Shri Bhagawatam Mahapuran: 22 Avatars of Shri Lord: Canto 1 chapter 3 - Part 2

Welcome to Our Spiritual Discovery: The Complete and Beautiful Descents of the Lord

Hello, Namaskar, Pranam my friends! 

This is continued from the previous post where we discussed the first 9 names of the 22 Avatars described in the Bhagawata Canto 1 Chapter 3. The previous post can be seen here LINK

• 10. Matsya (The Fish): One day when Vaivaswat Manu ji went for his morning obulations he saw a tiny fish in his palmful of water. He was about to put her back when the fish in a tiny voice asked for protection, so he brought it back to the palace anad put it in a glass bowl. But it grew overnight and he had to transfer her. This continued form next several days and Manu ji asked the fish I know you are not normal fish - who are you. Then the Lord in the form of the fish (Matcya) replied that a jalpralay is coming soon, you construct a big boat. I will swim in the waters during the pralay and when the next manavantar yuga begins you can start a new worlds with those species which you have saved on the boat.
• 11. Kurma (The Tortoise): Once the Devatas and Danavas planned on a Samudra Manthan to churn the oceans and find the treasures including the Amruta. They used Vasuki Naga as the rope and Huge mountain Mandarachal Parvat as the giant churning rod. But the Huge mountain on being spun started sinking. So the Lord took the form of a tortoise. He acted as the supreme, unshakeable foundation, supporting the great Mandara Mountain on His back while the demigods and demons churned the ocean of milk.
• 12. Dhanvantari: During the Samudra manthan process many treasures were released. The famous Halahal (Very potent poison) threatened to devastate teh whole world but Shri Shiva Ji Sipped it and held it in His throat, resulting in His throat turning blue. That's why He is also called Neelkanth (One with Blue Throat). Then there were other findings and then came Lord Dhanvantari. He emerged wondrously from the ocean bearing the pot of the nectar of immortality.
• 13. Mohini-murti: Immediately both Devatas and Danavas wanted the nectar of life (Amruta) that Shri Dhanvantari had in his pot. A battle broke out for getting the Amruta. To successfully distribute that nectar to the demigods, The Lord took the form of a remarkably beautiful woman to enchant and delude the demons.

     

• 14. Narasimhadeva (The Man-Lion): To protect His dear devotee Prahlada, He appeared with awe-inspiring power, effortlessly tearing apart the chest of the mighty demon Hiranyakashipu with just His nails. Hiranyakashyap, Hiranyaksh (see varaha avatar above) and Holika were the siblings born to Kashyap Muni (whi is the son of Rishi Marichi and the Grandson of Lord Brahma) and Lady Diti (The daughter of Prajapati Daksha and the sister of Lady Sati who is the wife of Shiva ji)). After Hiranyaksh was slain by Lord Varaha Hiranyakashipu was extremely enraged. He was extremely powerful as he had the boon to not die on earth or skies, inside or outside his home, with no known weapons, neither day nor night, from someone neither human nor animal, from someone not born or unborn. He declared his sovereignty over the three worlds and forbade the worship of anyone other than himself including Lord Vishnu. But his own son Prahlad was born as a devotee of Lord Vishnu, resulting in his father's wrath descending upon Prahlad ji. His father tried to kill him in many ways. Finally He heated a pillar red-hot and asked Prahlad ji if his Lord is in there, and if so Prahlad should embrace the pillar, which Prahlad did without getting burnt. In a rage at this, Hiranyakashipu kiked the pillar and the pillar broke and Lord emerged as Narasimha - half lion and half human. He went on to kill Hiranyakashipu in the evening on his doorsteps holding him in his lap with his own claws. He was in the Lords Lap (Neither on earth or skies)in doorsteps (neither inside nor outside his home), with no known weapons (the Lords claws) it was evening (neither day nor night), killed by Narasimha (neither human nor animal)and Narasimha had come out of the pillar s0 was not born or unborn.
• 15. Vamana (The Dwarf): Prahlada ji became a great king and had a son named Viroshana and his son was King Bali (also called Mahabali) When Bali had conquered the three worlds, Lord Vamana appeared as the son of Shri Kashyap ji (father of Hiranyakashyap) and devi Aditi (Sister of Diti), so in a way He is the Uncle of Prahlad ji, Great uncle of Virochana ji and Great great uncle of Shri Bali ji. He visited the sacrificial arena of the demon King Bali and humbly asked for just three paces of land, which he promised willingly. But Vamana took a Virat Form and covered the entire universe in just two steps asking Bali whare to keep His third Pace as there was no place left. King Bali Bowed His head and offered himself for the third step. Thus Shri Vamana ultimately reclaimed the entire universe!
• 16. Parashurama: Angered by kings who had become antagonistic toward the Brahmanas, He acted to discipline the rebellious Kshatriya class, annihilating them twenty-one times.

  

• 17. Veda Vyasa: Born to Sage Parashara and Satyavati (Satyavathi ji is a fisherman's daughter and the Step mother of Shri Bhishma ji of the Mahabharata epic and the Grandmother Dhritarashtra and Pandu and Vidura). He foresaw the diminishing intelligence of people and compassionately divided the single Veda tree into various branches for our ultimate benefit so that humanity would not lose the great knowledge acquired over centuries.
• 18. Lord Rama: Later in the same Ikshavaku dynasty as Lord Rishabhdev ji came Lord Rama. It was Treta Yuga and Ravana was a demonic king cruelly controlling a lot of power. On a prayer by the Devatas and Dharti and Brahma ji to assist the demigods, He appeared as a prince as the son of Lord Dashratha of Ayodhya. To keep His father's word, He chose to go to the Forests (accompanied by His wife Devi Sita ji and brother Lakshmana ji) for a Vanavasa of 14 years giving the kingdom to His Noble brother Bharata. When Ravana kidnapped Sita ji through some cunning planning, Lord Rama traced her whereabouts to Lanka, built a magnificent bridge across the ocean, and slayed Ravana.
• 19. Lord Balarama: Appearing in the Yadu dynasty, He lovingly accompanied Lord Krishna to help relieve the earth of its demonic burdens.
• 20. Lord Krishna: Also appearing in the Yadu dynasty, He is the central, beautiful figure of the Bhagavatam, descending to rid the world of demonic kings. When Kansa was about to drive his sister to her marital home on her wedding, there was an Akashvani saying her 8th son will kill you. He went on to imprison both Devaki and her husband Vasudev ji and killed her 6 newborn sons. The 7th child was transferred by Maaya devi to the womb of Vasudev ji's elder wife Rohini ji who was living with Yashoda ji and Nanda baaba ji. Thus the 7th child of Devaki ji was born to Rohini ji while everyone though Devaki ji had a miscarriage. The 8th sone was Lord Krishna, who was exchanged with Yashoda mata ji's daughter and was brought up by Yashoda mata and Nanda Baba for 13 years. Later Lord Krishna went on to do many wonderful things including the slaying of Kamsa, and the rendering of the Bhagwad Geeta to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

 

• 21. Lord Buddha: The scripture (at the time of its penning during the era of the Mahabharata in the Dwapara age) lovingly prophesies His appearance in the Magadha region (Bihar) as the son of Anjana, purposed to delude the demonic forces. It was prophesized then but is already a part of our history now.
• 22, Lord Kalki: Finally, we read of the avatar who will wonderfully appear at the end of the Kali-yuga as the son of a Brahmana named Vishnuyasha, descending at a time when the world's rulers will have devolved into mere thieves and plunderers, to protect us all.

The Supreme Secret 

But here is the most beautiful discovery we make in this chapter! The text tells us that just as thousands of little streams flow from an inexhaustible lake, the incarnations of the Lord are truly countless. Demigods, Manus, Prajapatis, and extraordinarily powerful beings are all just His portions.

However, the Bhagavatam shares a supreme secret with us: all these are portions or parts of portions, but Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself! Whenever the world is troubled by the wicked, it is the Lord who lovingly descends age after age to bring us peace and joy.

A Gentle Promise Isn't it wonderful to share this complete and profound discovery? The text leaves us with a warm promise: these divine pastimes and births of the Lord are mystical and deeply confidential. If we recite or hear this beautiful compilation of the Lord's avatars with faith and devotion, every morning and evening, we are completely freed from all the miseries of life. Let us hold this magnificent spiritual treasure close to our hearts!