Are Dasaavataras (दशावतार) attributable to Lord Vishnu?

1)    Matsya Avatara:  

Early accounts of the Deluge equate Matsya with the Vedic deity Prajapati (who was identified with the creator god Brahma in post-Vedic era), contrary to Puranic story, wherein the fish was described to be an avatara of Lord Vishnu. The Shatapatha Brahmana is the earliest extant text to mention Matsya and the flood episode. It identifies the fish with Prajapati-Brahma.

The central characters are the fish (Matsya) and Vaivasvata Manu or Satyavrata who becomes the progenitor of mankind. In this version, Vaivasvata Manu or Satyavrata accidentally catches a small fish in his hands, while bathing. The fish is Matsya, who asks Vaivasvata Manu for life and protection; in return he promises to save Vaivasvata Manu from an impending flood; and Matsya knows exactly when this is to happen.

Vaivasvata Manu agrees to help; so Matsya tells him to place him in a jar of water, and keep him safe. When Matsya has outgrown the jar, Vaivasvata Manu must dig a pit, fill it with water and place him in it. When Matsya outgrows the pit, Vaivasvata Manu should transfer him to the ocean. By then, he will be big enough to survive; he will be indestructible, and will help Vaivasvata Manu survive the flood. Meanwhile, Vaivasvata Manu should build himself a boat. Vaivasvata Manu does exactly as the fish has instructed and eventually releases Matsya, now fully grown, into the ocean.

At the appointed time, the deluge comes; Vaivasvata Manu boards his boat and the waters rise to cover the earth. Vaivasvata Manu calls on Matsya for help. Matsya swims to the ship and Vaivasvata Manu ropes his vessel to the horn that has grown on Matsya's head. Then Matsya tows the ship to the safety of the highest and driest ground, at the northern mountains (interpreted as the Himalayas).

Vaivasvata Manu ties the ship to a tree, disembarks, and then slowly descends the mountain along with the now subsiding water. Vaivasvata Manu finds himself the sole survivor on earth; all others have been washed away by the floods. Vaivasvata Manu then takes on the task of creating the new human race. Seeking procreation, he practices austerities and worships the gods by performing sacrifices, offering butter, milk, curds and ghee (clarified butter) to the sacrificial fire. Within a year, his prayers are answered; a beautiful woman called Shraddha appears. He marries her, and together they initiate the race of Manu.



2)        Varaha Avatara:

While trying to convince, alongwith Bharata,  Sri Rama to come back to Ayodhya,  Sage Vasishta says that in the whole of Ikshvaku race, only the eldest son becomes the king. He requests Sri Rama not to violate this tradition and take over the reins of Ayodhya.



While saying so,  Sage Vasishta gives the details of the creation of the world to Sri Rama.



 तेषाम् एवम् प्रभावाणाम् सर्वेषाम् दीप्त तेजसाम् ||
पिता दशरथो हृष्टो ब्रह्मा लोकाधिपो यथा | (Ayodya Kanda Sarga 110 Sloka 3)



"All was water only in the beginning" from which element the earth was formed. After that, the self-existent Brahma with all the gods came into existence.".

स वराहः ततो भूत्वा प्रोज्जहार वसुंधराम् |
असृजच् च जगत् सर्वम् सह पुत्रैः कृत आत्मभिः || (Ayodya Kanda Sarga 110 Sloka 4)

"Thereafter, that Brahma, assuming the form of boar (वराहः ), caused the earth to rise from water and with his sons of pure soul, created the entire world."

Here,  Sage Vasishta was saying that Lord Brahma after assuming the form of boar (वराहः ), caused the earth to rise from water.


Are we reading something wrong? 


When all PURANAS attribute  Varaha Avatar to Lord Vishnu, how come Sage Valmiki attributed the Varaha Avatar to Lord Brahma?

3)       It can be understood that except Vamana, the other characters, i.e.,  Sri Parasurama, Sri Rama and Sri Krishna were wrongly attributed to Lord Vishnu.  Vishnu, at the behest of Devatas, took the shape of Vamana (not incarnation)  and defeated Bali.  Sri Narasimha story might have been woven based on Indra eliminating Vrita story.

4)       Now a days, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu were worshipped as idols. Idol worship was not the order of the day in Sage Valmiki’s age.  Paramatma was worshipped through Yagnas, meditated upon through Tapas.  Then how this cult crept into the Hindu Society?

This puzzle can be explained as follows:

5)       Ramayana preceded Mahabharata.  According to Srimad Ramayana Sri Rama ruled the Kosala kingdom for 10,000 years.

The Puranas were said to be written by Sage Veda Vyasa.  It must be atleast 10,000 years after the Rama-Ravana war that took place in Ramayana.

6)    Lord Brahma was adored, prayed and  meditated upon for getting boons by many, be they are Rakshasas or Manavas or Devatas, as he was Lokaadipathi at the time of Sage Valmiki. 

7)      Slowly, at some part of time after Ramayana (that cannot be exactly fixed), due to decadence in human concentration and determination,  Idol worship took the center stage.  

8)      Even by the time Sri Krishna appeared on the scene,  he was not described as avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu in Mahabharata by Sage Veda Vyasa.  It is only Bhagavatam and in Puranas, which were written in later period,  Sri Krishna was described as an avatar of Lord Vishnu.



9)     With the rise of Vaishnava and Shiva cults, each tried market their own cult in one way or the other.  The best way to market one’s product is to adopt/link the existing prominent custom/public figure, etc, to his/her own product. 

10)      The aggressive Vaishnava cult marketed Sri Rama, the role model for human beings of earlier /current/future generations, as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.  

11)     Some learned Vaishnavites might have inserted some Sargas  in Bala Kanda and in Yuddha Kanda eulogising Lord Vishnu as Jagatpatihi.  




12)      In Bhagavatam, which extols the greatness of Lord Vishnu and in Other Puranas Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Shakti, etc, the followers of respective cult might have extolled the greatness of respective God/Goddess.