Shiva’s Incarnations

Most Puranas only mention Vishnu’s incarnations (avataras). The Kurma Purana is one of the rate ones which mentions Shiva’s incarnations.

In each kali yuga, Shiva has had an incarnation. The names of these incarnations are as follows.

(1) Shveta.
(2) Sutara.
(3) Madana.
(4) Suhotra.
(5) Kankana.
(6) Lokakshi.
(7) Jaigishavya.
(8) Dadhivaha.
(9) Rishabha.
(10) Bhrigu.
(11) Ugra.
(12) Atri.
(13) Vali.
(14) Goutama.
(15) Vedashirsha.
(16) Gokarna.
(17) Shikhandaka.
(18) Jatamali.
(19) Attahasa.
(20) Daruka.
(21) Langali.
(22) Mahavama.
(23) Muni.
(24) Shuli.
(25) Pindamunishvara.
(26) Sahishnu.
(27) Somasharma.
(28) Nakulishvara.

The Ishvara Gita

While Lomaharshana was reciting the Kurma Purana to the assembled sages, Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa arrived on the scene. Lomaharshana and the other sages requested Vedavyasa to instruct them about the path to true knowledge. This is what Vedavyasa told them.

The paramatman (the divine soul) is the only truth. It is ever pure and ever present. It is from the paramatman that the universe is created and it is into the paramatman that the universe merges at the time of its destruction. The paramatman is not the earth. It is not water, energy, wind or sky. It cannot be touched, nor can it be sensed.

The paramatman is always present in the jivatman (human soul). Any sense of distinction between the paramatman and the jivatman is due to illusions and the presence of the ego. The truly learned rise above such illusions. Therefore, a wise person does not see any distinction between his own self and other objects. The same paramatman pervades everything. Just as all rivers unite with the ocean, a learned person realises that all individuals jivatmans unite with the paramatman.

Yoga (literally, union) is a technique of meditation that helps to bring about this sense of identity between the jivatman and the paramatman. Yoga has eight components. The first is pranayama. This means the control of one’s breath. The breath of life is known as prana and ayama means control. There are three parts to any pranayama exercise. When the breath is being exhaled, that is known as rechaka; and the process of inhalation is known as puraka. When the breath is neither being inhaled nor exhaled, that is kumbhaka.