Tag Archives: afterlife

Angels, Aliens – there’s an Afterlife for You

Conditions When a Person Can Leave Roza Islam is the most practised religion in the world. I can put up with it, but I like to do my own thing at every chance. It quickly becomes clear why an inexperienced rookie agent was chosen for such a complex mission: since the player character is young and inexperienced, their higher-ups are hoping that they fail so that the entire incident can be swept under the rug. Koreans are glad when they have a “pig dream” because these are supposed to be the harbingers of good fortune. Brian Davies and others have contended that what it means for God to be good is different from what it means for an agent to be morally good (Davies 2006). See also Mark Murphy’s 2017 book God’s Own Ethics; Norms of Divine Agency and the Argument from Evil. Regardless, both versions of the Dashavarara have a scriptural basis in the canon of authentic Vedic literature (but not from the Garuda Purana Saroddhara). He is also described in the Vedic literature as the one who supports heaven and earth. In section 7.99 of the Rigveda, Vishnu is addressed as the god who separates heaven and earth, a characteristic he shares with Indra.

Starting as a small insignificant looking being, Vishnu undertakes a herculean task of establishing his reach and form, then with his first step covers the earth, with second the ether, and the third entire heaven. The Vishnu Sukta 1.154 of Rigveda says that the first and second of Vishnu’s strides (those encompassing the earth and air) are visible to the mortals and the third is the realm of the immortals. The Shatapatha Brahmana elaborates this theme of Vishnu, as his herculean effort and sacrifice to create and gain powers that help others, one who realizes and defeats the evil symbolized by the Asuras after they had usurped the three worlds, and thus Vishnu is the saviour of the mortals and the immortals (Devas). Vishnu iconography shows him either in standing pose, seated in a yoga pose, or reclining. The most well-known of these avatars are Krishna (most notably in the Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, and Mahabharata; the latter encompassing the Bhagavad Gita), and Rama (most notably in the Ramayana). Apparent disagreements concerning the placement of either the Buddha or Balarama in the Dashavarara seems to occur from the Dashavarara list in the Shiva Purana (the only other list with ten avatars including Balarama in the Garuda Purana substitutes Vamana, not Buddha).

Krishna in particular is venerated in Vaishnavism as the ultimate, primeval, transcendental source of all existence, including all the other demigods and gods, such as Vishnu. Specified avatars of Vishnu are listed against some of the Puranas in the table below. Vedic literature, in particular the Puranas (ancient; similar to encyclopedias) and Itihasa (chronicle, history, legend), narrate numerous avatars of Vishnu. Avatars’ of Vishnu. The Agni Purana, Varaha Purana, Padma Purana, Linga Purana, Narada Purana, Garuda Purana, and Skanda Purana all provide matching lists. In the Vedic hymns, Vishnu is invoked alongside other deities, especially Indra, whom he helps kill the symbol of evil named Vritra. Again, this link to Surya is a characteristic Vishnu shares with fellow Vedic deities named Mitra and Agni, wherein in different hymns, they too “bring men together” and cause all living beings to rise up and impel them to go about their daily activities.

In the Vedic texts, the deity or god referred to as Vishnu is Surya or Savitr (Sun god), who also bears the name Suryanarayana. In the Atharvaveda, the mythology of a boar who raises goddess earth from the depths of cosmic ocean appears, but without the word Vishnu or his alternate avatar names. It is an inspiration for ancient artwork in numerous Hindu temples such as at the Ellora Caves, which depict the Trivikrama legend through the Vamana avatar of Vishnu. Trivikrama refers to the celebrated three steps or “three strides” of Vishnu. The Trivikrama describing hymns integrate salvific themes, stating Vishnu to symbolize that which is freedom and life. Rarely, Vishnu is depicted bearing the bow Sharanga or the sword Nandaka. Vishnu is a Rigvedic deity, but not a prominent one when compared to Indra, Agni and others. Duamutef was one of the four sons of Horus, guardians of the deceased king’s organs.