Description of Hari's Various Avatars

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.4.16.1)

जनमेजय उवाच । भृगुशापान्मुनिश्रेष्ठ हरेरद्भुतकर्मणः । अवताराः कथं जाताः कस्मिन्मन्वन्तरे विभो ॥

janamejaya uvāca | bhṛguśāpānmuniśreṣṭha hareradbhutakarmaṇaḥ | avatārāḥ kathaṁ jātāḥ kasminmanvantare vibho ||

Janamejaya said: "O best of sages, tell me how the wondrous-acting Hari's avatars came about through Bhrigu's curse — in which Manvantara, O lord?"

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.4.16.2)

विस्तराद्वद धर्मज्ञ अवतारकथा हरेः । पापनाशकरीं ब्रह्मञ्छ्रुतां सर्वसुखावहाम् ॥

vistarādvada dharmajña avatārakathā hareḥ | pāpanāśakarīṁ brahmañchrutāṁ sarvasukhāvahām ||

"Tell me in detail, O knower of dharma, the story of Hari's avatars — that which destroys sin when heard, O Brahmin, and which brings all happiness."

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.4.16.3)

व्यास उवाच । शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि अवतारान् हरेर्यथा । यस्मिन्मन्वन्तरे जाता युगे यस्मिन्नराधिप ॥

vyāsa uvāca | śṛṇu rājan pravakṣyāmi avatārān hareryathā | yasminmanvantare jātā yuge yasminnarādhipa ||

Vyasa said: "Listen, O king; I shall relate the avatars of Hari as they occurred — in which Manvantara, and in which Yuga, O ruler of men."

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.4.16.4)

येन रूपेण यत्कार्यं कृतं नारायणेन वै । तत्सर्वं नृप वक्ष्यामि सङ्क्षेपेण तवाधुना ॥

yena rūpeṇa yatkāryaṁ kṛtaṁ nārāyaṇena vai | tatsarvaṁ nṛpa vakṣyāmi saṅkṣepeṇa tavādhunā ||

"In whatever form, whatever deed Narayana accomplished — all that, O king, I shall now tell you in brief."

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.4.16.5)

धर्मस्यैवावतारोऽभूच्चाक्षुषे मनुसम्भवे । नरनारायणौ धर्मपुत्रौ ख्यातौ महीतले ॥

dharmasyaivāvatāro'bhūccākṣuṣe manusambhave | naranārāyaṇau dharmaputrau khyātau mahītale ||

"The very avatar of Dharma occurred in the Chakshusha Manvantara — Nara and Narayana, sons of Dharma, became renowned upon the earth."

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.4.16.6)

अथ वैवस्वताख्येऽस्मिन्द्वितीये तु युगे पुनः । दत्तात्रेयावतारोऽत्रेः पुत्रत्वमगमद्धरिः ॥

atha vaivasvatākhye'smindvitīye tu yuge punaḥ | dattātreyāvatāro'treḥ putratvamagamaddhariḥ ||

"Then, again, in this second manvantara called Vaivasvata, Hari became the son of Atri, in the Dattatreya avatar."

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.4.16.7)

ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रस्त्रयोऽमी देवसत्तमाः । पुत्रत्वमगमन्देवास्तस्यात्रेर्भार्यया वृताः ॥

brahmā viṣṇustathā rudrastrayo'mī devasattamāḥ | putratvamagamandevāstasyātrerbhāryayā vṛtāḥ ||

"Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra — these three best of gods, became sons, chosen by that Atri's wife."

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.4.16.8)

अनसूयात्रिपत्नी च सतीनामुत्तमा सती । यया सम्प्रार्थिता देवाः पुत्रत्वमगमंस्त्रयः ॥

anasūyātripatnī ca satīnāmuttamā satī | yayā samprārthitā devāḥ putratvamagamaṁstrayaḥ ||

"Anasuya, Atri's wife, best among chaste women — by whom the three gods, so entreated, became her sons."

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.4.16.9)

ब्रह्माभूत्सोमरूपस्तु दत्तात्रेयो हरिः स्वयम् । दुर्वासा रुद्ररूपोऽसौ पुत्रत्वं ते प्रपेदिरे ॥

brahmābhūtsomarūpastu dattātreyo hariḥ svayam | durvāsā rudrarūpo'sau putratvaṁ te prapedire ||

"Brahma became of the form of the Moon; Hari himself was Dattatreya; Rudra, in the form of Durvasa — these they became as her sons."

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.4.16.10)

नृसिंहस्यावतारस्तु देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये । चतुर्थे तु युगे जातो द्विधारूपो मनोहरः ॥

nṛsiṁhasyāvatārastu devakāryārthasiddhaye | caturthe tu yuge jāto dvidhārūpo manoharaḥ ||

"For the accomplishment of the gods' purpose, the avatar of Narasimha, of a marvelous twofold form, occurred in the fourth Yuga."

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.4.16.11)

हिरण्यकशिपोः सम्यग्वधाय भगवान् हरिः । चक्रे रूपं नारसिंहं देवानां विस्मयप्रदम् ॥

hiraṇyakaśipoḥ samyagvadhāya bhagavān hariḥ | cakre rūpaṁ nārasiṁhaṁ devānāṁ vismayapradam ||

"For the proper slaying of Hiranyakashipu, the Lord Hari assumed the form of Narasimha, causing wonder among the gods."

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.4.16.12)

बलेर्नियमनार्थाय श्रेष्ठे त्रेतायुगे तथा । चकार रूपं भगवान् वामनं कश्यपान्मुनेः ॥

balerniyamanārthāya śreṣṭhe tretāyuge tathā | cakāra rūpaṁ bhagavān vāmanaṁ kaśyapānmuneḥ ||

"For the sake of restraining Bali, in the excellent Treta Yuga, the Lord assumed the Vamana form, born of the sage Kashyapa."

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.4.16.13)

छलयित्वा मखे भूपं राज्यं तस्य जहार ह । पाताले स्थापयामास बलिं वामनरूपधृक् ॥

chalayitvā makhe bhūpaṁ rājyaṁ tasya jahāra ha | pātāle sthāpayāmāsa baliṁ vāmanarūpadhṛk ||

"Deceiving that king at the sacrifice, he took away his kingdom; and the one bearing the Vamana form established Bali in Patala."

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.4.16.14)

युगे चैकोनविंशेऽथ त्रेताख्ये भगवान् हरिः । जमदग्निसुतो जातो रामो नाम महाबलः ॥

yuge caikonaviṁśe'tha tretākhye bhagavān hariḥ | jamadagnisuto jāto rāmo nāma mahābalaḥ ||

"Then, in the nineteenth Yuga, called Treta, the Lord Hari was born as the son of Jamadagni, named Rama, of great strength."

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.4.16.15)

क्षत्रियान्तकरः श्रीमान्सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः । दत्तवान्मेदिनीं कृत्स्नां कश्यपाय महात्मने ॥

kṣatriyāntakaraḥ śrīmānsatyavādī jitendriyaḥ | dattavānmedinīṁ kṛtsnāṁ kaśyapāya mahātmane ||

"The destroyer of Kshatriyas, glorious, truthful, of controlled senses — he gave the entire earth to the great-souled Kashyapa."

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.4.16.16)

यो वै परशुरामाख्यो हरेरद्भुतकर्मणः । अवतारस्तु राजेन्द्र कथितः पापनाशनः ॥

yo vai paraśurāmākhyo hareradbhutakarmaṇaḥ | avatārastu rājendra kathitaḥ pāpanāśanaḥ ||

"He who is known as Parashurama, of Hari's wondrous deeds — this avatar, O foremost of kings, has been told, the destroyer of sin."

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.4.16.17)

त्रेतायुगे रघोर्वंशे रामो दशरथात्मजः । नरनारायणांशौ द्वौ जातौ भुवि महाबलौ ॥

tretāyuge raghorvaṁśe rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ | naranārāyaṇāṁśau dvau jātau bhuvi mahābalau ||

"In the Treta Yuga, in the line of Raghu, Rama, son of Dasharatha — the two portions of Nara and Narayana were born on earth, both of great strength."

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.4.16.18)

अष्टाविंशे युगे शस्तौ द्वापरेऽर्जुनशौरिणौ । धराभारावतारार्थं जातौ कृष्णार्जुनौ भुवि ॥

aṣṭāviṁśe yuge śastau dvāpare'rjunaśauriṇau | dharābhārāvatārārthaṁ jātau kṛṣṇārjunau bhuvi ||

"In the twenty-eighth Yuga, said to fall in the Dvapara, Arjuna and Shauri — for the removal of the earth's burden, Krishna and Arjuna were born on earth."

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.4.16.19)

कृतवन्तौ महायुद्धं कुरुक्षेत्रेऽतिदारुणम् । एवं युगे युगे राजन्नवतारा हरेः किल ॥

kṛtavantau mahāyuddhaṁ kurukṣetre'tidāruṇam | evaṁ yuge yuge rājannavatārā hareḥ kila ||

"They fought a most terrible great war at Kurukshetra. Thus, O king, in Yuga after Yuga, the avatars of Hari indeed —"

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.4.16.20)

भवन्ति बहवः कामं प्रकृतेरनुरूपतः । प्रकृतेरखिलं सर्वं वशमेतज्जगत्त्रयम् ॥

bhavanti bahavaḥ kāmaṁ prakṛteranurūpataḥ | prakṛterakhilaṁ sarvaṁ vaśametajjagattrayam ||

"— occur many, indeed, in accordance with Prakriti, primordial Nature. This entire triple world is wholly under the sway of Prakriti."

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.4.16.21)

यथेच्छति तथैवेयं भ्रामयत्यनिशं जगत् । पुरुषस्य प्रियार्थं सा रचयत्यखिलं जगत् ॥

yathecchati tathaiveyaṁ bhrāmayatyaniśaṁ jagat | puruṣasya priyārthaṁ sā racayatyakhilaṁ jagat ||

"As she wills, so she constantly whirls the world about; for the sake of Purusha's pleasure, she fashions this entire world."

Verse 22 (devibhagavatam.4.16.22)

सृष्ट्वा पुरा हि भगवाञ्जगदेतच्चराचरम् । सर्वादिः सर्वगश्चासौ दुर्ज्ञेयः परमोऽव्ययः ॥

sṛṣṭvā purā hi bhagavāñjagadetaccarācaram | sarvādiḥ sarvagaścāsau durjñeyaḥ paramo'vyayaḥ ||

"Having in ancient times created this moving and unmoving world, the Lord — the origin of all, present everywhere, hard to know, supreme and imperishable —"

Verse 23 (devibhagavatam.4.16.23)

निरालम्बो निराकारो निःस्पृहश्च परात्परः । उपाधितस्त्रिधा भाति यस्याः सा प्रकृतिः परा ॥

nirālambo nirākāro niḥspṛhaśca parātparaḥ | upādhitastridhā bhāti yasyāḥ sā prakṛtiḥ parā ||

"— without support, without form, without desire, beyond the beyond — shines in a threefold guise through his limiting condition; she who is his supreme Prakriti,"

Verse 24 (devibhagavatam.4.16.24)

उत्पत्तिकालयोगात्सा भिन्ना भाति शिवा तदा । सा विश्वं कुरुते कामं सा पालयति कामदा ॥

utpattikālayogātsā bhinnā bhāti śivā tadā | sā viśvaṁ kurute kāmaṁ sā pālayati kāmadā ||

"— through the working of the time of creation, appears then as distinct, as Shiva, the auspicious one. She, as she wishes, creates the universe; she, the giver of desires, sustains it."

Verse 25 (devibhagavatam.4.16.25)

कल्पान्ते संहरत्येव त्रिरूपा विश्वमोहिनी । तया युक्तोऽसृज द्ब्रह्मा विष्णुः पाति तयान्वितः ॥

kalpānte saṁharatyeva trirūpā viśvamohinī | tayā yukto'sṛja dbrahmā viṣṇuḥ pāti tayānvitaḥ ||

"At the end of the Kalpa, she alone withdraws it, that threefold-formed enchantress of the universe; united with her, Brahma created; united with her, Vishnu protects —"

Verse 26 (devibhagavatam.4.16.26)

रुद्रः संहरते कामं तया सम्मिलितः शिवः । सा चैवोत्पाद्य काकुत्स्थं पुरा वै नृपसत्तमम् ॥

rudraḥ saṁharate kāmaṁ tayā sammilitaḥ śivaḥ | sā caivotpādya kākutsthaṁ purā vai nṛpasattamam ||

"— Rudra too, united with her, that auspicious one, withdraws it at will. And she herself, having in ancient times brought forth Kakutstha, best of kings —"

Verse 27 (devibhagavatam.4.16.27)

कुत्रचित्स्थापयामास दानवानां जयाय च । एवमस्मिंश्च संसारे सुखदुःखान्विताः किल ॥

kutracitsthāpayāmāsa dānavānāṁ jayāya ca | evamasmiṁśca saṁsāre sukhaduḥkhānvitāḥ kila ||

"— established him somewhere, for the sake of victory over the Danavas. Thus, in this world, endowed with pleasure and pain indeed —"

Verse 28 (devibhagavatam.4.16.28)

भवन्ति प्राणिनः सर्वे विधितन्त्रनियन्त्रिताः ॥

bhavanti prāṇinaḥ sarve vidhitantraniyantritāḥ ||

— all beings exist, governed by the ordinance of fate.