autonomy of psychology See PHILOSOPHY OF PSY -. CHOLOG. avatar (from Sanskrit avatara), in Hindu thought, any of the repeated ‘descents’ of the Supreme Being into the physical world as an animal, human being, or combination thereof, to destroy evil and restore order. Predominately identified as the actions of the god Vishnu, these entrances into the world indicate that Vishnu as lord will adjust the cycle of karma. Its earliest reference is in the Bhagavad Gita (150 B.C.), where Krishna says that whenever dharma languishes he incarnates in age after age to destroy evildoers and promote the good. Later lists of avatars of Vishnu cite ten, twenty, or more, with Krishna and the Buddha as famous examples. The inclusion of prominent local deities in the list brought them under the influence of Vishnu devotees, and today even Jesus and Muhammad may be included. Modern philosophers such as Radhakrishnan (1888–1975) redefine the concept non-theistically, identifying an avatar as a human being who has attained enlightenment. R.N.Mi.