Avatars and Gestures

See Avatar (disambiguation) for other meanings.

The 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu

In Hinduism, an avatar or avatara (Sanskrit अवतार), is the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of an Immortal Being, or of the Ultimate Supreme Being. It derives from the Sanskrit word avatāra which means "descent" and usually implies a deliberate descent into mortal realms for special purposes. The term is used primarily in Hinduism, for incarnations of Vishnu the Preserver, whom many Hindus worship as God. The Dasavatara (see below) are ten particular "great" incarnations of Vishnu.

Unlike Christianity, and Shaivism, Vaishnavism believes that God takes a special (including human) form whenever there is a decline of righteousness (dharma) and rise of evil. Lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, according to Vaishnavism that is espoused by Ramanuja and Madhva, and God in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, said in the Gita: “For the protection of the good, for destruction of evil, and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being from age to age.” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, verse 8.) In any event, all Hindus believe that there is no difference between worship of Vishnu and His avatars as it all leads to Him.

The word has also been used by extension by non-Hindus to refer to the incarnations of God in other religions, notably Christianity, for example Jesus.

Teachings and significance

The philosophy reflected in the Hindu epics is the doctrine of the avatar (incarnation of Vishnu or God as an animal or a human form). The two main avatars of Vishnu that appear in the epics are Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, and Krishna, the friend of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata. Unlike the superhuman devas (gods) of the Vedic Samhitas and the abstract Upanishadic concept of the all-pervading Brahman, the avatars in these epics are intermediaries between the Supreme Being represented as either Saguna Brahman or Nirguna Brahman and mere mortals.

This doctrine has had a great impact on Hindu religious life, for to many it means that God has manifested Himself in a form that could be appreciated even by the least sophisticated. Rama and Krishna have remained prominent as beloved and adored manifestations of the Divine for thousands of years among Hindus. The Upanishadic concept of the underlying unity of Brahman is revered by many to be the pinnacle of Hindu thought, and the concept of the avatars has purveyed this concept to the average Hindu as an expression of the manifestation of the Hindu's highest single divinity as an aid to humanity in difficult times. The Hindu cycle of creation and destruction contains the essence of the idea of "avatars" and indeed relies on a final avatar of Vishnu, that of Kalki, as the final destructive force at the end of the world.

Aside from Rama and Krishna there are many other human or animal forms which appeared on earth or elsewhere in the universe. Scriptures do not describe any appearance as an avatar by Brahma or Shiva (they are themselves listed as guna avatars) of nirguna Brahman, but emanations of Vishnu have appeared a number of times. Some Hindus, based on the Ramayana, aver that Shiva incarnated once as the monkey-god Hanuman. Hanuman is more well-known as the son of Vayu, the deva of wind or his emanation. (Hanuman lived in a jungle and is called vanara, which means people having characteristics of monkey, and was one of the greatest devotees of Vishnu).

The ten Avatars, or Dasavatara

The Maha Avatara (Great Avatars) of Vishnu are usually said to be ten and this is popularly known as the Dasavatara (dasa (dasha) in Sanskrit means ten). The first four of the ten avatars have appeared in the Krita Yuga (the first of the four Yugas or Ages that comprise one Mahayuga - for more details please read the section above on Lord Brahma). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth incarnation in the Dwapar Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The tenth is expected to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.

1. Matsya, the fish, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
2. Kurma, the tortoise, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
3. Varaha, the boar, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
4. Narasimha, the Man-Lion (Nara = man, simha = lion), appeared in the Satya Yuga.
5. Vamana, the Dwarf, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
6. Parashurama, Rama with the axe, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
7. Rama, Sri Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
8. Krishna (meaning dark or black; see also other meanings in the article about him.), appeared in the Dwapar Yuga.
9. Balarama (meaning one who holds a plough). Balarama is said to have appeared in the Dwaper Yuga (along with Krishna).
10. Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist, which will end in the year 428899 CE.

The 24 Avatars of the Puranas

Puranas list twenty-five avataras of Vishnu. A description of these is found in the Bhagavata Purana, Canto 1.

1) Catursana 2) Narada 3) Varaha 4) Matsya 5) Yajna 6) Nara-Narayana 7) Kapila 8) Dattatreya 9) Hayasirsa 10) Hamsa 11) Prsnigarbha 12) Rsabha 13) Prithu 14) Narasimha 15) Kurma 16) Dhanvantari 17) Mohini 18) Vamana 19) Parasurama 20) Raghavendra (Rama) 21) Vyasa 22) Balarama 23) Krishna 24) Kalki

Types of avatars

Avatars(as believed) of Madhvacharya. From top (in order of occurrence): Hanuman, Bhima and Shri Madhvacharya

• According to Madhvacharya, all avatars of Vishnu are alike in potency and every other quality. There is no gradation among them, and perceiving or claiming any differences among avatars is a cause of eternal damnation. (See Madhva's commentary on the Katha Upanishad, or his Mahabharata-Tatparya-Nirnaya.)
• According to Vaishnava doctrine, there are two type of avatars, primary avatars and secondary avatars. The most common type of primary avatars are called Svarupavatars, in which He manifests Himself in His Sat-cid-ananda form. In the primary avatars, such as Narasimha, Rama, Krishna, Vishnu directly descends. The Svarupavatars are subdivided into Amsarupavatars and Purna avatars. In Amsarupavatars, Vishnu is fully present in the body but He is manifest in the person only partially. Such avatars include the first five avatars from Matsya to Vamana except for Narasimha. Narasimha, Rama and Krishna, on the other hand, are types of Purna avatars, in which all the qualities and powers of the Lord are expressed. Narasimha and Rama are also additionally considered to be Lila avatars.
• Other avatars are secondary avatars, such as Parashurama in which Vishnu does not directly descend. Parashurama is the only one of the traditional ten avatars that is not a direct descent of Vishnu. There are two types of secondary avatars: 1) Vishnu enters a soul with His form. (e.g., Parashurama) or 2) Vishnu does not enter a soul with His own form, but gives him extraordinary divine powers. (e.g., Veda Vyasa.) The secondary avatar class is sometimes called Saktyamsavatar, Saktyaveshavatar or avesha avatar.
• Note that the secondary avatars are not worshipped. Only the direct, primary avatars are worshipped. However, in practice, the direct avatars that are worshipped today are the Purna avatars of Narasimha, Rama and Krishna. Krishna, among most Vaishnavites, is considered to be the highest kind of Purna avatar. However, followers of Chaitanya (including ISKCON), Nimbarka, Vallabhacharya differ philosophically from other Vaishnavites, such as Ramanuja and Madhva and consider Krishna to be the ultimate Godhead, and not simply an avatar. In any event, all Hindus believe that there is no difference between worship of Vishnu and His avatars as it all leads to Him.
• References are cited and given below.
• A number of people in more recent times have are considered to be avatars by themselves or by others. See List of other people considered to be avatars.

The Ninth Avatar: Balarama or Buddha?

Balarama is the ninth avatar according to Puranic tradition. According to Puranas, Buddha is never considered as a part of Dasa Avatar. In fact, Buddha is against Hinduism and its concepts. Hence it is not at all possible for Hinduism to accept Buddha as one of its avatars. The only avatar in Kali Yuga is that of Kalki and He is yet to appear.

Symbolism

Many claim that the ten avatars represent the evolution of life and of mankind on earth. Matsya, the fish, represents life in water. Kurma, the tortoise, represents the next stage, amphibianism. The third animal, the boar Varaha, symbolizes life on land. Narasimha, the Man-Lion, symbolizes the commencement development of mammals. Vamana, the dwarf, symbolizes this incomplete development of human. Then, Parashurama, the forest-dwelling hermit armed with an axe, connotes completion of the basic development of humankind. The King Rama signals man's ability to govern nations. Krishna, an expert in the sixty-four fields of science and art according to Hinduism, indicates man's advancement in cultural and civilization. Buddha, the Enlightened one, symbolizes the enlightenment and social advancement of man. Balarama, whose weapon was a plough could stand for the development of agriculture.

Note that the time of the avatars also has some significance: Thus, kings rule reached its ideal state in Treta Yuga with Rama Avatar and social justice and Dharma reached its ideal state in Dwapar Yuga with the avatar of Krishna. Thus the avatars represent the evolution of life and society with changing epoh from Krita Yuga to Kali yuga. The animal evolution and development connotations also bear striking resemblances to the modern scientific theory of Evolution.

List of other people considered to be avatars

For more details on this topic, see List of people considered to be avatars.

Besides the ten traditional avatars of Hinduism, some other Indian Hindus are considered to be avatars by themselves or by others. Some of these include:

• Chaitanya (1486-1534) is claimed to be an avatar of Krishna by the Gaudiya Vaishnavism sect. He is also known as the 'Golden Avatar'. His appearance is predicted in the latter texts of the Srimad Bhagavatam. For more information, see Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology.
• Ayya Vaikundar (1809-1851) According to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the religious book of Ayyavazhi, Lord Vaikundar arose from the sea as the Avatar of Narayana.
• Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886) and Sri Sarada Devi (1853-1920). Ramakrishna is reported to have said to Swami Vivekananda, "He who was Rama and Krishna is now, in this body, Ramakrishna." Sarada Devi, who was married to Ramakrishna in a traditional Indian child marriage, is likewise considered by many to be an incarnation of Kali. This pairing of contemporaneous avatars is rare if not unique in Hindu history. Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi, and Vivekananda are worshipped by devotees worldwide as a holy trinity, the latter not as an avatar but as someone who has obtained moksha, total enlightnenment and liberation from samsara, the cycle of birth and death.
• Shirdi Sai Baba (18??-1918) some of his followers believed him to be an avatar of Dattatreya
• Meher Baba (1894- 1969)
• Hans Ji Maharaj (1900-1966) Declared that the Satguru is an avatar with the 64 kalas ^[1]
• Sathya Sai Baba (1926?-1929?-present) claims to be an avatar of Shiva, Shakti and Krishna
• Mother Meera (1960-present) claims to be an Avatar of Adipara-Shakti
• Narayani Amma (1976-present) claimed as the real Narayani Avatar

Some Hindus with a universalist outlook view the central figures of various non-Hindu religions as avatars. Many others Hindus reject the the idea of avatars outside of traditional Hinduism. Some of these religious figures include:

• Zoroaster (Zarathustra) the prophet of Zoroastrianism.
• Mahavira (599 BC-527 BC) originator of the tenents of Jainism.
• Gautama Buddha (563-483BC-543BC) the key figure in Buddhism. See Sarvepalli_Radhakrishnan and Vaishnava Theology.
• Jesus (4 BC-36) whose teachings inspired Christianity.
• Muhammed (570-632) the prophet of Islam.
• Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892) the founder-prophet of the Bahá'í Faith, believed to be Kalki Avatar.

The label of avatar has been used by others outside of the Indian subcontinent and the umbrella of mainstream religions. Some of these are:

• Samael Aun Weor (1917-1977) claimed as the real Kalki Avatar and Buddha Maitreya
• Adi Da (1939-present) claims to be the Kalki avatar

External links

- Animation Project based on Vishnu's Ten Incarnations

• The Avatar site
• Dasavatara stotra and the ten avataras
• Avataras categorized
• Avatars (Incarnations or Descents) of Vishnu
• Avatar of Lord Vishnu
• The Ten Avatars
• Dasavatar discussion with meanings
• Gaudiya Vaishnava types of avatar chart; similar beliefs with some modifications with Krishna as the Supreme Person.
• Flash site of the avatars of Sriman Narayana.
• Vishnu the Cosmic Protector - by Madhuri Guin (the contents of this link cannot be viewed in India)

References

• - Animation Project based on Vishnu's Ten Incarnations
• Meaning of Parushama, an Avesha avatar.
• Types of Avatars; answers to questions #67-70.
• Bhakti Schools of Vedanta, pg. 94, by Swami Tapasyananda, available at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. available at India web site: http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org and US site: http://www.vedanta.com.
• ^  Gupta, Mahendra. Hans Puran, (1969) New Delhi.

  "Only he is the true teacher [Satguru] who can show what are the religious and social obligations [dharma], show God to you, and give you the Knowledge of the holy name [sat nam]. And he who can give you the Knowledge of this dharma is completely wise. Satguru is the one who has the perfect wisdom. And other than the Satguru no one has the perfect wisdom. Oh! People of the world! Only a perfect avatar with the sixty-four virtues [kalae] can reveal this Knowledge." Hans Ji Maharaj (Bombay, March 1966)

See mouse gesture for gestures in computing

Military signalmen use hand and body gestures to direct flight operations aboard aircraft carriers.

A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication made with a part of the body, and used instead of verbal communication (or in combination with it).

Gestures below with a sexual meaning are marked*.

A form of non-verbal communication

Many gestures have offensive import; the language of gesture is rich in ways for individuals to express contempt, hostility, or approval towards others. Most people use gestures and body language in addition to words when they speak; some ethnic groups and languages use them more than others do, and the amount of such gesturing that is considered culturally acceptable varies from one location to the next. These gestures include acts such as pointing, one of the few gestures whose meaning varies little from one country to the next, as well as using the hands and body to keep time with the rhythms of speech and emphasize certain words or phrases.

Most of these gestures have no invariable or specific meaning; the gestures listed below have such a meaning in the cultures in which they are found. The gestures we use as we speak are integrally connected to both our speech and our thought processes; prominent researchers in this field include Adam Kendon, Susan Goldin-Meadow and David McNeill.

Gesture as a mating ritual

Many animals, including humans, use gestures to initiate a mating ritual. This may include an elaborate dance among others.

Hindu and Buddhist Mudras

Vitarka mudra, Tarim Basin, 9th century

In Hinduism, a mudra (Sanskrit, literally "seal") is a symbolic gesture made with the hand or fingers. Each mudra has a specific meaning, and they are a central part of Hindu and Buddhist iconography. An example would be the Vitarka mudra, the gesture of discussion and transmission of Buddhist teaching. It is done by joining the tips of the thumb and the index together, and keeping the other fingers straight.

One-hand gestures

Bang bang

This gesture is performed by raising the fist with the index finger and thumb extended. The index finger points at the recipient. The thumb is then brought down on top of the fingers.

This imitation of the action of a revolver pistol is often meant to represent a handgun in children's games. It may also be used menacingly to mean, "I will kill you" or just playfully as a greeting. Often the middle finger is also extended to widen the 'barrel.' Texas Tech fans use the bang bang salute (fingers pointed upward) to cheer their team. Also, the "bang bang" performed with both hands was a signature gesture of professional wrestler Mick Foley while in his "Cactus Jack" persona.

Benediction and blessing

Benediction gesture, on a coin of Emperor Constantine.

The benediction gesture is a raised right hand with the ring and pinky fingers touching the palm, while the middle and index fingers remain raised. It is used as a simple charm or blessing amongst many modern Pagans, and has a vast array of uses. Perhaps the most common and/or noteworthy use of the gesture is while tracing an invisible "air pentagram" before someone during certain Wiccan rituals such as the Great Rite performed during Beltane and Drawing Down the Moon on the Esbats. One might also use the gesture to trace invisible pentagrams or other sigils over items to be blessed or empowered, such as holy water, ritual wine, ritual ale, or the Sacred Herb. The two extended fingers are used to point (except when an athame, wand, or sword is used).

A similar sign, called the benediction gesture, is used by the Christian clergy to perform blessings with the sign of the cross; however Christians keep the thumb raised. It was shown by representations of Jesus as Christ Pantocrator.

Biting one's thumb

Biting one's thumb was an old rude British gesture. It was a lot like "the Finger" (see below) in modern terms. In William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, Sampson bites his thumb at the Montagues (Act 1, Scene 1).

Blah-blah

The fingers are kept straight and together in a horizontal fashion while the thumb is held out straight. The fingers and thumb then snap together repeatedly to suggest a mouth talking. It is used to indicate contempt for a person talking for an excessive period of time about nothing the gesturer feels is important.

Call me

This hand gesture is identical to the "shaka" gesture -- that is, pinky finger and thumb outstretched -- only it is held up to the ear, to signify a telephone.

Check, please

This gesture, understood by waiters around the world to mean that a dinner patron wishes to pay the bill and depart, is executed by touching the