- published: 14 Apr 2012
- views: 278036
In Hinduism, an avatar (/ˈævəˌtɑːr, ˌævəˈtɑːr/;Hindustani: [əʋˈt̪aːr] from Sanskrit अवतार avatāra "descent") is a deliberate descent of a deity to Earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being (e.g., Vishnu for Vaishnavites), and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation", but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation".
The phenomenon of an avatar is observed in Hinduism,Ayyavazhi, and Sikhism. Avatar is regarded as one of the core principles of Hinduism.
The term is most often associated with Vishnu, though it has also come to be associated with other deities. Varying lists of avatars of Vishnu appear in Hindu scriptures, including the ten Dashavatara of the Garuda Purana and the twenty-two avatars in the Bhagavata Purana, though the latter adds that the incarnations of Vishnu are innumerable. The avatars of Vishnu are a primary component of Vaishnavism. An early reference to avatar, and to avatar doctrine, is in the Bhagavad Gita.
Shiva and Ganesha are also described as descending in the form of avatars. The various manifestations of Devi, the Divine Mother principal in Hinduism, are also described as avatars or incarnations by some scholars and followers of Shaktism. The avatars of Vishnu carry a greater theological prominence than those of other deities, which some scholars perceive to be imitative of the Vishnu avatar lists.
Until You came I was just the same
As everybody else
Whoever saw the light and turned away
You love me now
You loved me then
And every now and then
You show me how it would be if I'd gone the other way
After all this time I've come to find my soul's fragility
But You've rectified my frailty by your strength
It's like the sun swallowed up by the earth
Like atomics bombs in reverse
As if a glass could contain the sea
That's the way You are in me
That's the way You are
Now here I stand looking back
To the way things used to be
But I will never be alone again
You're with me
And now I see
What it means to me
To be a part of such a mystery
After all this time I've come to find my soul's fragility
But You've rectified my frailty by your strength
It's like the sun swallowed up by the earth
Like atomics bombs in reverse
As if a glass could contain the sea
That's the way You are in me