PLATE TEN

Lord Sri Krsna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, incar-
nates Himself in various forms age after age to perform specific missions.
Here we see His ten most prominent /ila-avataras (pastime incarna-
tions). Beginning in the lower left-hand corner and moving clockwise,
we find (1) Lord Matsya, the fish incarnation, who protected Vaivasvata
Manu by supporting the boat he was in during a complete inundation of
the universe; (2) Lord Karma, the tortoise incarnation, whose shell
served as a pivot for Mandara Mountain when it was being used as a
churning rod by the theists and the atheists; (3) Lord Varaha, the boar
incarnation, who lifted the earth up from the nether regions of the uni-
verse and slew the great demon Hiranyaksa; (4) Lord Nrsirnhadeva, the
half-man_ half-lion, who bifurcated the strong body of the atheist
Hiranyakasipu with His nails; (5) Lord Vamanadeva, the dwarf-
brahmana incarnation, who begged three steps of land from Bali
Maharaja; (6) Lord Parasurama, who annihilated the administrative
class (ksatriyas) twenty-one times; (7) Lord Ramacandra, who accepted
exile in the forest with His beloved consort, Sitadevi, and then exhibited
superhuman powers by controlling the Indian Ocean and killing the
atheist King Ravana; (8) Lord Sri Krsna Himself (seen here with Lord
Balarama, His first expansion), who performed such wonderful pastimes
as holding Govardhana Hill aloft for seven days to protect His friends in
Vrndavana from King Indra’s inundation; (9) Lord Buddha, who ap-
peared just to delude those who are envious of the faithful theists: and
(10) Lord Kalki, who will appear at the end of the Kali-yuga to annihi-
late all the atheists. (p. 197)
