Dasavatara The Ten Incarnations of Vishnu

This promise of Lord Vishnu, delivered in the Bhagavad Gita, forms the basis of Dasavatara: The Ten Incarnations of Vishnu - the stories of the descents of Lord. In days gone by, children would cluster around their grandparents and listen with rapt attention to the tales of angry rishis, evil kings, fearsome asuras and the amazing exploits of the Lord. Today, the growth of nuclear families and the changing pace of life have led to these tales and traditions being forgotten or only partially recollected. This book is an attempt at collating the legends of the various avatars or births of Lord Vishnu and presenting them in an easily readable form for Indians in India and abroad, as well as others with an interest in Indian religions, culture and philosophy.

About the Author

V. Ashok was born in Orissa and educated in Delhi where he graduated in engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1982 and has served in Indian Missions in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Vienna, as well as in various capacities in the Ministry of External Affaires, New Delhi. He was Director (External Relations) in the Department of Atomic Energy in Mumbai before representing India as Alternate Governor and Alternate Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. He is currently posted in the Indian High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Contents:

Prologue
Matsya Avatara 
   The Divine Fish
Kurma Avatara
   The Divine Tortoise 
Varaha Avatara
   The Divine Boar
Narasimha Avatara
   The Divine Man-Lion
Vamana Avatara 
   The Divine Dwarf
Parasurama Avatara
Rama Avatara
Krishna Avatara
Buddha Avatara
   Puranic Legends of the Buddha
Kalki Avatara
Epilogue