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" The early commentators under- stood the " three places " to be the earth, the atmosphere, and the sky ; that in the earth Vish7iu was fire, in the air lightning, and in the sky the solar hght. One commentator, Aurwavabha, whose name deserves mention, took a more philosophical view of the matter, and interpreted " the three steps " as being " the different positions of the sun at his rising, culmination, and setting." Sayawa, the great commentator, who lived in days when the god Yishwu had obtained pre-eminence, understood "the three steps" to be "the three steps" taken by that god in his incarnation of Yamana the dwarf, to be presently noticed. Another reference to " three strides " and to a sort of Avatara is made in the Taittiriya Sanhita, where it is said, " Indra, assuming the form of a she-jackal, stepped all round the earth in three (strides). Thus the gods ob- tained it." Boar Incarnation. — In the Taittiriya Sanliita and Erahma??a, and also in the /S'atapatha Brahma?za, the creator Prajiipati, afterwards known as Brahma, took the form of a boar for the purpose of raising the earth out of the boundless waters. The Sanhita says, " This universe was formerly waters, fluid. On it Prajapati, becoming wind, moved. He saw this (earth). Be- coming a boar, he took her up. Becoming Yiswakarman, he wiped (the moisture from) her. She extended. She became the extended one (Prithvl). Prom this the earth derives her designation as 'the extended one.' " The Brahma?za is in accord as to the illimitable waters, and adds, "Prajapati practised arduous devotion (saying). How shall this universe be (de- veloped) ? He beheld a lotus leaf standing. He thought, There is somewhat on Avhich this (lotus leaf) rests. He, as a boar — having assumed that form — plunged beneath towards it. He found the earth down below. Breaking off (a portion of her), he rose to the surface. He then extended it on tlie lotus leaf. Inasmuch as he extended it, that is the extension of tlic extended one (the earth). This became (ahhaf). From tliis the earth derives its name of Bhumi." Further, in the Tait- tiriya Arawyaka it is said that the eartli was " raised by a black boar with a hundred arms." The /S'atapatha Brahmawa states, " She (tlie earth) was only so large, of the size of a sjian. A boar called Eniusha raised her up. Her lord, Prajapati, in AVATAR A. 35 consequence prospers him with this pair and makes him com- plete." In the Rfimaya/za also it is stated that Brahma "be- hecanie a boar and raised up the earth." Kurma or Tortoise. — In the /Sktapatha Brahmawa it is said that " Prajapati, having assumed the form of a tortoise (kurma), created offspring. That which he created he made (akarot) ; hence the word Ktirma." Fish Incarnation. — The earliest mention of the fish Avatiira occurs in the /S'atapatha Brahma?ia, in connection with the Hindu legend of the deluge. Manu found, in the water which was brought to him for his ablutions, a small fish, which sjDoke to him and said, " I will save thee " from a flood which shall sweep away all creatures. This fish grew to a large size, and had to be consigned to the ocean, when he directed Manu to construct a ship and to resort to him when the flood should rise. The deluge came, and Manu embarked in the ship. The fish then swam to Manu, who fastened the vessel to the fish's horn, and was conducted to safety. The Maha-bharata repeats this story with some variations. The incarnations of the boar, the tortoise, and the fish are thus in the earlier writings represented as manifestations of Prajapati or Brahma. The " three stej)s " which form the germ of the dwarf incarnation are ascribed to Vishmi, but even these appear to be of an astronomical or mythical character rather than glorifications of a particular deity. In the ]\Iaha-bharata Vishmi has become the most prominent of the gods, and some of his incarnations are more or less distinctly noticed ; but it is in the Pura?ias that they receive their full development. Ac- cording to the generally received account, the incarnations of Vish?iu are ten in number, each of them being assumed by Vislmu, the great preserving j)ower, to save the world from some great danger or trouble. I. Matsya. 'The fish.' This is an apjoropriation toYislmu of the ancient legend of the fish and the deluge, as related in the A^atapatha Brahma?^a, and quoted above. The details of this Avatara vary slightly in different Puranas. The object of the incarnation was to save Yaivaswata, the seventh Manu, and l^rogenitor of the human race, from destruction by a deluge. A small fish came into the hands of Manu and besoudit his protection. He carefully guarded it, and it grew rapidly until 2,6 AVATAR A. nothing but the ocean could contain it. Manu tlien recognised its divinity, and worshipped the deity Yish?Ri thus incarnate. The god apprised Manu of the approaching cataclysm, and bade him prepare for it. Wlien it came, Manu embarked in a ship with the it/shis, and with the seeds of all existing things. Yishmi then appeared as the fish with a most stupendous horn. The ship M^as bound to this horn with the great serpent as with a rope, and was secured in safety until the waters had subsided. The Bhagavata Pura?ia introduces a new feature. In one of the nights of Bralima, and during his repose, the earth and the other worlds were submerged in the ocean. Then the demon Haya-griva drew near, and carried off the Yeda which had issued from Brahma's mouth. To recover the Yeda thus lost, Yish^m assumed the form of a fish, and saved Manu as above related. But this Purawa adds, that the fish instructed Manu and the ii'/shis in " the true doctrine of the soul of the eternal Brahma ; " and, when Brahma awoke at the end of this dis- solution of the universe, Yish?iu slew Haya-griva and restored the Yeda to Brahma. 2. Ivurma. ' The tortoise.' The germ of this Avatara is found in the >S'atapatha Brahma?ia, as above noticed. In its later and developed form, Yish?zu appeared in the form of a tortoise in the Satya-yuga, or first age, to recover some things of value which had been lost in the deluge. In the form of a tortoise he placed himself at the bottom of the sea of milk, and made his back the base or pivot of the mountain Mandara. The gods and demons twisted the great serpent Yasuki round the moun- tain, and, dividing into two parties, each took an end of the snake as a rope, and thus churned the sea until they recovered the desired objects. These were — (i.) Amrita, the water of life; (2.) Dhanwantari, the physician of the gods and bearer of the cup of Am?-ita ; (3.) Lakshmi, goddess of fortune and beaut}'', and consort of Yish?ui ; (4.) Sura, goddess of wine; (5.) Chandra, the moon ; (6.) Rambha, a nymph, and pattern of a lovely and amiable woman ; (7.) Uchchai/i-sravas, a won- derful and model horse; (8.) Kaustubha, a celebrated jewel ; (9.) Pririjata, a celestial tree; (10.) Surablii, the cow of plenty j (it.) Airavata, a wonderful model elephant; (12.) /S'ankha, a shell, the conch of victory; (13.) Dhanus, a famous bow; and (14.) Yisha, poison. AVATAR A, 37 3. Yaralia. 'The boar.' The old legend of the Lrahmawas concerning the boar which raised the earth from the waters has been appropriated to Vish?m. A demon named Hira?^yaksha had drao-o'ed the earth to the bottom of the sea. To recover it Vish^iu assnmed the form of a boar, and after a contest of a thousand years he slew the demon and raised up the earth. 4. Nara-sinha, or ]Sr7>sinha, ' The man-lion. ' Yishnu assumed this form to deliver the world from the tyranny of IIira?zya- ka5ij)u, a demon who, by the favour of Brahma, had become invuhierable, and was secure from gods, men, and animals. This demon's son, named Prahlada, worshipped Vishmi, which so incensed his father that he tried to kill him, but his efforts were all in Vain. Contending with his son as to the omnipotence and omnipresence of Yishwu, Hirawya-kasipu demanded to know if Vishrm was present in a stone pillar of the hall, and struck it violently. To avenge Prahlada, and to vindicate his own offended majesty, Yisliwu came forth from the pillar as the jSTara-sinha, half-man and half-lion, and tore the arrogant Daitya king to pieces. These four incarnations are supposed to have appeared in the Sat^^a-yuga, or first age of the world. 5. Vamana. ' The dwarf.' The origin of this incarnation is " the three strides of Yishwu," spoken of in the itfg- veda, as before explained.