# Incarnations of the Lord *Avatāras of the Supreme Personality of Godhead* ## Major Topics (Comprehensive Entries) *These are the most extensive entries on incarnations:* - [[index/entries/supreme-lord|Supreme Lord]] (303KB) - Complete discussion including all avatāras - [[index/entries/krsna-lord|Kṛṣṇa, Lord]] (206KB) - The original source of all incarnations - [[index/entries/caitanya-lord|Caitanya, Lord]] (89KB) - The most merciful incarnation ## Main Incarnation Categories - [[index/A#Avatāra defined|Avatāra defined]] - [[index/entries/avatara|Avatāras (detailed entry)]] - [[index/A#Āveśa avatāras|Āveśa avatāras]] - [[index/I#Incarnations|Incarnations]] - [[index/I#Incarnations of God|Incarnations of God]] ## The Dashavatara (Ten Principal Incarnations) ### Primary Incarnations 1. **[[index/M#Matsya|Matsya]]** - Fish incarnation who rescued the Vedas - [[index/M#Matsya Purāṇa|Matsya Purāṇa]] - [[index/M#Matsya tīrtha|Matsya tīrtha]] 2. **[[index/K#Kūrma, Lord (tortoise incarnation)|Kūrma]]** - Tortoise incarnation who supported Mount Mandara - [[index/K#Kūrma Purāṇa|Kūrma Purāṇa]] - [[index/K#Kūrma kṣetra|Kūrma kṣetra]] 3. **[[index/V#Varāha, Lord (boar incarnation)|Varāha]]** - Boar incarnation who rescued Earth - [[index/V#Varāha Purāṇa|Varāha Purāṇa]] - [[index/V#Varāha kalpa defined|Varāha kalpa]] 4. **[[index/N#Nṛsiṁhadeva, Lord, Hiraṇyakaśipu killed by|Nṛsiṁhadeva]]** - Half-man, half-lion - [[index/N#Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa|Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa]] - [[index/N#Nṛsiṁha mantra|Nṛsiṁha mantra]] - [[index/N#Nṛsiṁha caturdaśī|Nṛsiṁha caturdaśī]] - [[index/N#Nṛsiṁha tāpanī Upaniṣad|Nṛsiṁha tāpanī Upaniṣad]] 5. **[[index/V#Vāmanadeva, Lord|Vāmanadeva]]** - Dwarf brahmana incarnation - [[index/V#Vāmanadeva|Vāmanadeva]] - [[index/V#Vāmana Purāṇa|Vāmana Purāṇa]] - [[index/V#Vāmana dvādaśī|Vāmana dvādaśī]] - [[index/T#Trivikrama, Lord|Trivikrama]] - Expansion of Vāmana 6. **[[index/P#Paraśurāma, Lord (Jamadāgnya)|Paraśurāma]]** - Destroyed demoniac kings - [[index/P#Paraśurāma|Paraśurāma]] 7. **[[index/R#Rāma, Lord|Lord Rāma]]** - Prince of Ayodhya - [[index/R#Rāma(candra), Lord|Rāmacandra]] - [[index/R#Rāma navamī|Rāma navamī]] - [[index/R#Rāma rājya defined|Rāma rājya]] 8. **Krishna** - Supreme Personality of Godhead (see separate index) 9. **[[index/B#Buddha, Lord, mission of|Lord Buddha]]** - Stopped animal sacrifices - [[index/B#Buddha, Lord, stopped animal sacrifices|Buddha stopped sacrifices]] 10. **[[index/K#Kalki incarnation|Kalki]]** - Will appear at end of Kali-yuga ## Vishnu-tattva Expansions ### Purusha Incarnations - [[index/K#Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu (Mahā Viṣṇu)|Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu]] - [[index/M#Mahā Viṣṇu (Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu)|Mahā Viṣṇu]] - [[index/M#Mahā Viṣṇu as expansion of Saṅkarṣaṇa|Mahā Viṣṇu from Saṅkarṣaṇa]] - Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu - Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu ### Catur-vyuha (Four-handed Forms) - [[index/S#Saṅkarṣaṇa|Saṅkarṣaṇa]] - [[index/A#Aniruddha, Lord (Kṛṣṇas expansion)|Aniruddha]] - [[index/P#Pradyumna, Lord, as Kṛṣṇas expansion|Pradyumna]] - [[index/B#Baladeva, Lord|Baladeva]] - [[index/B#Balarāma (Baladeva), Lord|Balarāma]] ## Other Notable Incarnations ### Lila-avataras (Pastime Incarnations) - [[index/D#Dhanvantari|Dhanvantari]] - God of medicine - [[index/M#Mohinī incarnation of Lord|Mohinī]] - Female incarnation - [[index/H#Haṁsa incarnation of Lord|Haṁsa]] - Swan incarnation - [[index/H#Hayagrīva, Lord, demons killed by|Hayagrīva]] - Horse-headed incarnation - [[index/K#Kapila Muni|Kapila Muni]] - Promulgator of Sāṅkhya philosophy - [[index/D#Dattātreya incarnation|Dattātreya]] - Combined incarnation ### Yuga-avataras - [[index/Y#Yajña, Viṣṇu as|Yajña]] - Incarnation as sacrifice - [[index/Y#Yajña puruṣa, Lord as|Yajña puruṣa]] ### Manu-avataras and Shaktyavesha-avataras - [[index/R#Ṛṣabha, Lord, cited on material world|Lord Ṛṣabha]] - [[index/R#Ṛṣabhadeva, Lord, quoted|Ṛṣabhadeva]] - [[index/P#Pṛthu (son of Anenā)|Pṛthu Mahārāja]] - [[index/V#Vyāsa pūjā|Vyāsadeva]] (empowered incarnation) - [[index/N#Nārada Muni cited|Nārada Muni]] (empowered incarnation) ## Incarnations in Different Kalpas - [[index/V#Varāha kalpa defined|Varāha kalpa]] - [[index/H#Haṁsa Mountain|Haṁsa Mountain]] - [[index/K#Kūrma kṣetra|Kūrma kṣetra]] - [[index/N#Nṛsiṁha Tīrtha|Nṛsiṁha Tīrtha]] ## Purāṇic References - [[index/M#Matsya Purāṇa|Matsya Purāṇa]] - [[index/K#Kūrma Purāṇa|Kūrma Purāṇa]] - [[index/V#Varāha Purāṇa|Varāha Purāṇa]] - [[index/N#Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa|Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa]] - [[index/V#Vāmana Purāṇa|Vāmana Purāṇa]] ## Special Days and Festivals - [[index/R#Rāma navamī|Rāma navamī]] - [[index/N#Nṛsiṁha caturdaśī|Nṛsiṁha caturdaśī]] - [[index/V#Vāmana dvādaśī|Vāmana dvādaśī]] - [[index/V#Vyāsa pūjā ceremony|Vyāsa pūjā ceremony]] ## See Also - [[index/meta/krishna-tattva|Krishna-tattva]] - For theological understanding - [[index/meta/philosophical-terms|Philosophical Terms]] - For avatara concepts - [[index/meta/demigods|Demigods]] - Related divine beings - [[index/meta/demons|Demons]] - Slain by incarnations - [[index/meta/twelve-mahajanas|Twelve Mahājanas]] - Authorities on devotion - [[index/meta/panca-tattva|Pañca-tattva]] - Lord Caitanya's incarnation - [[index/meta/pandavas|Pandavas]] - Associated with Krishna - [[index/meta/yadus|Yadus]] - Krishna's dynasty --- *This index is under development. Additional entries from Śrīla Prabhupāda's books, lectures, conversations and letters will be added as the indexing work progresses.*