98 BULLETIN 148, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



rope and the mountain as a churning stick. From the milky sea 

 thus churned emerged 14 precious and typical things, among them 

 Lakshmi, the goddess of beauty and good fortune, and ambrosia 

 (amrita), by means of which the gods gained ascendancy over the 

 demons. Height, 11 K inches. India. (Cat. No. 154875, U.S.N.M.) 



23. Boar incarnation oj Vishnu (VaraJia avatar). — Statuette of 

 marble, painted and gilded. Represented standing with the head 

 of a boar, upholding the earth in the mouth. In the upper hands are 

 the disk and club; the lower right hand grasps by the hair the head 

 of a demon, the left holds a pot (or the conch). 



This third incarnation Vishnu underwent in order to deliver the 

 earth from the power of a demon called Hiranyaksha, who had 

 seized the earth and carried it down into the lowest depths of the sea. 

 After a contest of a thousand years Vishnu, in the form of a boar, 

 slew the monster and raised the earth to its former place with his 

 tusks. Height, 13 inches. India. (Cat. No. 154880, U.S.N.M.) 



24. Man-lion incarnation oj Vishnu {Narasimha avatar.) — Statuette 

 of marble, painted and gilded. Represented seated, with head of a 

 lion with legs led down. The upper hands hold the conch and disk; 

 the lower resting in the lap. On the knees is stretched out the bull- 

 headed demon. 



The demon Hiranyakasipu, brother of Hiranyaksha, according to 

 the Hindu legends, obtained a boon from Brahma, the supreme god 

 of the Hindus, that he should not be slain by god, man, or animal. 

 He in consequence usurped the dominion of the world and even 

 appropriated to himself the sacrifices made to the gods. Vishnu 

 took his fourth incarnation of a being half man and half lion and 

 tore the demon to pieces. Height, lOK inches. India. (Cat. No. 

 154877, U.S.N.M.) 



25. Dwarf incarnation of Vishnu {Vamana avatar). — Statuette of 

 marble, painted and gilded. Represented seated cross-legged on a 

 lotus base, with head of a heifer (?). In the upper hands he holds a 

 lotus bud and club; in the lower, a chaplet and water pot. 



This fifth incarnation was undertaken to deprive the demon 

 tyrant Bali of the dominion of the three worlds. Vishnu appeared 

 before him in the disguise of a dwarf and solicited as much land as 

 he could step over in three paces. When the request was granted, 

 his form expanding, he strode in two steps over heaven and earth, 

 but out of compassion left the third, the lower world, in the 

 demon's possession. Height, 10^2 inches. India. (Cat. No. 154900, 

 U.S.N.M.) 



26. Parasu Rama incarnation of Vishnu. — Statuette of marble, 

 painted and gilded. Represented standing, the right hand holds 

 an ax, the left is in the boon-bestowing (varada) posture. 



