Avatar

===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>
|}