Dasavatar

Dasavatara (IAST: Daśāvatāra) refers to the ten major incarnations of Vishnu the hindu god of preservation and life. Etymologically, avatar (Sanskrit :अवतार, derives fromdaśa, meaning 'ten' and avatāra), meaning 'descent'. Some religious traditions believe the ten avatars to be incarnations of Krishna rather than Vishnu, and so do not include him on the list. 

It is believed that out of the ten incarnations (called Dashavatar) that are popularly 

believed in, nine have already been manifested while the tenth is yet to appear. Though 

all of the incarnations are highly revered, the incarnations of Lord Rama and Lord 

Krishna have found acceptance as gods in their own right and are propitiated deities in 

Hinduism. The first four of the ten avatars have appeared in the Krita Yuga (the first of 

the four Yugas or Ages that comprise one Mahayuga – for more details please read the 

section above on Lord Brahma). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the 

eighth incarnation in the Dwapar Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The tenth is 

expected to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.

Ten avatar are: 

1 Matsya 

2 Koorma 

3 Varaha 

4 Narasimha 

5 Vamana 

6 Parasurama 

7 Rama 

8 Balarama 

9 Krishna 

10 Kalki (Avathar yet to come)