The Ten Avatars of Vishnu

In Bhagavata Purana, the most popular and important Purana, Vishnu is described to have descended nine times and took nine avatars or incarnations. It also says that he will come again at the end of Kalki age to take the tenth avatar.

Here are the ten avatars of Vishnu.

1. Matsya (the fish): Vishnu took the avatar of Matsya to warn mankind at the time of a great flood.
2. Kurma (the tortoise): He took the Kurma avatar to rescue the treasures from the flood.
3. Varaha (the boar): At the time of the great flood, he took the Varaha avatar and raised the earth to save the people.
4. Nara-sinha (the man-lion): Vishnu took the form of Nara-sinha and defeated the evil demons.
5. Vamana (the dwarf): He took the avatar of Vamana again to defeat the evil demons.
6. Parasu-Rama (Rama with an axe): The Kshatriya warrior caste tried to conquer the world. So Vishnu appeared as Parasu-Rama and destroyed the Kshatriya race.
7. Ramachandra (the son of Dasaratha and consort of Sita): He appeared as Rama, the hero in Ramayana and killed Ravana, the ten headed asura. 
8. Sri. Krishna (the master teacher in Bhagavat Gita and the one who helped the Pandavas in the war): He appeared as Krishna and helped many righteous people and destroyed the wicked.
9. Buddha (Gautama Buddha): He appeared as the prince Buddha and founded Buddhism.
10. Kalki:  This is the tenth avatar in which Vishnu will appear to destroy the world.