The Ten Avatars of Vishnu Trivia Quiz

Like other ancient theologies, Hinduism also has scripture telling of mankind's rescue from a great flood. King Manu is petitioned by a tiny fish, which wishes to be protected from predators. If Manu keeps Matsya ("fish" in Sanskrit) safe, then one day Matsya will save Manu from a coming flood.

The fish continues to grow until Manu finally releases him into the ocean, but not before the fish instructs the king to build a boat. Matsya then helps carry the boat to the top of the mountains so that Manu survives the storm and helps restore the Earth's population.

The story of Matsya predates the association of the fish as the first avatar of Vishnu.

The second avatar of Vishnu is Kurma, the turtle. The god Indra was disrespectful to a gift given to him by the sage Durvasa, who became offended and placed a curse on the gods. The gods soon became too weak to fight off the asuras (demons), so they asked Kurma for aid.

As a giant turtle, Kurma instructed the gods to use Mount Mandara as a giant stirring rod so they could obtain the nectar of immortality, Amrita, from the ocean depths. When the mountain began to sink, Kurma dove underneath the mountain and held it up so the gods could continue churning the ocean and obtain the amrita.

The gods were able to drink the amrita and reestablish their power, and defeat the asuras.

The demon Hiranyaksha steals Bhumi, the earth goddess, and hides her deep in the ocean. The third avatar of Vishnu appears as Varaha (Sanskrit for boar) to fight and kill Hiranyaksha. Varaha then uses his giant tusks to lift Bhumi out of the ocean and return her to her rightful place.

This story of Varaha is ancient, appearing in the "Vedas", and is associated with Prajapati, the creator god, who is later identified as Brahma. Matsya and Kurma were also originally linked to Prajapati, but all three were later changed to avatars of Vishnu.

In Sanskrit, Narasimha translates as "man-lion." The myth tells that Brahma gave an incredible boon to the demon Hiranyakashipu, the older brother of the demon slain by Varaha. The boon ensured he could not be killed by man or animal, inside or outside, during the day or night, or by any weapon. Vishnu cleverly appears as Narasimha, a being that is neither man nor beast.

He kills Hiranyakashipu at dusk (neither day nor night) in a doorway (neither inside nor outside), using his claws rather than a weapon.

The Narasimha avatar story is celebrated during the Holi festival each spring.

The myth that covers the fifth avatar of Vishnu, Vamana the dwarf, differs slightly from the previous stories. In this myth, Mahabali, a good and benevolent demon king, is raised from the dead to lead the people in a war with the gods. After conquering Indra, Mahabali holds a celebration where he grants boons. Vamana approaches and requests only three steps of land, which Mahabali grants. Vamana then reveals his true cosmic form. With one step, he covers the heavens, with the second the earth, and for the third, Mahabali offers his own head. Because of the king's humility, Vishnu made the demon the king of the netherworld.

Legend has it that the Kshatriya kings had lost their moral way. Parashurama was born of the sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka. Though they lived humbly, they possessed a celestial cow that provided for the family's needs and wants. When King Kartavirya Arjuna learned of the amazing cow, he seized it by force and killed Jamadagni. Parashurama took up his axe and challenged the king to a battle.

After winning, Parashurama went on to challenge and defeat nearly all of the Kshatriya, sparing only two. Parashurama is the sixth and first fully human avatar of Vishnu.

Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu and one of the most revered. The "Ramayana" tells of Rama defeating the demon Ravana while emphasizing the moral duty of dharma. In the story, Rama's wife, Sita, is kidnapped by Ravana, who cannot be killed by any higher power but is vulnerable to humans.

The tale is a classic story of good versus evil, with virtue and righteousness prevailing. Rama Navami celebrates Rama's birth each spring.

Unlike the first seven avatars, there is disagreement about the eighth and ninth. The choice is often between Krishna and his older brother Balarama. Krishna's birthday is celebrated each year in the late fall. His name comes from the Sanskrit word for dark, and thus Krishna is often depicted as dark blue in artwork. Krishna plays a central role in the epic "Mahabharata", as the charioteer for Prince Arjuna. Within this epic is the "Bhagavad Gita", one of the most important Hindu texts, presenting a philosophical dialogue on morality and duty.

There is even less agreement about the ninth avatar, but the Buddha is the most commonly cited. Interestingly, most Buddhists reject the idea that the Buddha was an avatar of Vishnu. Some Hindu traditions taught that the Buddha came to restore balance by leading certain asuras astray with false teachings - an interpretation that is not particularly flattering to Buddhists.

Therefore, many Hindus view Buddhism as a branch of Hinduism, though Buddhists generally do not share this view.

The tenth avatar of Vishnu is Kalki, who has yet to come. The Hindu tradition describes four ages, with the final age, Kali Yuga, being the most chaotic and conflict-ridden. This period is sometimes called the Age of Darkness. Kalki's arrival will signal the end of the age. Riding a white-winged horse named Devadatta and wielding a fiery sword, Kalki will restore righteousness to the Earth. Dharma will be renewed, and a new golden age of Satya Yuga will begin.