Avatar

[Fact 1]: Hinduism, or '' refers to a deliberate descent of a deity from heaven to earth, and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation", but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation".The term is most often associated with Vishnu, though it has also come to be associated with other deities. Varying lists of avatars of Vishnu appear in Hindu scriptures, including the ten Dashavatara of the Garuda Purana and the twenty-two avatars in the Bhagavata Purana, though the latter adds that the incarnations of Vishnu are innumerable. The avatars of Vishnu are a primary component of Vaishnavism.

[Fact 2]: An early reference to avatar, and to avatar doctrine, is in the Bhagavad Gita.Shiva and Ganesha are also described as descending in the form of avatars.

[Fact 3]: The various manifestations of Devi, the Divine Mother principal in Hinduism, are also described as avatars or incarnations by some scholars and followers of Shaktism. The avatars of Vishnu carry a greater theological prominence than those of other deities, which some scholars perceive to be imitative of the Vishnu avatar lists.The Sanskrit noun is derived from the verbal root "to cross over", joined with the prefix "off , away , down".

[Fact 4]: 240ff.; Mercy Amba Oduyoye, H.

[Fact 5]: SB 1.3.28: "All of the above-mentioned incarnations avatars are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord or Vishnu"O Keshava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of Buddha! All glories to You! O Buddha of compassionate heart, you decry the slaughtering of poor animals performed according to the rules of Vedic sacrifice. Dasavatara stotra Lecture 1974 by founder of ISKCON - A.

[Fact 6]: An oft-quoted passage describes the typical role of an avatar of Vishnu—to bring dharma, or righteousness, back to the social and cosmic order:

Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increases I send myself forth.
In order to protect the good and punish the wicked,
In order to make a firm foundation for righteousness,
I come into being age after age.

[Fact 7]: The commonly accepted number of ten was fixed well before the 10th century CE. In addition, various Vaishnava saints and founders are considered to be partial avatars.Sheth, p.

[Fact 8]: Barrows , Vol.

[Fact 9]: The word doesn't occur in the Vedas, but is recorded in Pāṇini |christological implications]] is somewhat misleading as the concept of avatar corresponds more closely to the view of Docetism in Christian theology, as distinct from the idea of God 'in the flesh' in mainstream Christology.Edward Geoffrey Parrinder, Avatar and incarnation , chapter "Docetism, in Buddhism and Christology", pp.