The ten avatars of Vishnu are Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. This order is that of a verse of the Varaha Purana (4.2). The Dashavatara hymn in Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda puts Balarama in the eighth place and calls Krishna the one who takes all ten forms.
| # | Name | Yuga (tradition) | Form | Story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matsya | Satya yuga | Fish | In the waters of the deluge he saved Manu, with the earth as a boat (Bhagavata 1.3.15); Jayadeva says he held up the Vedas |
| 2 | Kurma | Satya yuga | Tortoise | Bore Mount Mandara on his back at the churning of the ocean (Bhagavata 1.3.16) |
| 3 | Varaha | Satya yuga | Boar | Lifted the earth up from the depths of Rasatala (Bhagavata 1.3.7) |
| 4 | Narasimha | Satya yuga | Half man, half lion | Tore apart the daitya king Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada’s father, with his claws (Bhagavata 1.3.18) |
| 5 | Vamana | Treta yuga | A dwarf brahmin boy | Asked King Bali for three steps of land at his yajna and won back the three worlds (Bhagavata 1.3.19) |
| 6 | ParashuramaBhrigupati, son of Jamadagni | Treta yuga | A brahmin bearing an axe | Son of Jamadagni and Renuka; rid the earth of kings hostile to brahmins twenty-one times (Bhagavata 1.3.20, 9.15) |
| 7 | RamaRama, son of Dasharatha | Treta yuga | Prince of Ayodhya | Slew Ravana and ruled by dharma; in his reign Treta became like the Satya yuga (Bhagavata 9.10.52) |
| 8 | KrishnaBalarama here in the Gita Govinda | Dvapara yuga | A Yadava, son of Vasudeva and Devaki | Slew Kamsa and taught Arjuna the Gita at Kurukshetra; the Bhagavata (1.3.28) calls him Bhagavan himself |
| 9 | BuddhaBalarama here in some traditions | Kali yuga | A teacher | Born in Kikata as the son of Anjana when Kali yuga had begun (Bhagavata 1.3.24); Jayadeva says that out of compassion he condemned the killing of animals in yajna |
| 10 | Kalki | At the end of Kali yuga | Riding a horse, sword in hand | To be born in the village of Shambhala in the house of Vishnuyasha, and on the horse Devadatta to end the unrighteous rulers (Bhagavata 1.3.25, 12.2.18-20) |
Where the list of ten is found
In the Varaha Purana (4.2), answering the Earth, Lord Varaha names ten forms: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Rama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. The verse says ‘Rama’ twice; by the order, the first is Parashurama and the second Rama, son of Dasharatha.
In Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda (canto 1, the first ashtapadi, ‘pralaya payodhi jale’) each stanza ends ‘keshava dhrita … jaya jagadisha hare’. Its ten forms are the fish, tortoise, boar, man-lion, dwarf, Bhrigupati (Parashurama), Rama, Haladhara (Balarama), Buddha and Kalki. The next verse bows to Krishna, who takes all ten forms.
The 22 avatars of the Bhagavata
The Bhagavata Purana (1.3.6-25) lists twenty-two avatars: the Kumaras, Varaha, Narada, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Yajna, Rishabha, Prithu, Matsya, Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Vyasa, Rama, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. It then says Hari’s avatars are countless (1.3.26) and that Krishna is Bhagavan himself (1.3.28).
The avatars and the yugas
The yuga column follows the common belief of the tradition: the first four in the Satya yuga, Vamana, Parashurama and Rama in the Treta, Krishna in the Dvapara, and Buddha and Kalki in the Kali yuga. The Bhagavata states some of this itself: Treta in Rama’s reign (9.10.52), Kali beginning the day Krishna left (12.2.33), Buddha once Kali had begun (1.3.24) and Kalki at the junction of the yugas (1.3.25).
Where the sources differ
- The eighth and ninth places: the Varaha Purana (4.2) has Krishna and Buddha, the commonest list in North India; the Gita Govinda has Balarama and Buddha (taking Krishna as the source of all); many South Indian traditions have Balarama and Krishna, without Buddha.
- Regional traditions: the Warkari sampradaya of Maharashtra places Vithoba ninth, and some Odia works place Jagannath there.
- The number: the list of ten is the commonest, but the Bhagavata (1.3) names twenty-two and calls the avatars countless.
Frequently asked questions
What are the ten avatars of Vishnu in order?
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki (Varaha Purana 4.2).
Is the Buddha an avatar of Vishnu?
The Bhagavata (1.3.24), the Varaha Purana (4.2) and the Gita Govinda count the Buddha as an avatar. Some traditions put Balarama in his place.
When will the Kalki avatar come?
According to the Bhagavata (1.3.25), at the end of the Kali yuga, at the junction of the yugas. The Bhagavata gives no calendar date for it.
How many avatars does Vishnu have in all?
Ten principal avatars is the commonest count. The Bhagavata Purana names twenty-two and says his avatars are countless (1.3.26).
Where does Krishna stand in the Dashavatara?
Eighth in the Varaha Purana’s list. In the Gita Govinda the eighth place goes to Balarama and Krishna is called the source of all ten.
Sources
- Varaha Purana 4.2 (Sanskrit text, transliterated from Sanskrit Wikisource, archive.org)
- Jayadeva, Gita Govinda, canto 1, the Dashavatara ashtapadi (Sanskrit text, GRETIL)
- Bhagavata Purana 1.3.6-28, 9.10.52, 9.15.11-14, 12.2.18-20 and 12.2.33 (Sanskrit text, GRETIL); the Narasimha and Prahlada story in book 7, Krishna’s story in book 10
- Wikipedia article on the Dashavatara: regional lists and the order of the yugas
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