Astha SangrahASTHA SANGRAHhttps://asthasangrah.comDashavatar Katha
The Dashavatar Katha gives a brief account of the ten incarnations Lord Vishnu has taken, from time to time, to protect dharma, Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashuram, Ram, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki, a story whose background is also tied to the curse of the sage Bhrigu.
Chapter 1 · Sage Bhrigu's Curse, and the Purpose of Incarnation
Once, in a fierce war between gods and demons, the demons began to lose and fled for shelter to the ashram of sage Bhrigu. Upholding the duty of hospitality and protecting those who sought refuge, Bhrigu's wife gave the demons sanctuary in her ashram. When Lord Vishnu learned of this, he entered the ashram, to protect the gods, and slew Bhrigu's wife.
When sage Bhrigu returned to the ashram and learned of his wife's killing, he cursed Lord Vishnu, in his rage, to be born repeatedly from a woman's womb, in human and other forms. Lord Vishnu accepted this curse from his own devotee with equanimity, for it aligned with his own promise, that whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, he himself would take incarnation to restore righteousness.
Read the Vishnu Chalisa →It was for this very purpose that Lord Vishnu took ten principal incarnations across different ages, known together as the 'Dashavatar.' Each of these incarnations came about to avert some particular crisis and restore dharma. The next two chapters give a brief introduction to each of these ten incarnations.
Chapter 2 · The First Five Incarnations, From Matsya to Vamana
The first incarnation was as Matsya, the fish, when the demon Hayagriva stole the Vedas from Brahma and hid at the bottom of the ocean. Lord Vishnu took the form of a fish, slew that demon, recovered the Vedas, and also guided King Satyavrata (Manu)'s boat safely through the great deluge.
The second incarnation was Kurma, the tortoise, taken when Mount Mandara, used as the churning rod during the churning of the ocean, began to sink into the sea. Lord Vishnu, as Kurma, bore the mountain on his back so the churning could continue undisturbed. The third incarnation was Varaha, the boar, taken when the demon Hiranyaksha dragged the earth down into the ocean. As Varaha, Vishnu slew Hiranyaksha and lifted the earth back into place on his tusks.
Read the Samudra Manthan Prasang →The fourth incarnation was Narasimha, half-man and half-lion, taken when Hiranyakashyap, brother of Hiranyaksha, tortured his own son Prahlad, a devoted follower of Vishnu, in countless ways. Appearing as Narasimha, Vishnu slew Hiranyakashyap at twilight (neither day nor night), on a threshold (neither inside nor outside), on his own lap (neither on earth nor in the sky), and with his claws (no weapon), thereby rendering every one of the demon's boons useless, and saved Prahlad. The fifth incarnation was Vamana, a dwarf Brahmin, taken when King Bali, through his generosity and might, had gained control of all three worlds. As Vamana, Vishnu asked Bali for three paces of land in charity, then assumed a cosmic form and measured the earth and heavens in two strides, placing his third step on Bali's head and granting him the netherworld to rule instead.
Chapter 3 · The Last Five Incarnations, From Parashuram to Kalki
The sixth incarnation was Parashuram, born as the son of sage Jamadagni, who received an axe from Lord Shiv and destroyed the Kshatriya kings who had grown tyrannical, drunk on their own power. The seventh incarnation was as Shri Ram and the eighth as Shri Krishna, the detailed stories of both these incarnations are available on their own pages elsewhere on this site, and so are only briefly recalled here.
Read the Ram Chalisa →The ninth incarnation is held to be Lord Buddha, who taught the world the path of non-violence, compassion, and truth. The tenth and final incarnation is Kalki, who is believed to appear at the end of the Kali age, mounted on a white horse and bearing a sword, to destroy adharma and sinners utterly and re-establish the Satya Yuga, this incarnation is still awaited, in the future.
The story of these ten incarnations is especially recited and heard on Bhadrapada Shukla Dashami, observed as the 'Dashavatar Vrat.' It is believed that fasting on this day, hearing the Dashavatar Katha, and worshipping Lord Vishnu with proper rites destroys all sins and grants liberation.
Read the Om Jai Jagdish Hare Aarti →How to Read Dashavatar Katha
On Bhadrapada Shukla Dashami, bathe in the morning and take the vrat's resolve, light a lamp before an image of Lord Vishnu and offer panchamrit and tulsi leaves, and hear or read the Dashavatar Katha. Close the worship in the evening with the Om Jai Jagdish Hare Aarti.
About Dashavatar Katha
This story is told across three chapters. The first tells of sage Bhrigu's curse and the purpose of incarnation. The second gives a brief account of the first five incarnations, from Matsya to Vamana, and the third of the last five, from Parashuram to Kalki.
This story is connected to the Dashavatar Vrat observed on Bhadrapada Shukla Dashami. This page presents all three chapters' full text in plain Hindi, with adjustable text size and print support.
About The Bhagavata Purana and other Puranas
The Dashavatar Katha has no single authoritative printed 'katha text', the background of sage Bhrigu's curse and the account of the ten incarnations appear scattered across the Bhagavata Purana, the Vishnu Purana, and other Puranas, and have been drawn together and summarized independently here. Note: the detailed stories of the Ram and Krishna incarnations (birth, exile, divine deeds, and so on) are already available on their own pages elsewhere on this site, and the Samudra Manthan episode too has its own detailed page, so only a brief introduction is given here, to avoid repeating that content.
Frequently asked questions
What are Lord Vishnu's ten incarnations?
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashuram, Ram, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki, these are held to be Lord Vishnu's ten principal incarnations.
Why did Lord Vishnu have to incarnate again and again?
This has its background in sage Bhrigu's curse, given after Vishnu slew Bhrigu's wife. It also aligns with Vishnu's own promise that whenever dharma declines, he himself would incarnate to restore it.
When is the Dashavatar Vrat observed?
The Dashavatar Vrat is observed on Bhadrapada Shukla Dashami, when proper worship is performed and the Dashavatar Katha is heard.
What is believed about the Kalki incarnation?
It is believed that the Kalki incarnation is yet to come, appearing at the end of the Kali age mounted on a white horse, to destroy adharma and re-establish the Satya Yuga.