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An Anglicized form of the Sanskrit, avatara , "descent", from the root tr , "pass" (cf. Latin in-trare ), and the preposition ava , "down".
The word is used, in a technical sense, in the Hindu religion to denote the descent upon earth of a portion of the essence of a god, which then assumes some coarser material form, be it animal, monster, or man. Such descents are ascribed in the mythology of Hinduism to various gods, but those ascribed to Vishnu are by far the most important. They are believed to have taken place at different ages of the world, and to have consisted of different proportions of the essence of Vishnu. Their number is variously stated, ranging from ten to twenty-eight, finally becoming indefinitely numerous. Any remarkable man is liable to be regarded as a more or less perfect avatar of Vishnu, and the consequence one of the worst features of Hinduism --has been the offering of divine homage to men, especially the founders of religious sects and their successors.
The ten most famous avatars are:
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