Shloka 104
धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
वराहो नरसिंहश्न॒ वामनो राम एव च । रामो दाशरथिश्रैव सात्वत: कल्किरेव च,द्विजश्रेष्ठ) हंस, कूर्म, मत्स्य, वराह, नरसिंह, वामन, परशुराम, दशरथनन्दन राम, यदुवंशी श्रीकृष्ण तथा कल्कि--ये सब मेरे अवतार हैं
varāho narasiṁhaś ca vāmano rāma eva ca | rāmo dāśarathiś caiva sātvataḥ kalkir eva ca ||
Bhishma said: “The Boar, the Man-Lion, the Dwarf, and Rama; Rama the son of Dasharatha, the Sātvata (Krishna), and Kalki as well—these are my incarnations.” In this teaching context, the statement affirms that the Supreme upholds dharma across ages by assuming diverse forms suited to the needs of the world, thereby guiding beings back toward righteousness and protection of the good.
(भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That the Supreme sustains and restores dharma by manifesting in multiple avatāras appropriate to different crises and eras; divine power adapts its form to protect the righteous, restrain wrongdoing, and re-establish moral order.
In Bhishma’s instruction during the Shanti Parva, he enumerates well-known incarnations—Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama (son of Dasharatha), Krishna, and Kalki—presenting them as manifestations of the same divine principle active throughout time.