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Re: Buddha and Dashavataram

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ravikanth V. Kothuri • January 4, 1996 


On Jan 4,  4:01pm, kotisreekrishna@mmd.com wrote:
> Subject: Buddha and Dashavataram
>
> 5. Mahaveera, a contemporary of Buddha, has more similarities to Buddha.
> However, no attempt has been made to call him as one of the 10 avataras of
> Vishnu. We should treat the Buddha the same way.

Even though Mahaveera is not considered an avatara of Vishnu the first
tirthankara of Jainism, Risabadeva is considered (and glorified in Bhagavatam).
Even the Jains accept that Rishaba is the first tirthankara and Mahaveera the
24th. Just wanted to point out this.

> Buddha could be included as an avatara of Vishnu for the following reasons.
>
> 1.  Jayadeva of 14 th century Orissa has included Buddha in the Dashavatara
in
> his beautiful lyrics.  Because he made Keshava(Krishna) as the one
incarnating
> as the fish, tortoise etc., he used Buddha to come up with the ten count.
> Buddha is  a self-realized person  and so it is okay to include him,
> especially
> at a time when Buddha is of a lesser threat to Vedic Hinduism than other
> forces.
>
> 2. Jayadeva was influenced by Chaitanya and Vallabha Charya- both staunch
> Krishna devotees. Everyone is after all an amsha of Narayana, and on this
> grounds also  we can reconcile including Buddha as an avatara.
> After all we are in HIM even if HE is not in us ( or not recognized by us)!

As Mani already pointed out, Jayadeva was much before Caitanya and Vallabha.

-ravi.

-- 

-----------------------kirtaniyah sada Hari---------------------------