Avatar is a deity from heaven, who has taken an incarnation or birth for the well being of the mankind. The reference of different avatars can be found in the
Vedas.
The doctrine of incarnations of Avatars can be found in the story of the
Ramayana and
Mahabharata. Most of these characters of the poems are impersonations of gods and demi gods and celestial spirits.
In the great epics like
Purana also, the avatars of
Shiva and Vishnu in one or the other form are always respected and worshipped by the Hindus.
The ten avatars of Lord Vishnu can be found in some books of our country. These are-
The Matsya or Fish avatar of Vishnu. Vishnu preserved Manu, the ancestor of the present human race during a universal deluge under this avatar.
The Kurma or Tortoise avatar of Lord Vishnu.
The Varaha or Boar avatar of Lord Vishnu.
The avatar of Vishnu as Narasimha of Man-lion avatar.
The Vamana or Dwarf avatar of Lord Vishnu
The Bhargava or Parasu Rama avatar.
The Rama Chandra or Kodanda Rama avatar.
The most renowned avatar of Vishnu as Krishna. In this avatar, he is supposed to have been completely incarnate.
As per the Brahmans, the avatar of Buddha is an incarnation of Vishnu.
The white horse avatar.
