Jayadeva Gosvämé, has offered this prayer. He says, "My dear Lord, when there was devastation within this universe, everything was filled with water. At that time You saved the Vedas, stacked in a boat. And you held the boat from being drowned in the water, in the shape of a big fish." This fish first of all was caught in the waterpot just like a small fish. Then it enlarged, and the fish was kept in a bigger water reservoir. In this way the fish was increasing. Then the fish informed that "Devastation is coming. You just save all the Vedas on a boat, and I shall protect it." So Jayadeva Gosvämé is offering prayer, "My Lord, You saved the Vedas when there was devastation in the shape of a fish."
The next is Kürmävatära. There was churning of the ocean. One side all the demigods and one side all the demons. And the churning rod was a great hill called Mandara-pärvata. And the resting place was on the back of the Lord appeared as a tortoise. So he's offering his prayer that "You appeared as a tortoise just to become the resting place. And this happened because You were feeling some itching sensation on Your back. So You accepted this big rod, Mandara Hill, to itch, as the itching instrument."
Then the next incarnation is this Varäha, boar or hog. He delivered this earthly planet by the tusk, and He kept the whole world on His tusk. We can just imagine how big He appeared. And the world at that time appeared just like the moon disc with some marks on it. So keçava dhåta-varäha-çaréra. He says, "My dear Lord, You have appeared as the great boar. So let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You."
The fourth incarnation is Nåsiàhadeva. Nåsiàhadeva appeared to save Prahläda Mahäräja, who was five-years-old boy and he was being tortured by his atheistic father. So He appeared from the pillar of the palace as a half-man, half-lion. Because this Hiraëyakaçipu took benediction from Brahmä that he'll not be killed by any man or any animal. So the Lord appeared neither man nor animal. This is the difference between the Lord's intelligence and our intelligence. We are thinking that we can cheat the Lord by our intelligence, but the Lord is more intelligent than us. Nobody can escape death. Hiraëyakaçipu was a stalwart materialist and he wanted to live forever, enjoy, but he also could not live. Everything was finished.
Then next incarnation is Vämana, the dwarf. Lord Vämana appeared before Bali Mahäräja. That was also another cheating. Bali Mahäräja conquered all the universal planets and the demigods were too much disturbed. Vämanadeva went to Bali Mahäräja, "You give me some alms. I am brähmaëa. I have come to beg from you."
Bali Mahäräja agreed, "Yes. I'll give You." Vamanadeva wanted only three steps of land. By one step half the universe was covered and by another step the other half was covered.
When he saw there was nowhere for Vamana to put his third step, Bali Mahäräja said, "Yes, now there is no place. Please keep Your feet on my head." Vämanadeva was very much pleased by the sacrifice of Bali Mahäräja. He gave up everything for the Lord. Bali Maharaja is one of the twelve authorities because he sacrificed everything to satisfy the Lord.
Next is Paraçuräma. Twenty-one times He massacred all the kñatriya kings. The kñatriya kings were very much dishonest at that time, so he killed them twenty-one times. They fled from here and there. At that time some of the kñatriyas fled and took shelter in the Europe. That is historical information from Mahäbhärata.
Lord Räma is next. He fought with Rävaëa who had ten heads, daça-mukha.
Balaräma, the elder brother of Kåñëa, follows. He was very white in complexion, and He was wearing blue garments. Once, He was angry with Yamunä River, and He tried to dry up the the river with His plow. Yamunä, out of fear, agreed to Balaräma's proposal.
The next incarnation is Lord Buddha. He decried the Vedic principles, therefore He is considered an atheist. Anyone who does not agree with the Vedic principles, he is considered as atheist.  Lord Buddha, although an incarnation of Kåñëa, said "I do not believe in Vedas." What was the reason? The reason was to save the poor animals. At that time people were sacrificing the poor animals under the plea of Vedic sacrifice. Out of compassion for these poor animals He appeared as Lord Buddha, and His philosophy was nonviolence. His philosophy was atheist because He said, "There is no God.” People may be surprised that Lord Buddha is designated as atheist and still the Vaiñëavas, they are offering their respectful prayers to Lord Buddha. Why? Because the Vaiñëava knows how God is acting for His different purposes. Others, they do not know.
The next avatära is Kalki. That is yet to take place. At the end of Kali, after about 400,000 years, the incarnation of Kalki will appear. That is predicted in the Vedic literature. Lord Buddha's appearance was predicted in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam thousands of years before and it came  true. Similarly, there is a prediction about Kalki avatära, and that will also come to be true. At that time Lord Kalki's business will be simply to kill. No instruction. Lord Kåñëa gave instruction in the shape of Bhagavad-gétä. But at the end of Kali-yuga, people will be so degraded that there is no more possibility to give any instruction. They will not be able to understand. At that time the only weapon will be to kill them. And one who is killed by the Lord, he also gets salvation. That is God's all-merciful quality. Either He protects or He kills, the result is the same. So that will be the last stage of this Kali-yuga, and after that, again Satya-yuga, the age of religiosity, will begin. These are the statements of Vedic literature.
Activities
1.	List the ten avatäras.
2.