{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/db/bk04ch16.htm","path":"hin/db/bk04ch16.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk04ch16.htm","text":"THE FOURTH BOOK\nChapter XVI\nOn the Birth of the several Avat\u00e2ras of Visnu and their deeds\n1-2. Janamejaya spoke :-- O best of Munis! How did Visnu, of wonderful deeds, get his incarnation owing to the curse, cast on Him by Bhrigu? what were His different incarnations in different Manvantaras respectively? O Thou, well versed in religion! O Br\u00e2hmana! Kindly narrate those sin-destroying deeds of Hari in His several incarnations, that are the source of happiness, peace and welfare to all humanity.\n3. Vy\u00e2sa said :-- O king! Hear, I am narrating to you the incarnations of S\u2019r\u00ee Bhagav\u00e2n Hari which He had in the several Manvantaras and in the several Yugas respectively.\n4. I will tell you now, in brief, what forms He took and what deeds He did in the various incarnations.\n5. In the Ch\u00e2ksusa Manvantara, the Bhagav\u00e2n Hari took the incarnation of Dharma; and the two sons of Dharma, Nara N\u00e2r\u00e2yana, were widely celebrated in this world.\n6. Then, in the present Va\u00eevasvata Manvantara, under the reign of Va\u00eevasvata Manu in the second Yuga, Bhagav\u00e2n Hari incarnated as Datt\u00e2treya, in the shape of the son of Atr\u00ee Risi.\n7. Anas\u00fby\u00e2 the wife of Atr\u00ee, was desirous to have, as her sons, the three Devas Brahm\u00e2, Visnu and Rudra; and in fulfilment of her desires, the Devas took their births in her womb.\n8. Anas\u00fby\u00e2, was foremost amongst the chaste and virtuous women and on her praying, Brahm\u00e2, Visnu and Rudra the Trinity at once agreed to become her sons.\n9. Brahm\u00e2 was born as Soma, Hari was born as Datt\u00e2treya and Rudra was born as Durv\u00e2s\u00e2.\n10. In the fourth Yuga, the Bhagav\u00e2n assumed the beautiful double form in one, the upper part resembling a lion and the lower part a human being to accomplish the noble purpose of the Devas.\n11. It was to kill Hiranyakas\u2019ipu that the Bhagav\u00e2n Hari assumed this appearance, wonderful even to the Devas.\n12. In the Tret\u00e2 Yuga, the superior and the best of all the Yugas, the Bhagav\u00e2n incarnated as V\u00e2mana ( the Dwarf), the son of Maharsi Kas\u2019yapa, to curb the power of Bali.\n13. The Dwarf Hari took away by pretext, the kingdom of Bali, while he was performing a sacrifice and sent him down into the P\u00e2t\u00e2la (the lower regions).\n14. Afterwards, in the nineteenth Yuga, known as the Tret\u00e2 Yuga, S\u2019r\u00ee Bhagav\u00e2n Hari incarnated as Paras\u2019ur\u00e2ma, very powerful and the son of Jamadagn\u00ee Risi.\n15. He was very beautiful and graceful in his body, truthful and the conqueror of his senses. He extirpated the Ksattriya race and gave the whole world over to the high minded Risi Kas\u2019yapa.\n16. O king! He is the Paras\u2019ur\u00e2ma, the sin-destroyer, the incarnation of Hari, and the doer of wonderful deeds.\n17-20. After that the Bhagav\u00e2n Hari incarnated as R\u00e2ma, the son of Das\u2019aratha. Next in the twenty-eighth Dv\u00e2para Yuga, He incarnated as the very powerful Arjuna and S\u2019r\u00ee Krisna, the Ams\u2019as of Nara N\u00e2r\u00e2yana. To remove the load of the earth, these two were born; and they fought deadly battles in the battlefield of Kuruksettra. O king! Thus the several incarnations of Hari arose, according to the requirements of Prakriti. O King! These three worlds are under the control of Prakriti.\n21. Whatever the Prakriti wishes at any time, She can fashion the world in that way. And She does this incessantly in accordance with the Word Divine, the Highest S\u2019akti, to please the Purusa, without any cessation.\n22-23. In days of yore, the most ancient Bhagav\u00e2n, the Highest, above all the qualities of M\u00e2y\u00e2, formless, all pervading, difficult to be conceived, without any decay, self-supporting, without any want, created these worlds, moving and unmoving and He manifested Himself as the Trinity, Brahm\u00e2, Visnu, Mahes\u2019a in the shape of the three qualities S\u00e2ttva, R\u00e2jas and T\u00e2mas, and which is called the Highest Prakriti.\n24. This all auspicious Prakriti shines differently according to the differences in time and circumstances. This threefold Prakriti, the Great Enchantress of the world is creating, preserving the worlds and is destroying them at the end of the Kalpas.\n25. O King! Whenever there takes place the union with this Prakriti, Brahm\u00e2 creates, Visnu preserves, and the all-auspicious God S\u2019ankara destroys the worlds.\n26. It was She That gave birth to K\u00e2kutstha, the best of the kings; and to conquer the D\u00e2navas, She placed him at a certain place.\n27. O king! Thus all men controlled by the Great Law in this world, enjoy sometimes the pleasures, enjoy sometimes pains and thus exist in the world.\nHere ends the Sixteenth Chapter in the Fourth Book of S\u2019r\u00ee Mad Dev\u00ee Bh\u00e2gavatam, the Mah\u00e2pur\u00e2nam of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vy\u00e2sa, on the Birth of the several Avat\u00e2ras of Visnu and their deeds.","title":"The Devi Bhagavatam: The Fourth Book: Chapter 16","type":"page"}