Early Hinduism Challenge

An important Hindu belief is that there is normally a balance of good and evil in the world. Sometimes the balance shifts and there is more evil than good in the world. This is thought to be unfair to people on earth and the god Vishnu, in his role as the preserver descends to earth to restore the balance of good and evil. It is thought that Vishnu has actually descended to earth nine times already and will once more in the future.

When Vishnu descends to earth, he takes on the form of a human, animal or other being. Each form is called an incarnation or avatar, but together the ten forms are known as the Dashavatara. With each incarnation Vishnu has a different task or challenge to accomplish.

You are a young historian studying early Hindu gods. You are interested in learning about Vishnu and his incarnations. Read the descriptions of the incarnations below. Name the incarnations by attaching the correct clue to each description.