The part boar-part human Varaha, the third avatar, descended in order to raise up the earth, which had again sunk to the bottom of the primordial ocean. Vishnu’s second appearance was as part tortoise, named Kurma in this form he retrieved certain treasures that had been lost in a deluge and also used his body as a support for the world. The very first was a part fish, named Matsya, who saved humankind from a great flood and rescued the oldest sacred Hindu texts, the Vedas. In his first four appearances Vishnu took part animal-part human shapes. Sometimes these forms have been part animal, part human at other times they have been fully human. In each of his avatar appearances, Vishnu assumed a certain form in order to meet a specific task. (The word avatar literally means “descent.”) According to sacred texts, Vishnu has come as an avatar nine times so far and will come once more. Sometimes he comes in his own form and at other times he is said to have assumed a different form, called an avatar. So as to preserve order, to set right some great wrong that is occurring, Vishnu is believed to have descended from heaven to earth in the past and will do so again in the future.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |