Comparative Study Between Dashavatara (Incarnation) and Darwinian Theory of Evolution

Abstract

The word Dashavatara derives from Dasha, meaning “Ten”, and Avatara, roughly equivalent to “Incarnation”. Lord Vishnu manifested in various avatars to safeguard the universe and reinstate “peace and dharma” during the four distinct yugas, or cosmic cycles. The Hindu text Dashavatara, which describes ten forms of Lord Vishnu, has a better developed theory of evolution than the hypothesis put out by English scientist Charles Darwin in the 17th century. Objective is to make a comparative study between Dashavatara (incarnations) and Darwinian Theory of evolution. Based on secondary sources of historical knowledge, this study is descriptive in nature. Darwin’s evolutionary theory is comparable to Lord Vishnu’s Dashavatara, who has ten avatars. All avatars are interconnected, and according to Darwin, all plants, animals, and people have common ancestor. How could they correctly predict the entire evolutionary theory if the Dashavatara was merely a fabrication of someone’s imagination? Darwin’s theory is straightforward; he discovered that life evolved in water in the Galapagos Islands (Latin America) between 1830 and 1835. All species on earth, including fish, flowers, bananas, and birds have common ancestors. But there is not only same opinion existed in Dashavatara but also there are more advances after Darwin’s theory of evolution. Though the evolution theory in Hinduism is described through story. There is a clear striking similarity with first seven avatars of Vishnu and Darwin’s theory of evolution. Darwin’s theory has been stopped up to 7th number of evaluation but Dashavatara went steps further. The scientific resemblance between Dashavatara and Charles Darwinian Theory of Evolution bears same meaning but the way of explanation is different, which means old wine in new bottles. It indicates that an idea that already exists is presented as though it were brand-new. Vedic science was so sophisticated that it could be contrasted with modern scientific discoveries.

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