Dashavatars of Mahavishnu

There is a grand celebration of Rama navami in Ayodhya mandapam , West mambalam chennai, just a few hundred metres away from home.Accidentally I met my senior in college. We were meeting after 55 years.She was in her traditional vaishnavite madisar dress.Now she is the grandma of 8 grandchildren and soon getting promoted as great grandma.

She came home. We had a heartful chat of good old days in Srirangam.The main talk related to the group discussion we had about dasavathar.She used to argue that Darwin took guidance only from Dasavathar to formulate his Theory of Evolution.

Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor: the birds and the bananas, the fishes and the flowers -- all related. Darwin's general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected) "descent with modification". That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival -- a process known as "natural selection." These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation. Over time, beneficial mutations accumulate and the result is an entirely different organism (not just a variation of the original, but an entirely different creature).

Religion, Avatars etc depend essentially on 'Faith' and Darwins Theory of Evolution is based on his actual observations. ( pratyaksham)though scientific theories also first originate from hypotheses, later on get so many transformations based on future scientists..

In Shrimat Bhagavatham a reference is made to 24 Avatars, of which sage Narada, Vyasa are also included.

However taking the ten main Avatars, it is argued that the avataras typically represent the ascent from acquatic creatures to amphibions to mammals leading to semi animal-man ( Narasimha ) Avatar, ( Matsya,koorma, varaha and Narasimha)then to a dwarf human avatar ( Vaman), a jungle dweller, terrific uncontrollable Parasurama to the more civilized Shri Rama and Krishna,Rama being perfect prepared to sacrifice family for protecting Raja Dharma and Krishna being more wise, clever indulging in activities which he considered Dharmic witha motive to win.Looks alright evoutionally?

Somehow the cycle has to end,that is with Kalki Avatar.

True, there are are subtle similarities to suggest Theory of Evolution.But there is a lot of difference between Darwin's Scientific Theory of Evolution and traditional thoughts on Dashavataram.

As per theory of Evolution, there have been only fish, all acquatic creatures and nothing else. In the second stage of evolution there were another set of creatures with some advanced features to prove evolutionary process. We have never come across a human being living at the time with dianossures.

In Matsyavatar we have read that a human king named Satyavrata gave a place to the fish in his palace.That fish grew bigger and bigger to the size of the ocean.

In kurmavatar also we see lot of Devas and asuras while the milk ocean was churned.

Matsya Avatar is reported to have occurred in some part of India, and amrita kalasam came from some non human realm,that is milky ocean.

Coming to Varaha Avatar ,it is very strange.That could not have happened in this earth, since Varaha avatar itself was intended to lift the earth which was submerged into ocean.

Even as per Bagavatha Puranam, Matsya does not seem to be the first Avatar. Other species had been there and just to save the seeds of all those species, Vishnu took the form of fish.

As per theory of Evolution, the previous species lacked certain features and the later species have developed over them, more refined. But all of Vishnu Avatars are great in their own way. In no way matsya Avatar is less significant or inferior to Kurma, and Narasimha is better evolved than varaha.

Ramaavatar cannot be isolated without monkeys and Rakshasas.

Krishna Avatar cannot be considered superior to Rama Avatar.The choice of which Avatar to take, rests with Almighty who is Omni potent, omnopresent and omniscient.

These 10 Avatars alone have formed a set so that even the less elite could understand and appreciate the Avatara mahimas and not with a view to support the theory of Avatar-Evolution phenomenon, which is of very recent origin.

By going through all the stories connected with all the Avatars we can certainly say that it is not animal exclusive slowly evolved into human order. We find elite sages, rishis, devas, asuras in almost all the avatars making their simultaneous presence.

The age of the Universe as supported by science seems to be different from what is stated in scriptures.

So we cannot set aside the theories of the great scientist Darwin based on so much of environmental studies and can't come to a conclusion that whatever Darwin has stated has already found a place in our scriptures.

The simple fish-tortoise-varaha-narasimha leading to Krishna alone does not seem to support the view.

I think we can analyse Darwin's Theory of Evolution separately and appreciate the scientific facts which are very much interesting.We can admire Dasavatars separately as part of our scriptures which form the basis of our Hindu culture and traditional values.,in stead of arguing that the Theory of Evolution itself had a base in our epics.

While we were concluding the topic and turned to kushala prasnam, her grandson,aged 25 ,asked me, "Mami, how can Ramavatar be earlier to Krishna Avatar, based on Evolution,since only cows were early animals and horses came later. Krishna was a cowherd boy tending cows while we learn of Rama of using horses which evolved very late."

I could not answer him at all in a scientific way.

But when he asked if we include, Parasurama, Balarama and Buddha as avatars we have to omit an important Avatar. He said with conviction, we may perhaps omit Krishna as an Avatar as he is the essence of all the Avatars. Perhaps he had Jayadeva's Ashtapadi in his mind, in which jayadeva includes all but Krishna.The discussion I had with this American citizen was simply absorbing.

But I could convince him that there were two Buddhas, one of 1800 B. C. E. who is considered an Avatar of Vishnu.The other Buddha, or Siddharta, about whom we read in history books belongs to a much later period by whom Ashoka was much influenced,--is not an Avatar of Mahavishnu.( But English historians had a great difficulty in reconizing the earler Buddha, I told.)

We were so much absorbed about these discussions during college days, our Sanskrit classes conducted in a thatched shed literally enjoying the fragrance of mud,( mann vasanai) when the first rain drops fell on muddy floor, while we studied about Megha sandesham of kalidasa. How nice it was! My friend was the daughter of a famous kathakalakshepam exponent and she was well versed in topics about epics, puranas and the like.

I go to bed with all these discussions in mind when are to celebrate Rama navami tomorrow. May Lord Rama bless everyone.

.

Jayasala 42

Dashavatars of Mahavishnu