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This is the second in our series of three articles on the
Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. As we add the
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Our previous newsletter (Brahma
- the Creator Amongst the Hindu Trinity) explains the concept
of the Hindu trinity and outlines the three Gods - Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva - who form the Trinity or Trimurti. We then
described lord Brahma and his tales in detail. In this newsletter
we talk about Lord Vishnu.
Shaantaa-kaaram bhujh-gasheinam padma-naabham
suresham
Vishva-aadhaaram gagan-sadrisham meghvaran shubh-aangam
Laxmi-kaantam kamal-nayanam yogibhir-dhyan-gamyam
Vande vishnu bhav-bhay-haram sarva-lokeik-naathanam
He, who possesses a tranquil form, lies on
the bed of snake, from whose naval has sprung the lotus... He,
who is the Lord of all Gods, the support of the universe, who
is similar to the sky and has the color of the cloud and possesses
handsome limbs... He, who is the lord of Laxmi (goddess of wealth),
having lotus -like eyes and realized by yogis (sages) in meditation...
Obeisance to that Vishnu who is the dispeller of the fear of
rebirth and is the lord of all the worlds.
Vishnu is the lord of preservation and is
known as the All-Provider. He performs the cosmic function of
cohesion. The constructive nature of his cosmic function stands
out in contrast against the destructive dispersive power of Shiva.
Vishnu's function is to ensure the sustenance of the universe
that Brahma has created. He represents the cosmic cause of existence
and the symbolization of eternal life which keeps the universe
as one.
Though he is one of the three Gods comprising
the Trinity, his status in the minds of a big number of followers
of Hinduism (this sect is often known as Vaishnavas) rose with
time and eventually he came to be viewed as the supreme God.
He is deemed to be omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. The
Padma Purana identifies Vishnu with Brahman, the Supreme Being.
Its version of the beginning of creation is thus: When the Supreme
Being (identified as Vishnu himself), wanted to create the universe
he transformed himself into three powers - the right side of
his became Brahma, the Creator, the left became Vishnu, the Preserver
and the middle portion became Shiva, the Destroyer.
Vishnu is seen as being the divine arbitrator
of all disputes - whether involving humans or gods. He ensures
the establishment of peace by interceding on behalf of others.
Vishnu personified tolerance and patience and gentleness is the
hallmark of his personality.
The name Vishnu owes its root to the word "Vish",
which indicates "spreading in or pervading all directions".
It is indicated that he is the core in all that exists as well
as the force which keeps everything tied. He is said to pervade
everything just as an infinite ocean. It is this ocean from which
the universe is said to have emerged. Since water is also known
by the word "Nara", his name Narayana, has a natural
linkage with water. Narayana literally means he who moves on
the waters.
The Hindu religious texts of the Puranas and
some of the minor Upanishads elaborate upon the significance
of the symbolization of Vishnu in Hindu religious art form. He
has two popular representations - both incorporating his symbol,
water. He is often shown as resting on the coils of the thousand
headed serpent God, Sheshnag, who in turn is seen surrounded
by the waves of a vast ocean (often an ocean of milk - or the
Ksheersagara), with its hood open over the head of Vishnu. The
river Ganga is said to originate from Vishnu's feet. Another
frequent presence in this representation is the depiction of
Brahma, the creator, sitting on a lotus that grows out of Vishnu's
navel. Vishnu is shown as having four arms, each of which holds
one each of the four divine objects that Vishnu carries. The
other popular representation shows him with his four hands and
four divine possessions, standing on the waves of a vast ocean
(again, often of milk).
This ocean of milk on which Vishnu resides
is the symbol of our inner self, or our Anthakarana - the consciousness
in Man which is as pure as the white in an ocean of milk. God
is thus shown as residing in our own inner self. It is said that
one can become aware of one's inner self only by ridding oneself
of all negative thoughts and feelings, controlling one's senses
and by the practice of Namasmarana (reciting God's name), service
and meditation. The abode of Lord Vishnu is called Vaikuntha,
which according to Hindu mythology, is a place of great riches
and where there is no sorrow. Vaikuntha basically points towards
an ideal state of mind free of sorrow or grief or pettiness when
the mind unites with God.
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this sculpture |
VISHNU
WITH HIS DIVINE BELONGINGS
(SHANKHA, CHAKRA, GADA AND PADMA)
Courtesy Exotic India |
In his hands Vishnu is shown carrying a conch
(Shankha), a mace (Gada), and discus (Chakra). A crown adorns
his head while he wears earrings, a garland (Mala) of flowers,
and a gem around his neck. His blue body is draped in yellow
clothes and is marked by rich and regal ornamentation.
The four arms indicate the all-pervading and
all-powerful nature of Vishnu. The physical existence of Vishnu
is represented by the two arms in the front while the two arms
at the back represent his presence in the spiritual world. The
creative and intellectual aspects of the mind are represented
by the right side of his body while love, kindness and compassion
- associated with the heart - are represented by the right side
of his body. One of the Upanishads (set of religious Hindu texts),
titled Gopal Uttartapani describes the four arms of Vishnu.
The lower right hand is said to represent
creativity and holds the conch, which is the symbol of the five
elements. The Conch or Shankha is named Panchajanya, or the originator
of the five basic elements - water, fire, air, earth and sky
or space. It is said that the sound that evolves from blowing
this conch is the primeval sound of creation. The blowing of
the Conch by Vishnu is said to remind his devotees to practice
kindness and compassion towards all of existence, kindness and
compassion being the language the Lord uses to address his devotees.
The upper right hand represents cohesiveness
and holds the discus which symbolizes the mind and shines like
a tiny sun. Vishnu uses the discus as a weapon to slay evil by
cutting off the heads of demons. The Discus or Chakra is named
Sudarshan. This name is derived from two words - Su, which means "good",
and Darshan, which means "vision". The discus as a
weapon thus indicates the necessity of destroying one's ego and
illusory self-existence and developing the vision to identify
the eternal truth. The discus has six spokes and symbolizes a
lotus with six petals, thus representing the power that controls
all six seasons.
The upper left hand represents liberation
or dispersion and holds the lotus which symbolizes the power
from which the universe emerges. The lotus of Vishnu is named
Padma. Since a lotus resides in muck and yet stays fresh and
pure, Vishnu's lotus becomes the symbol of purity and represents
the unfolding of creation. It represents truth or Satya and the
originator of the rules of conduct or Dharma; and knowledge or
Gyana.
The lower left hand represents individual
existence and holds the mace, which symbolizes the primeval force
from which all mental and physical strength is derived. The Mace,
or Gada is named Kaumodaki.
Shesh Nag, the divine snake, with its thousand
hoods, in the common representations of Vishnu depicts mind of
an individual with its numerous desires, which, just like the
venom of a snake, kill by virtue of their evil possessive nature.
The lord is shown as sitting over the coiled snake as if to depict
that instead of desires controlling him, it is he who has control
over desires. It is an indication of the necessity of an individual
to control one's desires so as to grasp the eternal truth and
become one with the Supreme Being.
The all-pervasive nature of Vishnu is symbolized
by all that's blue in various representations of his. The sky
in the background of his representation depicts the fact that
he pervades the entire universe. Since the sky is blue in color,
the same color of his body indicates his infinite nature. Just
like the blue sky he too is formless and immeasurable.
The yellow color of his clothing associates
his existence to the world. They indicate that he would incarnate
himself in our world for upholding righteousness and destroying
evil.
The flower garland around Vishnu's neck is
a symbol of the devotee's love for him. The gem decorating his
neck is a representation of Vishnu's function of fulfilling the
genuine desires and needs of his devotees. The crown on his head
symbolizes his supreme authority. The two earrings of his represent
the inherent opposites in creation - knowledge and ignorance;
happiness and unhappiness; pleasure and pain.
Lord Vishnu is sometimes depicted in a grand
manner as representing a magnification of his essence containing
the entire cosmos, in a form known as Vishwaroop (Vishwa - the
cosmos; Roop - form or manifestation). This depiction came from
the ancient Hindu philosophy which indicated that through the
diversities of creation there always is a connecting essence
that threads everything into a unified whole. While the Trinity
of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva represents the Supreme Being's diversified
manifestation, the Vishwaroop form of Vishnu represents the spiritual
concept of all creation being nothing more than diverse manifestations
of a single essence. Since Brahma's function ceases once the
process of Creation is completed and Shiva himself represents
the cosmos or an extension of the cosmos, it is Vishnu, in whom
the Creation sustains and prevails, who requires cosmic magnification
as the form of Vishwaroop to drive home the point that the Supreme
Being not only contains all creation but also sustains it.
The Vishwaroop depiction shows Lord Vishnu
as having seven heads on each of his left and right. Each of
these has its own cosmic function or represents an aspect of
the cosmos. The gods depicted include Shiva, Brahma, Ganesha,
Hanuman, Indra, Agni (Fire God), Surya (Sun God), Chandra (Moon
God), Maruta (Wind God), Kubera (God of wealth), Varuna (God
of water) and Yama (Time) and Brahma's three sons. Vishnu retains
the central position. While Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu together
form the Trinity, Ganesh and Hanuman represent faith and divinity.
Agni or Fire represents life, energy and vitality. Maruta, the
wind-god represents space, while Indra represents rains and cosmic
balance. Yama depicts the infinite nature of time while Varuna
the ocean God represents water. Kubera represents prosperity
and riches. The Sun and Moon represent the cycle of birth, death,
decay and finally dissolution. Brahma's three sons represent
the entire mankind. Taken together as one entity they constitute
the entire cosmos.
Vishnu's divine vehicle is Garuda, a giant
eagle, often depicted as having a human body and senses and bird-like
forehead, wings, beak and nails. He wears a crown on his head
like his master, Vishnu. His stature in Hindu religion can be
gauged by the fact that an independent Upanishad, the Garudopanishada,
and a Purana, the Garuda Purana, is devoted to him. Various names
have been attributed to Garuda - Chirada, Gaganeshvara, Kamayusha,
Kashyapi, Khageshvara, Nagantaka, Sitanana, Sudhahara, Suparna,
Takshya, Vainateya, Vishnuratha and others.
The Vedas provide the earliest reference of
Garuda, though by the name of Shyena, where this mighty bird
is said to have brought nectar to earth from heaven. The Puranas,
which came into existence much later mention Garuda as doing
the same thing, which indicates that Shyena and Garuda are the
same.
Garuda was born of sage Kashyapa and his wife
Vinata. It is said that Valakhilyas - the group of 60000 thumb-sized
sages - handed over the fruit of their great penance to sage
Kashyapa, who in turn handed it over to Vinata - his wife. Vinata
then bore an egg, directly from which arose Garuda, complete
with huge wings. One of the most popular tales of Garuda describes
his stealing the divine nectar of immortality or amrit from heaven.
Garuda's mother Vinata was enslaved by Kadru, his step-mother,
when Vinata lost a wager to Kadru, albeit through deceit, perpetrated
by Kadru. Kadru asked for Amrit as ransom to release Vinata.
On hearing this Garuda reached Indra's capital Amravati in search
of Amrit. Indra's armies of Gods tried to stop Garuda but he
defeated them all along with all other divine forces which tried
to stop him from reaching the divine well holding the nectar
of immortality. He brought the nectar with him to his step-mother,
Kadru but answered Kadru's deceit with his own and without handing
over the nectar, got his mother, Vinata, released. Vishnu had
noticed the proceedings and was impressed by Garuda's honesty
in that he had not once touched the nectar that he was carrying
for so long. Vishnu requested Garuda to become his vahana or
vehicle, to which Garuda agreed but put forth two conditions
- one that he be held higher to Vishnu and second that he became
immortal without drinking the immortality nectar. Vishnu granted
his two wishes. Vishnu placed Garuda atop his flagstaff to fulfill
his wish of being placed higher than Vishnu. Thus was born the
concept of a Garudadhvaja - or a flagstaff with Garuda adorning
the top. Every Vishnu temple has such a Garudadhvaja in front
of the sanctum - a tall pillar (Dhvaja), with Garuda enshrined
upon at a position higher than that of the idol of Vishnu.
Hindu art depicts Garuda with a serpent on
his chest. There is an interesting tale leading to this symbolization.
Garuda became arrogant with his new found position atop Vishnu
along with immortality. Once, Indra, the king of Gods, granted
the serpent Sumukha the boon of immortality. Garuda, being half
eagle, looked upon serpents as his food and felt that Indra's
boon to Sumukha was an affront to him since Sumukha being a serpent,
was his enemy and food. Garuda therefore quarreled with Indra
and in the process of doing so boasted that he was mightier than
even Vishnu and that is why he was placed higher than Vishnu.
As punishment for his arrogance, Vishnu pressed one of his fingers
on Garuda's person. Garuda felt an unbearable pain and begged
Vishnu for relief. Vishnu relented but to remind Garuda of his
mistake of arrogance, placed Sumukha on his chest like a garland.
Vishnu's wife is Lakshmi or Sri, the goddess
of wealth and fortune. She is believed to have emerged from the
churning of the great ocean (Samudra Manthan) by the gods and
the demons in the quest for the immortality nectar. She is believed
to be the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and he wife Khyati. She
is typically depicted as a fair skinned woman wearing red clothes
with rich ornamentation. When shown with Lord Vishnu, she is
usually seen sitting by his feet, with her hands on her feet.
When depicted alone, she is usually shown either sitting or standing
on a red lotus (or Kamal). She is propitiated alone as a goddess
in her own right, as well as with Vishnu.
Lakshmi, when placed alongside Vishnu (or
Narayana) came to be the foundation of Hindu religious devotion
as Lakshmi-Narayana - the deity pair which not only preserves
all of creation (Vishnu's cosmic function) but also ensured its
growth and prosperity (Lakshmi's cosmic function).
Lord Vishnu is said to have manifested himself
in various incarnations, called Avatars, for the destruction
of evil or restoration of faith and justice in the world. These
incarnations are said to have been in the human form, in the
animal form and even in the combined human-animal form. Though
popularly believed to be ten in number, the Bhagvat Purana mentions
twenty two such incarnations with innumerable more to follow.
It is believed that out of the ten incarnations
(called Dashavatar) that are popularly believed in, nine have
already been manifested while the tenth is yet to appear. Though
all of the incarnations are highly revered, the incarnations
of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna have found acceptance as gods in
their own right and are propitiated deities in Hinduism. The
first four of the ten avatars have appeared in the Krita Yuga
(the first of the four Yugas or Ages that comprise one Mahayuga
- for more details please read the section above on Lord Brahma).
The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth
incarnation in the Dwapar Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga.
The tenth is expected to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.
The first incarnation of Vishnu took place
as a fish - the Matsya Avatar. Before the creation of the present
universe the four Vedas - Hindu philosophical texts which contain
all the knowledge of the cosmos - remained drowned in a deluge
which existed since the end of the previous epoch. To begin the
process of creation anew, it was important that they be retrieved
and that they not reach the hands of the Asuras or demons. Brahma
would use the knowledge of the Vedas to start the process of
creation. Vishnu then took the form of a fish and retrieved the
Vedas and also rescued Vaivasvata - the seventh Manu - the lawgiver
for the present epoch. Very strangely, there is a striking similarity
found between this tale and the story of Noah's ark in the Old
Testament. However, the tale of the Matsya Avatar is said to
have taken place eons before Noah's existence. It thus indicates,
in some manner, the existence of extremely long cycles in the
process of creation and possible early civilizations of which
little is known today. In a way, the Matsya incarnation symbolizes
the formation of the earliest of life forms - the protoplasm
and invertebrates.
Kurma, or the tortoise, was Vishnu's second
incarnation. It is believed that during the great deluge at the
beginning of the current epoch of four Yugas, a great many precious
objects were lost in the ocean. Among these was the pot of the
nectar of immortality (Amrit Kumbha - Amrit means nectar while
Kumbha means pot), which both the gods (Devas) and the demons
(Asuras) were fighting for. However Brahma suggested that since
the pot could not be retrieved without cooperation from both
the demons and the gods and that the only way the pot could be
retrieved was by churning the great ocean using the mountain
Mandara as the churning stone and the serpent Lord Shesnag as
the rope for churning. However, the mountain needed to be rested
on something for it to be used for churning. It was then that
both the gods and demons requested Vishnu to help them. Vishnu
then took the form of a great tortoise and entered the ocean.
The mountain Mandara was balanced upon the tortoise back and
the churning began, with the gods on one side and the demons
on the other. This churning is called the Samudra Manthan (Samudra
stands for ocean while Manthan stands for churning). Thus many
a valuable objects were retrieved from the ocean, the pot of
nectar for immortality being one of them. At the end of the churning
after the retrieval of the pot, Vishnu also took the form of
the illusory Mohini and fooled the demons and passed on all the
nectar to the Gods, after which the gods eventually defeated
the demons. The Kurma Avatar represents the formation of the
amphibian (Life forms which can survive on both land and water)
form in the evolution of living beings on this planet.
The third incarnation was that of Varaha,
the Boar. It is said that the demon (Asura), Hiranyaksha after
great penance managed to please Lord Brahma who gave him the
boon of invincibility against all beings that he (Hiranyaksha)
named. After becoming all-powerful, Hiranyaksha captured earth
and dragged her to the bottom of the ocean where he kept her
trapped. Lord Vishnu knew that Hiranyaksha missed out on naming
the boar while Brahma granted him the boon of invincibility.
Vishnu therefore took the form of a great boar, dived into the
ocean and killed the demon. He then took the earth between his
great tusks and surfaced out of the ocean thus rescuing earth.
Varaha, the boar symbolizes the emergence of mammals on the planet.
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this painting |
NARASIMHA
AVATAR
HALF MAN HALF LION INCARNATION
OF VISHNU
Courtesy Exotic India |
Vishnu appeared as Narasimha in his fourth
incarnation. The evil Asura (demon) king, Hiranyakashipu, after
great penance, obtained a boon of invincibility from Lord Brahma.
The boon declared that Hiranyakashipu would die neither at the
hands of a human nor an animal, neither during the day nor at
night, neither on earth nor in heavens, neither indoors nor outdoors,
neither by fire nor by water or any other weapon. This invincibility
prompted him to turn into a tyrant and he assumed that he was
the supreme power of the universe, greater than even Vishnu.
His son, Prahalad, however, turned out to be one of the greatest
devotees of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashiupu's several attempts at
killing Prahlad to stem any growth of devotion for someone other
than him, failed. Prahlad stuck to his chosen path of undiluted
and pure devotion of Vishnu and his devotion saw him survive
against all odds. This innocent and fervent nature of his devotion
combined with the tyranny Hiranyakashipu had unleashed, prompted
Vishnu to appear on earth as Narasimha with the body of a man
and head and claws of a lion (thus being neither man nor animal).
At dusk (thus at a time which was neither day nor night) he appeared
from a pillar (thus being not born out of a natural process)
in the courtyard hall (thus being neither indoors nor outdoors)
of the evil king and proceeded to lay the king on his thighs
(thus neither on earth nor in the heavens) and tore him apart
with his bare nails thus ridding the world of the evil tyrant.
Narasimha represents the emergence of hands and fingers in animals
- another step in the evolution of the human form from animals.
The fifth incarnation, the first in the Treta
Yuga, was that of sage Vamana - a dwarf, this time to subdue
King Bali - the demon king, who had assumed control over heaven,
earth and nether worlds, by defeating Indra - ruler of heaven.
His intention was to become the sole power in the entire universe.
As all the gods, who had lost their significance and powers prayed
to Vishnu to help them and rescue the universe from Bali. It
was then that at a sacrificial event held by Bali, Vishnu appeared
as Vamana, the dwarf Brahman son of sage Kashyapa and his wife
Aditi. Brahamans formed the foremost caste and were highly revered,
even by demons. King Bali felt highly obliged by the presence
of the dwarf Brahman and offered him anything that he asked for.
Vamana asked for only as much land as would be covered by three
steps of his. Hearing this Bali was amused as he imagined the
little stretch of land that the dwarf Brahman could claim. However
Vamana soon assumed huge proportions and covered the entire earth.
With his first step he claimed the heavens and with his second
step the nether worlds. Since there was nowhere else to step
on, King Bali offered his head for Vamana to step on. Since Vamana
was pleased with Bali for his strength of resolution of fulfilling
his word and also because of the great devotion of Bali's ancestor
Prahlad (as described in the earlier paragraph describing the
Narasimha Avatar), he spared Bali's life and granted him the
nether worlds to rule on. Thus he rescued the Gods and earth
from the clutches of tyranny. The dwarf incarnation of Vishnu
represents the initial stages of development of Man.
Parashurama was the sixth incarnation of Vishnu
- the first who was fully human. Parashurama was a Brahaman by
caste and the son of sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka. Vishnu
incarnated himself at this time to rid the world of the tyrant
and corrupt kings (kings were always Kshatriya by caste). At
that time the Kshatriyas were indulging in all sorts of sins
and had unleashed terror all around. Prithvi (earth) prayed to
Vishnu for rescuing her from the clutches of the evil Kshatryia
clan. That is when Vishnu took birth in the form of Jamdagneya
- son of sage Jamadagni. However Jamdagneya came to be more popularly
known as Parashurama because of the axe (Parashu) that he used
as a weapon. Skilled in art of battle and an excellent archer,
Parashurama was under the tutelage of Lord Shiva. He had the
gift of immortality and invincibility. Once when the thousand
armed king of Mahishmati, Kartaveeryarjuna snatched away a magical
cow that Jamadagni (father of Parashuram) possessed, Parashurama
killed the king in battle and restored the cow to his parents.
Later, seeking revenge, Kartaveeryarjuna's sons murdered Parashurama's
father. In revenge, Parashurama killed all the sons of Kartaveeryarjuna.
However having done so could not bring peace to him as he felt
that he had to rid the earth of all these evil kings who caused
so much grief to good men and women. He then proceeded to traverse
earth in its entirety twenty one times, each time wiping out
all Kshatriyas in his path. It is said that he created seven
lakes out of the blood of all the Kshatriyas he had killed. After
such bloodshed, Parashurama gave away all the land he had conquered
to sages and virtuous men and led a life of meditation in repentance
of all the bloodshed he had caused. However, he had no land left
to build a hut on since he had given all land away. He therefore
threw his axe into the ocean and a strip of land emerged at that
point, which was highly fertile. This land is said to be the
present day state of Kerala in India. The Parashurama incarnation
of Vishnu symbolizes the Stone Age in the evolution of human
civilization where the axe symbolizes the start of the use of
metal by mankind.
The seventh incarnation of Vishnu was in the
form of a king - Lord Rama, the main protagonist in the Hindu
epic, Ramayana. Lord Rama is the personification of righteousness
and human values. He is worshipped as the perfect man and Hindus
have given him the status of a god. He was the son of the king
of Ayodhya, Dasharatha and his first wife, Kaushalya and as the
first born, was entitled to the throne of Ayodhya after Dasharatha.
However great ambitions for her son prompted Dasharatha's second
wife, Kaikeyi to play a dirty game and she had Rama banished
from the kingdom for fourteen years. Rama was accompanied to
the forest by his wife, Sita and Lakshamana - the youngest of
his three bothers - son of Dasharatha's third wife, Urmila. He
along with Sita and Lakshmana, led a life of asceticism for fourteen
years. In the meanwhile, Kaikaeyi's son Bharath did not accept
the throne which was offered to him and instead ran the kingdom
as a caretaker rather than a king. Towards the end of their time
in the forest, Sita was abducted by Ravana - the powerful demon
king of Lanka - in revenge for the insult brought upon his sister
Surpanakha - who had evil designs on Lakshmana. Sita was kept
in captivity in Lanka by Ravana. Lord Rama and Lakshmana, along
with an army of monkeys, led by their king Sugreeva and able
monkey-god Hanuman, attacked Lanka to rescue Sita. Rama killed
Ravana in a fierce battle and thus rescued Sita, after which
he went back to Ayodhya and was anointed the king. Unlike the
earlier incarnations, Lord Rama appears not for a single mission
but rather to teach mankind the importance of sticking to the
concepts of righteousness, justice, truth and strength of character.
In battle or in peace, Rama never let go of his ideals. So much
so that in spite of all the love and trust that he had in his
wife, he had to, in consonance with the norms of society of those
days, request his wife to undergo an agni pariksha (test of purity
by walking through fire). Even later, when questions were raised
about the chastity of his wife, he banished her to forest in
spite of all the pain that he had to undergo on account of the
trust and love he had for his wife. However, the virtuosity of
these actions of his, vis-à-vis his wife, have been highly
debated and are viewed with skepticism by many. However, when
viewed in the context of the norms and laws set by society of
those times and Rama's position as the king of the land, the
actions probably do not look as black in nature as they would
have, in isolation. Lord Rama represents the time in the evolution
of human civilization when mankind had begun to live as a cohesive
society and have laws of administration and justice.
Lord Krishna is the eighth incarnation of
Vishnu and the only incarnation of the third Yuga - the Dwapar
Yuga. He was the main protagonist in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata.
He too, like Rama, has been accorded the status of a god in Hindu
religion. However, unlike Rama, Krishna is seen as more endearing
and reachable - especially amongst womenfolk - than Lord Rama
- the perfect Man that he is made out to be. He was the eighth
son of King Vasudeva and Devaki, who had been imprisoned by Devaki's
brother, Kamsa who was killing all their children as soon as
they were born, because of a fear that one of their children
would be the cause of his death. He was however unable to kill
the eighth child whom Vasudeva managed to slip out of the prison.
This eighth child turned out to be Krishna and he later, in his
youth, slayed the evil Kamsa and restored the throne to his father.
At a very young age, Krishna managed to slay a number of powerful
demons. It is said that he is the only fully human incarnation
of Vishnu who was aware of his godly powers from infancy. This
is why he is often equated with Vishnu rather than being treated
as a mere incarnation. He became the ruler of Dwarka and later
played a pivotal role in the epic battle of Kurukshetra, between
the Kauravas and Pandavas. Krishna was the cousin brother of
the Pandavas and Kauravas. Since the Kauravas had wrongfully
snatched away the kingdom of the Pandavas, they waged a battle
of justice - Dharma - against the Kauravas in which all the kings
of various kingdoms participated on either side. Krishna was
on the side of the Pandavas with the mission of destroying Adharma
- injustice and evil - and of establishing a rule of righteousness
under the Pandavas. It was during this battle of Kurukshetra
where Lord Krishna expounded upon the various philosophies that
guide the values of righteousness, duty and justice and how all
existence is only a tool in God's hands and it is He who defines
all that was done, is being done and will be ever done. His messages
that he preached to Arjuna - one of the Pandava brothers and
Krishna's favourite - comprised the Bhagwad Gita which is one
of the most revered texts of Hindu philosophy. It was during
this preaching that Krishna showed Arjuna the Vishwaroop - the
representation of the cosmos and its functions through himself.
As has been earlier mentioned, Vishnu too is often depicted in
the Vishwaroop form, strengthening the argument that Krishna
and Vishnu are one and the same rather than Krishna being an
incarnation of Vishnu. His death is believed to have marked the
beginning of the Kali Yuga. Krishna has been depicted as being
a great politician and a master of all sixty four arts that existed
at the time. Krishna therefore reflects the development of the
sciences in the history of evolution of humans.
The ninth Avatar is that of Gautam Buddha
- the founder of Buddhism. He appeared in the Kali Yuga. However
there is another school of thought that says that Balarama -foster
brother of Krishna was the ninth Avatar of Vishnu. However there
is a conflict in views on this issue as the opposing school of
thought believes Balarama to be an incarnation of Sheshnag -
the snake God. The belied that Buddha was the ninth incarnation
found popularity partly because of the success of Buddha's teachings
amongst common folk that promoted Hindu commentators to include
him in the series of incarnations. Buddha was originally prince
Siddhartha and led a life of debauchery and waste. However he
soon faced a number of events that forced him to take a second
look at life. This quest for knowledge set him off on a path
of renunciation and deep meditation. His penances under a Bodhi
tree in Bodh Gaya in the present state of Bihar in India resulted
in Moksha or enlightenment for him. He then spread the message
of the necessity of practicing Ahimsa (non-violence) and detachment
from worldly pleasures and desires, for the purpose of inner-peace
and true knowledge. His teachings formed the basis of the Buddhism
religion. At a time when people were losing faith in humanity
and religion and sinning was commonplace as was violence and
greed, Buddha brought with him peace and faith for mankind. This
incarnation reflects the intellectual and spiritual progress
of human civilization.
The tenth and last incarnation of Vishnu is
yet to appear. It is believed that this appearance will take
place towards the end of Kali Yuga, whence this Avatar will appear
and slay all of those who are evil and will restore a moral and
humanitarian order in society. This Avatar has been named Kalki
and it is believed that he will appear on a white horse and will
yield a flaming sword which will be his weapon with which he
will strike down all evil. His appearance will also mark the
end of Kali Yuga, after which the Krita Yuga will again begin
where purity of mind reigns over all else. Since Kali Yuga is
believed to carry on for a total of 4,32,000 years, of which
only 5000 have gone by, it is to be assumed that it's a long
time before the Kalki Avatar will make his appearance. Hindu
religious texts elaborate the expected arrival of the Kalki Avatar
as a return to Manu's social order of four varnas (castes) and
a revival of Brahminical authority. It is said that as time goes
by, righteousness will be engulfed by evil and faith in God will
be replaced by misinterpreting the Vedas to serve Adharma or
injustice. It is then that Kalki will be born in the home of
Vishnuyashas, a Brahmin and a priest of Yajnavalkya at the village
of Shambhala. Some say that Vishnuyashas himself will be rechristened
as Kalki. Kalki, it is said, will be able to raise weapons and
armies by his will and with this force and a horse (named Devadutta)
gifted to him by the Gods (Devas), will wipe out all evil and
those who will have desecrated Dharma (concept of justice and
duty) and restore faith in God and righteousness in society.
Vishnu is the preserver of the cosmos and
hence upholds the universal laws. To maintain order in the universe
Vishnu battles the forces of disorder, chaos and evil, either
by himself or as one of his Avatars or incarnations.
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This article was written by:
Madhuri Guin Our efforts have been directed at making this article informative and refreshing for you. We will truly appreciate all forms of feedback. Please send your feedback to newsletter@dollsofindia.com.
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