CEILING PAINTING OF DASHAAVATARA
IN A SIX POINTED STAR

The stories of Dashavatara are known to all of us. That lord vishnu appeared in different incarnations on earth for various reasons is perhaps the most well-known part of our mythology. What is probably not so well-known is the corroboration of the Darwinian theory behind these avataars.

Take a look at the forms in their chronological order and one will realize that life starts in water in the form of Matsya (fish).

Then follows Kurma (Tortoise), an amphibian, comfortable both in water as well as land.
Varaha (Boar) is a land animal, but has not forgotten its watery past.

Narasimha (half man half lion) perhaps talks of man's animalistic genealogy.

Vamana (the dwarf) points to man in his infancy at the dawn of civilization, as we know it.

Parashurama (or Rama with a Parashu-an axe) refers to the warrior man (homo-erectus/hunter-gatherer).

Rama (a perfected, evolved king) shows man's evolution towards being a social being and an ideal king who only thinks of the welfare of his subjects.

In South Indian versions of the myth, Balarama ( Krishna's elder brother ) is thought to be an incarnation. Balarama appears with a plough referring to man as an agriculturist)

Krishna, born a Kshatriya but who renounces weapons and war choosing, only to guide humanity by becoming a charioteer.

Buddha, the enlightened one, is the final stage of evolution where man meets face to face with his true self and receives immortality. Blessed with all the worldly pleasures, Siddharth, born a prince, renounced it all to end the cycle of birth and death and attain nirvana.

The last Avataar depicted here is Kalki. Thought to be a dazzling being, he will appear on a white horse and will carry the 'Vajra', a thunderbolt weapon of destruction. Rather disillusioned with the way the universe is progressing, he will descend to annihilate it.

Could the killer tsunami have been a small precursor and warning to us??

This painting is unique in that was used in a private temple as a ceiling painting. Just before entering the Garbha Griha or the shrine sanctum, the painting adorned the ceiling reminding the devotee of the greatness of the main deity in the temple. The six pointed star is a very significant Symbology. in Tantric thought, it is said to be a symbol of the union of Shakti with Shiva, the upward pointing triangle being male and the downward triangle the female. This star is known the world over as the Star of David and adorns the national flag of Israel. But its antecedents are very ancient and deeply rooted in the oldest cultures and religions of the world.