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The Ancient Power of Sanskrit Mantra and Ceremony,

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Vishnu is known as "the all pervading one." In fact, Vishnu is the principle that sustains and preserves. Among the forces of nature, it is equilibrium. Whereas Brahma is called the "creator," it is Vishnu who "sustains the planets in their orbits" and rules the natural progression of the seasons and the ages. In earth affairs, it is said to be the Vishnu principle that incarnates in religious teachers, saints, and
sages, regardless of their particular religious path.

Additionally, there have been certain great personalities that have been born for thousands of years that are called the "Avatars" of Vishnu. Avatar in this context means "specific emanation of." In the current epoch, there are reported to be 10 Avatars of Vishnu according to ancient scriptures. These ten Avatars come at key points to restore Dharma (Divine Law and Plan), protect the pious and destroy the demonic forces that seem to inevitably come to manifest, even after they have
been defeated. Each Avatar completes the work of the previous one, and starts work of its own. Thus, there is an ongoing continuity among all the Ten Avatars of Vishnu.

Among these Avatars of Vishnu for the current epoch, only one remains yet to come. The other nine have already made their appearance. The first four appeared in non-human forms. For instance, the Kurma Avatar, or Divine Tortoise, came to uphold certain parts of land during a deluge similar to the one found in the Old Testament. It was only with Parasurama, the sixth Avatar of Vishnu, that the first human Avatar made an appearance.  The tenth and last Avatar of Vishnu, Kulki, will come at the appropriate time with a sword in hand to defeat the evil rulers who have
once again taken control of the earth. Peace will reign for a time, and then he will destroy the world preparing it for the next cycle of humanity.

For those who follow esoteric studies, the Ten Avatars of Vishnu seem to correspond with the cycle for the current root race. When that developmental cycle for humanity is concluded, Kulki, the tenth and final Avatar of Vishnu, will appear and prepare for the next root race. Since we are the fourth subgroup of the Fifth Root Race, that group of humanity will probably be the Sixth Root Race, from the total of seven great divisions of evolving humanity.  Having no karma whatsoever, as Avatar is "One who descends from above." Avatars come to perform a specific category of spiritual work. There are different kinds of avatars.

Kinds of Avatars

Amshavatar. This is a partial manifestation that can divide itself into many parts at the same time. Ultimately, all souls are part of the same Divine Being.

Vibuthi Avatar is an incarnation of a specific "Glory" of God that can manifest in any form, human animal or other. For instance, in the tenth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita Krishna states that among the Sacrifices, he is the Japa (repetition of spiritual formulas called the divine "name,"). Since "sacrifice" in this context means anything which reduces negative ego, he has labeled the repetition of spiritual formulas a particular form of Vibhuti Avatar.

Mahatmya Avatar is a sudden manifestation for a specific purpose, usually to protect Dharma or Divine law or insure some positive procession of events or prevents a negative series of events. Sightings of Mary all over the world qualify as an appearance of such an avatar.

Yuga Avatar is one who has spiritual authority for a specific age or time period. While the Christ is universal and always has authority, it passes from individual to individual. Jesus is an example of one who holds the current Christ authority. This accounts for his statements about being the son of man as well as the son of God. As the Christ, he is both. Maha Avatar gives a completely new interpretation to the scriptures and brings a universal message. As an emanation of Divine Intelligence,
Buddha seems to fulfill this role. 

Lila Avatar comes to restore Dharma through some Divine Drama while occupying a supraphysical body. Maya, Mahamaya and Yogamaya - all names for the "deluding potency" of the avatars - help the avatars complete their work while keeping everyone fully engaged in seemingly essential activities. Rama and Krishna of India are examples of this kind of avatar.

Purna Avatar is the closest to a complete embodiment of Divine Energy while appearing in a human-like form. Krishna is often cited as an example because he gave the appearance of being human but was reported to have completely Divine Body. Indeed, among all the avatars, he was the only one to openly state "Do not try to copy me or imitate me. I am not like you." Whereas most of the avatars taught people to follow their example, Krishna stands out because he said exactly the opposite.

We have Been Here for a Long Time

The world's oldest scriptures, the Vedas and the Upanishads, along with stories and spiritual teachings from antiquity called The Puranas, all speak of the great ages of humanity. Some of the cycles are 18,000,000 years and others are much longer. Scientists are beginning to discover that even relatively modern ruins are much older than previously thought. One city in South American previously thought to be 4,000 years old is now thought to be 15,000 years old. Recent scientific dialogue concerning the Pyramids suggest they may be as much as 45,000 years old
- a difference by a factor of 10!

When any major period in the development of humanity (called a "root race" by some modern esoteric spiritual seekers) comes to and end, the new form is prepared and the old form, as well as its civilization, is destroyed through flood or fire or both. Them there is a brief (geologically speaking) period of rest, and the new forms are brought forth and new civilizations come into being. This is background for looking at the Avatars of Vishnu that appear, one by one, over long periods of time. The first few avatars of Vishnu do not appear in human form. Here are the ten Avatars of Vishnu.

Ten Vishnu Avatara

These ten mantras are efficacious in and of themselves. Here are more details on the Avatars of Vishnu.

1. Matsya The "Fish" Avatar saved the current Manu (there are different
   manus for different "ages"), The Lawgiver for the current race of men, from a deluge. There is striking parallel to the story of Noah in the Old Testament, but this incident was recorded many thousands of years before Noah was born. This fact alone clearly indicates the existence of long cycles and early civilizations of which we know little today.
     
2. The Kurma (tortoise) appeared to salvage some of the items lost in
   the great deluge near the end of the previous cycle. Most probably a
   polar shift occurred and the continents began to realign themselves
   under the changed conditions of the earth. Some sources state that the entire continent of India rests upon the back of Kurma the tortoise. This saved it from begin submerged when the previous cycle ended.
   
3. Varaha (Boar) appeared some time later while the entire planet was
   under water. The Divine Boar is said to have dived deep to secure a
   place for land to be anchored and then created the present continents. This would correspond to the theory of the "Mano" or single continent that ultimately split apart and drifted around the world. The idea that each Avatar of Vishnu completes the work of the previous avatar and begins its own also supports this theory.  First, the Vishnu Suktam of Hymn. Next, the 108 names or powers of Vishnu. In the chapters that follow, we will look at some of the other Avatars of Vishnu - their stories and mantras.

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