Today I will be taking the step to dive, explore and learn the idea of ‘Vishnu’.
Vishnu – A title that was given to the most stupendous personality. As we all are aware, Vishnu is one of the three deities. Trimurti is how we combinedly call them. Each of them has different functions that are required for Mankind.
Ø Brahma – The Creator
Ø Vishnu – The Nurturer
Ø Shiva – The Destroyer
Brahma – The one who creates every being on this earth and he takes all responsibility of continuing it till the time every creature attains Moksha. In modern words, we can equate Brahma to an engineer whose principal function is to build everything essential for life on this Universe.
Shiva – Adi yogi, the first guru on the earth. Shiva is responsible for destroying the elements on earth as and when required. Elements can be referred to as Creatures, Land, Air, Water etc… It is believed that Shiva has different forms. The god of destruction has also got different forms like Sri Maha Vishnu.
Vishnu – Vishnu is a title coined as a substitute to supreme divinity. Vishnu is treated as nurturer. He is responsible for bringing back the righteousness and ethical lifestyle in humans. A remarkable feat of maintaining and managing ‘Dharma’ is the sole responsibility of Sri Maha Vishnu.
I have decided to acquire and gain an understanding of the Dashavataras of Sri Maha Vishnu. This will help me in learning India’s (Bharat) rich history and the divinity that is available for all of us to enrich our knowledge and wisdom.
Dasha refers to 10 and avatar refers to the manifestation of something. The 10 manifestations of Sri Maha Vishnu is called as Dashavataras.
Sri Maha Vishnu is called as Hari and Narayana in different parts of our country. Almighty Vishnu is believed to take 10 avatars in different times of the world to protect dharma, reinvent the meaning of life and foster the same in the people’s mind.
Bhagavad-Gita Sloka – 8th Chapter
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भव- ति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थान- मधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्- ॥४-७॥
परित्राणाय- साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्- ।
धर्मसंस्था- पनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥४-८॥
Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increases I send myself forth.
For the protection of the good and the destruction of evil,
and for the establishment of righteousness,
I come into being age after age.
Firstly, Here is the list of the 10 avatars of Sri Maha Vishnu:
1. Matsya –Fish
2. Kurma – Tortoise
3. Varaha – Boar
4. Lakshmi Narasimha – Half Man and Half Lion
5. Vamana – Dwarf Man
6. Parashu Ram – Sage
7. Srirama – Prince and a King
8. Sri Krishna – Advisor and Diplomat
9. Buddha – Hermit
10. Kalki – Kali Yuga Avatar
From my next post, I will be writing on each avatar of Sri Maha Vishnu. Explaining the background to the Avatar taken by Vishnu, the significance and lessons that Maha Vishnu taught us in that particular avatar. But before that, I have learnt something extraordinary about Hinduism. This is on the tilak that we put on our forehead or agnya chakra.
I am referring to the Vishnu Namam. Those who can’t recollect the shape of it, it can be seen in the image attached.
Describing the Vishnu Namam, the two outer white lines in a U shape have two different meanings. The right side of the U shape resonates the Knowledge in a person, the left side of the U shape reflects the emotions in a person and the middle part which has a red line equates to the materialistic needs of a person. Converting them into psychology, we can equate both the outer lines to Cognitive and Affective Learning.
All in all, the vishunamam that we put echoes the spirituality in a person. It teaches us the two ways or factors which can help in attaining salvation or Moksha. One is through Knowledge and the other route is by Emotions.
Translating them to Vedic words, we can say Gyana and Bhakti. Both of them are two different paths to salvation but one cannot attain them without fulfilling their materialistic needs. Most of us are still running behind materialistic needs like love, family, sex, entertainment, money and more. Few of us have passed that stage and are in exploration of the path to attain salvation. Very few of us have zeroed in on the path and working on it. All this to unify with the Sri Maha Vishnu.
So, in my future posts starting from today, I will re-write the Vishnu Puran in my words. I will bring to you the 9 Births taken by Sri Maha Vishnu. The reincarnations that have held the Dharma high in the order of importance and destroyed the evil energies.
