Warrior, lover, saviour

Avatar is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘descent’. For centuries preceding its recent application in popular culture, the word has been used to describe the many manifestations of Hindu deities that descend to earth at specific moments. As the deity responsible for the preservation of order, Vishnu appears in times of chaos and disorder, assuming the form most suited to restoring dharma (order, righteousness and truth).

Although he is widely thought to have ten principal incarnations – collectively known as the Dashavatara, or ‘Ten Avatars’ – the number of Vishnu’s avatars varies considerably. The Bhagavata Purana, an important Hindu text, recounts 22 incarnations before declaring that Vishnu’s manifestations are innumerable. Venerated for his all-encompassing nature, Vishnu is lauded as the deity with a thousand names, emphasising his myriad forms and attributes. Despite their different narratives, all of Vishnu’s avatars share the same purpose: to defeat forces of disorder, whether literal demons or symbolic evils, and to restore justice and harmony.

The Dashavatara sequence incorporates Matsya the fish, Kurma the tortoise, Varaha the boar and Narasimha the lion; figures that combine human and animal characteristics, followed by avatars who appear in human form. These include Vamana, a Brahmin of short stature; the fierce axe-wielding warrior Parashurama; Prince Rama, the hero of the Ramayana; and Krishna, the beloved cowherd, brilliant strategist and spiritual guide. In the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana, the ninth avatar is identified as the Buddha, though there is debate about whether this figure refers to the historical Buddha Shakyamuni or another enlightened being. Other interpretations list Balarama, Krishna’s elder brother, in place of the Buddha.