Number 8

Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. These are the Dasa Avataras (10 incarnations), as per the Bhagavata Purana, the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu - the Hindu God who is the preserver of life. (google Dasa Avataras to know more)

The context to this is I just finished reading R.K Narayan's adaptation of the Mahabharata. My interest in Hindu mythology began increasing, first as simple curiosity and now to genuine interest, when I first read ''English, August" - as blasphemous a novel as could be written by an Indian. As has been the case in recent times, the only person with whom I could discuss Hindu mythology has been the Khobba. I was telling him how I found the Mahabharata to be probably the most fascinating thing I have ever read and also how I find it strange that out of all the stories of the dasa avataras, this one held my attention more than any other, how insipid the story of the Buddha and Rama are in comparison. (because the Mahabharatha and for that matter the Gita both comprise events that revolve around the axis that is Krishna - the 8th Avatara)

The Khobba called it once again. He said "that's because the incarnation of Vishnu in this case was by far the most intriguing and interesting of them all". Very true...and so I have picked up the Gita again to continue browsing at leisure.

I could go on for several hours about why the Krishna incarnation is so fascinating and the consequent story so intriguing but I won't. It is something one must discover for oneself. What I like most about it though is for something considered to be the most "holy" of Hindu scripts, it is full of deceit and deception as much as it is about honour and valour. On both sides. A message right there - many times...most times in life there are only grey areas, not many that are black or white. And while our choices might always be half chance, the manner in which we choose them is as important as the choices themselves.