आमुक्तमाल्यदा (विजयनगर सम्राट् श्रीकृष्णदेवराय - गोदा देवी आण्डाल भक्ति एवं साम्राज्य-नीति)

Vishnuchitta 25
Instead of translating these Pallāndu verses (as he had done
with the two cantos of Vishnu Purana), Krishnadeva Raya indites
his own prayer which begins musically: Jaya Jaya Daanava Daarana
Kaarana. This string of sixteen verses is a Dasavatara Stotra, and
gives a proper conclusion to Vishnuchitta's description of Lord
Vishnu as the Brahman to be meditated upon by the yogi. The
Lord can be seen everywhere: even in a fish or a lion. Whatever
the incarnation, the Supreme shines forth as a divya mangala vigraha
(an image with all auspicious qualities).
The three verses on Matsyavatara (Fish incarnation) refer
to Somakasura's theft of the Vedas and the Lord's recovering them.
The same incarnation was to save the universe from the Great
Flood. As the ocean was being churned during the Kurma (Tortoise)
incarnation, pearls, pearl-oysters and conch-shells were getting
pulverised making it appear that the Lord was grinding lime to
strengthen the foundations of the earth. When the Lord as Varaha
(Boar) rose from the nether regions carrying the earth, Mother
Nature appeared to be wearing the earth as a nose-ring of gold.
In keeping with the Narasimha (Man-lion) Avatara, the King's
description is all blood and horror. And when the Lord tore up the
chest of the demon, first the innards appeared white; then came
red meat and finally the heart was seen jet-black. It appeared as
though Narasimha was releasing the tejas of Shiva (white), Brahma
(red) and Vishnu (black) from the vicious hold.
The Trivikrama (Vamana-Dwarf) Avatara is ever a great
favourite of the Alwars. Krishnadeva Raya treads warily as Bali
was an ideal King, an ideal householder and an ideal devotee. His
fame is likened to a brilliant light in a house (the universe) full of
the darkness of fear for him and the Trivikrama's overwhelming
dark form would shine like the zodiac to make it grow pale (simsu-
maaramu orayangan pempave vaamana). A little later an image based
on the annual migration of swans following the swan of Parasu-
rama's fame presents a charming poetic conceit.
Was it an advance warning of the destruction of the seven
essences (sapta dhaatuvulu) in the body of Ravana that Rama gave
when his arrow shot through the seven trees? Was it for digging
the earth and getting back Sita that Rama incarnated as Balarama