Description of the Ten Avatars

Verse 1 (garuda.1.142.1)

ब्रह्मोवाच । विंशादीन्पालयामास ह्यवतीर्णो हरिः प्रभुः । दैत्यधर्मस्य नाशार्थं वेदधर्मादिगुप्तये

brahmovāca viṁśādīnpālayāmāsa hyavatīrṇo hariḥ prabhuḥ daityadharmasya nāśārthaṁ vedadharmādiguptaye

Brahma said: Lord Hari, taking incarnation, has protected creation from its beginning; for the destruction of the demons' false dharma, and for the protection of Vedic dharma and the rest —

Verse 2 (garuda.1.142.2)

मत्स्यादिकस्वरूपेण त्ववतारं करोत्यजः । मत्स्यो भूत्वा हयग्रीवं दैत्यं हत्वाजिकण्टकम्

matsyādikasvarūpeṇa tvavatāraṁ karotyajaḥ matsyo bhūtvā hayagrīvaṁ daityaṁ hatvājikaṇṭakam

the unborn Lord takes incarnation in forms beginning with the Fish. Becoming the Fish, he slew the demon Hayagriva, a thorn in battle,

Verse 3 (garuda.1.142.3)

वेदानानीय मन्वादीन्पालयामास केशवः । मन्दरं धारयामास कूर्मो भूत्वा हिताय च

vedānānīya manvādīnpālayāmāsa keśavaḥ mandaraṁ dhārayāmāsa kūrmo bhūtvā hitāya ca

and, having retrieved the Vedas, Keshava protected Manu and the others. Becoming the Tortoise, he bore up Mount Mandara for the good of the churning.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.142.4)

क्षीरोदमथने वै द्यो देवो धन्वन्तरिर्ह्यर्भूत् । बिभ्रत्कमण्डलुं पूर्णममृतेन समुत्थितः

kṣīrodamathane vai dyo devo dhanvantarirhyarbhūt bibhratkamaṇḍaluṁ pūrṇamamṛtena samutthitaḥ

In the churning of the Ocean of Milk, the god Dhanvantari arose, bearing a vessel full of nectar.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.142.5)

आयुर्वेदमथाष्टाङ्गं सुश्रुताय स उक्तवान् । अमृतं पाययामास स्त्रीरूपी च सुरान्हरिः

āyurvedamathāṣṭāṅgaṁ suśrutāya sa uktavān amṛtaṁ pāyayāmāsa strīrūpī ca surānhariḥ

He then taught the eightfold Ayurveda to Sushruta. And Hari, taking the form of a woman, gave the nectar to the gods to drink.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.142.6)

अवतीर्णो वराहोऽथ हिरण्याक्षं जघान ह । पृथिवीं धारयामास पालयामास देवताः

avatīrṇo varāho'tha hiraṇyākṣaṁ jaghāna ha pṛthivīṁ dhārayāmāsa pālayāmāsa devatāḥ

Then, incarnate as the Boar, he slew Hiranyaksha; he upheld the earth and protected the gods.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.142.7)

नरसिंहोऽवर्तोर्णोऽथ हिरण्यकशिपुंरिपुम् । दैत्यान्निहतवान्वेदधर्मादीनभ्यपालयत्

narasiṁho'vartorṇo'tha hiraṇyakaśipuṁripum daityānnihatavānvedadharmādīnabhyapālayat

Then, incarnate as Narasimha, he slew the enemy Hiranyakashipu and the other demons, and protected Vedic dharma and the rest.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.142.8)

ततः परशुरामोऽभूज्जमदग्नेर्जगत्प्रभुः । त्रिः सप्तकृत्वः पृथिवीं चक्रे निः क्षत्त्रियां हरिः

tataḥ paraśurāmo'bhūjjamadagnerjagatprabhuḥ triḥ saptakṛtvaḥ pṛthivīṁ cakre niḥ kṣattriyāṁ hariḥ

Then Hari became Parashurama, Lord of the worlds, son of Jamadagni; twenty-one times he made the earth free of kshatriyas.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.142.9)

कार्तवीर्यं जघानाजौ कश्यपाय महीं ददौ । यागं कृत्वा महाबाहुर्महेन्द्रे पर्वते स्थितः

kārtavīryaṁ jaghānājau kaśyapāya mahīṁ dadau yāgaṁ kṛtvā mahābāhurmahendre parvate sthitaḥ

He slew Kartavirya in battle, and gave the earth to Kashyapa; having performed a sacrifice, the mighty-armed one dwells on Mount Mahendra.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.142.10)

ततो रामो भविष्णुश्च चतुर्धा दुष्टर्मदनः । पुत्रो दशरथाज्जज्ञे रामश्च भरतोऽनुजः

tato rāmo bhaviṣṇuśca caturdhā duṣṭarmadanaḥ putro daśarathājjajñe rāmaśca bharato'nujaḥ

Then Rama, the destroyer of the wicked, was born fourfold as the son of Dasharatha: Rama, and his younger brother Bharata,

Verse 11 (garuda.1.142.11)

लक्ष्मणश्चाथ शत्रुघ्नो रामभार्या च जानकी । रामश्च पितृसत्यार्थं मातृभ्यो हितमाचरन्

lakṣmaṇaścātha śatrughno rāmabhāryā ca jānakī rāmaśca pitṛsatyārthaṁ mātṛbhyo hitamācaran

and Lakshmana and Shatrughna; Rama's wife was Janaki, that is Sita. And Rama, for the sake of his father's truthfulness, acting for the good of his mothers —

Verse 12 (garuda.1.142.12)

शृङ्गवेरं चित्रकूटं दण्डकारण्यमागतः । नासां शूर्पणखायाश्च च्छित्त्वाथ खरदूषणम्

śṛṅgaveraṁ citrakūṭaṁ daṇḍakāraṇyamāgataḥ nāsāṁ śūrpaṇakhāyāśca cchittvātha kharadūṣaṇam

went to Shringavera, Chitrakuta, and the Dandaka forest; and, having cut off Shurpanakha's nose, then slain Khara and Dushana —

Verse 13 (garuda.1.142.13)

हत्वा स राक्षसं सीतापहारिरजनीचरम् । रावणं चानुजं तस्य लङ्कापुर्यां विभीषणम्

hatvā sa rākṣasaṁ sītāpahārirajanīcaram rāvaṇaṁ cānujaṁ tasya laṅkāpuryāṁ vibhīṣaṇam

he slew the night-wandering demon Ravana, the abductor of Sita, and, in the city of Lanka, installed Ravana's younger brother Vibhishana —

Verse 14 (garuda.1.142.14)

रक्षोराज्ये च संस्थाप्य सुग्रीवनुमन्मुखैः । आरुह्य पुष्पकं सार्धं सीतया पतिभक्तया

rakṣorājye ca saṁsthāpya sugrīvanumanmukhaiḥ āruhya puṣpakaṁ sārdhaṁ sītayā patibhaktayā

in the kingdom of the demons; then, with Sugriva, Hanuman and others, mounting the Pushpaka chariot together with his devoted wife Sita —

Verse 15 (garuda.1.142.15)

लक्ष्मणेनानुकूलेन ह्ययोध्यां स्वपुरीं गतः । राज्यं चकार देवादीन्पालयामास स प्रजाः

lakṣmaṇenānukūlena hyayodhyāṁ svapurīṁ gataḥ rājyaṁ cakāra devādīnpālayāmāsa sa prajāḥ

and with the ever-favorable Lakshmana, he returned to his own city, Ayodhya. He ruled the kingdom and protected the gods and all his subjects.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.142.16)

धर्मसंरक्षणं चक्रे ह्यश्वमेधादिकान्क्रतून् । सा महीपतिना रेमे रामेणैव यथासुखम्

dharmasaṁrakṣaṇaṁ cakre hyaśvamedhādikānkratūn sā mahīpatinā reme rāmeṇaiva yathāsukham

He upheld dharma and performed the Ashvamedha and other sacrifices. Sita lived happily with that lord of the earth, Rama, according to her heart's content.

Verse 17 (garuda.1.142.17)

रावणस्य गृहे सीता स्थिता भेजे न रावणम् । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा सा गता राघवं सदा

rāvaṇasya gṛhe sītā sthitā bheje na rāvaṇam karmaṇā manasā vācā sā gatā rāghavaṁ sadā

Though Sita dwelt in Ravana's house, she never gave herself to Ravana in deed, mind, or word; she remained ever devoted to Raghava.

Verse 18 (garuda.1.142.18)

पतिव्रता तु सा सीता ह्यनसूया यथैव तु । पतिव्रताया माहात्म्यं शृणु त्वं कथयाम्यहम्

pativratā tu sā sītā hyanasūyā yathaiva tu pativratāyā māhātmyaṁ śṛṇu tvaṁ kathayāmyaham

Sita was a pativrata, one utterly devoted to her husband, just as Anasuya was. Hear the glory of a pativrata; I shall tell it to you.

Verse 19 (garuda.1.142.19)

कौशिको ब्राह्मणः कुष्ठी प्रतिष्ठानेऽभवत्पुरा । तं तथा व्याधितं भार्या पतिं देवमिवार्चयत्

kauśiko brāhmaṇaḥ kuṣṭhī pratiṣṭhāne'bhavatpurā taṁ tathā vyādhitaṁ bhāryā patiṁ devamivārcayat

Long ago, in the city of Pratishthana, there lived a Brahmin named Kaushika, afflicted with leprosy. His wife worshipped him, diseased as he was, as if he were a god.

Verse 20 (garuda.1.142.20)

निर्भर्त्सितापि भर्तारं तममन्यत दैवतम् । भर्त्रोक्ता सानयद्वेश्यां शुल्कमादाय चाधिकम्

nirbhartsitāpi bhartāraṁ tamamanyata daivatam bhartroktā sānayadveśyāṁ śulkamādāya cādhikam

Even when scolded, she still regarded her husband as a deity. Bidden by her husband, she carried him to a courtesan's house, having earned extra wages to pay for it.

Verse 21 (garuda.1.142.21)

पथि सूले तदा प्रोतमचौरं चौरशङ्कया । माण्डव्यमतिदुः खार्तमन्धकारेऽथ स द्विजः

pathi sūle tadā protamacauraṁ cauraśaṅkayā māṇḍavyamatiduḥ khārtamandhakāre'tha sa dvijaḥ

On the way, impaled on a stake, was the innocent sage Mandavya, wrongly suspected of theft and greatly afflicted with pain; and in the darkness that Brahmin —

Verse 22 (garuda.1.142.22)

पत्नीस्कन्धसमारूढश्चालयामास कौशिकः । पादावमर्शणत्क्रुद्धो माण्डव्यस्तमुवाच ह

patnīskandhasamārūḍhaścālayāmāsa kauśikaḥ pādāvamarśaṇatkruddho māṇḍavyastamuvāca ha

riding upon his wife's shoulders, brushed against Mandavya as he passed. Angered by the touch of his foot, Mandavya said to him —

Verse 23 (garuda.1.142.23)

सूर्योदये मृतिस्तस्य येनाहं चालितः पदा । तच्छ्रुत्वा प्राह तद्भार्या सूर्यो नोदयमेष्यति

sūryodaye mṛtistasya yenāhaṁ cālitaḥ padā tacchrutvā prāha tadbhāryā sūryo nodayameṣyati

May he who has touched me with his foot die at sunrise. Hearing this, his wife declared: The sun shall not rise.

Verse 24 (garuda.1.142.24)

ततः सूर्योदयाभावाद भवत्सततं निशा । बहून्यब्दप्रमाणानि ततो देवा भयं ययुः

tataḥ sūryodayābhāvāda bhavatsatataṁ niśā bahūnyabdapramāṇāni tato devā bhayaṁ yayuḥ

Then, because the sun did not rise, unbroken night continued for the span of many years; and the gods fell into fear.

Verse 25 (garuda.1.142.25)

ब्रह्माणं शरणं जग्मुस्तामूचे पद्मसम्भवः । प्रशाम्यते तेजसैव तपस्तेजस्त्वनेन वै

brahmāṇaṁ śaraṇaṁ jagmustāmūce padmasambhavaḥ praśāmyate tejasaiva tapastejastvanena vai

They took refuge with Brahma. The lotus-born Brahma said to them: This radiance is quenched only by radiance, and this is the radiance of her austerity —

Verse 26 (garuda.1.142.26)

पतिव्रताया माहात्म्यान्नोद्गच्छति दिवाकरः । तस्य चानुदयाद्धानिर्मर्त्यानां भवतां तथा

pativratāyā māhātmyānnodgacchati divākaraḥ tasya cānudayāddhānirmartyānāṁ bhavatāṁ tathā

because of a pativrata's glory the sun does not rise; and from its not rising, ruin will come both to mortals and to you gods.

Verse 27 (garuda.1.142.27)

तस्मात्पतिव्रतामत्रेरनसूयां तपस्विनीम् । प्रसादयत वै पत्नीं भानोरुदयकाम्यया

tasmātpativratāmatreranasūyāṁ tapasvinīm prasādayata vai patnīṁ bhānorudayakāmyayā

Therefore propitiate Anasuya, the ascetic pativrata wife of Atri, in your desire for the sun's rising.

Verse 28 (garuda.1.142.28)

तैः सा प्रसादिता गत्वा ह्यनसूया पतिव्रता । कृत्वादित्योदयं सा च तं भर्तारमजीवयत् । पतिव्रतानसूयायाः सीताभूदधिका किल

taiḥ sā prasāditā gatvā hyanasūyā pativratā kṛtvādityodayaṁ sā ca taṁ bhartāramajīvayat pativratānasūyāyāḥ sītābhūdadhikā kila

Propitiated by the gods, the pativrata Anasuya went and brought about the sun's rising, and revived that dead husband. Sita's devotion as a pativrata, indeed, surpassed even that of Anasuya.