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The Fourth Book. Chapter 16

The Fourth Book

Chapter Xvi

On The Birth Of The Several Avatras Of Visnu And Their Deeds

p. 309

1-2.
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 Brhmana! Kindly narrate those sin-destroying deeds of Hari in His several incarnations, that are the source of happiness, peace and welfare to all humanity.

3.
Vysa said :-- O king! Hear, I am narrating to you the incarnations of Sr Bhagavn Hari which He had in the several Manvantaras and in the several Yugas respectively.

4. I
will tell you now, in brief, what forms He took and what deeds He did in the various incarnations.

5.
In the Chksusa Manvantara, the Bhagavn Hari took the incarnation of Dharma; and the two sons of Dharma, Nara Nryana, were widely celebrated in this world.

6.
Then, in the present Vavasvata Manvantara, under the reign of Vavasvata Manu in the second Yuga, Bhagavn Hari incarnated as Datttreya, in the shape of the son of Atr Risi.

7.
Anasy the wife of Atr, was desirous to have, as her sons, the three Devas Brahm, Visnu and Rudra; and in fulfilment of her desires, the Devas took their births in her womb.

8.
Anasy, was foremost amongst the chaste and virtuous women and on her praying, Brahm, Visnu and Rudra the Trinity at once agreed to become her sons.

9.
Brahm was born as Soma, Hari was born as Datttreya and Rudra was born as Durvs.

10.
In the fourth Yuga, the Bhagavn 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.

11.
It was to kill Hiranyakasipu that the Bhagavn Hari assumed this appearance, wonderful even to the Devas.

12.
In the Tret Yuga, the superior and the best of all the Yugas, the Bhagavn incarnated as Vmana ( the Dwarf), the son of Maharsi Kasyapa, to curb the power of Bali.

13.
The Dwarf Hari took away by pretext, the kingdom of Bali, while he was performing a sacrifice and sent him down into the Ptla (the lower regions).

p. 310

14.
Afterwards, in the nineteenth Yuga, known as the Tret Yuga, Sr Bhagavn Hari incarnated as Parasurma, very powerful and the son of Jamadagn Risi.

15.
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 Kasyapa.

16. O
king! He is the Parasurma, the sin-destroyer, the incarnation of Hari, and the doer of wonderful deeds.

17-20.
After that the Bhagavn Hari incarnated as Rma, the son of Dasaratha. Next in the twenty-eighth Dvpara Yuga, He incarnated as the very powerful Arjuna and Sr Krisna, the Amsas of Nara Nryana. 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.

21.
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 Sakti, to please the Purusa, without any cessation.

22-23.
In days of yore, the most ancient Bhagavn, the Highest, above all the qualities of My, 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, Visnu, Mahesa in the shape of the three qualities Sttva, Rjas and Tmas, and which is called the Highest Prakriti.

24.
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.

25. O
King! Whenever there takes place the union with this Prakriti, Brahm creates, Visnu preserves, and the all-auspicious God Sankara destroys the worlds.

26.
It was She That gave birth to Kkutstha, the best of the kings; and to conquer the Dnavas, She placed him at a certain place.

27. 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.

Here ends the Sixteenth Chapter in the Fourth Book of Sr Mad Dev Bhgavatam, the Mahpurnam of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vysa, on the Birth of the several Avatras of Visnu and their deeds.
veda sama veda atharva veda| veda sama veda atharva veda
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