Avatar

== Avatars of Vishnu ==
{{Main|Vishnu}}
The concept of avatar within Hinduism is most often associated with Vishnu, the preserver or sustainer aspect of God within the Hindu Trinity or [[Trimurti]] of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Vishnu's avatars descend to empower the good and fight evil, thereby restoring [[Dharma]]. Traditional Hindus see themselves not as "Hindu", but as Vaishnava (Worshippers of Vishnu), Shaiva (Worshippers of Shiva), or Shakta (Worshipper of the Shakti). Each of the deities has its own iconography and mythology, but common to all is the fact that the divine reality has an explicit form, a form that the worshipper can behold.<ref>{{cite book|title=Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations|last1=Woodhead|first1=Linda|last2=Partridge|first2=Christopher|last3=Kawanami|first3=Hiroko|publisher=Routeledge|year=2016|edition=3rd|isbn=978-0-415-85881-6|pages=44}}</ref> An oft-quoted passage from the [[Bhagavad Gita]] describes the typical role of an avatar of Vishnu:<ref name="Gale's" />{{sfn|Matchett|2001|p=4}}

{{poemquote|Arjuna, whenever righteousness is on the decline, unrighteousness is in the ascendant, then I body Myself forth.
For the protection of the virtuous, for the extirpation of evil-doers, & for establishing Dharma (righteousness) on a firm footing, I manifest Myself from age to age.|Bhagavad Gita 4.7–8}}

The Vishnu avatars appear in Hindu mythology whenever the cosmos is in crisis, typically because evil has grown stronger and has thrown the cosmos out of its balance.{{sfn|Lochtefeld|2002|p=228}} The avatar then appears in a material form, to destroy evil and its sources, and restore the cosmic balance between the ever-present forces of good and evil.{{sfn|Lochtefeld|2002|p=228}}

The most known and celebrated avatars of Vishnu, within the [[Vaishnavism]] traditions of Hinduism, are [[Krishna]], [[Rama]], [[Narayana]] and [[Vasudeva]]. These names have extensive literature associated with them, each has its own characteristics, legends and associated arts.{{sfn|Matchett|2001|p=4}} The [[Mahabharata]], for example, includes Krishna, while the [[Ramayana]] includes Rama.<ref name="King">{{cite book|last=King|first=Anna S.|title=The intimate other: love divine in Indic religions|publisher=Orient Blackswan|year=2005|pages=32–33|isbn=978-81-250-2801-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0FvH1aCXETwC&pg=PA32}}</ref>

===Dashavatara===
{{Main|Dashavatara}}

The [[Bhagavata Purana]] describes Vishnu's avatars as innumerable, though ten of his incarnations, the Dashavatara, are celebrated therein as his major appearances.<ref name="Bryant" />{{sfn|Matchett|2001|p=4}}  The ten major Vishnu avatars are mentioned in the [[Agni Purana]], the [[Garuda Purana]] and the Bhagavata Purana.<ref name="Mishra">{{cite book|last=Mishra|first=Vibhuti Bhushan|title=Religious beliefs and practices of North India during the early mediaeval period, Volume 1|publisher=BRILL|year=1973|pages=4–5|isbn=978-90-04-03610-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAQ4AAAAIAAJ }}</ref><ref name="Rukmani">{{cite book |last=Rukmani |first=T. S. |author-link=T. S. Rukmani |title=A critical study of the Bhagavata Purana, with special reference to bhakti|publisher=Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series|location=Varanasi |year=1970 |series=Chowkhamba Sanskrit studies |volume=77 |page=4}}</ref>

The ten best known avatars of Vishnu are collectively known as the ''Dashavatara'' (a [[Sanskrit compound]] meaning "ten avatars"). Five different lists are included in the Bhagavata Purana, where the difference is in the sequence of the names. Freda Matchett states that this re-sequencing by the composers may be intentional, so as to avoid implying priority or placing something definitive and limited to the abstract.{{sfn|Matchett|2001|p=160}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ The Avatars of Vishnu
! Name
! Description
|-
| [[Matsya]]
| The fish avatar. He saves Manu and the seven sages from the cosmic flood, and in some traditions, saves the Vedas from an asura called Hayagriva.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=George M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&dq=matsya+saved+manu+seven+sages&pg=PA213 |title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology |date=2008-03-27 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=978-0-19-533261-2 |pages=212–213 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Kurma]]{{Refn|group=note|[[Mohini]], the female avatar of Vishnu, appears in stories about the Kurma avatar.{{sfn|Lochtefeld|2002|p=705}}}}
| The tortoise/turtle avatar. He supports the mountain named Mandara while the devas and the asuras churn the ocean of milk to produce the nectar of immortality.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&dq=Kurma+churning+of+the+ocean&pg=PT709 |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |date=2014-04-18 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-277-9 |pages=709 |language=en}}</ref>  
|-
| [[Varaha]]
| The boar avatar. He rescues Bhumi, the goddess of the earth, when the asura Hiranyaksha abducts her, restoring her rightful place in the universe.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Varadpande |first=Manohar Laxman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_XrFh2S8nlEC&dq=Varaha+Bhumi&pg=PA61 |title=Mythology of Vishnu and His Incarnations |date=2009 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-212-1016-4 |pages=62 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Narasimha]]
| The lion avatar. He saves his devotee Prahlada and frees the three worlds from the tyranny of an asura named Hiranyakashipu.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=87k0AwAAQBAJ&dq=narasimha+prahlada&pg=PT859 |title=The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths |date=2014-04-18 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-396-7 |pages=859 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Vamana]]
| The dwarf avatar. He vanquishes the asura king Mahabali to the netherworld after taking three strides upon the universe, restoring the rule of Indra.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&dq=vamana+three+strides&pg=PT1313 |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |date=2014-04-18 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-277-9 |pages=1312 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Parashurama]]
| The warrior-sage avatar. He destroys the oppressive kings of the military class and creates a new social order.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Constance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC&dq=Parashurama+encyclopedia&pg=PA324 |title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism |last2=Ryan |first2=James D. |date=2006 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-7564-5 |pages=324 |language=en}}</ref> 
|-
| [[Rama]]
| The prince avatar. He rescues his wife Sita when she is abducted by the rakshasa king Ravana, restoring just rule to the world.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Constance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC&dq=Parashurama+encyclopedia&pg=PA324 |title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism |last2=Ryan |first2=James D. |date=2006 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-7564-5 |pages=353–354 |language=en}}</ref> 
|-
| [[Balarama]] (debated)
|The elder brother of Krishna and the god of agriculture. He is variously described as an avatar of Shesha, the serpent-mount of Vishnu, and an avatar of Vishnu.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Constance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC&dq=Parashurama+encyclopedia&pg=PA324 |title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism |last2=Ryan |first2=James D. |date=2006 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-7564-5 |pages=65–66 |language=en}}</ref> 
|-
| [[Krishna]]
| The eighth avatar of Vishnu who incarnates to re-establish righteousness in the world. He slays Kamsa, the tyrant of Mathura and his uncle, and participates in the Kurukshetra War as the charioteer of Arjuna.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Constance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC&dq=Parashurama+encyclopedia&pg=PA324 |title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism |last2=Ryan |first2=James D. |date=2006 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-7564-5 |pages=238 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Gautama Buddha in Hinduism|Buddha]] (debated)
|The historical Buddha, who incarnates to delude the asuras from the path of the Vedas, ensuring the victory of the devas. In some traditions, he is referred to as an avatar of Vishnu.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last1=Eliade |first1=Mircea |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L74iAAAAYAAJ&q=Buddha+delude+asuras+encyclopedia |title=The Encyclopedia of Religion |last2=Adams |first2=Charles J. |date=1987 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-0-02-909480-8 |pages=15 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Kalki]]
| The prophesied tenth avatar of Vishnu. He incarnates to bring an end to the present age of corruption called the Kali Yuga, re-establishing the four classes and law to the world.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Mani |first=Vettam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mvXsDwAAQBAJ&dq=kalki+kali+yuga+encyclopedia&pg=PA376 |title=Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature |date=2015-01-01 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0597-2 |pages=376 |language=en}}</ref>
|}

===Longer alternatives===
The Bhagavata Purana also goes on to give an alternate list, wherein it numerically lists out 23 Vishnu avatars in chapter 1.3.<ref>{{cite web |title=CHAPTER THREE |url=https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/3/ |website=vedabase.io |access-date=3 November 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

# [[Four Kumaras]] (Catuḥsana): the four sons of [[Brahma]] who exemplify the path of devotion.
# [[Varaha]]: The boar avatar. He rescues Bhumi, the goddess of the earth, when the asura Hiranyaksha abducts her, restoring her rightful place in the universe.<ref name=":7" />
# [[Narada]]: the divine-sage who travels the worlds as a devotee of Vishnu.
# [[Nara-Narayana]]: the twin-sages.
# [[Kapila]]: a renowned sage spoken of in the [[Mahabharata]], son of [[Kardama]] and [[Devahuti]]. He is sometimes identified with the founder of the [[Samkhya]] school of philosophy.
# [[Dattatreya]]: the combined avatar of the Hindu [[Trimurti|trinity]] of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. 
# [[Yajna (avatar)|Yajna]]: the embodiment of sacrifices.
# [[Rishabha (Hinduism)|Rishabha]]: the father of emperor [[Bharata Chakravartin|Bharata]].
# [[Prithu]]: the sovereign-king who milked the earth as a cow to obtain the world's grain and vegetation.
# [[Matsya]]: The fish avatar. He saves Manu and the seven sages from the cosmic flood, and in some traditions, saves the Vedas from an asura called Hayagriva.<ref name=":0" />
# [[Kurma]]: The tortoise/turtle avatar. He supports the mountain named Mandara while the devas and the asuras churn the ocean of milk to produce the nectar of immortality.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&dq=Kurma+churning+of+the+ocean&pg=PT709 |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |date=2014-04-18 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-277-9 |pages=709 |language=en}}</ref>
# [[Dhanvantari]]: the father of [[Ayurveda|Ayurvedic]] medicine and a physician to the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]].
# [[Mohini]]: the enchantress who beguiles the asuras into offering her the elixir of eternal life.
# [[Narasimha]]: The lion avatar. He saves his devotee Prahlada and frees the three worlds from the tyranny of an asura named Hiranyakashipu.<ref name=":1" />
# [[Vamana]]: The dwarf avatar. He vanquishes the asura king Mahabali to the netherworld after taking three strides upon the universe, restoring the rule of Indra.<ref name=":2" />
# [[Parashurama]]: The warrior-sage avatar. He destroys the oppressive kings of the military class and creates a new social order.<ref name=":3" />
# [[Rama]]: The prince avatar. He rescues his wife Sita when she is abducted by the rakshasa king Ravana, restoring just rule to the world.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Constance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC&dq=Parashurama+encyclopedia&pg=PA324 |title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism |last2=Ryan |first2=James D. |date=2006 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-7564-5 |pages=353–354 |language=en}}</ref>
# [[Vyasa]]: the compiler of the [[Vedas]] and writer of the scriptures ([[Puranas]]) and the epic ''[[Mahabharata]].''
#  [[Krishna]]: The eighth avatar of Vishnu who incarnates to re-establish righteousness in the world. He slays Kamsa, the tyrant of Mathura and his uncle, and participates in the Kurukshetra War as the charioteer of Arjuna.<ref name=":4" />
#[[Gautama Buddha]]: The historical Buddha, who incarnates to delude the asuras from the path of the Vedas, ensuring the victory of the devas. In some traditions, he is referred to as an avatar of Vishnu.<ref name=":5" />
# [[Kalki]]: The prophesied tenth avatar of Vishnu. He incarnates to bring an end to the present age of corruption called the Kali Yuga, re-establishing the four classes and law to the world.<ref name=":6" />

Avatars like [[Hayagriva]], Hamsa ,and [[Garuda]] are also mentioned in the [[Pancharatra]] ,making a total of forty-six avatars.<ref>{{cite book|last=Schrader|first=Friedrich Otto |title=Introduction to the Pāñcarātra and the Ahirbudhnya saṃhitā|publisher=Adyar Library|year=1916|page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.280365/page/n54 42]|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.280365}}</ref> However, despite these lists, the commonly accepted number of ten avatars for Vishnu was fixed well before the 10th century CE.<ref name="Mishra" /> [[Madhvacharya]] also regards [[Gautama Buddha in Hinduism|Gautama Buddha]] as an avatar of Vishnu.<ref name="glasenapp-1-2">[[Helmuth von Glasenapp]]: Madhva's Philosophie des Vishnu-Glaubens, Geistesströmungen des Ostens vol. 2, Bonn 1923, ch. Einleitung (p. *1-2).</ref>

'''''Manava Purana'''''

{{Section citations needed|date=August 2023}}

Manava Purana is one of Upapuranas. It lists 42 avatars of Vishnu.

# [[Mahavishnu|Adipurusha]] 
# [[Four Kumaras]] (Catuḥsana)
# [[Narada]] 
# [[Dattatreya]] 
# [[Kapila]] 
# [[Nara-Narayana|Nara- Narayana]] 
# [[Yajna (avatar)|Yajna]] 
# Vibhu
# Satyasena
# Hari
# Vaikunta
# Ajita
# Sharvabhouma
# Vrishbha
# Visvaksena
# Dharmasetu
# Sudhama
# Yogeshwara
# Brihadbhanu
# [[Shaligram]] 
# [[Hayagriva]] 
# [[Hamsa (bird)|Hamsa]] 
# [[Vyasa]] 
# [[Matsya]] 
# [[Kurma]] 
# [[Dhanvantari|Dhanvantri]] 
# [[Mohini]]
# [[Prithu]] 
# [[Rishabhanatha|Vrishbha deva]]
# [[Varaha]] 
# [[Narasimha]] 
# [[Vamana]] 
# [[Parashurama]] 
# [[Rama]] 
# [[Krishna]]
# [[Gautama Buddha in Hinduism|Buddha]] 
# Vikhanasa
# [[Venkateswara]]
# [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]] 
# [[Dnyaneshwar|Dhyaneshwar]] 
# [[Kalki]]

===Types===
[[File:Mohini in Belur temple.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Mohini]], the female avatar of Vishnu (statue at [[Belur, Karnataka|Belur]] temple, Karnataka.)]]
The ''avatar'' concept was further developed and refined in later Hindu texts. One approach was to identify full avatars and partial avatars. Krishna, Rama, and Narasimha were full avatars (''purna avatars''), while others were partial avatars (''ansha avatars'').{{sfn|Sheth|2002|p=99}} Some declared, states Noel Sheth, that every living creature is an ''avatar'' of Vishnu.{{sfn|Sheth|2002|p=99}} The [[Pancharatra]] text of Vaishnavism declares that Vishnu's avatars include those that are direct and complete ({{transliteration|hi|sakshad}}), indirect and endowed ({{transliteration|hi|avesha}}), cosmic and salvific ({{transliteration|hi|vyuha}}), inner and inspirational ({{transliteration|hi|antaryamin}}), consecrated and in the form of image ({{transliteration|hi|archa}}).{{sfn|Sheth|2002|p=99}}

Yet another classification, developed in Krishna schools, centers around ''Guna-avatars'', ''Purusha-avatars'' and ''Lila-avatars'', with their subtypes.{{sfn|Sheth|2002|p=100}}<ref name="Holdrege2015p50">{{cite book|author=Barbara A. Holdrege |title=Bhakti and Embodiment: Fashioning Divine Bodies and Devotional Bodies in Krsna Bhakti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R9FgCgAAQBAJ|year=2015|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-66910-4|pages=50–67 }}</ref> The ''Guna-avatar'' classification of ''avatars'' is based on the [[Guṇa]]s concept of the [[Samkhya]] school of Hindu philosophy, that is Rajas (Brahma), Sattva (Vishnu), and Tamas (Shiva).{{sfn|Sheth|2002|p=100}}<ref name="Holdrege2015p50"/> These personalities of the [[Trimurti]] are referred to as ''Guna avatars''.{{sfn|Sheth|2002|p=100}} The ''Purushavatara'' are three. The first evolves all matter (Prakriti), the second is the soul present in each individual creature, the third is the interconnected oneness or Brahman that connects all souls.{{sfn|Sheth|2002|p=100}}<ref>{{cite book|author=Janmajit Roy |title=Theory of Avatāra and Divinity of Chaitanya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lr9pFQPwhXYC |year=2002|publisher=Atlantic Publishers |isbn=978-81-269-0169-2 |pages=190–191 }}</ref> The ''Lilavataras'' are partial or full manifestations of Vishnu, where either some powers (Shakti) or material parts of him exist.{{sfn|Sheth|2002|p=100}}<ref name="Holdrege2015p50"/>

Vishnu is Purushavatara.<ref name="Bassuk1987p143">{{cite book|author=Daniel E Bassuk |title=Incarnation in Hinduism and Christianity: The Myth of the God-Man |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k3iwCwAAQBAJ |year=1987|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-349-08642-9 |pages=143–144}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Mittal|first=Sushil|title=The Hindu World|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=978-0-203-67414-7|pages=164}}</ref> The Matsya, Kurma, and Vamana avatars of Vishnu are Lilavataras.<ref name="Holdrege2015p50"/><ref name="Bassuk1987p143"/> A ''Purnarupa'' in this classification, is when Vishnu manifests completely along with his qualities and powers. In Bengal Vaishnavism, Krishna is the ''Purnarupa''.{{sfn|Sheth|2002|p=100}} In Shaivism, Bhairava is the purnarupa of Shiva.<ref>{{cite book|author=David Smith |title=The Dance of Siva: Religion, Art and Poetry in South India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTLlcGlkdjkC |date=2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-52865-8|page=186}}</ref>

===In Sikhism===
24 avatars of [[Vishnu]] are mentioned in Bachitar Natak's composition in [[Dasam Granth]], the second scripture of [[Sikh]]ism written by [[Guru Gobind Singh]]:<ref name="Dasam Granth Sahib"/>

{{Columns-list|colwidth=18em|
# Mach ([[Matsya]])
# Kach ([[Kurma]])
# Nara (Nara in [[Nara-Narayana]])
# Narayan (Narayana in [[Nara-Narayana]])
# Maha Mohini ([[Mohini]])
# Bairaha ([[Varaha]])
# Nar Singha ([[Narasimha]])
# Baman ([[Vamana]])
# Parshuram ([[Parashurama]])
# Bramma ([[Brahma]])
# Balram ([[Balarama]])
# Jalandhar ([[Jalandhara]])
# Bishan ([[Vishnu]])
# Sheshayi ([[Shesha]])
# Arihant Dev ([[Arihant (Jainism)|Arihant]]a)
# Manu Raja ([[Manu (Hinduism)|Manu]])
# Dhanvantari ([[Dhanvantari]])
# Suraj ([[Surya]])
# Chandar ([[Chandra]])
# Ram ([[Rama]])
# Kishan ([[Krishna]])
# Nar ([[Arjuna]])
# Rudra ([[Shiva|Shiv]])
# Kalki ([[Kalki]])
}}

The [[Guru Granth Sahib]] reverentially includes the names of numerous Hindu deities, including Vishnu avatars such as Krishna, Hari, and Rama, as well those of Devi as Durga.<ref>Torkel Brekke (2014), Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions (Editors: Gregory M. Reichberg and Henrik Syse), Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-0521450386}}, pages 673, 675, 672–686;<br />Christopher Shackle and Arvind Mandair (2005), Teachings of the Sikh Gurus, Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0415266048}}, pages xxxiv–xli</ref><ref>SS Kapoor and MK Kapoor (2009), [https://books.google.com/books?id=8-h8ptzp0lUC&pg=PA17 Composition 8, 9 and 10], ''Dasam Granth'', Hemkunt, {{ISBN|9788170103257}}, pages 15–16</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Pashaura Singh|author2=Norman Gerald Barrier|author3=W. H. McLeod|title=Sikhism and History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xY_XAAAAMAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-566708-0|pages=136–147}}</ref>

[[Dasam Granth]] has three major compositions, one each dedicated to avatars of Vishnu (Chaubis avatar) and Brahma.<ref name="Dasam Granth Sahib">SS Kapoor and MK Kapoor (2009), [https://books.google.com/books?id=8-h8ptzp0lUC&pg=PA17 Composition 8, 9 and 10], ''Dasam Granth'', Hemkunt, {{ISBN|9788170103257}}, pages 16–17</ref><ref>J Deol (2000), Sikh Religion, Culture and Ethnicity (Editors: AS Mandair, C Shackle, G Singh), Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0700713899}}, pages 31–33</ref> However, Sikhism rejects the doctrine of savior incarnation, and only accepts the abstract ''nirguna'' formless god.<ref name=enesbittavatar>{{cite book|author=Eleanor Nesbitt|title=Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ai-rpcY-rrgC |year=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-157806-9 |pages=16, 24–25 }}</ref><ref name=wocoleavatar>{{cite book|author=William Owen Cole|title=Understanding Sikhism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OJnXAAAAMAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Dunedin Academic|isbn=978-1-903765-15-9|pages=47–49}}</ref> The Sikh Gurus endorsed the view of Hindu Bhakti movement saints such as [[Namdev]] (≈1270 – 1350 CE) that formless eternal god is within the human heart and man is his own savior.<ref name=enesbittavatar/><ref>{{cite book|author=Pashaura Singh|editor=Mark Juergensmeyer and Wade Clark Roof|title=Encyclopedia of Global Religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WwJzAwAAQBAJ |year=2011|publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-1-4522-6656-5 |pages=138 }}</ref>

===In Isma'ilism===

The Gupti [[Isma'ilism|Ismailis]], who observe [[Taqiya|pious circumspection]] as Hindus, uphold that the first Shi‘i Imam, [[Ali|‘Ali b. Abi Talib]], as well as his descendants through the line of [[Isma'il ibn Ja'far|Isma‘il]], are collectively Kalki, the tenth and final ''avatāra'' of Vishnu. According to this interpretation, these figures represent the continuity of divine guidance to humankind. In the view of some Guptis, this is corroborated by the [[Quran|Quranic verse]] 14:4 which mentions the idea that [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|God had sent a messenger to every land]]. They understand the ''avatāras'' to be these messengers sent by God to their people in the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Virani|first=Shafique N.|date=February 2011|title=Taqiyya and Identity in a South Asian Community|url=https://www.academia.edu/36996009|journal=The Journal of Asian Studies|language=en|volume=70|issue=1|pages=99–139|doi=10.1017/S0021911810002974|s2cid=143431047|issn=0021-9118}}</ref>