Dasavatara-stotra and Gita-govinda, both written by Sri Jayadeva Gosvami, are still being sung daily before Lord Jagannatha Deva for His pleasure. Jayadeva Gosvami’s Dasavatara-stotra is respected everywhere in India. The Dasavatara Deities are worshipped daily in the Jagannatha Temple at Sri Purushottama-dhama and many other temples of India. In the Vaishnava lineages of Assam, harinama-saṅkīrtanaa is performed by singing about the appearance and pastimes of the ten avataras. So, out of countless manifestations of the Supreme Lord, Dasavatara occupy a special position, and the glories of Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrisimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Baladeva, Buddha and Kalki are sung by devotees praying for Their mercy taking shelter of maha-bhagavata Sri Jayadeva Goswami.

Among the eighteen Purāṇas, the Matsya Purāṇa describes the pastimes of Matsya-avatāra. When Śaunaka and other resident sages of Naimiṣāraṇya expressed their desire to hear the pastimes of Matsya-avatāra from Śrī Ugraśravā (Sūta Gosvāmī), the son of Śrī Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta

In the sixth manvantara, a manifested form of Lord Viṣṇu named Ajita appeared as the son of Vairāja from the womb of Devasambhūti. Lord Ajita caused the churning of the Ocean of Milk and produced nectar for the demigods. In the form of a tortoise, He held the great mountain known as Mandara on His back in the ocean.

The unlimitedly powerful Lord assumed the form of a boar for the rescue of the earth and pierced the first demon, Hiraṇyākṣa, with His tusk.

Various transcendental topics like the pastime of appearance of Śrī Nṛsiṁha Deva, the extraordinary life and teachings of Lord’s exalted devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja, how he dealt with difficulties on his spiritual path, how he finally achieved the grace of the Lord and how Lord Himself appeared in a unique form for His dearest devotee are elaborately presented here.

In the 8th Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsa Muni has given detailed accounts of Lord Vāmanadeva’s pastime of appearance, the capturing of the three planetary systems from Bali Mahārāja (on the pretext of asking for only three steps of land) and the eventual awarding of the Sutala planet to Bali.