Brush up your MYTHOLOGY - Each avatar of Lord Vishnu has a story
Of the 10 recognised incarnations of Lord Vishnu , legend has it that nine have already appeared before us. Let us have a look at these various avatars. The first one of these takes the form of Matsya or fish . Hindu mythology believes that the world is subject to a cycle of periodical destruction. It was during one such cycle that the four Vedas were submerged beneath the water. In order for Brahma to carry on with his work of creation, the Vedas were a must as they were manuals of instruction. Vishnu was commanded to recover these books and to do so, he took the form of a fish. In his next incarnation, Vishnu takes the form of a tortoise, Kachyup or Kurma that took the newly created, trembling earth upon its back to give it some form of stability. The third incarnation is that of Varaha or boar . Taking this form, Vishnu is supposed to have descended into the water and drawn up the earth with the help of his huge tusks. Narasimha is Vishnu’s fourth incarnation. This form of a hal