The worship of Lord Vishnu is very popular among Hindus, especially among the followers of the Vaishnava tradition (Vaishnavism). He is the second member of the Hindu Trinity, with Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva as the other two. Lord Vishnu is also known by other names, such as Vasudeva and Narayana. The following ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu are described in Hindu mythology and are popular among Hindus. These incarnations reveal the help rendered by God during various stages of human evolution. As shown below, the first two incarnations are in the animal form, the third one is half-human and half-animal, and the fourth and the subsequent ones are all in human form. These incarnations relate to human evolution from aquatic life to human life, and are consistent with the modern theory of evolution suggested by science:
Matsya (fish)—saves Sage Manu from floods and recovers the Vedas from demons.
Kurma (tortoise)—sustains the earth on his back.
Varaha (boar)—brings the earth back from the bottom of the ocean where it was dragged down by a demon, known as Hiranyaksha; Varaha kills the demon.
Narasimha (man-lion)—kills the demon King Hiranyakashipu, who was planning to kill his own son, a devotee of Lord Vishnu.
Vamana (dwarf)—the first human incarnation of the Lord, kills the demon King Mahabhali, who had deprived the gods of their possessions.
Parasurama (the warrior with an axe)—saves Brahmins from the tyranny of the arrogant Kshatriyas.
Rama—kills Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.
Sri Krishna—the most popular incarnation; Krishna’s contributions throughout his life include the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna.
Buddha—Hindus consider Buddha as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and accept his teachings, but do not directly worship him.
Kalkin (a man on a white horse)—this incarnation is yet to come and will mark the end of all evil in the world.
Vishnu uses both force and guile to ensure the stability of the universe. His consort Laxmi, goddess of wealth and power, offers him the wherewithal to maintain the integrity of the world.