Gospodin Višnu pojavljuje se u mnogim
oblicima od kojih su najpoznatiji deset avatara. Ovi avatari se
poistovjećuju sa 'grahama' (planetima). Ovdje su opisi ovih deset
avatara i njihova povezanost sa 'grahama' - planetima. Štovanjem
određenog avatara udobrovoljavamo energije planete koju avatar
predstavlja.
Kao što Brihat Parašara Hora Šastra kaže: "Nerođeni se
Gospodin pojavljuje na mnoge načine.Pojavljuje se kao 9 'graha' da bi
živim bićima podario rezultate njihove karme (ili aktivnosti). On je
'Janardana' (Onaj koga štovatelji obožavaju zbog materijalnog uspjeha i
duhovnog oslobođenja). On je prihvatio povoljne oblike 'graha' da bi
uništio zle sile (demone) i da bi održao božanske sile ili bića."
Šri
Rama - predstavlja Sunce. Kralj Rama se pojavio kao zaštitnik dharme i
oličenje pravednosti i istinoljubivosti. Njegove aktivnosti opisane su u
epu "Ramajana".
Šri Krišna - predstavlja Mjesec.
Bhagavata Purana opisuje Krišnu kao "bhagavana" ili prvobitnog Gospodina, izvora svih drugih avatara.
Krišna predstavlja devociju i odanost te energije Mjeseca. Obožavanjem
Šri Krišne udobrovoljavamo energije Mjeseca u natalnoj karti osobe.
Gospodin
Narasimhadeva predstavlja energije planete Mars. To je avatar koji se
pojavio kako bi zaštitio svojeg štovatelja, dječaka Prahlada Maharaja.
Gospodin Narasimhadeva je tako zaštitnik svojih štovatelja poput Marsa
koji štiti i uklanja prepreke koje obično uzrokuje Saturn. Štovanje bilo
kojeg od deset avatara Šri Višnua je uvijek povoljno i ne može donijeti
"nuspojave" ili negativne rezultate zbog specifičnih položaja u
natalnoj karti osobe.
Gospodin
Buddha je avatar Višnua koji predstavlja energije planete Merkur.
Buddha se pojavio kako bi ponovo uspostavio religiozne principe koji su
se u to vrijeme bili zagubili ili su bili pogrešno tumačeni
(zloupotrebljeni). Jedan od osnovnih religioznih principa koje je Buddha
podučavao je “ahimsa” ili nenasilje.
Gospodin
Vamanadeva predstavlja energije planete Jupiter. Vamanadeva je
dječak-brahmana (svećenik) koji je svojom mudrošću pokorio vladara
univerzuma Balija i ponovno uspostavio vladavinu polubogova (deva) u
univerzumu.
Parašurama
je avatar Šri Višnua koji predstavlja planetu Veneru. Pojavio se sa
zadatkom da iskorijeni nepravdu i zloupotrebe među vladajućom klasom
(kraljevima) toga doba.
Kurma deva - predstavlja planetu Saturn.
Kurma je Božanska kornjača koja se pojavila prilikom pokušaja božanskih
i demonskih bića u univerzumu da proizvedu nektar koji bi im osigurao
"besmrtnost". Prilikom tog pokušaja bili su neuspješni jer nisu imali
temelj (ili bazu) za planinu kojom su bućkali ocean mlijeka. Višnu se
tada pojavio kao kornjača (Kurma) i poslužio kao temelj za planinu.
Kornjača ima tvrd oklop kojim može izdržati ogroman pritisak i
simbolizira energije planete Saturn.
Gospodin
Kalki je avatara Višnua koji u natalnoj karti osobe predstavlja
ascendent (ili podznak). Kalki se pojavljuje na kraju Kali-yuge
(sadašnjeg doba svađe i licemjerstva) kako bi ponovo uspostavio početak
"zlatnog doba" ili Satya-yuge.
Varahadeva
je avatar Šri Višnua koji predstavlja energije Rahua ili sjevernog
Mjesečevog čvora. Varaha (vepar) je spasio planetu Zemlju kada je ispala
iz svoje orbite zbog neravnoteže stvorene izrabljivanjem od strane tada
vladajuće demonske rase.
Avatara
Gospodina Višnua koji se pojavljuje u obliku ribe naziva se Matsya
avatara. On predstavlja energije Ketua ili južnog Mjesečevog čvora. Pri
velikom potopu koji je potopio površinu cijele zemlje Matsya se pojavio
kako bi spasio lađu na kojoj su bili preživjeli ljudi i životinje
(postoje sličnosti sa Biblijskom pričom o Noi i potopu).
Više detalja o avatarima iz komentara Bhaktivedanta Swamija, Šrila Prabhupada:
In
the center square, Krsna is shown in His original two-handed form,
holding a flute. Surrounding Him are ten of His eternal incarnations,
pictured in the order in which they appear in the material world,
beginning counter-clockwise from the top left-hand corner.
1)
Matsya- "Soon after the cosmic creation, the entire universe was
inundated with water. At that time Lord Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) incarnated
as a gigantic fish to protect the Vedas. Therefore Manu addresses Lord
Matsya as mukhyatama, the first incarnation to appear."-SB 5.18.25
2) Kurma, the tortoise incarnation-"The primeval Lord then assumed the
tortoise incarnation in order to serve as a resting place [pivot] for
the Mandara Mountain, which was acting as a churning rod. The demigods
and demons were churning the ocean of milk with the Mandara Mountain in
order to extract nectar. The mountain moved back and forth, scratching
the back of Lord Tortoise, who, while partially sleeping, was
experiencing an itching sensation."-SB 2.7.13
3)
Varaha-"This refers to the time when Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared as the supreme
boar, Varāha, and rescued the earth, which had been merged in water. The
asura Hiraṇyākṣa had dislocated the earth from its orbit and thrown it
beneath the waters of the Garbhodaka Ocean. Then the Lord, in the shape
of the original boar, rescued the earth."-SB 4.17.34
4)
Nrsimhadeva, half man half lion incarnation-"Prahlāda Mahārāja, a small
child of only five years, became the object of envy for his great
father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, only because of his becoming a pure devotee of
the Lord. The demon father employed all his weapons to kill the devotee
son, Prahlāda, but by the grace of the Lord he was saved from all sorts
of dangerous actions by his father. He was thrown in a fire, in boiling
oil, from the top of a hill, underneath the legs of an elephant, and he
was administered poison. At last the father himself took up a chopper to
kill his son, and thus Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared and killed the heinous
father in the presence of the son."-SB 1.15.16
5) Vamanadeva,
the dwarf incarnation- The history of Bali Mahārāja and his charity to
Vāmanadeva is described in the Eighth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bali
Mahārāja conquered all the planets of the universe by rightful
possession. A king can conquer other kings by strength, and such
possession is considered to be rightful. So Bali Mahārāja possessed all
the lands of the universe, and he happened to be charitably disposed
toward the brāhmaṇas. The Lord therefore pretended to be a beggar
brāhmaṇa, and He asked Bali Mahārāja for a measurement of three
footsteps of land. The Lord, as the proprietor of everything, could take
from Bali Mahārāja all the land he possessed, but he did not do so
because Bali Mahārāja possessed all those lands by king's rights. When
Bali Mahārāja was asked by Lord Vāmana for such small charity, Bali
Mahārāja's spiritual master, namely Śukrācārya, objected to this
proposal because he knew that Vāmanadeva was Viṣṇu Himself, pretending
to be a beggar. Bali Mahārāja did not agree to abide by the order of his
spiritual master when he understood that the beggar was Viṣṇu Himself,
and he at once agreed to give Him in charity the land requested. By this
agreement Lord Vāmana covered all the lands of the universe with His
first two steps and then asked Bali Mahārāja where to place the third
step. Bali Mahārāja was very glad to receive the Lord's remaining step
upon his head, and thus Bali Mahārāja, instead of losing everything he
possessed, was blessed by the Lord's becoming his constant companion and
doorman. So, by giving everything to the cause of the Lord, one does
not lose anything, but he gains everything that he could never otherwise
expect.-SB 2.7.17
6) Parasurama is killing the demoniac
ksatriyas-Paraśurāma, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, killed Kārtavīryārjuna because Kārtavīryārjuna was too proud.
One may possess unusual opulence in this material world, but if one
becomes puffed up and acts whimsically he will be punished by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the lesson to learn from this
history, in which Paraśurāma became angry at Kārtavīryārjuna and killed
him and rid the entire world of kṣatriyas twenty-one times.-SB 9.15
Summary
7) Lord Ramacandra is going off into exile with His
wife, Sita, and brother, Laksmana.-The Rāmāyaṇa narrates how Lord Rāma
was sent to the forest by His father just when He was going to be
enthroned. After Lord Rāma's departure, Mahārāj Daśaratha, His father,
died. In the forest His wife, Sītādevī, was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa, and
there was a great war. When Sītādevī was finally delivered from the
clutches of Rāvaṇa, Rāvaṇa's whole family and kingdom, and Rāvaṇa
himself, were vanquished.
8) Krsna beside Him is His brother Balarama.-Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma present
Themselves as elder or younger brother, but in the scriptures They are
described as the original Supreme Personality of Godhead and His
expansion.-Adi 5.154
9) Lord Buddha.- From the Bhāgavatam we
understand that Lord Buddha is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa who appeared
when materialism was rampant and materialists were using the pretext of
the authority of the Vedas. Although there are certain restrictive rules
and regulations regarding animal sacrifice for particular purposes in
the Vedas, people of demonic tendency still took to animal sacrifice
without reference to the Vedic principles. Lord Buddha appeared to stop
this nonsense and to establish the Vedic principles of nonviolence.
Therefore each and every avatāra, or incarnation of the Lord, has a
particular mission, and they are all described in the revealed
scriptures.-Bg 4.7 purport
10) Lord Kalki is riding on His
horse, killing all the demons and thus liberating them.-It is stated in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that in Kali-yuga the heads of government will be
plunderers and thieves. These thieves and plunderers take the money and
property of the public by force or connivance. Therefore it is said in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, rājanyair nirghṛṇair dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. As Kali-yuga
advances, we can see that these characteristics are already visible. We
can certainly imagine how deteriorated human civilization will be by the
end of Kali-yuga. Indeed, there will no longer be a sane man capable of
understanding God and our relationship with Him. In other words, human
beings will be just like animals. At that time, in order to reform human
society, Lord Kṛṣṇa will come in the form of the Kalki avatāra. His
business will be to kill all the atheists because ultimately the real
protector is Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa.-SB 5.12.7
Purports by Srila Prabhupada