The earthly descent of a deity, from the Sanskrit avatara, a crossing down. Krishna and Rama are gathered here, both descents of Vishnu and the two most consequential of the traditional list of ten. The word translates badly as incarnation. A descent is deliberate, purposeful and repeated rather than a single permanent union of natures, and Vaishnava schools differ among themselves over how complete each descent is.
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.
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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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