Lord Vishnu’s Dashavatara, the first avatar, the Matsya avatar is considered to be one of the most important avatars of Vishnu. According to Hindu mythology, Matsya is the fish incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who appeared to save the world from a great flood. According to the legend, a tiny fish came to king Satyavrata(well-known as Manu) when he was washing in a river, and asked the king to protect him. The king took care of the fish as he grew bigger and bigger, and then one day, the fish told the king that a great flood was coming and that he must build a boat to save himself and the entire world's population. When the flood came, the fish appeared in its true form as Lord Vishnu and towed the boat to safety. Lord Vishnu is often depicted as a fish with a human upper body and arms, holding a conch and a discus. The story of the Matsya avatar is believed to be a reminder of the cyclical nature of creation and destruction, and the importance of preserving the balance of the universe. Kurma(tortoise) Avatar vishnu dashavatara Among the 10 incarnations of Vishnu, the Kurma avatar is also considered to be one of the most important avatars of Vishnu. Kurma is the tortoise incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who appeared to help the devas (gods) and asuras (demons) in the churning of the cosmic ocean of milk (Ksheera Sagara) to obtain the nectar of immortality. In the story, Devas and Asuras were at war, and the Devas were losing. They sought help from Lord Brahma, who advised them to obtain the nectar of immortality from the cosmic ocean of milk(Ksheera Sagara). To do this, they needed a massive churning rod and a pivot, but nothing suitable was available. Lord Vishnu appeared as Kurma, the giant tortoise, and offered to serve as the pivot for the churning rod. The Devas and Asuras then churned the ocean using the serpent Vasuki as the churning rope. Many valuable items emerged from the ocean, including the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, and the nectar of immortality.