The Ten Incarnations of Visnu in Bengal
By Kamala Ray
Summary
The study traces the evolution of the theory of Visnu’s incarnations (Avatara‑vada) and its reception in Bengal. It begins with Vedic and Brahmanical texts: the Bhagavadgita proclaims that Visnu incarnates whenever righteousness declines hymns of the Rgveda refer to his three strides; Brāhmaṇa texts narrate the dwarf Vamana’s three steps and the boar lifting the earth. The article notes that names of Varaha, Matsya, Kurma and Nrsimha appear in the Brāhmaṇas and Aranyakas, but lists of ten or more incarnations are absent from early literature. In the Mahabharata the lists vary: some enumerate Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Rama, Parasurama, Krsna and Kalki; others add Hamsa or Balarama. Puranas differ as well: the Matsya Purana counts celestial incarnations (Matsya, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana) and human incarnations (Dattatreya, Mandhatri, Parasurama, Rama, Vedavyasa, Buddha and Kalki). The Varaha and Bhagavata Puranas list Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Krsna, Buddha and Kalki. The author emphasises that the familiar Dasavatara sequence became standard only later. Epigraphic and sculptural evidence from Bengal shows early acceptance of the doctrine. Gupta‑era inscriptions and images of Varaha attest to the worship of this avatar. Stone slabs from East Bengal depict sequences of ten incarnations; slabs from Tangibidi and Vikrampur show Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana in Trivikrama pose, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama or Buddha and Kalki. The article then analyses iconographic prescriptions from the Matsya and Agni Puranas and compares them with extant sculptures. Varaha images from Bengal portray a man with a boar’s head holding conch, discus, club and lotus while supporting the Earth goddess on his arm; Lakshmi and Sarasvati stand beside him; serpents and Garuda appear at his feet. This matches Puranic dhyana verses. The article concludes that Avatara‑vada was known in Bengal by the fifth century; literary works such as Abhinanda’s Ramacaritam and Sandhyakara Nandi’s poems praise various incarnations; and archaeological evidence reveals widespread popular devotion. The differences in lists and iconography reflect both the evolution of the doctrine and regional adaptations.
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Conclusion
Visnu’s incarnation theory did not begin as a fixed set of ten forms; early texts mention only a few avatars and later Puranas standardised the Dasavatara. Epigraphs and sculptures from Bengal show that Varaha and other avatars were worshipped there by the Gupta period. By the early medieval age, images representing sequences of incarnations became common. The article highlights how textual tradition and local artistic evidence together illuminate the growth of Avatara‑vada in Bengal.