This page groups figures by where their own story says they came from. Wikipedia notes that an early Christian saint's life was typically recorded as "a biography or vita (Latin for 'life', which begins the title of most medieval biographies)." Browsing by place of origin lets a visitor find every figure whose recorded life begins in the same place.
Facts
Overview
What Defines This GroupingA category internal to the Hindu traditions: the descent of a deity into the world, above all the descents of Vishnu, undertaken to restore order. The figures gathered here are also worshipped as deities in their own right, and appear elsewhere in the atlas under that aspect. 2 Size of the Traditional SetTen in the standard Vaishnava list of Vishnu's descents, but the lists vary and other numbers are given. 2Tradition: Hinduism Learn More
The avatars
This group gathers avatars: in Hindu tradition, the earthly descents of a deity, above all the incarnations of Vishnu who come into the world to restore order in times of crisis. The concept is distinctive to the Indian religious world.
The browser will find figures understood as avatars, such as the incarnations of Vishnu. The entries note that several of these figures are also worshipped as deities in their own right and appear elsewhere in the atlas under that aspect.
Place of Origin
Sources
1. Divinity Atlas Directory Taxonomy, First Edition Category Tree
2. Encyclopedia of Hinduism
Denise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.), Routledge, 2008Balarama and the avatar listsView the Source Divinity Atlas Directory Prose, First Edition Category Descriptions
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