I praise the one who is everything.
Lord of everything, infinite,
unborn, incomprehensible, indivisible,
Narayan, the smallest of all the smallest,
the most extensive of all the most extensive!
He is the one who is everything
from whom did this (world) arise?
he is the god of all gods,
He is the highest (refuge) of highest goals!
"Vishnu Purana", book. I, ch. IX, slokas 39–41

B(Sanskrit विष्णु - ‘all-pervading’, ‘all-encompassing’), according to the Vedic tradition, is one of the aspects of the triune deity - Trimurti, which combines the three forces of the universe: creation (Brahma), storage (Vishnu) and destruction (Shiva). At the same time, Shiva and Vishnu are sometimes considered in unity as a manifestation of the highest form of god, represented in the joint image of “Harihara” (a combination of half Vishnu and half Shiva). Brahma and Vishnu are also the single crown of creation of the Universe, Vishnu is the manifesting force, and Brahma comes from him (Brahma is born from the navel of Vishnu). The world was created through the transition from an abstract state to a concrete one; the divine primordial thought gave birth to the manifested material world, comprehended by the senses. Cosmogony and the act of creation of the universe will be described in more detail below.

The analogue in the Russian Vedic tradition is the god Vyshen, who rules the world of Glory, patronizes everyone who brings goodness and bright true knowledge to the world, follows the path of Rule and observes the laws of the universe. He helps everyone who has embarked on the Path of spiritual self-improvement, and gives them the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood.

According to the Vishnu Purana, our earth, the nurse of the world, called Prithivi, was born from the sole of Vishnu’s foot. He is the guardian of the Universe, has 1000 names (Viṣṇusahasranāma), each of which is a reflection of a certain quality of Vishnu. The list of all 1000 names contains the Vishnu-sahasranama-stotra (Mahabharata, Shantiparva).

The root of the word “Vish” means ‘to pervade everything’, ‘to delve into the nature of existence’. God Vishnu is all-pervading, he is the one who is everything and who is within everything. All beings receive benefit from Vishnu, who carries the energy of the mode of goodness.

(You) are inseparable from the lower, middle and upper (zones) of the earth, from you - this Universe, from you - what was and what will be, from you - this world, which has an image, with all that exists! "Vishnu Purana", book. I, ch. XII, slokas 60–61

Maha Vishnu: Avatars

From Sanskrit, the word “avatara” (अवतार) is translated as ‘descent’; accordingly, it means the incarnation (embodiment) of the divine essence in the visible world, manifested in a certain image. Whenever the world is threatened by the forces of evil, then one of Vishnu's avatars appears as a protector and protects the world from destruction and chaos.

The very concept of “avatar” is most often associated with Vishnu, as the guardian of the Universe, and avatars appear in the material world when it is necessary to empower good in order to defeat evil and restore Dharma in the Universe, where harmony has been disturbed, and restore balance between the manifestations of eternal forces good and evil.

Whenever righteousness declines, and injustice and atheism increase in this world, I myself descend in order to protect this world from evil, destroy the evildoers and free the righteous, restore truth and justice. I come here from century to century "Bhagavad-Gita", ch. IV, texts 7–8

The Bhagavata Purana describes the avatars as innumerable: “The incarnations of Vishnu, the ocean of goodness, are innumerable, like streams flowing from an inexhaustible source.” Although at the same time 22 incarnations of Vishnu are listed: four Kumaras - the sons of Brahma, born from his mind; boar Varaha; sage Narada; twins Nara and Narayana; sage Kapila; Dattatreya - son of Atri; Yajna; Rishabha; King Prithu; Matsya fish; Kurma turtle; healer Dhanvantari; the beautiful maiden Mohini; humane Narasimha; dwarf Vamana; Parashurama; son of Satyavati and Parashara Muni, who divided the Vedas; King Rama; Balarama; Krishna; Buddha; future incarnation - Kalki - son of Vishnu Yashi.

One way or another, the main avatars of Vishnu, or maha-avatars, are considered to be his ten incarnations - dashavatara (Sanskrit: दशावतार - ‘ten avatars’). They are also mentioned in the Agni Purana and Garuda Purana.

Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and also Kalki "Garuda Purana", ch. VIII, texts 10–11

The Agni Purana describes all ten main incarnations of Vishnu. The first four incarnations of the god Vishnu occurred in the bright era of purity and radiance of truth - Satya Yuga: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha and Narasimha; in the subsequent Treta Yuga, Vishnu appeared in the forms of Vamana, Parashurama and Rama; in the form of the eighth avatar of Krishna, Vishnu came to this world in Dvapara Yuga; In the form of Buddha, the god Vishnu appeared at the beginning of the current era of Kali Yuga, at the end of which his tenth incarnation - Kalki - is coming. Let's take a closer look at them.

Matsya(Sanskrit: मत्स्य - ‘fish’). Vishnu appeared in the form of a fish, which fell into the hands of the seventh Manu Vaivasvata while bathing in the river. At the request of the fish not to let it go back, he placed it in a container of water, the fish gradually increased in size, so that he had to constantly move it into a larger container, but in the end it grew to such an extent that Manu had to release it into ocean, where it became gigantic, then he saw that his fish was a manifestation of the god Vishnu, who appeared in this world in the form of a fish in order to protect it from the forces of evil. After the world was flooded, he rescues Manu and the seven rishis on a boat (which also contains seeds of future plants). After the flood, living beings were created again. The boat is a symbol of the Vedas, true knowledge, which the demon Hayagriva tries to destroy, but Matsya kills him and returns the Vedas.

Kurma(Sanskrit कूर्म - ‘turtle’). Vishnu appears in this form during the churning of the milky ocean.

Varaha(Sanskrit वराह - ‘boar’). Vishnu, who appeared in this avatar, saves the world from the invincible demon Hiranyaksha, who defeated the devas and conquered the heavens, and who sinks the earth to the bottom of the ocean. Vishnu's duel with him lasted 1000 years. The boar lifts the earth from the depths of the cosmic ocean on its tusks. And saves the gods.

Narasimha(Sanskrit: नरसिंह - ‘man-lion’). Vishnu appears in the form of a man with the head of a lion. Hiranyakasipa (brother of Hiranyaksha) - the king of demons, having become powerful and strong, having special properties that no creature has the ability to kill him, seeks to avenge the death of his brother. The lion defeats him and saves the demon Prahlada, the son of Hiranyakasipa, who opposed his father and was completely devoted to Vishnu.

Dwarf Vamana(Sanskrit: वामन). The Daitya King Bali (grandson of Prahlada) abuses his powers, having power over the three worlds. Avatar of Vishnu - the dwarf Vamana - comes to him in the form of a brahman. Bali offers countless riches on the day of sacrifice, when he will not refuse any good to anyone, but the dwarf refuses the riches and asks for a piece of land that he can measure in just three steps. Bali granted him what he asked for. The dwarf begins to grow, and with his first step he covers the earth, with his second - the sky, he breaks through the shell of the universal cosmic egg, from where the waters of the Causal Ocean (Ganga) gushed out, and reaches the highest of the heavenly planets - Brahmaloka. Thus, it covers the entire Universe. There is no room left for the third step, and Vishnu points out to Bali that he did not fulfill his promise, which means he must go to the hellish worlds, but Bali substitutes his head, on which Vishnu steps, for which Bali receives the gift of the future from Vishnu incarnation as a king during the reign of Manu Savarni, and until that moment he will live on the planet Sutala, where old age, illness and suffering are unknown.

Sage Parashurama(Sanskrit: परशुराम - literally can be translated as ‘Rama with an axe’). Son of the brahman Jamadagni. Kshatriya warriors, having seized someone else's property, use their powers for pleasure. The Avatara kills the king and all his warriors. Transfers the leadership of the world to the brahmanas.

Frame(Sanskrit: राम). Prince, king of Ayodhya, one of whose ancestors is Surya. The embodiment of the ideal king. He destroyed the demon Ravana. Vishnu talks about this incarnation.

Krishna(Sanskrit: कृष्ण). This avatar of Vishnu, with the help of the Pandavas, rids the world of evil in order to establish the primacy of good. The story of the Mahabharata tells of this incarnation of Vishnu. His brother Balarama sometimes appears as the ninth avatar, instead of Buddha.

Kalki(Sanskrit: कल्कि) - the last avatar in which Vishnu has yet to incarnate at the end of the current Kali Yuga, in the form of a man on a white horse. To destroy evil and restore dharma is his task before the revival of the world, the onset of the new Satya Yuga. - 428,898 AD e.

Trivikrama - appearance of Vamana avatar

The Rig Veda describes a feat performed by Vishnu called Trivikrama. By the way, in the Ellora cave temple (Hindu temple), you can find an image of Vishnu’s avatar, the dwarf Vamana, and the entire legend of Trivikrama (translated from Sanskrit - ‘three steps’, ‘three steps’). Also, the three steps of Vishnu can be interpreted as the earth, atmosphere and sky, or as sunrise, noon and sunset, also otherwise as the descent of the divine ray into the Spirit, Soul and into material form. In the images, his leg is raised up, which symbolizes a large step forward. Also in many other Hindu temples you can find the image of Vishnu, such as in Bhaktapur (Nepal), on the high reliefs of the Badami cave temples.

I want now to proclaim the heroic deeds of Vishnu Who measured the earthly spaces, Who strengthened the upper common dwelling, Stepping thrice, (he) is far-reaching. Here Vishnu is glorified for his heroic strength, Terrible, like a beast, wandering (unknown) where, living in the mountains, In whose three wide steps all creatures dwell “Rigveda” I.154 (Vishnu-sukta)

God Vishnu, weapon of Vishnu The Vedic scriptures describe the titanic effort of Vishnu to create and obtain such power that it helps to defeat the asuras, personifications of evil, who have captured the three worlds. Vishnu here acts as the savior of all beings of the three worlds.

Vishnu walked here.
He recorded the tracks three times.
Everything is concentrated in his dusty (footprint).
Walked three steps
Vishnu is the guardian who cannot be deceived,
From there supporting the laws of the Atharva Veda, Book VII, 27

The Rig Veda (hymn I.22) describes Vishnu as the solar god, who crosses the seven worlds of the Universe in three steps, while enveloping all space with the light of his rays: “From there, may the gods help us, from where Vishnu walked, through the seven regions of the earth. Vishnu stepped through this. Three times he imprinted (his) trail. Everything is concentrated in his dusty (footprint). “...” Those who sacrifice always look at this highest trace of Vishnu, as if at an eye open in the sky. Inspired, loudly praising, awakening early, kindle the one who is the highest trace of Vishnu.” In fact, it is a manifestation of solar energy, penetrating the seven layers of the universe three times. He is the sevenfold sun.

The energy of Vishnu, consisting of the three Vedas and originating from the quality of goodness, governs the sun, as well as the seven beings belonging to it; and due to the presence of this power, the sun shines with a strong radiance, dispersing with its rays the darkness that is widespread throughout the world. “...” Vishnu, in the form of active energy, never rises or sets, and in this alone the sun is seven times different from him. In the same way, as a person approaches a mirror placed on a stand and sees his reflection in it, so the energy of Vishnu is never separated, but remains every month in the sun (as in a mirror), which is there “Vishnu Purana”, book II, ch. XII

The churning of the milky ocean - the appearance of the Kurma avatar

When thirty gods, including Indra, having been defeated by the daityas, turned to Vishnu for help and support, he called on them to churn amrita in the milky ocean, tying the Vasuki serpent around Mount Mandara. Thus, by drinking the nectar of immortality amrita, the gods will be able to gain strength and defeat the daityas. The gods, having entered into an alliance with the asuras in order to obtain amrita, threw medicinal herbs into the ocean and, following the instructions of Vishnu, began to churn the ocean. Vishnu appeared in the form of a turtle, on whose back there was Mount Mandara, at the same time he was among the gods, and also among the asuras, while sitting on the top of the mountain. The asuras lost rajas, for they were at the head of the fire-breathing Vasuki. From the created water whirlpool from the milky ocean began to appear: the cow Surabhi, the goddess Varuni, the Parijata tree, the apsaras, the moon, the god Dhanvantari with the cup of amrita, the goddess Sri. The asuras captured the amrita, and then Vishnu appeared in the form of a beautiful maiden, darkening the minds of the asuras, who lost the bowl of nectar, and Vishnu handed it over to the gods, who, filled with power, defeated the asuras in battle.

Image of Vishnu

Vishnu is usually depicted as a man with a dark or pale blue face and with four hands in which he holds a lotus flower, as a symbol of spiritual purity; a mace (“kaumodaki”), personifying divine power; a shell (“shankha”), which is a spiral, personifying the cyclical existence of the Universe; and a fire disk (“Sudarshana chakra”), as a symbol of restoring the disturbed cosmic balance. In total, there are 24 different variations of images of Vishnu, depending on what he is holding in his hands.

Vishnu's vahana is the eagle Garuda. In the Vedic tradition, he is the king of birds, gifted with great power. Garuda is also a symbol of the enlightened mind. Garuda, who took the position of Indra among birds, was born by a beautiful goddess named Vinata. In order to free his mother, he stole amrita - the nectar of immortality from the gods, fought bravely and flew tirelessly, without drinking a single drop of this divine drink. Vishnu, pleased with Garuda's feat and selflessness, bestowed him with immortality, and the king of birds became his vahana.

Garuda said to Vishnu: “I will also give you a gift, so choose!” And the great Krishna chose that mighty bird as his chariot and placed it (the image) on his banner “Mahabharata”. Adiparva, chapter 29

Garuda also personifies the time cycle of Manvantara.

During periods of rest between manvantaras (pralayas), Vishnu is in a state of cosmic sleep on the thousand-headed blue serpent Shesha - a symbol of infinite cosmic space.

Vishnu in Vedic scriptures

You can find references to the god Vishnu in the Veda hymns "Rigveda" (hymn VII.99). He, like Indra, separates heaven and earth and gives birth to the Sun (the connection with the celestial body Surya is visible in his name Suryanarayana, which is the source of light and heat). Hymns I.154, X.15 describe the residence of Vishnu in the supreme abode for all souls. In hymn I.56, Vishnu appears as Indra's assistant in the battle against the evil personification Vritra.

In the Atharvaveda he appears as Prajapati. In the Shatapatha Brahmana, Vishnu is mentioned as containing all the worlds, pervading all the worlds and present in every living being, being the essence of everything that exists. In the Upanishads, it is presented as the highest metaphysical reality, and various forms of veneration and worship of the god Vishnu are also described here. In the Puranas one can find a variety of cosmogonic ideas about the origin of the Universe. In the Vayu Purana, Vishnu is “hiranyagarbha” - the golden cosmic egg that gave birth to all forms of existence in the Universe. The Bhagavata Purana describes the cosmogony through the avatar of Vishna - Krishna. It tells how evil initially triumphed over the forces of good (the war between asuras and devas). Vishnu reconciles with the asuras, but then defeats them, returning justice, freedom and goodness. Here we can see a cyclical theme of changing states and energies of the universe. The legends of the Puranas have inspired many plays and dramatic arts presented through performing arts: Satriya (a dance dedicated to Vishnu), a dance in honor of Krishna - Manipuri, a dance used in the worship of the god Vishnu - Odissi, as well as Kachipudi, Kathakali, Kathak.

“Vishu Purana” is the central element of cosmogony, we will talk about this in more detail later.

Cosmogony of Vishnu Purana

According to the Vishnu Purana, Vishnu is the source of the universe, the cause of creation, preservation and destruction of the world. He is in the world, and the world consists of Vishnu, present in every creation. He establishes the cycles of existence of the universe, he is the progenitor of pre-matter and consciousness. Primary matter is represented by the waters of the Causal Ocean, but water here as a mobile substance is an allegory represented by the properties and qualities of this element.

From pre-matter, at the beginning of time, the entire visible world unfolds, and it will “absorb” all matter into itself at the end point of the cycle of existence of the Universe. From prematter emerges the principle of creation, which is consciousness, which has three qualities: goodness, passion and inertia. Consciousness is the source of primary elements and sense organs, with the help of which the entire manifested world is comprehended. The Brahma Egg is created from primary elements combined into a single whole. It gradually increases in size, it is Vishnu, filled with the quality of rajas and manifested in the form of Brahma at the stage of creation of the Universe. Bhagavan Vishnu in his goodness protects and preserves the created world during the kalpa. And at the end of time, Janardana, as a bone, taking the form of Rudra, destroys this world and absorbs the Universe.

And then, waking up from sleep, with the beginning of a new period in the life of the Universe, he again creates the Universe. Thus, the creation-existence-destruction of the Universe is repeated cyclically over the course of kalpas.

Everything that the mind perceives, the eye and other (sensory organs) perceive, as well as everything that is distinguished by consciousness - (everything) this is your image! "Vishnu Purana", book. I, ch. IV, sloka 19

Vishnu's wife - the beautiful goddess Sri

The beautiful lotus-eyed goddess always and everywhere accompanies Vishnu. She is the companion of all avatars of the god Vishnu.

Just as the Master of the world, the king of the gods Janardana, is born (in various forms) as an avatar, so is his girlfriend Sri. When Hari was the son of Aditi, she was born from a lotus; when he was (born) as Rama from the line of Bhrigu, she was Dharani. He was born as Raghava, she as Sita; when he was (born as) Krishna, she was (born as) Rukmini, and in other avatars of Vishnu she was his friend "Vishnu Purana", book. I, ch. IX, slokas 138–141

The wife of god Vishnu is mentioned in many Vedic scriptures. In particular, in the Veda of Hymns it appears as a “sign that brings happiness” (“Rigveda”, X.71.2). In the Veda of Spells, Atharva Veda (Sanskrit: अथर्ववेद - “Veda of the Fire Priest Atharvan”) is presented in various aspects of a favorable state. In “Shatapatha-brahmana” (Sanskrit: शतपथ ब्राह्मण - “Brahmana of a Hundred Paths”) she is described as a beautiful goddess, captivating with her divine beauty, possessing numerous talents and powerful strength.

O Loving Lotus! Padmini Holding a Lotus in Her Hands! Dwelling in the lotus, Lotus-eyed! Beloved of the Universe, Appeaser of the mind of Vishnu, Bring Your lotus feet close to me!<...>There will be no anger (there will be), no pride, no greed, no bad thoughts, but there will be good merit for devotees who constantly recite the Sri Sukta “Rigveda”, part 2 Sri Sukta-phala-shruti, verses 20,26

Vishnu Yantra

Contemplating the Vishnu yantra, we are immersed in the divine light world, where there is no duality of perception. It is the concentration on the image of Vishnu that fills us with the energy of goodness, and the illusion generated by the maya of the material world dissolves, and the world is perceived in the true light of the unity of all creations of the Universe.

In the central part of the yantra are represented: the bindu point and two intersecting triangles, with one pointing its apex up, the other down, which represents the unity of opposites, in other words, the unity of the inseparable, which is the essence of Vishnu - the cause of all things that exist beyond duality. Two triangles surround two lotuses: an eight-petaled one and a twelve-petalled one. This entire geometric scheme is located in a protective square (bhupura).

Sri Vishnu Yantra is used to worship Vishnu, to receive blessings for achieving and maintaining health, family, and wealth. It is designed to protect all living beings. Meditation on the yantra brings prosperity, peace, happiness, success.

The symbol of Vishnu is a sign that personifies the structure of the universe

The symbol of Vishnu is a sacred ancient Aryan sign. It is depicted as a hexagram - two intersecting equilateral triangles (three vertices - three hypostases of divine power as creating, preserving and destroying), forming at the intersection six triangles (six dimensions of space), with their bases forming a hexagon in the center. Two triangles, as mentioned above, symbolize the unity of two opposites: the active (male) principle - the triangle with the top up, and the passive (female) - the triangle with the top down; this symbol also personifies the penetration of the Spirit into matter, in other words, embodiment in the material world, unity consciousness and matter, which is the source of the false ego of living creatures during manifest existence in the material world. Later, the symbol of Vishnu was borrowed by the Kabbalists and is known as the “Seal of Solomon” or the “Star of David” ().

Mantras of Vishnu

The main mantras that are chanted in praise of the god Vishnu are the following:

Eight syllable mantra: "OM Namo Narayanaya" ;

“Om Namo Narayanaya - this mantra helps in achieving any benefits. Devotees who repeat it reach heaven and receive liberation and success (the fruits of their deeds).

<…>Destroying all sins, blessed, the highest of all mantras, Having uttered this eight-syllable mantra, one should remember Narayana.”

("Narsimha Purana")

Salutation to Vishnu: "OM Vishnave Namaha" ;

Worship of Vasudeva: "Om N amo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" ;

“Om, eternal glory to Vasudeva, Bhagavan, the one who is not different (from everything) and who is different from everything (the world)!”

(“Vishnu Purana”, book I, chapter XIX, 78)

Vishnu Gayatri Mantra:

"OM Narayanaya vidmahe

Vasudevaya dhimahi

Tanno Vishnuh prachodayat" ;

On the website you can find recordings of the Om Vishnave Namaha and Vishnu-Gayatri mantras beautifully performed by Daria Chudina -.

By chanting the mantras of Vishnu, we are in a state of unity and harmony with the world around us, in absolute awareness of the inseparability of all things, which originated from a single source and are one whole. All existence appears as a divine creation and carries within itself a particle of divine nature.

Ability god Vishnu taking on different appearances in different eras makes him a truly unique deity. In Hinduism, this feature is called Dashavatar - 10 incarnations of Vishnu.

Dashavatar – 10 incarnations of Vishnu

The first is the incarnation of the god Vishnu into fish - Matsya. In this guise, God saves the seventh Manu, as well as various plant seeds, on a ship from the global flood.

Kurma (turtle), God Vishnu takes the form of a turtle, to plunge to the very bottom of the world's oceans, for salvation during a flood of valuables. The gods erect Mount Mandara on a turtle, wrap the serpent Vasuki around it and begin to rotate it very quickly, churning the ocean, thus the Moon, amrita (the drink of immortality) and many other sacred creatures and objects begin to emerge from it.

Varaha (“boar”), in which Vishnu incarnated saved the world by killing the demon Hiranyaksha, who was trying to drown the earth, which after God Vishnu raised on his fangs from the abyss.

Narasimha - Vishnu becomes a lion man. He tears into pieces the evil demon Hiranyakasipu, who has seized power both on earth and in heaven.

Vamana is the fifth incarnation of Vishnu

Vamana (“dwarf”) – another incarnation of the god Vishnu to appear before Bali, the king of the Daivas, who subjugated the three worlds (heaven, earth, underworld). The dwarf asked Bali for as much space as he could measure with his three steps. Bali agreed, having received Vamana's consent, he measured out the earth with his first step, and the sky with his second. As a result, leaving Bali the underworld, abandoning the last third step.

Parashurama ("Rama with an axe") - incarnation of Vishnu into the son of a brahmana, to exterminate the kshatriyas, who represented the warrior castes, so that the brahmanas would become an even greater varna.

Rama (“The Dark One”) is the most beautiful prince, the wisest ruler - an ideal king and husband. He defeats the multi-headed dragon-demon Ravana (“Roaring”). After the heads were cut off, they grew back again and again. The demon was struck by Brahma's arrow.

Krishna ("Dark", "Black") eighth incarnation of Vishnu, is considered the most complete embodiment. Krishna Vishnu very popular in India; thereby Krishna is often worshiped as Vishnu. Story Krishna Vishnu varied with fairy-tale episodes. In his youth, Krishna was a sweet cowherd boy who attracted the attention of many cowherd girls. At the sound of the magic flute Krishna Vishnu fascinated both people and animals.

Buddha (“Enlightened One”, “Awakened One”) is the ninth incarnation of Vishnu.

Kalki (“White Horse”) - the last, tenth, incarnation of Vishnu. In this incarnation, God will come to earth at the end of time. With the sword of justice in his hand to destroy all evil and evil spirits, he will be riding a white horse. He is destined to restore peace and order to the sinful earth, as well as to renew and revive humanity.

Modified on March 23, 2014 by Savitri5

Destroyer. Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the universe.

The role of the god Vishnu is to descend to earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil. He has been reincarnated nine times so far, but Hindus believe that he will be reincarnated for the last time towards the end of this world.

People who worship the god Vishnu (or Vaishnavas) consider him the greatest god. Vaishnavas worship only Vishnu, such worship is called Vaishnavism or Vaishnavism.

What does the god Vishnu look like and what does he symbolize?

Vishnu is often depicted with blue skin and four arms. In his hands there are four objects that symbolize the following:

• Conch (sankha): distributes the sound “Om” - the primordial sound of creation.
• Chakra or disc: symbolizes the cycle of time.
• Lotus flower: an example of beautiful existence and liberation.
• Mace: Represents mental and physical strength and also indicates punishment for indiscipline.

Vishnu is often depicted as lying on Sheshanaga - a spiral, multi-headed snake floating in the cosmic waters that represent the Universe. Vishnu's posture symbolizes calm and patience in the face of fear and anxiety, represented by the poisonous snake. The point is that a person should not allow fear to overcome him and disturb his inner peace.

Vishnu's wife is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty.

Incarnations of God Vishnu

The god Vishnu is believed to have appeared nine times in different incarnations on this earth, with a tenth predicted.

1. Matsya (fish).

It is said that Matsya was the avatar who saved the first man as well as other creatures of the earth from the great flood. Matsya is sometimes depicted as a large fish or a man with a fish tail. This story is similar to many flood myths found in other cultures.

2. Kurma (turtle).

The incarnation of the god Vishnu into a turtle to keep Mount Mandara from plunging into the ocean, the waters of which were churned by gods and demons to obtain treasures and amrita nectar. In this incarnation, Vishnu met his future wife Lakshmi.

3. Varaha (pig/boar).

Varaha is a boar who raised the earth from the bottom of the sea after the demon Hiranyaksha dragged it to the seabed. After a 1000-year battle, Varaha raised the earth from the water with his fang.

4. Narasimha (half lion, half man).

Vishnu takes the form of a man with the head of a lion to defeat the all-powerful demon king Hiranyakashipa.

5. Vamana (dwarf with the ability to grow).

In the Rig Veda, Vamana (dwarf) appears at a time when the demon king Bali rules the universe and the gods lose their power. To restore justice, Vamana came to Bali and asked for as much land as he could measure in three steps. Laughing at the gnome, Bali fulfilled his wish. After this, the dwarf begins to grow, and with the first step he covers the entire earth, with the second step he covers the entire sky, and at the third step he sends Bali to the lower world of demons to rule there.

6. Parashurama (strong man/hunter).

In the form of Parashurama, Vishnu acts as a brahmana who comes into the world to kill evil kings and protect humanity from danger. He appears in the form of a man with an axe, sometimes called Rama with an Axe.

In the original story, Parashurama appears to have restored the Hindu social order that had been corrupted by the arrogant Kshatriya caste.

7. Rama (greatest warrior/ideal man).

Lord Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu and the main deity of Hinduism. He is considered supreme in some traditions. He is the central figure of the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana and is known as the king of Ayodhya, the city believed to be the birthplace of Rama.

According to the Ramayana, Rama's father was King Dasaratha and his mother was Queen Kaushalya. Rama was born at the end of the Second Age and was sent by the gods to fight the many-headed demon Ravana.

8. Krishna (mentally developed person).

God Krishna is the eighth avatar of Vishnu and one of the most revered deities in Hinduism. He was a shepherd (sometimes depicted as a charioteer or statesman).

According to the famous poem Bhagavad-gita, Krishna competently guides Arjuna to the battlefield.

9. Buddha (omniscient), which appeared in the 5th century BC. In some traditions, Balarama replaces Buddha as the incarnation of Vishnu.

10. Kalki (eternity or powerful warrior). It is assumed that Vishnu's next and last incarnation will be at the end of Kali Yuga (the era of moral decay). It is believed that Kalki will rid the world of the oppression of unrighteous rulers. They say that he will appear riding a white horse, with a fiery sword.

Vishnu personifies the one Lord, the Absolute. Each Avatar personifies a stage of development of the Universe from the lowest to the highest forms.

Avatara (Sanskrit: अवतार, avatāra IAST, “descent”) is the descent of God from the spiritual world into lower spheres of existence. Although the word “avatara” is usually translated into Russian as “incarnation,” it can be more accurately translated as “appearance,” since the concept of an avatara is markedly different from the idea of ​​​​the incarnation of God “in the flesh” in Christianity.

Matsya (first avatar)

During the global flood, Krishna took the form of Matsya - a fish, and saved Manu, who became the progenitor of humanity, seven great sages-rishis and the sacred texts of the Vedas from death. Worship of Krishna in the form of a fish is not widespread.

Kurma (second avatar)

For the second time, God came down to earth in the form of Kurma - a turtle. During the flood, many treasures were lost, including the drink of immortality - amrita. The demigods needed him to maintain eternal youth. The demigods, deprived of amrita, became sad, and Krishna decided to help them. He turned into a gigantic turtle and sank to the bottom of the cosmic ocean. The demigods placed a mountain on his back and wrapped the snake Vasuki around it like a rope. At the direction of Krishna, the demigods, along with the asuras (demons), threw various types of medicinal herbs into the ocean and, taking Vasuki by the head and tail, began to churn (i.e. churn) the ocean. Krishna the turtle supported the mountain so that it did not fall into the swampy bottom of the ocean. So the demigods and asuras churned the ocean for 100 years, until various wonders began to emerge from it: the goddess Sri with eyes shining like the sun, a white elephant and much more. Finally, the long-awaited drink of immortality appeared in a white vessel. Demigods and demons rushed towards him, each trying to be the first to grab the vessel. The demons got there earlier, but a quarrel began between them: everyone wanted to be the first to taste the magic drink. And then Krishna again came to the aid of the demigods. He took the form of the captivating heavenly beauty Mohini. Fascinated by it, the demons forgot about their struggle and the drink. And Mohini, smiling, took the cup, seated the demigods and demons separately and gave the drink to the demigods. When the demons' turn came, the beauty disappeared. The deceived demons rushed at the demigods with a terrible cry. A battle ensued, but the demigods, strengthened by the drink of immortality, of course won.

Varaha (third avatar)

For the third time, Vishnu had to descend to earth in the form of a boar to fight the demon Hiranyaksha. The demon achieved that neither a demigod, nor a man, nor an animal could defeat him. But while listing the animals in the spell, he forgot to mention the boar. Having acquired strength, Hiranyaksha began to boast of it and oppress the demigods and people. In self-praise, he went so far as to push the earth into the depths of the World Ocean. Then the giant boar Vishnu tore the belly of the arrogant demon with his terrible fangs, lifted the earth with one fang and set it in place.

Vishnu the boar is still revered in some parts of India today.

Narasimha (fourth avatar)

And for the fourth time, Vishnu again had to deal with a demon, this time with Hiranyakasipu, Hiranyaksha's brother. The demon obtained a promise from Brahma that no one could defeat him: neither God, nor man, nor beast, that he could not be killed either day or night, neither in the house nor outside. Having thus ensured complete safety for himself, Hiranyakasipu began to persecute demigods and people, forcing him to honor only himself in his kingdom. Even his own son Prahlada, a faithful admirer of Vishnu, did not escape persecution. Fleeing from the enraged king, Prahlad called to his beloved deity. And then at sunset (i.e. neither day nor night) an unprecedented creature came out of a column on the threshold of the house (i.e. neither in the house nor outside it) - Narasimha, half-man, half-lion, and tore the arrogant demon-king to pieces. Thus Vishnu freed his devotee and confirmed his own greatness...

Vamana (fifth avatar)

For the fifth time, Vishnu was born as the dwarf Vamana. This happened when the demon Bali seized power over the world. With the help of ascetic deeds, he achieved unprecedented power and gained power over triloka (the three worlds: heaven, earth and the underworld) and the demigods. The demigods prayed and turned to Vishnu for help. Vishnu-Vamana went to Bali for alms. What the demon didn’t offer him! And gold and silver, and fast horses, and mighty elephants, and precious jewelry. But Vamana refused everything and only asked for a little land: as much as he could measure in three steps. Bali agreed, and Vamana began to grow before his eyes and became a huge giant. He took the first step, took the second - and covered the earth, the sky and the space between them with them. Vamana refrained from taking the third step: he felt sorry for the demon Bali, and he left him the underworld - Patala, allowing him to visit the lost kingdom once a year.

In the southern Indian state of Kerala, Onam is celebrated annually in honor of this event. For ten days everyone has fun so that the former king sees his subjects happy.

Parashurama (sixth avatar)

For the sixth time, Vishnu took the form of a man named Parashurama (Rama with an axe). He was the son of a brahmana associate Jamadagni and princess Renuka, from childhood he was distinguished by warlike behavior and never parted with a battle ax. On the orders of his father and spiritual mentor, he without hesitation beheaded his own mother, suspected of sinful thoughts. But the main act of Vishnu in the guise of Parashurama was the murder of the thousand-armed king Kartavirya, who seized power over the whole world and cruelly oppressed the Brahmins. The sons of Kartavirya killed Jamadagni and Parashurama, avenging the death of their father, exterminated all the men of their family three times seven times and filled the five lakes of Kurukshetra with blood...

Rama (seventh avatar)

This is one of the most popular incarnations of Vishnu. Rama, son of Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya, hero of the great Indian epic Ramayana. Rama is a perfect king, a loving husband and a brave warrior. The Ramayana describes the tale of this peerless prince and his beautiful and virtuous wife Sita.

Together with his brother Lakshman and his wife Sita, he led a hermit's life in the forest, where he destroyed many demons that disturbed the peace of devotees and local residents. The demon Ravana, the king of Lanka, decided to take revenge for his fallen relatives and kidnapped Sita. Rama looked for a wife for a long time, wandering around the world with his brother. Finally found her in Ravana's palace. After a long and bloody battle, Rama defeated Ravana and freed Sita.

Krishna (eighth avatar)

The eighth avatar of Vishnu is the beautiful and eternally young Krishna, protector of the Earth and fighter against human injustice.

Once upon a time, the kingdom of Mathura was ruled by the unrighteous king Kansa. To rid the world of him, Krishna decided to incarnate as one of the sons of his cousin Devaki, but Kansa learned about this from soothsayers and killed all her sons. Therefore, Krishna, while still an infant, was secretly transported to the other side of the Yamuna River and raised in a family of simple shepherds. He was an adorable child with skin the color of a thundercloud. With His beauty and playing the flute, He charmed all the villagers.

Krishna's childhood, his pranks (stealing butter from Yashoda, clothes from bathing shepherdesses, etc.) and feats (killing demons sent by Kansa, absorbing the flames of a forest fire and saving cows and shepherds from it, defeating the lord of snakes Kaliya; rising above his head Govardhana mountains to cover shepherds, shepherdesses and their cattle from the rain, etc.) are favorite themes of Indian poetry. An even more popular theme is the love of the shepherdesses for young Krishna. Hearing Krishna's pipe, the cowherd girls, abandoning their husbands and household chores, run to him and dance with him in ecstasy on the banks of the Yamuna. The shepherdesses and their attraction to Krishna are interpreted as a symbol of human souls striving to merge with God. But God is elusive and unattainable: in the end, Krishna leaves the cowherd boys to fulfill his duty - to kill Kansa. Krishna's youth ends with the murder of the tyrant. From a shepherd boy, He turns into a warrior and politician: he restores fair power in Mathura and protects the city from demons avenging Kansa. At the same time, Krishna transfers all the inhabitants of Mathura - the Yadavas - to Dwarka, a new city, which, by His order, is built in one night. Performing further feats, Krishna first acquired eight wives (the first of them Rukmini), and then another 16,100 wives. Having the miraculous ability to be with all his wives at the same time, Krishna produces numerous offspring. After the battle on Kurukshetra, which completes the circle of earthly affairs of Krishna-Vishnu, Krishna, deciding to return to the divine realms, first destroys the entire city of the Yadavas, and then he himself dies from the arrow of a hunter who mistook him for a deer.

Buddha (ninth avatar)

The ninth avatar of Vishnu was Buddha - the lila avatar of Lord Krishna, who appeared at the beginning of Kali Yuga;

This voluminous article by Yuri Parshikov talks about ten regularly coming incarnations of God - Avatars on our planet. You will learn the history of each incarnation in brief, the special mission and role of each avatar as described in the scriptures.

Krishna is the original omnipotent unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes. Being one, He can manifest Himself simultaneously in many forms in different places. Such forms are called personal expansions of Krishna.

« Expansion" literally means " that which comes from Krishna" Some of these expansions have all the opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

For example, in Dwarka he simultaneously lived in each of the 16,108 palaces in 16,108 identical forms.

Krishna expands Himself into other forms to perform some special pastimes.

For example as the creator of the material world, Krishna appears before us as Lord Vishnu. As the lord of the Vaikuntha spiritual planets, He appears in the form of Lord Narayana, etc.

Such omnipotent forms of the Lord are called visnu-tattva, that is, belonging to the same category of Absolute Truth as Krishna. Although Krishna still occupies a unique position among all the Vishnu-tattvas.

In the Brahma-samhita such Vishnu Tattvas are compared to burning candles. Although there is no difference between the flames of these candles, nevertheless one of them differs in that it was used to set fire to all the others. Similarly, Krishna is the source of all other expansions.

Apart from personal expansions, Krishna expands Himself into many other forms and energies, manifesting His various qualities. If the Vishnu-tattvas manifest His infinitely great aspect, then living beings manifest His infinitesimal aspect, etc.

When Krishna Himself or His expansions manifest Himself in this material world, it is called an avatara or incarnation.

"Avatar" translated from Sanskrit means “He who descends.” Krishna descends into the material world to punish envious demons, protect devotees and restore the principles of religion. Descending into this world, the Lord performs amazing transcendental pastimes, the descriptions of which are then listened to and discussed with delight by millions of generations of His devotees. So He gives them the opportunity to purify themselves and return home back to Godhead.

Some of these avatars appeared many thousands and millions of years ago, and some are yet to appear in this era. Having completed His mission, the Lord disappears from the vision of the inhabitants of this universe only with the to manifest the same games in other universes. And then, in the next era, the Lord will again manifest the same games in our universe. It's like the movement of the sun. First it rises, illuminating everything around, then disappears from us behind the horizon to appear for the inhabitants of the other hemisphere, and then again appears before our eyes. Such avatars are eternal, and there are countless of them. Below we will briefly describe the games of the ten most famous of them in chronological order, as they appear from era to era.

One day Lord Krishna appeared on earth in the form of a fish. This happened because Lord Brahma dropped the Vedas from his mouth in fear of the huge ocean waves of the global flood. A demon who lived at the bottom of the ocean picked up and hid the Vedic scriptures deep under the water. The entire universe could be deprived of spiritual knowledge! But Krishna, the Lord who is watching everything that happens, took the form of a fish to return the Vedas.

Why exactly the appearance of a fish? Because fish are best adapted to life in water and are not afraid of flood waves.

The story is….

Once upon a time the world was ruled by King Satyavrata. He was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and worshiped Him daily. One fine day, when the king was performing his afternoon worship, a tiny fish found itself in his water vessel. The king did not want to hurt her and so he gently took her and released her into the water. But to his surprise, the fish exclaimed:

Oh please don't leave me here. I'm so afraid of big fish!

Surprised by everything that had happened, King Satyavrata put the fish back into the vessel and went home. The next morning he noticed that the fish had grown and no longer fit in the small bowl. Then Satyavrata ordered his servants to put the fish in a larger vessel. Soon after this, the fish grew again, and the king was forced to transfer it to a huge bowl. The fish immediately filled it with itself. Each vessel into which the king transferred fish immediately became very small for it. As a result, the fish became so big that the king had no choice but to let it into the lake. But this time the same story repeated itself. The lake turned out to be too small for this fish. Then the king took her and placed her in the ocean. In the vast ocean the fish seemed felt unhappy that her appearance was scaring away other ocean animals.

The king, of course, was confused. He then realized that this fish was none other than the Supreme Lord. Then Satyavrata bowed respectfully before her, saying:

I have never seen a fish that grew as fast as You. I am confident that You are the Supreme Lord, the Greatest of the Mystics. I know that you come for the well-being of the world. But why did You take the form of a fish? I am Your devotee, O Lord, please answer me.

The Lord answered:

My name is Matsya - Lord Fish. I have come to save you and give you spiritual knowledge. In seven days there will be a great devastating flood. A huge boat will come for you. Now gather herbs, plants, seeds, trees and all kinds of animals. Take all this into a boat and put seven wise men in it. When the storm begins, tie the boat with Vascuya's kite to my horn. Don't be afraid. I will support you through the flood.

Satyavrata did everything as the Lord said. Seven days later the flood began. There was a terrible storm, and huge clouds were pouring water onto the ground. It was impossible to see either the earth or the sky. Everything was flooded with water. The king and seven sages were sitting in a boat in deep meditation. King Satyavrata prayed:

O Lord, just as gold loses its impurity when it comes into contact with fire, so the living entity loses his ignorance when he worships You. Please give me knowledge and purify my heart.

The Supreme Lord, Matsyadeva, gave Satyavrata spiritual knowledge. When the flood ended, the Lord killed the demon and returned the Vedas to Brahma.

Lord Matsya- the personification of the energy of the Lord, giving detachment and spiritual realization. When we lose something, our plans collapse like castles in the air, and we feel that we have no strength to resist the onslaught of the gigantic waves of the ocean of material existence, we can meditate on the pastimes of Lord Matsya. And the Lord will suddenly appear from somewhere from the bottomless depths of this ocean, bringing with him transcendental knowledge and detachment.

Kurma is the incarnation of the Lord in the form of a tortoise. He chose this form to help the demigods and demons churn the ocean.

One day, the powerful sage Durvasa Muni cursed the demigods, causing them to lose all their powers. The curse took effect immediately. The demigods became weaker and weaker, while the demons' power increased. This seriously worried the demigods, and they went to Lord Vishnu to ask for help.

The Lord gave them advice:

While the demons are stronger than you, do not try to fight them. Make them your friends and ask them to help bring down the ocean of milk. Mount Mandara will serve as your whorl, and Vasuki, the king of snakes, will become your rope. During the churning, a deadly poison will appear on the surface of the ocean of milk, but you should not be afraid of it. I will come to your aid. Then, when you collect the ocean of milk, nectar will appear. The one who drinks the nectar - amrita, will gain immortality. You will regain your former strength and glory by tasting the divine nectar.

After listening to the Lord, the demigods immediately turned to the demons for help. They gladly agreed to churn the ocean and dragged Mount Mandara to the shore of the ocean of milk. Vasuki agreed to become a rope for knocking down only when he learned that he would receive a little nectar of immortality.
After all the preparations, they finally began churning the ocean. The demigods, compassionate and intelligent by nature, knew that the serpent Vasuki would spew terrible fire from its mouth. Therefore, out of compassion for the demons, they decided to hold Vasuki by the head and patiently endure this heat. The demons had to pull the snake by the tail. But, envious, they decided that they were being deceived. The demons demanded that they be the ones to pull the head. Then the demigods agreed. Due to their envy, the demons suffered terrible suffering from the unbearable heat of Vasuki.

Soon the unexpected happened. Since the whorl, Mount Mandara, was very heavy, it could not stay on the surface of the water and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Everyone was confused, not knowing what to do. Then the Supreme Lord appeared in the form of a tortoise. He dove into the cart and lifted the mountain, supporting it on His back. The demigods and demons continued churning the ocean of milk with zeal. Lord Tortoise became the support of Mandara Mountain and felt pleasure as it rotated and scratched His back.

Suddenly a new disaster occurred! When the ocean was churned, a huge amount of poison was released. This threatened the destruction of the whole world, because the poison was deadly! The demons and demigods approached Lord Shiva, begging Him to drink the deadly drink to save the universe. Lord Shiva agreed and drank the poison. As the poison passed through Lord Shiva's throat, His neck became bluish. Several deadly drops fell to the ground. Some living beings swallowed the poison, and therefore poisonous snakes, scorpions and poisonous plants appeared on the earth.

Finally, Dhanvantari appeared from the ocean of milk. In his hands he held a jug of amrita, the drink of immortality. The demons took this jug from Him by force... But that’s another story.

Lord Kurma- the personification of selfless service. For the sake of His devotees, He agreed to carry the burden of the gigantic mountain Mandara on His back. When we have to do something not very pleasant, but with the ultimate goal of pleasing the spiritual master, the Lord or His devotees, we can remember this story of Lord Kurma and draw strength and inspiration from it.

The deity of Lord Kurma was worshiped by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur. This Deity was found while playing in the ground by his then little son Bimala Prasad - the future.

A long time ago, millions of years ago, the evil demon Hiranyaksha pumped out all the gold from the bowels of the Earth. Therefore, the weight of the Earth has changed. She left her orbit and fell to the bottom of the Garbhodaka Causal Ocean. The earth was lost in silt and could have died.

Lord Brahma sat and thought about how to save the Earth. Suddenly, a small boar the size of a thumb jumped out of his right nostril. He immediately began to grow until he grew to gigantic proportions. The boar roared terribly, but the demigods were not afraid of Him. They knew what it was The Supreme Lord taking the form of a boar for the good of the Earth.

The boar Varahadeva sank to the bottom of the ocean. He had a good instinct, and He immediately determined where the Earth was. Varahateva dug up the sand with his fangs, finding the Earth. He lifted up the Earth with His snout. When Lord Boar was lifting the Earth, He was attacked by the cruel demon Hiranyaksha. Varahadeva became furious, placed the Earth on the waters of the ocean, giving it weightlessness, and returned to fight the demon. Hiranyaksha was strong and determined, but his strength could not even be compared with the strength of the Lord. Lord Varahadeva easily killed the demon and relieved the world of suffering caused by them.

We can pray to Lord Varahadeva, so that He can help curb the demon of our mind, especially when he is excited and creates crazy plans that can destroy everything around him.

By the way, in Vrindavan, not far from the ISKCON Temple “Krishna-Balaram Mandir” there is a Temple of Lord Varaha. At this place, to please his beloved gopis, Shyamasundara-Krishna showed the form of Lord Varahadeva before them.

The demon Hiranyaksha who fought with Lord Varaha was the twin brother of the demon named Hiranyakasipu. Hiranya means gold and kasipu means soft bed. It was an extremely intelligent, powerful and greedy demon. He knew the Vedas and wanted to achieve immortality. Therefore, Hiranyakasipu began to perform severe austerities for one hundred years to please Lord Brahma. Pleased with his austerities, Lord Brahma gave him a blessing. By this blessing the demon could not be killed by either man or beast; neither day nor night; neither in the house nor outside the house; neither on earth, nor on sea, nor in the sky; neither by weapon nor by human hand. Therefore Hiranyakasipu thought that he could live forever. Like all demons, he immediately became proud of his power and strength.

Krishna appeared in the Lunar Dynasty and He is called manasa-candra-cakora. This is a wonderful comparison. It is said that there is a bird - the chakora bird - that feeds on moonlight. And Krishna is the unsurpassed moon for the chakora of our mind. Therefore, we must constantly drink the nectar of Krishna's name, image, qualities and pastimes in order to bring complete satisfaction to our mind and thus displace from it all the husks of material images and desires. The surest and most reliable remedy for all worries of the mind!

Lord Buddha appeared 2,000 years ago. He came with a special purpose - to stop the killing of animals, which was carried out by some unscrupulous Brahmins. These fools justified eating meat by performing cow and bull sacrifices and thought that the scriptures allowed it. Therefore, having descended to Earth, Lord Buddha rejected the Vedas, forbidding people to kill unfortunate cows.

Lord Buddha appeared in the family of the king of North India. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. He lived in a palace of fantastic beauty, enjoying the best food, clothing and entertainment. The prince had everything he could wish for. However, never in his life did he leave the walls of His palace and did not know what was happening in the world. The parents reliably protected their son, not saying a word about suffering, old age, illness and death.

After some time, Gautama began to become interested in the world outside the palace walls. He wanted to see how others lived. One day He left the palace in a chariot and visited a village nearby. Gautama was shocked! He saw sick, poor and dying people, bodies carried out to be burned. The young king could never imagine that suffering such as this existed. Then His only goal in life became to find relief from the sufferings of birth and death. He really wanted to achieve His goal and therefore one night, when everyone was sleeping, he left the palace, leaving behind a beautiful wife and child.

He took off His amazing silk shirt and put on a holey, faded orange robe., shaved his beautiful black hair and gave all the jewelry to the servant. Gautama took only a simple water pot and went on a journey to find the answer to the question of how to stop suffering.

Meeting with various yoga teachers, He asked them about the purpose of life. Gautama lived in a wild forest and performed great austerities, burning under the scorching sun during the day and freezing from the freezing cold at night. The former prince slept on a bed of straw and fasted until His body became thin and weak.
But He never found an answer to His question. Then Gautama realized that if he fasted and exhausted his body further, he would simply die. Then He began to take a little food in order to have the strength to continue His path.

While wandering in this way, Lord Buddha came to a place called Gaia, where I found a huge tree. Having made a bed of grass for Himself, He sat down at the foot of the tree, intending to remain there until He found the answer to His question.

While reflecting, HE did not ask any more questions and did not teach others. Buddha pondered, lost in his own thoughts. Gautama began to understand: a place in which there is no suffering is one where there are no material desires and actions. The final understanding came to him after the full moon in May. As soon as it began to get light, Buddha looked up at the sky and saw the rising morning star. At that moment He understood the Truth.

Having become a Buddha, that is, “enlightened”, He began to spread His teachings throughout northern India. For forty-five years the Lord, in the form of a monk, wandered from village to village, preaching to all people, helping them think about eternity.

The Buddha's teaching spoke many things to people. But the main thing was non-violence, ahimsa. At that time, people began to forget religious laws and loved to eat meat.

The Vedas talk a lot about animal sacrifice. But the sacrificed animal receives a new body when the Brahmanas recite the Vedic mantras correctly. In the time of Lord Buddha there were no such brahmanas. People sacrificed animals simply to enjoy their meat. To stop eating meat, Lord Buddha preached not to follow the Vedas, but follow Him. He taught compassion to ordinary people. Killing animals is a huge sin, and the Lord Himself came to stop the sinful acts of ignorant people.

Krishna's incarnation as Buddha is unusual because God rejected the scriptures. Generally, Krishna and His incarnations teach people to follow the scriptures. However, in those days people committed sins under the guise of religion, and Lord Buddha deceived them into rejecting the Vedas and following His path. Since He is the Supreme Lord, people were purified by following His instructions.

The tendency to deceive is one of the shortcomings of the conditioned soul. But the Lord is the greatest of all deceivers, and it costs Him nothing to outwit us. Therefore, we can remember the story of Lord Buddha so that when we begin to deceive ourselves and others in devotional service, He will help us recognize this deception and give us strength to resist it.

Kalki Avatar- the only incarnation of Krishna, which will appear in the future. The time in which we live is known as Kali Yuga - the age of quarrels, hostility and hypocrisy. Hypocrisy means saying one thing and doing something completely different.

For example, someone says about himself that he is very wonderful, but at the same time he lies, steals and commits cruel crimes. Many people in the age of Kali will do this. They will lose compassion for living souls, purity, truthfulness, good habits. .

In the age of Kali it is difficult to follow religious laws. Almost all rulers will violate the principles of religion and steal. Plants and trees will become tiny and stop producing fruit. People will run away to live in the forests and will be forced to eat wild fruits, leaves, meat and roots. Heavy rainfall will lead to flooding.

He will restore religion and protect the devotees. The scriptures say that Kalki will become the son of Vishnuyasa from the village of Shambhala.

All incarnations are indicated in the scriptures, so we know whether they are true or not. Sometimes there is a fool who says that he is an incarnation of Krishna. But we know that his name must be written in the scriptures. By reading the scriptures, we always recognize the liar who is trying to deceive us.

Lord Kalki - Lord of the Universe, will ride on the white horse Devadatta, traveling over the earth and showing His power. Illuminating everything around with the radiance of His body, He will fly with great speed, killing millions of unworthy kings. With his sharp sword, Kalki will destroy wicked people and ignorance. At this time, a refreshing spiritual breeze will carry the sweet scent of divine sandalwood and flowers. After the demon kings are killed, people will purify their hearts and change by inhaling the scent of sandalwood. They will have children, and the earth will soon be filled with people devoted to God.

With the appearance of Lord Kalki, Kali Yuga will end, and Satya Yuga - the golden era - will begin. In Satya Yuga people live long and they are very holy. The earth will give them all the beautiful fruits and flowers for a happy life in the service of the Lord.

Similarly, when the Lord comes to us in the form of His holy name, Kali Yuga ends in our hearts and homes and a new life begins - a kind of Satya Yuga. And when we feel that strife, envy and hypocrisy are beginning to take over our minds, we can remember Lord Kalki.

Astrological correspondences

1. Meena/Matsya Avatar(Fish), came from Ketu.
2. Kurma Avatar(Turtle), from Saturn.
3. Varaha / Shukara Avatar(The boar) came from Rahu.
4. Narasimha/Nrisimha Avatar(half-man, half-lion), from Mars.
5. Vamana Avatar(scientific dwarf), from Jupiter.
6. Parasu Rama/Bhargava Rama, from Venus.
7. Frame came from the Sun.
8. Krishna from the Moon.
9. Buddha from Mercury.