Indian Christianity

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN
Maatsya, Kurma, Varaha; Narasimham, Vamana (Parasu)Rama, (Sri)Rama, (Bala)Rama, Krishna,
and the tenth incarnation as Kalki is yet to come. This list is included in the Garuda Purana (1.86.10"11)
The first four are said to have appeared in the Satya Yuga (the first of the four Yugas or ages in the time
cycle described within Hinduism). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth descent
in the Dwapara Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The tenth, Kalki, is predicted to appear at the end of
the Kali Yuga.
1. Matsya, the fish-avatar who saved Manu – the progeniter of mankind from the great deluge and
rescued the Vedic scriptures by killing a demon. Story can be found in the Matsya Purana. This
Purana is the story of the Matsya Avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu, Manu who was the King of
Dravidadesa, and the first Mahapralaya (Great Deluge). In the end, Manu and all those he saves
are safe in a large ship that he builds, atop the high Malaya Mountains.
These mountains are believed to have formed the Southernmost part (Southwards starting from the
Mangalore region) of the Western Ghats, between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, while the Northern part of
the same was called the Sahya Mountains. The peaks of these Malaya mountains are higher than
those of the Sahya Mountains. The Anaimalai and Nilgiri form some of its higher ranges.
Obviously this is a retelling of the Noah story. Noah is identified with Satyavrata a Dravidian King
2. Kurma, the tortoise-avatar, who helped in the Samudra manthan – the churning of the ocean.
Story can be found in the Kurma Purana.
3. Varaha, the boar-avatar, who rescued the earth from the ocean, by killing her kidnapper-demon
Hiranyaksha. Story can be found in the Varaha Purana.
4. Narasimha, the half man-half lion avatar, who killed the tyrant demon-king Hiranyakashipu, to
rescue the demon's son Prahlada, who was a Vishnu-devotee
5. Vamana, the dwarf-avatar, who subdued the king Maha Bali. Story can be found in the Vamana
Purana.
6. Parashurama, sage with the axe who killed the thousand-armed king Kartavirya Arjuna
7. Rama, the king of Ayodhya and the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana
8. Balarama, Balarama was born as a son of Vasudeva. Kansa, the brother of Devaki and an evil
king, was intent upon killing all the children of his sister because of a prediction that he would die
at the hands of her eighth son. Kansa thus threw his sister Devaki and her husband Vasudeva
into prison, and proceeded to kill each of their children as they were born. However, the seventh
child was transferred miraculously from Devaki's womb to the womb of Vasudeva's other wife
Rohini, who desired a child of her own. Thus Balarama's other name is also Saṃkarṣaṇa which
describes the transfer of the child from the womb. Rohini gave birth to Balarama and raised him.
The child was formally named Rama, but because of his great strength he was called Balarama
(Strong Rama), Baladeva or Balabhadra. He was born under Shravana nakshatra on Shraavana
Purnima or Raksha bandhan
9. Krishna, the king of Dwarka, a central character in the Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata
and reciter of Bhagavad Gita. In the original Dasavatara stotra, Balarama, the elder brother of
Krishna, is stated as the eight incarnation, while Krishna (Lord Kesava) is the source of all the
incarnation. [20]
10. Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end
of Kali Yuga. Story can be found in the Kalki Purana.
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