5 animal avatars of Lord Vishnu: Here’s all you need to know 

If you are well-versed in Hindu mythology, you would know that Lord Vishnu is among the three important deities alongside Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. In fact, together they form the principal holy trinity.  

While Brahma is the creator of the universe and Shiva is the destroyer, Vishnu is regarded as the preserver and protector. In fact, according to Hindu mythology, if and when humanity descends into chaos or evil, it’s Vishnu who takes up one of his incarnations (avatars) to restore order and righteousness. In fact, Vishnu has 24 avatars in all, out of which many are animals. Do you know about them? All of these animal incarnations of Vishnu were part of the Satya Yuga (Age of Truth). Curious to know more? Here is a low-down on the five animal incarnations of Lord Vishnu. 

Matsya (The fish) 
Deemed as the first avatar of Lord Vishnu, Matsya refers to a great fish or a human torso linked to the fish’s tail (yes, much like a mermaid). Legends have it that Matsya rescued the first man (Manu) and other earthlings from a great flood. How? By forewarning them about the upcoming flood and asking them to stock up on food supplies and secure all living beings on a mammoth sized boat. 

Kurma (The tortoise) 
Often represented in a half human half tortoise form, Kurma is that avatar of Lord Vishnu which churned the ocean of milk (Samudra Manthan) to obtain hidden treasures. Myth says that Lord Vishnu took the shape of Kurma and supported the churning stick (Mount Mandara) on the hard-shell of the animal that helped him to perfectly do his job of restoring cosmic equilibrium.  

Varaha (The boar) 
Going by the Hindu mythology, a demon named Hiranyaksha had dragged the Goddess Earth to the ocean floor. This is when Lord Vishnu stepped in and assumed the avatar of Varaha and rescued Mother Earth from the bottom of the sea after battling with the demons for a span of a millennium. How? With the help of his tusks. Varaha, like the other incarnations, is represented as either a full boar from head to toe or as a boar’s head attached to a human body. 

Narasimha (The man-lion) 
The myth of Narasimha is associated with the evil king Hiranya Kashyap. The story goes like this: He received a boon from Brahma that he could not be killed by any man or animal. Being arrogant of his immortal power, Hiranyaksha wreaked havoc on both heaven and earth. Interestingly, his son Prahlada was a devotee of Vishnu. So, one day, when the father attacked the son, Vishnu was so angry that he took the powerful avatar of a man-lion and slayed the demon. 

Hayagreeva (The horse) 
As the legend goes, Hayagreeva has the head of a horse and the body of a man. When two demons Madhu and Kaitabha stole the Vedas from under Brahma’s nose and hid it deep underneath the ocean, Brahma summoned Vishnu for help. Vishnu the role of Hayagreeva, killed the demons and restored the Vedas from underwater.