DWADASAKSHARI MANTRAS FOR LORD VISHNU
AVATARS
Source: Hinduscriptures.com
Various Lord Vishnu incarnations and associated planets as mentioned in the text Brihat
Parashara Hora Shastra chapter 2, verses 5-7 are as follows -
Planets Avatar
Surya or Sun Lord Rama
Chandra or Moon Lord Krishna
Mangal or Mars Lord Narasimha
Buddha or Mercury Lord Gautama Buddha
Guru or Bṛhaspati or Jupiter Lord Vamana
Shukra or Venus Lord Parashurama
Shani or Saturn Lord Kurma
Rahu or North Lunar Node Lord Varaha
Ketu or South Lunar Node Lord Meena
Various Vishnu Avatars and their Appropriate Mantras
Ideally, there are different Dwadasakshari Mantras for propitiating various Lord Vishnu
avatars and these are discussed in the following paragraphs. Each avatar has been
defined with a short description and its appropriate Dwadasakshari Mantra. It is always
better for a devotee to consider his guru before practicing the Dwadasakshari Mantra.
Avatar Role Glory Dwadasakshari Man
tra
Lord Rama
S o n o f K i n g B r o k e S h i v a ’s O m Namo
Dashratha of the H a r a d h n u a n d B h a g a v a t e
(epic Ramayana) Ikshvaku dynasty married Sita
Ramachandraya
K i l l e d
Lanka’s demon King
Ravana
Lord Shri Krishna Son of Vasudava Killed his demon O m Namo
and Devaki. Raised m a t e r n a l u n c l e B h a g a v a t e
(epic Mahabharata)
by his foster parents Kansa
Vasudevaya
Nanda and Guided
( t h e s p e a k e r Yashoda. Arjuna on the battle
of Bhagavad-gita) field of Kurukshatra
in order to eradicate
evils from the earth
Lord Narasimha
Half-man/half-lion Revered as the Om Namo
avatar of Lord ‘Great Protector’
B h a g a v a t e
( e p i c B h a g v a t a Vishnu. Torso and P ro t e c t s Narasimhaya
Purana, Agni lower body – and defends all his
Purana)
humanlike;
worshipers in the
Face and claws – time of need
(References also Lion like. S a v e d
found in the Vedas) Lord Vishnu
devotee Prahalad,
the son of demon
K i n g
Hiranyakashipu
Lord Buddha
Records say that Lived amid 500-400 Om Namo
Lord Buddha was BC, Gautama B h a g a v a t e
( G a n d h a r a n born to the Buddha appeared in Vasudevaya
Buddhist texts and Kashtriya chief this world to
Tripitaka scriptures) Suddhodana and eradicate sins (Since Mercury is
his wife Maha Maya. perpetrated by also the planet of
those misusing the Lord Vishnu, Vishnu
powers of Vedic mantra is chanted
authority
as Buddha mantra)
Preached
basic dharmic
principles based on
his own Buddhist
philosophy
Lord Vamana or S o n o f S a g e Lord Vamana took Om Namo
Vamanadeva
Kashyap and Aditi. the form of a short B h a g a v a t e
Overall fifth avatar Brahmin and asked Trivikramaya
of Lord Vishnu, yet for only three steps
the first one to have of land from
(Epic Puranas) incarnated in the Mahibali during the
Treta yuga. sacrificial arena. He
took three steps in
this process –
F i r s t ,
from heaven to
earth
Second,
from earth to
netherworld
To f u l fi l
his promise
Mahabali put
forward his head for
the third step and
for showing this
humility Mahabali
achieved salvation
from Lord Vamana
Lord Parshurama Son of Sage After the potent Om Namo
Jamadagni and King Kartavirya B h a g a v a t e
(Epic Ramayana and Renuka who lived killed his father, Hrishikeshaya
Mahabharata) during the Treta Parshurama killed
yuga. the whole Kashtriya
clan for 21 times.
Due to
P a r s h u r a m a ’s
ardent devotion for
Lord Shiva, he was
gifted a trident by
Shiva which he gave
t o S i t a ’s f a t h e r
Janaka while
conducting her
swayamvar (self
choosing of
husband)
In Mahabharata, he
played the mentor
of Bhisma, Drona
and Karna.
Lord Kurma
The second avatar Lord incarnated as Om Namo
of Lord Vishnu who a tortoise in order to B h a g a v a t e
(The Puranas) lived during the act as a base of the Akuparaya
Satya yuga.
Mandara mountain.
T h i s
Succeeded by mountain was used
Matsya and by the gods and
preceded by demons while
Varaha. churning of the milk
ocean.
Lord Varaha
Lord Vishnu’s third The demon Om Namo
incarnation was Hiranyaksha stole B h a g a v a t e
( Te x t s Ta i t t i r i y a called Varaha.
and hid the earth Shrivarahaya
A r a n y a k a a n d
amidst the
t h e S h a t a p a t h a Lord appeared here Garbhodaka ocean.
Brahmana) in his famous boar
avatar. The Lord
killed the demon
and also saved the
earth from drowning
into the primordial
waters.
Lord Matsya
First in the list of Rescued the first Om Namo
Dashavataras (ten ever man on earth, B h a g a v a t e
(Text Shatapatha incarnations) of Manu, from the Mahamatsyaya
Brahmana) Lord Vishnu.
downpour.
Lord appears half in L o r d
human body (torso) Vishnu incarnated
and rest in the form as Matsya during
of a fish. the Svayambhuva
Manu era to save
the Vedas from the
demons who were
trying to steal it
from Lord Brahma
