Buddha Avatar: The Compassionate One

Buddha, who at the start of Kali Yuga brought the message of compassion and non-violence; some lists place Balarama here, others Buddha.

In many lists Buddha is counted as the ninth avatar; in some lists this place belongs to Balarama, while in others it is Buddha. The Shrimad Bhagavatam (1.3.24) foretells that at the beginning of Kali Yuga the Lord would appear as Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the region of Kikata (associated with Gaya), to bewilder those who were hostile to the gods. In the popular tradition this avatar is identified with Gautama Buddha, the prince Siddhartha of the Shakya clan, who renounced his palace, attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree and taught the path of compassion and non-violence.

Jayadeva, in the Dashavatara hymn of his Gita Govinda, praises the Lord in the form of Buddha for his compassion, because he condemned the killing of animals in the name of sacrifice. Many devotees therefore see Buddha as the avatar who turned people away from violence and empty ritual toward kindness for all living beings.

Different traditions understand this avatar in different ways, and scholars and devotees view the relationship between the Buddha of the Puranas and the founder of Buddhism in various ways. Yet all agree on its lesson: compassion (daya) and non-violence (ahimsa) are sacred, and religion without kindness loses its heart.

Number

9

Yuga

Kali Yuga

Form

The Enlightened One

Note

Balarama in some lists, Buddha in others

Source

Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.3.24; Jayadeva, Gita Govinda