In puranic lore, Vishnu is the preserver of the universe and the cosmic order. Dashavatar is the mythological story of the 10 avatars of Vishu who descends to the terrestrial world to establish stability and order, time and again. The progression in the ten incarnations of Vishnu is found parallel to Darwin's theory of evolution by many. Starting from the first Vishnu avatar - Matsya or fish representing life in water, followed by Kurma or turtle signifying life in water and on land, then Varaha or boar alluding to terrestrial life and so on. The sequence of the Vishnu avatars could be taken to symbolise various stages in the evolution of life culminating in the advent of the perfect being.
