Deities
Dashavatara: An Introduction
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The Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu, express the idea that the divine descends into the world to restore balance whenever it is needed.
This guide introduces the ten and the concept behind them.
The concept of avatar
An avatar is a deliberate descent of the divine into a form. The Bhagavad Gita describes the Lord incarnating age after age to protect the good and restore dharma.
The ten forms
The classic list runs from Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), and Varaha (boar) through Narasimha, Vamana, the Ramas, Krishna, and Kalki, who is yet to come.
Venkateswara in context
Venkateswara is worshipped as a form of Vishnu himself, the source of the avatars, present on earth to grace devotees in the current age.