Agni Purana

सुरेशोर्यब्जशङ्खाढ्यः श्रीगदी पुरुपोत्तमः। अधोक्षजः पद्मगदी शङखी चक्री च पातु वः

The lord of the gods, adorned with lotus and conch, glorious wielder of the mace, supreme among men; Adhokshaja, holding lotus, mace, conch, and discus, may protect you.

देवो नृसिंहश्चक्राब्जगदाशङ्खी नमामि तम्। अच्युतः श्रीगदी पद्मी चक्री शङ्खी च पातु वः

I bow to the god Narasimha, who bears the discus, lotus, mace, and conch; Acyuta, glorious wielder of the mace, lotus, discus, and conch, may protect you.

बालरूपी शङ्खगदी उपेन्द्रश्चक्रपद्म्यपि। जनार्द्दनः पद्म चक्री शङ्खधारी गदाधरः

In the form of a child, holding conch and mace, Upendra bears the discus and lotus; Janardana, holding lotus, discus, conch, and mace.

शङ्खीपद्मी च चक्री चहरिः कौमोदकीधरः। कृष्णः शङ्खी गदी पद्मी चक्री मे भुक्तिमुक्तिदः

Hari, holding conch, lotus, and discus, bearer of the Kaumodaki mace; Krishna, with conch, mace, lotus, and discus, grants both enjoyment and liberation to me.

आदि मूर्त्तिर्वासुदेवस्तस्मात् सङ्कर्पणोभवत्। सङ्कर्पणाच्च प्रद्युम्नः प्रद्युम्नादनिरुद्धकः

Vasudeva is the primordial form; from him arose Sankarshana; from Sankarshana came Pradyumna; from Pradyumna, Aniruddha.

केशवादिप्रभेदेन एकैकस्य त्रिधा क्रमात्। द्वादशाक्षरकं स्तोत्रं चतुर्विंशातिमूर्त्तिमत्

By the distinctions beginning with Kesava, each one is threefold in order; the twelve-syllable hymn is possessed of twenty-four forms.

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि निर्मलः सर्वमाप्नुयात्

Whoever recites or hears this, pure, attains all.

भगवानुवाच दशावतारं मत्स्यादिलक्षणं प्रवदामि ते। मत्स्याकारस्तु मत्स्यः स्यात् कूर्मः कूर्म्माकृतिर्भवेत्

The Blessed Lord spoke: I will tell you the characteristics of the ten avatars, beginning with Matsya; Matsya takes the form of a fish, Kurma assumes the form of a tortoise.

नराङ्गो वाथ कर्त्तव्यौ भूवराहौ गदादिभृत्। दक्षिणे वामके शङ्‌खं लक्ष्मीर्वा पद्ममेव वा

The form of a man should be made for Varaha, who bears the mace and other weapons; on the right or left, place the conch, or Lakshmi, or the lotus.

श्रीर्वामकूर्प्परस्था तु क्ष्मानन्तौ चरणानुगौ। वराहस्थापनाद्राज्यं भवाब्धितरणं भवेत्

Lakshmi is placed on the left side of Kurma, and the earth at both feet; by establishing Varaha, sovereignty and crossing the ocean of existence are attained.

नरसिंहो विवृत्तास्यो वामोरुक्षतदानवः । तद्वक्षो दारयन्माली स्फुरच्चक्रगदाधरः

Narasimha, with mouth wide open, tears the demon with his left thigh; adorned with a garland, bearing the shining discus and mace.

छत्री दण्डी वामनः स्यादथवा स्याच्चतुर्भुजः। रामश्चापेषुहस्तः स्यात् खड्गी परसुनान्वितः

Vamana is depicted with umbrella and staff, or may be four-armed; Rama holds a bow, sword, and axe.

रामश्चापी शरी खड्गी शङ्खी वा द्विभूजः स्मृतः। गदालाङ्गलधारी च रामो वाथ चतुर्भुजः

Rama is remembered as holding bow and arrows, sword, conch, or as two-armed; bearing mace and plough, or as four-armed.

वामोर्ध्वे लाङ्गलं दद्यादधः शङ्खं सुशोभनम्। मुषलं दक्षिणोर्ध्वे तु चक्रञ्चाधः सुशोभनम्

On the upper left, place the plough; below, the beautiful conch; on the upper right, the mace; below, the beautiful discus.

धनुस्तृणान्वितः कल्की म्लेच्छोत्सादकरोद्विजः। अथवाश्वस्थितः खङ्गी शङ्खचक्रशरान्वितः

Kalki, accompanied by grass and bow, is the twice-born destroyer of mlecchas; or, mounted on a horse, holding sword, conch, discus, and arrows.

लक्षणं वासुदेवादिनवकस्य वदामि ते। दक्षिणोर्ध्वे गदा वामे वामोर्ध्वे चक्रमुत्तमम्

I will tell you the characteristics of the nine forms beginning with Vāsudeva: on the upper right, the mace; on the upper left, the supreme discus.

ब्रह्मेशौ पार्श्वगौ नित्यं वासुदेवोस्ति पूर्ववत्। शङ्खी स वरदो वाथ द्विभुजो वा चतुर्भुजः

Brahmā and Īśa are always at the sides, and Vāsudeva is as before; he holds a conch and the boon-giving gesture, and may be two-armed or four-armed.

लाङ्गली मुषली रामो गदापद्मधरः स्मृतः। प्रद्युम्नो दक्षिणे वज्रं शङ्खं वामे धनुः करे

Rāma is remembered as holding a plough and a pestle; Pradyumna holds a thunderbolt in the right hand, a conch in the left, and a bow.

गदानाभ्यावृतः ग्रीत्या प्रद्युम्नो वा धनुः शरी। चतुर्भुजोनिरुद्धः स्यात्तथा नारायणो विभुः

Pradyumna is surrounded by maces at the neck, or else he holds a bow and arrow; Aniruddha is four-armed, and so is the glorious Nārāyaṇa.

चतुर्मुखश्चतुर्व्वाहुर्ब्बृहज्जठरमण्डलः। लम्बकूर्च्चे जटायुक्तो ब्रह्मा हंसाग्रवाहनः

Brahmā is four-faced and four-armed, with a broad belly; his hair is tied in a hanging tuft, and he rides on a swan.

दक्षिणे चाक्षसूत्रञ्च स्रुवो वामे तु कुण्डिका। आज्यस्थाली सरस्वती सावित्री वामदक्षिणे

In the right hand, he holds a rosary or a ladle; in the left, a water-pot; Sarasvatī and Sāvitrī are at his left and right.

विष्णुरष्टभुजस्तार्क्षे करे खड्गस्तु दक्षिणे। गदा शरश्च वरदो वामे कार्मुकखेटके

Viṣṇu, eight-armed, rides Garuḍa; in the right hand, a sword; in the left, a mace, arrow, boon-giving gesture, bow, and shield.

चक्रशङ्खौ चतुर्बाहुर्न्नरसिंहश्चतुर्भुजः। शङ्खचक्रधरो वापि विदारितमहासुरः

Narasimha is four-armed, holding discus and conch; or he may hold conch and discus, having torn apart the great demon.

चतुर्बाहुर्वराहस्तु शेषुः पाणितले धृतः। धारयन् बाहुना पृथ्वीं वामेन कमलाधरः

Varāha is four-armed, holding Śeṣa in the palm; with one arm he supports the earth, and in the left hand he holds a lotus.

पादलग्ना धरा कार्य्या पदा लक्ष्मीर्व्यवस्थिता। त्रैलोक्यमोहनस्तार्क्ष्ये अष्टवाहुस्तु दक्षिणे

The earth should be placed at his foot, and Lakṣmī is established at his feet; the eight-armed form riding Garuḍa is on the right.

चक्रं खड्गं च मुषलं अङ्कुशं वामके करे। शङ्कशार्ङ्गगदापाशान् पद्मवीणासमन्विते

In the left hand, he holds discus, sword, pestle, and goad; conch, bow, mace, noose, lotus, and lute are also included.

लक्ष्मीः सरस्वती कार्य्ये विश्वरूपोऽथ दक्षिणे। मुद्गरं च तथा पाशं शक्तिशूलं शरं करे

Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī should be depicted; the universal form is on the right; in the hand, a mallet, noose, spear, trident, and arrow.

वामे शङ्खञ्च शार्ङ्गञ्च गदां पाशं च तोमरम्। लाङ्गलं परशुं दण्डं छुरिकां चर्म्मक्षेपणम्

In the left hand, conch, bow, mace, noose, and javelin; plough, axe, staff, knife, and shield for throwing.

विंशद्‌बाहुश्चतुर्व्वक्त्रो दक्षिणस्थोथ वामके। त्रिनेत्रो वामपार्श्वेन शयितो जलशाय्यपि

He is twenty-armed and four-faced, standing on the right and left; with three eyes at the left side, and also reclining on water.