear to my eyes, otherwise I would have read what the author/artist of the texts/pictures wanted 'us' to see :-)

There are many versions of the avataras. To me it seems that the logical order is the movement from savage man (neanderthal = narasimha?) to biped short statured man (Vamana). Then comes the forest-dweller (with axe = Parasurama), then the natural progression is nomadic pastoralist (Krishna), then agriculturalist (Balarama), then urbanised man (Rama). With this kind of thing, naturally there is scope for further evolution, thus we have many more forms, Krishna, Buddha, Kalki etc.