Vishnu's Ten Avatars

From a tiny fish to the end of time — the Dashavatara in order. 7 steps, about 45 minutes.

1. The Four Yugas: First, the cosmic clock: four great ages that the avatars arrive to protect.
2. Matsya, the Fish: It begins with the smallest possible form — a fish in a king's cupped hands.
3. Narasimha, the Man-Lion: Skip ahead to the fiercest: the man-lion who found the loophole in an "unbreakable" boon.
4. Vamana, the Dwarf: Then the gentlest: a dwarf who covered the universe in three steps.
5. Rama, the Perfect King: The seventh avatar chose to live as a man — his story is the whole Ramayana.
6. Krishna, the Guide: The eighth was a butter thief, a friend, a king, and the teacher of the Gita.
7. Kalki, still to come: And one avatar has not come yet. The wheel keeps turning.