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14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS
terminology, and by Oriental, or philosophical and mythological nomenclature. There were nearly as many aeonic hierarchies as there were Gnostic systems, but the most elaborate of these, as far as is known, was that of Valentinus, whose fusion of Christianity and Platonism is so completely described in the refutation of this system by St. Irenæus and Tertullian. (See GNOSTICISM, VALENTINUS, BASILIDES, PTOLEMY.)"
Catholic Encyclopaedia http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01173c.htm
This gnostic insertion changed the concept of avatar in terms of hierachies and levels of gods. This is what we see in the Avatar myths and the categorization of Avatars in Hinduism. Evidently some time in History gnostics took over the Christian concepts and remodeled it. The Greeks and the Syrians had their role in this transformation. As a result the material world is never redeemed but destroyed. In Christian theology of redemption, the cosmos with its material realm included is redeemed and the blessing of death and decay is removed as sin is removed and beings becomes like the Son of Man. This is the deification or theosis of christianity. All things are thus made new and the mahakalpa ends. It may repeat. But that is another story if and when it arises.
Vaishnava Avatar in History
This should then give us some idea of the dates of the period of the four yugas and consequently the time of the various avatars.
Kali yuga started 3102 BC Dwapara Yuga Started 3102 +864,000 = 867,102 BC Treta Yuga Started 867,102 +1,296,000 =2,163,102 BC Satya Yuga Started 2,163,102 + 1,728,000 = 3,891,102 BC
Hence the incarnations are supposed to be in the following period
• Between 3,891,102 and 2,163,102 BC (2 to 3 million years before) in Satya Yuga:
Matsya (fish), Koorma (tortoise), Varaaha (boar), Narasimha (the man lion) • Between 2,163,102 and 867,102 BC (1 to 2 million years ago) in the Treta Yuga:
Vaamana (the dwarf), Parasurama (the angry man), Rama (the perfect human) • Between 867,102 and 3,102 BC (3000 to 1 million years ago) in the Dwapara Yuga:
Balarama and Krishna • Now expected in some 427,000 years time- Kali Yuga:
Kalki
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