Man-lion avatar of Hindu god Vishnu
Narasimha
(
Sanskrit
:
??????
,
lit.
'man-lion',
IAST
:
Narasi?ha
), sometimes rendered
Narasingha
, is the fourth
avatar
of the
Hindu
god
Vishnu
.
[3]
He is believed to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to kill
Hiranyakashipu
, to end religious persecution and calamity on
earth
, thereby restoring
dharma
.
[1]
[4]
Narasimha is often depicted with three eyes, and is described in
Vaishnavism
to be the God of Destruction; he who destroys the entire universe at the time of the great dissolution (
Mahapralaya
). Hence, he is known as
Kala
(time) or
Mahakala
(great-time), or Parakala (beyond time) in his epithets. There exists a
matha
(monastery) dedicated to him by the name of
Parakala Matha
at
Mysuru
in the
Sri Vaishnava
tradition.
[5]
Narasimha is also described as the God of Yoga, in the form of Yoga-Narasimha.
Narasimha iconography shows him with a human torso and lower body, with a leonine face and claws, typically with the
asura
Hiranyakashipu
being disemboweled and killed by him in his lap. The asura king was the powerful elder brother of the evil
Hiranyaksha
, who had been previously killed by Vishnu as
Varaha
, and thus hated the latter.
[8]
Hiranyakashipu gained a boon from
Brahma
due to which he could not be killed during the day or night, inside or outside the house; neither in the sky nor on land nor in
Svarga
nor in
Patala
, by any weapon, nor by humans, deities, demons, or animals.
[9]
Endowed with this boon, he began to wreak chaos and havoc, persecuting all the devotees of Vishnu, including his own son
Prahlada
.
[1]
[9]
[10]
Vishnu, cognisant of the asura's boon, creatively assumed a hybrid form that was neither human nor animal as a lion in the name of Narasimha, and Narashima disemboweled and killed Hiranyakashipu and at the junction of day and night, at the threshold of his palace, which was neither inside nor the outside, upon his lap, and with his claws.
[1]
Narasimha is known primarily as the 'Great Protector' who specifically defends and protects his devotees from evil.
[11]
The most popular Narasimha myth is the legend of his protection of his devotee Prahlada, and the killing of
Prahlada's
wicked father and demon Hiranyakashipu.
[12]
Narasimha is one of the major deities in
Vaishnavism
, and his legends are revered in
Vaikhanasas
,
Sri Vaishnavism
,
Sadha Vaishnavism
,
[13]
and various other Vaishnava traditions of Hinduism. He is celebrated in many regional Hindu temples, texts, performance arts, and festivals such as the Hindu festival of colours of the spring, called
Holi
.
[9]
[
page needed
]
One of the earliest representation of Narasimha, dating back to the 4th-century CE, is from Kondamotu in
Coastal Andhra
.
[15]
[16]
Other older known artworks of Narasimha have been found at several sites across Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, such as at the
Mathura
archaeological site. These have been variously dated between the 2nd and the 4th century CE.
[17]
Etymology
[
edit
]
In Sanskrit, the word
Narasimha
consists of two words "nara" which means man, and "simha" which means lion, referring to a man-lion avatar of Vishnu.
[1]
[9]
Additionally, the word "
Singha
" is often used in place of "Simha" which also means lion in Sanskrit and other Indian languages.
He is known as
Nrisimha, Nrisingha, Narasingha
,
Narasingh, Narsingh
,
Narasimba
and
Narasinghar
in derivative languages. His other names are
Agnilochana
(
?????????
) ? the one who has fiery eyes,
Bhairavadambara
(
?????????
) ? the one who causes terror by roaring,
Karala
(
????
) ? the one who has a wide mouth and projecting teeth,
Hiranyakashipudvamsa
(
????????????????
) ? the one who killed Hiranyakashipu,
Nakhastra
(
????????
) ? the one for whom nails are his weapons,
Sinhavadana
(
???????
) ? the whose face is of lion and
Mrigendra
(
?????????
) ? king of animals (lion).
[19]
Texts
[
edit
]
Vedas
[
edit
]
The Vishnu hymn 1.154 of the
Rigveda
(1700-1200 BCE) contains a verse with allusions to a "wild beast, dread, prowling, mountain-roaming",
[20]
which has been interpreted by some to be the Narasi?ha legend. Another hymn 8.14 alludes to the Namuci legend with "waters' foam you tore off, Indra, the head of Namuci, subduing all contending hosts", but the hymns does not present details.
A more complete version of the Namuci legend is found in
Shatapatha Brahmana
(7th - 6th century BCE) of the
Yajurveda
in chapter 12.7.3.v Other references to Narasimha are found in the Vedic texts Vajaseneyi Samhita 10.34, Pancavimsa Brahmana 12.6.8 and Taittiriya Brahmana 1.7.1.6.
The Indra-Namuci legend
[
edit
]
Narasimha likely has roots in the metaphor-filled Indra-Namuci legend in the Vedas.
[22]
Indra
is the
dharmic
leader of the
Devas
who commands lightning, thunder, rain and rivers, while Namuci is a deceptive demigod
Asura
in competition for power. Namuci suggests peace to Indra, which the latter accepts. He demands Indra to promise that he will neither try to slay him with his "palm of the hand nor with the fist", neither in day nor in night, neither with "anything that is dry" nor with "anything that is moist". Indra agrees.
[23]
After the deal is done, Namuci carries away all that nourishes the Devas: the Soma drink, the essence of food and the strength of Indra. The leader of the gods finds himself conflicted and feels bound by his promise. Indra then meets
Saraswati
(goddess of knowledge) and the
Ashvins
.
They reply they will deal with Namuci, get it all back, if Indra agrees to share his powers, the essence of food and the Soma drink with them. Indra agrees. The gods and the goddess then come up with a creative plan. They pour out "foam of water" as a thunderbolt, which is neither dry nor moist, and the evil Asura Namuci is attacked and killed when it is neither day nor night.
After Namuci is killed, the gods get all the powers back, but discover that Namuci had drunk the Soma already. The good was thus now mixed with his badness of his blood, which they did not want to drink. So, they extract the good out from the bad. Thus, good returns to the Devas, the bad is discarded.
According to Deborah Soifer, the Vedic legend has many parallels with the Narasimha legend, it has the same plot, the same "neither-nor" constraints, and the same creative spirit that allows the good to vanquish the evil. Further, the Sanskrit words and phrasing such as "neither palm nor fist" and "neither day nor night" in the later Hindu texts is the same as in the Vedic texts. This suggests a link and continuity between the Vedic Namuci legend and the later Narasimha legend in the Puranas.
According to Walter Ruben, both versions along with several other legends in ancient and medieval texts reflect the Indian tradition against despots and tyrants who abuse power.
[24]
Puranas
[
edit
]
There are references to Narasi?ha in a variety of
Pur??as
, with 17 different versions of the main narrative.
[25]
The Valmiki Ramayana (7.24),
Hariva??a
(41 & 3.41-47),
Vi??u Pur??a
(1.16-20),
Bhagavata Pur??a
(Canto 7),
[26]
Agni Pur??a
(4.2-3), Brahm???a Pur??a(2.5.3-29), Vayu Pur??a (67.61-66), Brahma-Pur??a (213.44-79), Vi??udharmottara Pur??a(1.54), K?rma Pur??a (1.15.18-72), Matsya Pur??a(161-163), Padma Pur??a(Uttara-kha??a 5.42), ?iva Pur??a (2.5.43 & 3.10-12),
Linga Purana
(1.95-96) and Skanda Pur??a 7 (2.18.60-130) all contain depictions of the Narasi?ha Avat?ra.
[27]
[28]
In all these Puranas, Narasimha is described as the God of Destruction, who does destruction at the time of
Pralaya
or Yuganta and described as
Kala
.
Narasimha is also described as having three eyes just like Shiva and does destruction with fire coming from his third eye.
Sangam literature
[
edit
]
The
Paripatal
(Dated between 300 BCE to 300 CE) (
Tamil
:
????????
, meaning
the paripatal-metre anthology
) is a classical
Tamil
poetic work and traditionally the fifth of the
Eight Anthologies
(
Ettutokai
) in
Sangam literature
.
Kamil Zvelebil
states that the hymns dedicated to
Vishnu
and
Murugan
has branded the Paripatal as a
Sanskrit
plagiat within the so-called Sangam texts.
[30]
Legend of Narasimha according to Parip??al
O Lord with faultless red eyes! With
burning hatred in his heart and drying up the
sandal paste on his chest,
Hiranyan
the evil king
tortured his son
Prahalathan
for singing your
praises, inflicting on him great sorrow. The young
man was not disrespectful to his father who deserved
disrespect. You embraced Prahalathan’s fine chest
because of your love for him. You attacked and ruined
Hiranyan
with great strength, leaping upon his
mountain-like chest as drums roared like thunder.
You tore him apart with your split claws and scattered
his flesh, along with broken pieces of pillar which you
split and came out, in your
Narasimhan
form.
Parip??al, poem 4, Verses 10 - 21
[31]
Other texts
[
edit
]
Narasimha is also found in and is the focus of
Nrisimha Tapaniya Upanishad
.
[32]
[33]
History
[
edit
]
Prahlada legend
[
edit
]
The Bhagavata Pura?a describes that Vishnu, in his previous avatar as
Varaha
, killed the evil
asura
Hiranyaksha
. The elder brother of Hiranyaksha, demon king
Hiranyakashipu
, hated Vishnu and wanted revenge.
[8]
He undertook many years of austere penance to gain special powers. Thereafter, Brahma offered Hiranyakashipu a boon. Hiranyakashipu asked, "Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not be brought about by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal. Grant me that I not meet death from any entity, living or nonliving created by you. Grant me, further, that I not be killed by any demigod or demon or by any great snake from the lower planets." Brahma granted him the boon, and Hiranyakashipu gained these powers.
[9]
Hiranyakashipu, once powerful and invincible with the new boon, began to persecute those who were devotees of Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu had a son,
Prahlada
, who disagreed and rebelled against his father. Prahlada became a devotee of Vishnu. This angered Hiranyakashipu, who tried to kill the boy?but with each attempt, Prahlada was protected by Vishnu's mystical power. When asked, Prahlada refused to acknowledge his father as the supreme lord of the universe and claimed that Vishnu is all-pervading and
omnipresent
.
Hiranyakashipu pointed to a nearby pillar and asked if 'his Vish?u' is in it and said to his son Prahlada, "O most unfortunate Prahlada, you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above everything, who is the controller of everyone, and who is all-pervading. But where is He? If He is everywhere, then why is He not present before me in this pillar?" Prahl?da then answered, "He was, He is and He will be."
[34]
In an alternate version of the story, Prahlada answered,
He is in pillars, and he is in the smallest twig
.
Hira?yakashipu, unable to control his anger, smashed the pillar with his mace, and following a tumultuous sound, Vish?u in the form of Narasimha appeared from it and moved to attack Hira?yakashipu in defense of Prahl?da. In order to kill Hira?yakashipu and not upset the boon given by
Brahma
, the form of Narasimha was chosen. Hira?yakashipu could not be killed by human, deva or animal. Narasimha was none of these, as he is a form of Vishnu incarnate as a part-human, part-animal. He came upon Hira?yakashipu at twilight (when it is neither day nor night) on the threshold of a courtyard (neither indoors nor out), and put the demon on his thighs (neither earth nor space). Using his sharp fingernails (neither
animate
nor
inanimate
) as weapons, he disemboweled and killed the demon king.
[34]
Narasimha was in rage and seeing this, Brahma sent Prahlada to pacify him. Prahlada sang hymns and the 'Ugra' Narasimha now became peaceful 'Soumya' Narasimha.
[35]
[36]
[37]
The Kurma Pura?a describes the preceding battle between the
Purusha
and demonic forces in which he escapes a powerful weapon called
Pashupatastra
. According to Soifer, it describes how Prahlada's brothers headed by Anuhr?da and thousands of other demons "were led to the valley of death (yamalayam) by the lion produced from the body of man-lion".
The same episode occurs in the
Matsya Pur??a
179, several chapters after its version of the Narasimha advent.
[
page needed
]
Vaishnava and Shaiva stories
[
edit
]
In a story of this incident, the
Vaishnava
and
Shaiva
scriptures say that gods
Vishnu
and
Shiva
assumed the
avataras
of
Gandaberunda
as Narasimha and
Sharabha
to destroy the chaos that happened in the universe. After disemboweling and killing Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha's power was wrongly thought to threaten the world by the deities. At the behest of the gods and goddesses, Shiva sent his form of
Virabhadra
to defeat Narasimha. When Narasimha defeated and drove Virabhadra away, Vishnu and Shiva manifested as Gandaberunda as Narasimha and Sharabha. Narasimha as Gandabherunda and Sharabha fought for 18 days. Narasimha as Gandaberunda disemboweled and killed Sharabha on the 18th day, after which Gandaberunda as Narasimha and Sharabha took their true forms of Vishnu and Shiva and went to their respective heavens of
Vaikuntha
and
Kailasha
respectively.
Iconography
[
edit
]
Narasimha is always shown with a lion face with clawed fingers fused with a human body. Sometimes he is coming out of a pillar signifying that he is everywhere, in everything, in everyone. Some temples such as at
Ahobilam
,
Andhra Pradesh
, the iconography is more extensive, and includes nine other icons of Narasimha:
[9]
- Prahladavarada: blessing Prahlada
- Yog?nanda-narasi?ha: serene, peaceful Narasimha teaching yoga
- Guha-narasi?ha: concealed Narasimha
- Krodha or ugra narasi?ha: angry Narasimha
- Vira-narasimha: warrior Narasimha
- Malola-narasi?ha or
Lakshmi-Narasimha
: with
Lakshmi
, his wife
- Jvala-narasi?ha: Narasimha emitting flames of wrath
- Sarvatomukha-narasimha: many-faced Narasimha
- Bhishana-narasimha: ferocious Narasimha
- Bhadra-narasimha: another fierce aspect of Narasimha
- Mrityormrityu-narasimha: defeater of death aspect of Narasimha
The earliest known iconography of Narasimha is variously dated to between the 2nd and the 4th-century CE, and these have been found in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
[17]
Most images and temples of Narasimha are found in the peninsular region of India, but important ancient and medieval archeological sites containing Narasimha icons are also found as
Vaikuntha Chaturmurti
in Kashmir and
Khajuraho temples
,
[39]
while single face versions are found in
Garhwa
and
Mathura
(Uttar Pradesh) and in
Ellora Caves
(Maharashtra).
[9]
Other major temples with notable icons of Narasimha are found in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and the
Vijayanagara Empire
ruins in Karnataka.
[9]
Some of the oldest surviving Hindu temples, such as those found in
Tigawa
and
Eran
(Madhya Pradesh), dated to early 5th-century, include Narasimha along with other avatars of Vishnu.
[17]
The
Thuravoor Temple
is the most important shrine to Narasimha in Kerala; the form of Narasimha there is known as
Va?akanappan
.
Significance
[
edit
]
Narasimha is a significant iconic symbol of creative resistance, hope against odds, victory over persecution, and destruction of evil. He is the destructor of not only external evil, but also one's own inner evil of "body, speech, and mind" states Pratapaditya Pal.
[40]
In South Indian art ? sculptures, bronzes and paintings ? Vi??u's incarnation as Narasi?ha is one of the most chosen themes and amongst
Avat?ras
perhaps next only to
R?ma
and
K???a
in popularity.
Narasimha is worshipped across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States in numerous forms.
[41]
Although, it is common that each of the temples contain depictions of Narasimha in more than one form, Ahobilam contains nine temples of Narasimha dedicated to the nine forms of Narasimha. It is also notable that the central aspect of Narasimha incarnation is killing the demon Hiranyakasipu, but that image of Narasimha is not commonly worshipped in temples, although it is depicted.
Coins, inscriptions and terracotta
[
edit
]
The Narasimha legend was influential by the 5th-century, when various Gupta Empire kings minted coins with his images or sponsored inscriptions that associated the ethos of Narasimha with their own. The kings thus legitimized their rule as someone like Narasimha who fights evil and persecution.
[42]
Some of the coins of the Kushan era show Narasimha-like images, suggesting possible influence.
[43]
Some of the oldest Narasimha terracotta artworks have been dated to about the 2nd century CE, such as those discovered in Kausambi.
[44]
A nearly complete, exquisitely carved standing Narasimha statue, wearing a
pancha
, with personified attributes near him has been found at the Mathura archeological site and is dated to the 6th century.
[45]
Performance arts
[
edit
]
The Narasimha legends have been a part of various
Indian classical dance
repertoire. For example,
Kathakali
theatre has included the Narasimha-Hiranyakasipu battle storyline, and adaptations of
Prahlada Caritam
with Narasimha has been one of the popular performances in
Kerala
.
[46]
Similarly, the
Bhagavata Mela
dance-drama performance arts of Tamil Nadu traditionally celebrate the annual Narasimha jayanti festival by performing the story within regional Narasimha temples.
[47]
Prayers
[
edit
]
A number of prayers have been written in dedication to Narasi?ha avat?ra. These include:
[48]
- The Narasi?ha Mah?-Mantra
- Narasi?ha Pra??ma Prayer
- Da??vat?ra Stotra by Jayadeva
- K?ma?ikha A??akam by
Ved?nta De?ika
- Divya Prabandham 2954
[49]
- Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram by
Adi Shankaracharya
[50]
Early images
[
edit
]
In Andhra Pradesh, a panel dating to third-fourth century CE shows a full theriomorphic squatting lion with two extra human arms behind his shoulders holding
Vai??ava
emblems. This lion, flanked by five heroes (
v?ra
), often has been identified as an early depiction of Narasi?ha.
[51]
Standing cult images of Narasi?ha from the early Gupta period, survive from temples at Tigowa and Eran.
[52]
These sculptures are two-armed, long maned, frontal, wearing only a lower garment, and with no demon-figure of Hira?yaka?ipu. Images representing the narrative of Narasi?ha slaying the demon Hira?yaka?ipu survive from slightly later Gupta-period temples: one at Madhia and one from a temple-doorway now set into the K?rma-ma?ha at Nachna, both dated to the late fifth or early sixth century CE
[53]
An image of Narasi?ha supposedly dating to second-third century CE sculpted at
Mathura
was acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1987. It was described by Stella Kramrisch, the former Philadelphia Museum of Art's Indian curator, as "
perhaps the earliest image of Narasi?ha as yet known
".
[53]
This figure depicts a furled brow, fangs, and lolling tongue similar to later images of Narasi?ha, but the idol's robe, simplicity, and stance set it apart. On Narasi?ha's chest under his upper garment appears the suggestion of an amulet, which Stella Kramrisch associated with Visnu's cognizance, the Kaustubha jewel. This upper garment flows over both shoulders; but below Hiranyakasipu, the demon-figure placed horizontally across Narasi?ha's body, a twisted waist-band suggests a separate garment covering the legs. The demon's hair streams behind him, cushioning his head against the man-lion's right knee. He wears a simple single strand of beads. His body seems relaxed, even pliant. His face is calm, with a slight suggestion of a smile. His eyes stare adoringly up at the face of Vi??u. There is little tension in this figure's legs or feet, even as Narasi?ha gently disembowels him. His innards spill along his right side. As the
Matsya purana
describes it, Narasi?ha ripped "apart the mighty Daitya chief as a plaiter of straw mats shreds his reeds".
[53]
Based on the
Gandhara
-style of robe worn by the idol, Michael Meiste altered the date of the image to fourth century CE.
[53]
An image of Narasi?ha, dating to the 9th century, was found on the northern slope of Mount Ijo, at Prambanan, Indonesia.
[54]
Images of Trivikrama and Var?ha avat?ras were also found at Prambanan, Indonesia. Vi??u and His avat?ra images follow iconographic peculiarities characteristic of the art of central Java. This includes physiognomy of central Java, an exaggerated volume of garment, and some elaboration of the jewelry. This decorative scheme once formulated became, with very little modification, an accepted norm for sculptures throughout the Central Javanese period (circa 730?930 CE). Despite the iconographic peculiarities, the stylistic antecedents of the Java sculptures can be traced back to Indian carvings as the Chalukya and Pallava images of the 6th?7th centuries CE.
[55]
Temples
[
edit
]
India
[
edit
]
- Sri Dev Narsingh Mandir, Narsinghpur
- Sri Narasimha Temple, Rudela
- Guru Narasimha Temple
,
Shaligrama
- Narasimha Jharni
,
Bidara
- Yoga Narasimha Temple
,
Devarayanadurga
- Yoga Narasimha Temple
,
Melukote
- Narasimha Temple, Seebi
,
Seebi
- Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Bhadravati
,
Bhadravati
- Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Javagala
,
Hassan
- Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Haranhalli
,
Hassana
- Gunja Narasimha Temple, Tirumakudal Narasipura
,
Mysuru
- Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Mogarnadu,
Bantavala
- Lakshmi Narasimha Temple,
Savanadurga
,
Magadi
- Lakshmi Narasimha Temple,
Shurpali
,
Bagalkot District
- Srinivasakoyil,
Tripunithura
,
Ernakulam
- Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
,
Thalasseri
,
Kannur
- Kozha Sri Narasimha Temple
,
Kottayam
- Sri Narasimha Swamy Temple
,
Aymanam
,
Kottayam
- Thuravur Mahakshethram,
Cherthala
,
Alappuzha
- Anayadi Pazhayidam Sri Narasimha Temple,
Kollam
- Malaparambu Mattummal Narasimha Temple,
Malappuram
- Manakkad
Sri Naramsimha Temple,
Thodupuzha
,
Idukki
- Puthumanasseri Sri Narasimha,
Pavaratti
,
Chavakkadu
,
Thrissur
- Lakshmi Narasimha Nagaraja Temple,
Muliyar
,
Kasaragodu
- Sri Kunhalloor Narasimha Temple,
Purameri
,
Kozhikode
- Sri Lakshmi Naramsimha Temple,
Sultan Batheri
,
Vayanadu
- Kuruvattur
Sri Narasimha Temple,
Thiruvazhiyadu
,
Palakkadu
- Sri Narasimha Ketturuppadi, Idabhagam Vadakku,
Kurampala
,
Pandalam
,
Pathanamthitta
- Ahobilam Mutt Sri Narasimha Temple, Muttathara,
Thiruvananthapuram
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
George M. Williams (2008).
Handbook of Hindu Mythology
. Oxford University Press. p. 223.
ISBN
978-0-19-533261-2
.
- ^
Mallik, Anupama; Chaudhury, Santanu; Chandru, Vijay; Srinivasan, Sharada (31 March 2018).
Digital Hampi: Preserving Indian Cultural Heritage
. Springer. p. 183.
ISBN
978-981-10-5738-0
.
- ^
Blurton, T. Richard (1993).
Hindu art
. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. p. 123.
ISBN
0-674-39188-8
.
OCLC
25833896
.
- ^
Gavin D. Flood (1996).
An Introduction to Hinduism
. Cambridge University Press. p.
111
.
ISBN
978-0-521-43878-0
.
- ^
Rangachar Vasantha (1991).
The N?r?ya?asv?mi Temple at M?lk??e: An Archaeological and Historical Study
. Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. p. 9.
The layout of this matha is almost like that of the Parak?la - matha above described. Here too in the central shrine are kept a few bronze images, including that of Lakshmi Narasimha, the presiding deity of that matha.
- ^
a
b
Roshen Dalal (2010).
The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths
. Penguin Books. p. 148.
ISBN
978-0-14-341517-6
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Roshen Dalal (2010).
The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths
. Penguin Books. p. 148.
ISBN
978-0-14-341517-6
.
- ^
Nanditha Krishna (2009).
The Book of Vishnu
. Penguin Books. pp. 50?53.
ISBN
978-0-14-306762-7
.
- ^
Steven J. Rosen,
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Bibliography
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Narasimha
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Dashavatara
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Other avatars
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1
The list of the "ten avatars" varies regionally. Two substitutions
[
clarification needed
]
involve Balarama, Krishna, and Buddha. Krishna is almost always included; in exceptions, he is considered the source of all avatars.
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