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Jina Ṛṣabha as an avatāra of Viṣṇu

1977; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 40; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0041977x00044074

1474-0699

Padmanabh S. Jaini,

Religion and Society Interactions

Avatāra , or the periodical incarnation of the deity, is a cardinal doctrine of the Vaiṣṇava sect of Brahmanical Hinduism. The increasing number of the avatāras is an indication of the popularity of this doctrine both among the theologians and among the devout laity. The modest list of three (Varāha, Kūrma, and Matsya) of the Brāhmaṇa literature grows into a list of 10 traditional avatāras (Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Nṛsiṃha, Vāmana, Paraśurāma, Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Buddha, and Kalkin) in the Mahābhārata , and ends up in a still longer list of 22 in the Bhāgavatapurāṇa . The latter has in its inflated list quite a few ‘minor’ ( aṃśa ) avatāras , mostly consisting of names of great sages renowned for their austerities and learning, e.g. Nārada, Nara, Nārāyaṇa, Kapila, Dattātreya, Ṛṣabha, and Veda-Vyāsa.