The Enumeration of Vishnu's Incarnations and Their Identity with Narayana

Verse 1 (garuda.2.64.1)

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अथावता रान्पुरुषाख्यो हरिश्च गतो ध्यानं कर्तुमीशो महात्मा । प्रादुर्बभूवाखिलसद्गुणार्णवः स एव विष्णुः स च बीजभूतः

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca | athāvatā rānpuruṣākhyo hariśca gato dhyānaṃ kartumīśo mahātmā | prādurbabhūvākhilasadguṇārṇavaḥ sa eva viṣṇuḥ sa ca bījabhūtaḥ

Shri Krishna said: Now I shall speak of the incarnations. Hari, known as Purusha, the great lord of all, entered into meditation, and there appeared the very ocean of all auspicious qualities — he himself is Vishnu, and he alone is the seed of creation.

Verse 2 (garuda.2.64.2)

यो बीजभूतः पुरुषाख्य विष्णुः स एवाभूद्वासुदेवो महात्मा । सृष्टिं कर्तुं पुरुषाख्यस्य वायोर्मायाख्यायां मूलरूपो यथाऽस

yo bījabhūtaḥ puruṣākhya viṣṇuḥ sa evābhūdvāsudevo mahātmā | sṛṣṭiṃ kartuṃ puruṣākhyasya vāyormāyākhyāyāṃ mūlarūpo yathā'sa

That Vishnu, called Purusha, who is the seed of creation, himself became the great Vasudeva; in order to bring about creation, he became the root-form of the Purusha-named vital breath (vayu), abiding within the power called Maya.

Verse 3 (garuda.2.64.3)

यो वासुदेवस्तु स एव जातः संकर्षणाख्यो खिलसद्गुणात्मा । सृष्टिं कर्तुं सूत्रभूतस्य वायोर्जयाख्यायं पूर्णसंवित्परात्मा

yo vāsudevastu sa eva jātaḥ saṃkarṣaṇākhyo khilasadguṇātmā | sṛṣṭiṃ kartuṃ sūtrabhūtasya vāyorjayākhyāyaṃ pūrṇasaṃvitparātmā

He who was Vasudeva was born again under the name Sankarshana, whose very nature is composed of all auspicious qualities; in order to create, he abided, within the power called Jaya, as the supreme self of full consciousness, the root of the thread-like vital breath.

Verse 4 (garuda.2.64.4)

स एवं संकर्षणनामधेयः प्रद्युम्ननामा च स एव विश्रुतः । सरस्वतीभारतीसर्जनार्थं स एव देव्या मूलरूपो बभूव

sa evaṃ saṃkarṣaṇanāmadheyaḥ pradyumnanāmā ca sa eva viśrutaḥ | sarasvatībhāratīsarjanārthaṃ sa eva devyā mūlarūpo babhūva

He who bore the name Sankarshana became known also by the name Pradyumna; and in order to bring forth Sarasvati, the goddess of speech, he himself became the root-form of that goddess.

Verse 5 (garuda.2.64.5)

सृष्ट्वा युक्तं षोडशभिः कलाभिर्महत्तत्त्वं सूक्ष्मरूपं स एव । साहङ्कारं क्रीडयामास देवः शृणु त्वं वै षोडशाख्याः कलाश्च

sṛṣṭvā yuktaṃ ṣoḍaśabhiḥ kalābhirmahattattvaṃ sūkṣmarūpaṃ sa eva | sāhaṅkāraṃ krīḍayāmāsa devaḥ śṛṇu tvaṃ vai ṣoḍaśākhyāḥ kalāśca

Having created the subtle Mahat-tattva, endowed with sixteen constituent powers (kalas), that god, together with the principle of ego (ahamkara), entered into his sport. Now hear from me the names of those sixteen kalas.

Verse 6 (garuda.2.64.6)

भूतानि कर्मेन्द्रियपञ्चकानि ज्ञानेन्द्रियाणीह तथा मनश्च । ततो बभूव ह्यनिरुद्धसंज्ञको जीवांश्च संगृह्य सुपूर्णशक्तिः

bhūtāni karmendriyapañcakāni jñānendriyāṇīha tathā manaśca | tato babhūva hyaniruddhasaṃjñako jīvāṃśca saṃgṛhya supūrṇaśaktiḥ

The five gross elements, the five organs of action, likewise the five organs of knowledge, and the mind — from these there arose the one called Aniruddha, of wholly complete power, who gathered the individual souls (jivas) into himself.

Verse 7 (garuda.2.64.7)

सोयं विरिञ्च्यादिसमस्तदेवान् स्थूलेन देहेन ससर्ज नाथः । तथा स विष्णुः पुरुषाभिधस्तु सनत्कुमारत्वमवाप वीन्द्र

soyaṃ viriñcyādisamastadevān sthūlena dehena sasarja nāthaḥ | tathā sa viṣṇuḥ puruṣābhidhastu sanatkumāratvamavāpa vīndra

That same lord, taking on a gross body, created all the gods beginning with Brahma. In the same way, that Vishnu, known as Purusha, O king of birds, took the form of Sanatkumara.

Verse 8 (garuda.2.64.8)

अनन्यसाध्यं ब्रह्मचर्यं च कर्तुं दशेन्द्रियाणां शोषणार्थं सदैव । सनन्दनादौ पठितः कुमारस्तस्मान्नान्यो नात्र विचार्यमस्ति

ananyasādhyaṃ brahmacaryaṃ ca kartuṃ daśendriyāṇāṃ śoṣaṇārthaṃ sadaiva | sanandanādau paṭhitaḥ kumārastasmānnānyo nātra vicāryamasti

In order to observe a celibacy unattainable by any other, and ever to subdue the ten senses, he is reckoned among the Kumaras beginning with Sanandana; hence there is nothing further to be questioned in this matter.

Verse 9 (garuda.2.64.9)

स एव विष्णुः सूकरत्वं ह्यवाप क्षोपणीमुद्धर्तुं दैत्यवपुर्निहन्तुम् । हिरण्याक्षं सज्जनानां खगेन्द्र तथा भूमेः स्थापनार्थं च देवः

sa eva viṣṇuḥ sūkaratvaṃ hyavāpa kṣopaṇīmuddhartuṃ daityavapurnihantum | hiraṇyākṣaṃ sajjanānāṃ khagendra tathā bhūmeḥ sthāpanārthaṃ ca devaḥ

That same lord Vishnu, O king of birds, assumed the form of a boar (Varaha) in order to raise up the earth, to slay the body of the demon Hiranyaksha, for the sake of the righteous, and to re-establish the earth.

Verse 10 (garuda.2.64.10)

ततो हरिर्मद्विदासत्वमापानृषेर्भार्यायां यामिन्यां यो महात्मा । तत्रावतारे पञ्चरात्रं समग्रमुपादेष्टुं नाप दानं स्वतन्त्रः

tato harirmadvidāsatvamāpānṛṣerbhāryāyāṃ yāminyāṃ yo mahātmā | tatrāvatāre pañcarātraṃ samagramupādeṣṭuṃ nāpa dānaṃ svatantraḥ

Then Hari, that great soul, took birth in a form of humble service like mine, in the wife of a certain sage, Yamini. In that incarnation, in order to teach the entire Panchratra doctrine, he — though wholly independent — accepted no gift in return.

Verse 11 (garuda.2.64.11)

स एव विष्णुः समभूद्ब्रदर्यां नारायणाख्यः शमलापहश्च । तपस्तप्तुं शिक्षयितुं त्वृषीणां तिरस्कर्तुं ह्यप्सरसां सहस्रम्

sa eva viṣṇuḥ samabhūdbradaryāṃ nārāyaṇākhyaḥ śamalāpahaśca | tapastaptuṃ śikṣayituṃ tvṛṣīṇāṃ tiraskartuṃ hyapsarasāṃ sahasram

That same Vishnu appeared at Badari under the name Narayana, the remover of sin, in order to practice austerity, to instruct the sages, and indeed to spurn a thousand celestial nymphs (apsaras).

Verse 12 (garuda.2.64.12)

ततो हरिः कपिलत्वं ह्यवाप्य तिरोहितान्कालबलेन तत्त्वान् । चतुर्विशतिं संशयं चोद्धरिष्यन्नुपादिशच्चासुरये महात्मा

tato hariḥ kapilatvaṃ hyavāpya tirohitānkālabalena tattvān | caturviśatiṃ saṃśayaṃ coddhariṣyannupādiśaccāsuraye mahātmā

Then Hari took the form of Kapila, and, wishing to dispel doubt, that great soul taught the twenty-four tattvas — which had become hidden through the power of time — to Asuri.

Verse 13 (garuda.2.64.13)

स एव दतः समभूद्रमेशोनसूयायामत्रिरूपः परात्मा । आन्वीक्षिकिं नाम सुतर्कविद्यामलर्कनाम्ने प्रददात्तां महात्मा

sa eva dataḥ samabhūdrameśonasūyāyāmatrirūpaḥ parātmā | ānvīkṣikiṃ nāma sutarkavidyāmalarkanāmne pradadāttāṃ mahātmā

That same lord of Lakshmi, the supreme self, became Datta (Dattatreya), born of Anasuya in the form of Atri; and that great soul bestowed the excellent science of reasoning called Anvikshiki upon one named Alarka.

Verse 14 (garuda.2.64.14)

स एव वंशेप्यभवद्रवेश्च आकूत्यां यः सच्चिदानन्दरूपः । स्वायंभुवं यत्तु मन्वन्तरं च देवैः साकं पालयामास वीन्द्र

sa eva vaṃśepyabhavadraveśca ākūtyāṃ yaḥ saccidānandarūpaḥ | svāyaṃbhuvaṃ yattu manvantaraṃ ca devaiḥ sākaṃ pālayāmāsa vīndra

That same one, whose nature is being, consciousness, and bliss, was born in the lineage of Ruchi, in his wife Akuti; and in the Svayambhuva Manvantara he, together with the gods, acted as protector, O lord of birds.

Verse 15 (garuda.2.64.15)

स एव विष्णुः स उरुक्रमोभूदाग्नीध्रपुत्र्यां मेरुदेव्यां च नाभेः । विद्यारतानां मानिनां सर्वदैवमत्याश्चर्यं दर्शयितुं च वीन्द्र

sa eva viṣṇuḥ sa urukramobhūdāgnīdhraputryāṃ merudevyāṃ ca nābheḥ | vidyāratānāṃ mānināṃ sarvadaivamatyāścaryaṃ darśayituṃ ca vīndra

That same Vishnu became Urukrama, born of Nabhi in Merudevi, the daughter of Agnidhra, in order ever to show great wonder to those devoted to knowledge and to men of honor, O lord of birds.

Verse 16 (garuda.2.64.16)

ततो हरिर्जगृहे कूर्मरूपं सुरासुराणामुदधिं विमथ्नताम् । पृष्ठे धर्तुं मन्दरं पर्वतं च ब्रह्माण्डं वा धर्तुमीशो महात्मा

tato harirjagṛhe kūrmarūpaṃ surāsurāṇāmudadhiṃ vimathnatām | pṛṣṭhe dhartuṃ mandaraṃ parvataṃ ca brahmāṇḍaṃ vā dhartumīśo mahātmā

Then Hari assumed the form of a tortoise (Kurma), while the gods and demons were churning the ocean, so as to bear Mount Mandara upon his back — that great and capable lord who is able to bear even the whole universe.

Verse 17 (garuda.2.64.17)

ततो हरिः प्रादुरभून्महात्मा धन्वन्तरिर्नाम हरिन्मणिद्युतिः । अपथ्यदोषान्परिहर्तुमेव हस्ते गृहीत्वा पूर्णकुभं सुधाभिः

tato hariḥ prādurabhūnmahātmā dhanvantarirnāma harinmaṇidyutiḥ | apathyadoṣānparihartumeva haste gṛhītvā pūrṇakubhaṃ sudhābhiḥ

Then Hari, that great soul, manifested under the name Dhanvantari, radiant like an emerald gem, holding in his hand a pot brimming with nectar, in order to remove the disorders caused by unwholesome diet.

Verse 18 (garuda.2.64.18)

ततो हरिर्जगृहे श्रीवपुश्च यन्मोहिनीति प्रवदन्ति लोके । उद्वृत्तानां दितिजानां महात्मा सम्यक्तेषां वञ्चयितुं हरिर्बलम्

tato harirjagṛhe śrīvapuśca yanmohinīti pravadanti loke | udvṛttānāṃ ditijānāṃ mahātmā samyakteṣāṃ vañcayituṃ harirbalam

Then Hari assumed that beautiful form which people in the world call Mohini — that great soul did so in order thoroughly to beguile the arrogant sons of Diti and rob them of their strength.

Verse 19 (garuda.2.64.19)

ततो हरिः प्रादुरभून्महात्मा नृसिंहनामा भगवाननन्तः । दैत्यो हिरण्यकशिपुश्च तथोरुदेशे संस्थापितः करजैर्दारितश्च

tato hariḥ prādurabhūnmahātmā nṛsiṃhanāmā bhagavānanantaḥ | daityo hiraṇyakaśipuśca tathorudeśe saṃsthāpitaḥ karajairdāritaśca

Then Hari, the infinite lord, that great soul, manifested under the name Narasimha; and he placed the demon Hiranyakashipu upon his thigh and tore him apart with his claws.

Verse 20 (garuda.2.64.20)

ततो हरिर्भगवान्वामनोभूददित्यां वै कश्यपाद्दवदेवः । इन्द्रायेदं दातुकामः खगेन्द्र तदर्थं वै पावितुं सोवितुं च

tato harirbhagavānvāmanobhūdadityāṃ vai kaśyapāddavadevaḥ | indrāyedaṃ dātukāmaḥ khagendra tadarthaṃ vai pāvituṃ sovituṃ ca

Then the lord Hari, that great god, became Vamana, born of Kashyapa in Aditi, O king of birds — wishing to restore this dominion to Indra, and for that purpose, to purify and safeguard it.

Verse 21 (garuda.2.64.21)

ततो हरिर्जमदग्नेः सुतोभूल्लोके सर्वे पर्शुरामं वदन्ति । ब्रह्मद्विषां क्षत्रियाणां च वीन्द्र भूमिं निः क्षत्रां कर्तुकामो महेशः

tato harirjamadagneḥ sutobhūlloke sarve parśurāmaṃ vadanti | brahmadviṣāṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ ca vīndra bhūmiṃ niḥ kṣatrāṃ kartukāmo maheśaḥ

Then Hari became the son of Jamadagni; all the world calls him Parashurama. O lord of birds, that great lord desired to rid the earth of the kshatriyas — those who were hostile to the brahmins.

Verse 22 (garuda.2.64.22)

ततोभवद्व्यासरूपी स विष्णुश्चतुर्वारं राघवास्यापि पूर्णः । पराशरात्सत्यवत्यां बभूव पैलादिभिर्वेदभागांश्च कर्तुम्

tatobhavadvyāsarūpī sa viṣṇuścaturvāraṃ rāghavāsyāpi pūrṇaḥ | parāśarātsatyavatyāṃ babhūva pailādibhirvedabhāgāṃśca kartum

Thereafter that same complete Vishnu, manifesting in his fullness again and again, took the form of Vyasa; born of Parashara in Satyavati, he caused the Vedas to be divided into their several branches through Paila and the other disciples.

Verse 23 (garuda.2.64.23)

ततो हरी रघुवंशेवतीर्णः कौसल्यायां राघवः सूर्यवंशे । समुद्रादोर्विग्रहं कर्तुमीशो हं तुं भूम्यां रावणादींश्च वीन्द्र

tato harī raghuvaṃśevatīrṇaḥ kausalyāyāṃ rāghavaḥ sūryavaṃśe | samudrādorvigrahaṃ kartumīśo haṃ tuṃ bhūmyāṃ rāvaṇādīṃśca vīndra

Then Hari, as Raghava (Rama), descended into the Raghu lineage of the solar dynasty, born of Kausalya, that lord being able to build a causeway across the ocean and to slay Ravana and the other demons upon the earth, O lord of birds.

Verse 24 (garuda.2.64.24)

ततो हरिर्व्यासरूपी बभूव अष्टाविंशे द्वपरे ज्ञानरूपी । पराशरात्सत्यवत्यां महात्मा स्वयं वेदान् संविभक्तुं च देवः

tato harirvyāsarūpī babhūva aṣṭāviṃśe dvapare jñānarūpī | parāśarātsatyavatyāṃ mahātmā svayaṃ vedān saṃvibhaktuṃ ca devaḥ

Then, in the twenty-eighth Dvapara age, Hari became Vyasa, the embodiment of knowledge; that great god, born of Parashara in Satyavati, himself undertook to divide the Vedas.

Verse 25 (garuda.2.64.25)

ततो हरिः कृष्णरूपी बभूव देवक्यां वै वसुदेवात्स विष्णुः । कंसादीन्वै नितरां हन्तुकामः सम्यक्पातुं पाण्डवांश्चापि वीन्द्र

tato hariḥ kṛṣṇarūpī babhūva devakyāṃ vai vasudevātsa viṣṇuḥ | kaṃsādīnvai nitarāṃ hantukāmaḥ samyakpātuṃ pāṇḍavāṃścāpi vīndra

Then that Vishnu, Hari, appeared as Krishna, born of Vasudeva in Devaki, wishing utterly to destroy Kamsa and the others and thoroughly to protect the Pandavas, O lord of birds.

Verse 26 (garuda.2.64.26)

ततः कलौ संप्रवृत्ते हरिस्तु संमोहनार्थं चासुराणां खगेन्द्र । नाम्ना बुद्धो कीकटेषु प्रजातो वेदप्रमाणं निराकर्तुमेव

tataḥ kalau saṃpravṛtte haristu saṃmohanārthaṃ cāsurāṇāṃ khagendra | nāmnā buddho kīkaṭeṣu prajāto vedapramāṇaṃ nirākartumeva

Then, when the Kali age had begun, Hari, O king of birds, in order to delude the asuras, was born under the name Buddha in the land of the Kikatas, for the very purpose of repudiating the authority of the Vedas.

Verse 27 (garuda.2.64.27)

ततो हरिः कल्किसंज्ञश्च वीन्द्र उत्पत्स्यते युगयोर्मध्यसंधौ । दस्युप्रायान्भूमिपान्वै निहन्तुं नाम्ना हरिर्विष्णुगुप्तस्य गेहे

tato hariḥ kalkisaṃjñaśca vīndra utpatsyate yugayormadhyasaṃdhau | dasyuprāyānbhūmipānvai nihantuṃ nāmnā harirviṣṇuguptasya gehe

Thereafter, O lord of birds, at the junction between the two ages, Hari will arise under the name Kalki, in order to slay the rulers who have become mostly like bandits, born in the house of one named Vishnugupta, bearing the name Hari.

Verse 28 (garuda.2.64.28)

केशवाद्याश्चतुर्विंशतिर्वै संकर्षणादयः । विश्वादय सहस्रं च पराद्या अमिताः स्मृताः

keśavādyāścaturviṃśatirvai saṃkarṣaṇādayaḥ | viśvādaya sahasraṃ ca parādyā amitāḥ smṛtāḥ

The twenty-four forms beginning with Keshava, those beginning with Sankarshana, the thousand beginning with Vishva, and those beginning with Para — all these are reckoned as beyond counting.

Verse 29 (garuda.2.64.29)

अवतारा ह्यसंख्याता विष्णोर्नारायणस्य च । स्वयं नारायणास्ते ते नाणुमात्रं विभिद्यते

avatārā hyasaṃkhyātā viṣṇornārāyaṇasya ca | svayaṃ nārāyaṇāste te nāṇumātraṃ vibhidyate

The incarnations of Vishnu, that is of Narayana, are indeed innumerable. They are themselves Narayana; they do not differ from him even by the measure of an atom.

Verse 30 (garuda.2.64.30)

बलतोरूपतश्चापि गुणतश्च कथञ्चन । अनन्तोनन्तगुणतः पूर्णो विष्णुर्न चान्यथा

balatorūpataścāpi guṇataśca kathañcana | anantonantaguṇataḥ pūrṇo viṣṇurna cānyathā

In power, in form, or in qualities, they differ in no way whatsoever. Vishnu is infinite, endowed with infinite qualities, and ever complete — never otherwise.