Orissa Review * May-June - 2010 Dasavatara in Sri Jayadev¶s Gita Govinda Dr. Bhagyalipi Malla The cycles of creation and destruction are an the earlier Dasavatara tradition Sri Jayadeva made integral part of Hindu philosophy, which also the cult more popular in the society in his lucid reaffirm the notion of the ten Avataras. This description. People irrespective of castes, sects, concept of the Avataras reestablishes the idea that sex and creed continuously chant the Dasavataras God has time and again taken a human form to devotionally in the temples, shrines and even in rid the earth of suffering and evil. The Avataras their own houses, very often not knowing the come at a juncture when the world is in a crisis meaning of the hymns and the songs. By the time when evil, injustice and inequality rule. He Sri Jayadeva appeared in the socio ± religious removes negativity from this world and anchors arena of Orissa, the idiom of Dasavatara had in a positive new change creating a whole new already flourished in Orissa. The ending version world- a Golden Age. of each avatara ³Jai jagadisa hare´ was invoked The formulation of Dasavatara of Visnu to Sri Jagannath. The inscription of avataras th is a significant contribution of Sri Jayadeva, Krsna ranging from 7 century A.D. onwards the profuse as an Avatara is not included in the Dasavatara sculptural depiction of the avataras in the Vaisnava hymns. The enumerated list of Avataras varies temples with high concentration in Prachi valley, from four, six, ten, twenty-five and thirty-nine. The in the Jagannatha Kshetra delineate deeply rooted post narrates only ten Avataras which is universally tradition in the sacred soil of Orissa. The images accepted. Considering the importance of Buddha of avataras so far come to light in Orissa are too in the socio ± cultural matrix of Orissa Sri numerous to allude here. Undoubtedly the cult Jayadeva very wisely and appropriately had a great influence on the mind¶s eye of the incorporated Buddha in the pantheon. saint poet devotee Sri Jayadeva, who made it more popular and more acceptable in his lucid The concept of Visnu¶s avatara dates and lyrical description. back to the Mahabharata age spread sporadically either, in individual form or in group (the number In the first section of the famous Gita of Avataras varying from period to period and Govinda the poet writes about the ten incarnations from author to author). Historically, of Lord Vishnu and he evokes Vishnu as Krishna archaeologically and literally the avataravada of -Keshava. Visnu became an integral part of Vaisnava faith ³Vedan uddharate jaganti vahate bhu-golam from the early centuries of Christian era. Following udbibhrate daityam darayate balim chalayate 23 Orissa Review * May-June - 2010 ksatra-ksayam kurvate Matsya Purana associates it with the demon paulastyam jayate halam kalayate karunyam Hayagriva. atanvate mlecchan murchayate dasakrti-krte krsnaya tubhyam namah´ Manu was the grandson of Brahma. One day, while he was doing penance he went to the O Krishna, I offer my obeisance to You, river Kritamala to bathe. As he took some water who appear in ten incarnations. In your in his palms as an offering a tiny fish came into his appearance as Matsya, You rescued the Vedas, hands. The fish prayed to Manu requesting him and as Kurma, You supported the Mount not to throw him back into the river because the Mandara on Your back. As Varaha, You lift the bigger fish would eat him. Manu brought this tiny earth with Your tusks, and as the Narasimha, You fish home. To his amazement the fish grew larger tore open the chest of the demon Hiranyakasyapu. everyday. He then put it in a larger pot but it grew In the form of Vamana, You tricked Bali by asking bigger, he then placed it in an enormous lake and him for three steps of land, and then you took finally in the Holy Ganges. But it didn¶t stop away the entire universe from him by expanding growing and outgrew the large river. The dismayed Your steps. As Parashurama, You annihilated all Manu asked the fish to reveal its identity. The fish the wicked Kshatriya kings, and as Ramachandra, told Manu that after seven days there would be a You killed the demon king, Ravana. In the form great flood and the waters would cover the entire of Balarama, You drew the River Yamuna towards earth. He instructed him to construct a large boat, You. As Lord Buddha, You showed compassion take the seven sages (Saptarishi), carry all varieties towards everyone and at the end in Kaliyuga, You of seeds in it and escape. When the Mahapralaya appear as Kalki to slay the (mlecchas) low-class finally came everything was submerged in water. men. A fish with a golden horn appeared. Manu tied 1. Matsyavatara: The Fish Incarnation of his boat to the horn of this big fish and reached Vishnu the summit of the Himalayas. After the torrential ³Pralaya-payodhijale dhrtavanasi vihitavahitra- rains ended, everything in the world ceased to caritra-makhedam Kesava dhrta minasarira exist except Manu and the seven sages. In this jaya jagadisa hare´ way Vishnu as Matsyavatara saved his devotees from destruction. O Kesava (Vishnu)! In the form of Fish (minasarira), Holding the Vedas like a vessel According to the Padma Purana Sage undeflected from its course in the deluge to Kashyapa¶s wife Diti gave birth to a demon-son preserve the knowledge of Vedas, You took the Makara who stole the Vedas from Brahma. As incarnation of Fish! Praise be to Jagadish! Lord the Vedas were no longer there to guide mankind of the universe! all manner of sin and vice increased. On Brahma¶s request Vishnu incarnated as Matsya killed Matsya or the sacred fish is Vishnu¶s first Makara or Shankasura hiding in the conch incarnation in the avatar doctrine. The Shatpath Panchajana and recovered the lost Vedas. Brahmana is the earliest text to mention the Matsyavatara of Vishnu and associates this story In this typical Uniara painting, Vishnu is to Vaivasvata Manu who helped save the world portrayed in half human half fish form emerging and the human race from the Great Deluge from the waters after vanquishing the demon (Mahapralaya). The Padma Purana relates the Hayagriva who is hiding in the Panchajanya conch. Matsyavatara to the demon Shankhasura and the Here the artist has shown the Shankasura episode 24 Orissa Review * May-June - 2010 where the demon also assumes a half demon half acting as a perfect churning rope. Thus the conch form. Brahma is shown with folded hands churning of the ocean began. requesting Lord Vishnu to recover the stolen As the Asuras and Devas began churning, Vedas from the demon. This is a well-known fourteen precious objects or Caturdasha- ratnam version of the Matsyavatara from the Padma began to appearing from the Kshirasagara. The Purana. first to emerge was a deadly poison called 2. Kurmavatara: The Tortoise Incarnation of Halahala or Kalakuta which signified the impurities Vishnu of the ocean and was very lethal. Shiva, the lord of destruction responded to the prayers of the ³Ksitirati-vipulatare tava tisthati prsthe dharani- dharanakina-cakragaristhe Kesava dhrta Asuras and Devas. He drank the poison but kept kacchaparupa jaya jagagadisa hare´ it in his throat. Henceforth Shiva was also known as Neelakanta or the Blue Throated One. O Kesava (Vishnu)! In the form of Thereafter emerged Surabhi or Kamadhenu- the Tortoise (kacchaparupa), On your broad and vast wish fulfilling cow which was given to the Sapta back the world rests, creating circular marks. Rishis, Vaaruni or the Goddess of wine, the Praise be to Jagadish! Lord of the universe! Parijata tree, Apsara or the celestial nymph Kurmavatara or Vishnu¶s incarnation as Rambha, the sun, the moon which now adorns a tortoise relates to the legend of the Samudra- the head of Shiva, Sri or Mahalakshmi, manthana or the churning of the ocean. Once sage Uchaisravas- the seven headed white steed given Durvasa visited Indraloka. Indra was riding his to Bali, Indra¶s future vehicle Airavata, the Conch- white elephant Airavata in a procession. The sage Panchajanya, the Bow-Sharnga, the Mace- garlanded Indra with a divine garland but the Kaumodaki, the Jewel-Kaustabhamani and lastly arrogant Indra tied it to Airavata¶s tusk. Irritated to appear was Dhanvantari- the divine physician. by the bees that swarmed to collect nectar from He held a golden pitcher full of ambrosia or the flowers; Airavata threw the garland from his Amrita the nectar of immortality - an elixir of life. tusk on to the ground and trampled upon it. Indra¶s Thus the nectar was obtained. insensitive behaviour infuriated the Sage who A strong battle ensued between the devas cursed him saying that the devas would loose all and the Asuras for this Nectar. Lord Vishnu then their power. Instantly the three worlds assumed the form of a beautiful apsara Mohini disappeared. Indra prayed to Vishnu- the who was entrusted the task of distributing the Preserver. Vishnu told them that they would nectar amongst all. She began by distributing the recover their glory if they all drank Amrita the nectar to the Devas while the Asuras waited nectar of immortality. This could only be obtained patiently for their turn. By the time she reached by the churning of the ocean. Lord Vishnu the Asuras there was not a drop of nectar left in suggested that they lift Mount Mandara, place it the pitcher. in the ocean use it as a churn drill or rod and employ the serpent Vasuki to act as the churning 3.