How Hinduism Inspired Pop-Culture Avatars

Use code RFBINCOGNI at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: https://incogni.com/rfbincogni.Join our Patreon community!: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfastOne-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfastSign-up for my classes list to be notified of online classes: https://classes.religionforbreakfast.com/"Avatar" became a household word in the 2000s with Avatar: The Last Airbender and James Cameron's movie series Avatar. But what is an avatar? The idea actually derives from Hinduism. Thumbnail art by @hotcyder Bibliography:-Barbara Holdrege, Bhakti and Embodiment, 2015.-Couture, André, “Avatāra”, in: Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online, Editor-in-Chief Associate Editors Knut A. Jacobsen, Helene Basu, Angelika Malinar, Vasudha Narayanan. Consulted online on 02 February 2024-Couture, André, “Viṣṇu”, in: Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online, Editor-in-Chief Associate Editors Knut A. Jacobsen, Helene Basu, Angelika Malinar, Vasudha Narayanan. Consulted online on 02 February 2024-Couture, André, “From Vishnu’s Deeds to Vishnu’s Play,” Journal of Indian Philosophy, June 2001.-Simon Brodbeck, Divine Descent of the Four World-Ages in the Mahabharata, 2022.Noel Sheth, “Hindu Avatar and Christian Incarnation: A Comparison,” Philosophy East and West, Vol. 52, No. 1 (Jan 2002). 98 - 125.-Lochtefeld, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Volume 2, N-Z, 2002. -Gitagovinda of Jayadeva, editor and translator Barbara Stoler Miller. (Columbia University Press: 1977)-Tracy Coleman, Avatara, Oxford Bibliographies Online, 2018. -Cush et. al., Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Routledge: 2008. -Kinnard, “When is the Buddha Not the Buddha? The Hindu/Buddhist Battle over Bodhgaya and Its Buddha Image,” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 66/4.-Freda Matchett, Krsna: Lord or Avatara?, (Routledge: 2001).-Devadatta Kali, In Praise of the Goddess: The Devimahatmya and Its Meaning, (Nicolas-Hays, Inc.: 2003).-Suvira Jaiswal, The Origin and Development of Vaisnavism,1981.00:00 The rise of "avatar"1:21 Avatar = Divine Descent4:35 Vishnu and his avataras9:20 Avataras outside Vaishnavism11:16 How avatar was adopted in EnglishSelect imagery/video supplied by Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices