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1. Divine descent is a Hindu phenomenon that has often been misinterpreted or
misunderstood. It is widely associated with the Christian doctrine of Docetism
(Sheth 12), however the Sanskrit word avatara more closely relates to words
such as descent or manifestation (Matchett 4-6). The earliest written record of
this doctrine comes from the Bhagavad-Gita. In it, Krsna begins to explain the
mysteries of his incarnation in order to clear the warrior Arjuna’s confusion.
Krsna explains his previous births (janmani) as being the lord of the individual
selves, yet one with all around him. He goes further into saying that he is fully
aware of his many previous births and at any point of his choosing he may
generate himself in order to touch foot in the mortal world. In the context of
the Bhagavad-Gita, Krsna spawns himself a completely new body while still
maintaining his personal divinity and understanding of Purusa (see Matchett
102-103).
Krsna finally states, “Whenever law of righteousness withers away and
lawlessness arises, then do I generate myself ” (Bhagavad-Gita 4.7-8). This
underlines the main purpose for divine descent in the Hindu tradition. The goal
is restoring cosmic balance to the realm of humans by maintaining and
enforcing dharma while eliminating and defeating adharma or destruction of
social order (Sheth 99). In general, the preserver god visnu is the main source
of divine descent into the human realm however avatars of gods such as Shiva
or Ganesh have also been said to manifest themselves (Courtright 175). It is
through the many incarnations of Visnu that the wills and actions of the gods
may be fulfilled. This is a vehicle for which the deities may be fully
appreciated and their wills fully upheld. Many Hindus believe that meditation
on the divine incarnation and the human deeds performed by these avatars can
help in the pursuit of enlightenment.

3. Pillar with bas-reliefs depicting some of Visnu’s avataras (Mahabalipuram, India)
Many Hindus hold these avatars (avatara) close in thought through their days.
These divinely descended deities have personified themselves in a way that
allows Hindus to more accurately understand their importance. Rama and
Krsna are both avataric figures that have remained beloved for thousands of
years (Roshen 250). These heroes take the most underlying key concepts of
Upanishadic texts and personify them in an understandable vehicle for learning.
In common belief, many believe these avatars are just heroes responsible for
the safeguarding of our existence, making them worthy of praise.
Many sects of Hinduism have been devoted to the teachings and actions of
particular avatars. Vaishnavism is one of the main sects of Hinduism that gives
focus to Visnu and his descents as supreme lord. One of the most prominent
figures in Vaishnava teachings is the eighth avatar of Visnu, Krsna. Many
Hindus participate in celebrations dedicated to these prominent figures. One
such celebration is that of Rama Navami, a very popular and well-known
festival dedicated to the birth of the 7th
avatar and protagonist of the
great Ramayana epic, Rama (Abbe 111). The teachings of Rama and his
actions throughout the epic make him a model for dharmicaction and a guide
for the perfect man. The Rama Navami is a particularity important festival that
honors the birth date of the great deity and is attended by the thousands every
year.
Among some of the most important Puranic texts associated with Hinduism is
the Bhagavata-Purana. Often considered the purest of the Puranas,
the Bhagavata-Purana is one of the great Hindu texts that focuses very clearly
on bhakti towards Visnu but often uses Krsna as a vehicle through which Visnu
can be more clearly interpreted. Bhakti is a central focus for the attainment of
enlightenment and is often expressed as an ongoing devotion and personal love
to a god, often associated with monotheistic Hindu views such as Vaishnavism
(Gupta 12). Devotees of Krsna consider him to be the only pure expression of
Visnu through divine descent. Therefore the great hero of the Mahabharata,
Krsna, is often shown tremendous amounts of bhakti throughout Hindu
tradition. In some specific schools of Vaishnavism, Krsna is said to be so
overwhelmingly important that he is considered the source of all other avatars.

4. This notion gave birth to the school of Krsnaism, a sect devout in their worship
to lord Krsna as the Bhagavan himself (Matchett 52).
In modern times, the largest and most common denomination of Hindus are
Vaishnavas with more than 550 million practicing today (Abbe 115). The sects’
overwhelming emphasis on the power ofbhakti and worship, as a whole, has
lead to the creation of many discernable religious practices. Vaishnavism holds
representations of Visnu and his avatars, most commonly Rama or Krsna, as
reality and essential in showing daily bhakti (Gupta 14). Representations of the
preserver god and his avatars are absolutely necessary for reverence and
worship. Many will pray to these representations several times a day, often
offering material objects as offerings. One of the most discernable of these
practices is the marking of the tilakon the forehead of a Hindu.
These tilaks vary enormously across different sects but all are characterized by
a symbolic connection to Visnu and his avatars (Abbe 163). With such strong
emphasis on personal devotion to a single deity, it is easy to see how many
elaborate and beautiful temples have been created in order to aid the process.
Thousands of temples are scattered across India, adorned beautifully with
artwork and sculptures as praise towards the many avatars who descended in
order to keep cosmic balance. Thousands attend these intricate temples;
dedicated to the many vehicles in which lord Visnu extends his love to his
devotees.
When pertaining to avatars in the Hindu tradition, the most widely associated
deity is clearly Visnu. Among these incarnations are the ten widely known
Dashavataras who are the most important and fundamental in the understanding
of avatara. However, there exist many more then just ten manifestations of
Visnu: as stated by theBhagavata Purana there exists an innumerable and
infinite number of avatars. Divine descent is not only restricted to Vaishnava
deities. The Linga Purana contains manifestations from other gods such as
Ganesh and Shiva who sent forth avatars in order to keep the cosmic balance by
slaying evil demons and performing dharmicaction. Many times we also see the
descent of Visnu’s consort Laksmi into the realm of humans; often as consorts
for the various avatars of Visnu himself such as Sita, the beautiful
and dharmic wife of the hero Rama.

5. Of the Vaisnava avatars, the most prominent are grouped into a list of ten
appropriately named the Dashavatara. Each of these ten incarnations are from
one of four yugas or eras in Hindu tradition. The first of these yugas is that of
the satya yuga where human action was dictated and governed by the god. Also
known as the Golden Age or age of truth, this is when the first four of the
dashavatara. Matsya the fish is typically listed as the first of Visnu’s avatars
and is often associated with the comparable genesis narrative of Abrahamic
tradition (Sheth 113). Matsya descends to earth in order to alert Manu, the first
man, of an impending storm that will wipe out the earth and all who reside on
it. The flood myth is common across most cultures and many comparisons can
be made. Matsya orders Manu to gather all the grain and in many accounts
animals as well, and board an arc, which Matsya pulls to safety. Many times,
Matsya is said to defeat a demon after saving Manu. From the demon he
recovers the holy Vedas and bestows them to man.
From this story a lot can be said about the other nine Dasavataras and the many
symbols they represent. From the tale of Matsya, we see the very first supposed
avatar of Visnu. Comparatively, Matsya is vital to genesis of human life and in
many ways is held to explain our very origins. The subsequent 9 avatars
following Matsya seem to all follow this theme of evolution and the creation of
human existence. The remaining 3 avatars from the satya yuga are all forms of
beasts, including Narasimha who begins to take human characteristics, as well
as lion. The evolution from a scientific stand point of the water dwelling fish to
the amphibious turtle and subsequently by a boar or more broadly a man beast.
Visnu’s avatars seem to clearly represent the process of human evolution in an
order that follows scientific reason. The subsequent treta yuga, begins with
what could be interpreted as the first proto man, Vamana or the dwarf god.
From here, Visnu only chose to incarnate himself into humanly forms each
slightly further into the development of human thought. Parasurama lives a life
of forest dwelling and using early weapons; his successor Rama is an example
of humans organizing themselves into communities and kingships. The
evolution extends into a period of more politically advanced systems with
Krsna and stops at the catalyzing ninth avatar Buddha who depicts the age of
human realization and enlightenment. Hindus had, in a way, shown a

6. Darwinian and evolutionary understanding thousands of years before the very
birth of Darwin (Brown 227).

8. Bas-relief on a temple pillardepicting Visnu in his tortoise avatara (Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam,
Tamil Nadu, India)
Kalki, the final avatar, is the most unique incarnation of the Dashavatara.
Unlike his predecessors, Kalki has not yet descended upon our realm. Of the
ten avatars, Kalki is described as the destroyer of filth and the final avatar in the
current mahayuga. It is said that Kalki will descend upon the earth following
the end of theKali yuga, the same yuga we reside in today. This moment will
mark the end of our current mahayuga where Kalki generates in order to rid the
world of the “filth” that has been acquired during this current age of misery and
spiritual degeneration (Mahony 333).
The avatars of Ganesh are an interesting comparison to the highly discussed
incarnations of lord Visnu. The Mudgala Purana regards Ganesh as the most
revered and holy of the gods for his constant involvement in the well being of
humans. The incarnations of Ganesh are often used as models for the creation
of the world and are used to describe theological concepts of the Hindu
tradition. Each incarnation of Ganesh is sent to eradicate a demon typically
symbolic with malicious qualities (see Courtright 176). The actions stated in
both the Ganesa Purana and Mudgala Purana have lead many to a life
of bhakti towards Ganesa.
Divine descent is a truly intricate and substantial process in the Hindu tradition.
Its complexities and origins are deeply rooted in the theological Hindu thought
that has shaped the lives and practices of countless cultures. These avatars offer
a vehicle for which all those wishing to extend their love and devotion to gods,
may do so. A universal language of devotion is achieved through these
enormously impactful figures. Perhaps the complexities associated with divine
descent are truly a measure of the complexities of the gods themselves most
undoubtedly characterized by an infinite number of avatars. Divine descent is
truly a phenomenon that expresses the extent of love felt by the gods towards
their people; love that could not exist without the enduring bhakti of their
people.