Where Does The Term Avatar Come From?

[St Leo]

Krishna and Rama (I think) are avatars of Shiva (known as Rudra in ancient Hinduism). Buddha and Jesus have also been called his avatars. Naturally, there are probably upwards of thirty different avatars.

P.S. Vishnu is a name that keeps popping in my head, but I think he's part of the trimurtu along with Shiva and Brahma.

[Dr Strangelove]

No, I believe that the three primary gods of the Hindus are: Rama, the creator, Vishnu the maintainer, and Shiva, the destroyer (this is an oversimplification of their roles). Bhrama is not a god.

[Buck Birdseed]

Here's the full entry from the OED:

avatar.
[ad. Skr. avatara descent, f. ava down + t’r-, tar-, to pass over.]

1. Hindu Myth. The descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form.
1784 Sir W. Jones in Asiat. Res. I. 234 The ten Avatárs or descents of the deity, in his capacity of Preserver.
1858 Beveridge Hist. India II. iv. ii. 28 The fifth avatar, called Varuna, because in it Vishnu assumed the form of a dwarf.

2. Manifestation in human form; incarnation.
1815 Scott Paul’s Lett. (1839) 325 A third avatar of this singular emanation of the Evil Principle [Bonaparte].
1878 R. Sayler in N. Amer. Rev. CXXVI. 94 McClellan was..the very god of war, in his latest avatar.

3. Manifestation or presentation to the world as a ruling power or object of worship.
1859 Masson Milton I. 226 The avatar of Mathematics had not begun.
Ibid. 447 Glad that the avatar of Donne, as an intermediate power between Spenser and Milton, was so brief and partial.
1883 Harper’s Mag. Mar. 541/1 The Baireuth festivals..the completest and most characteristic avatars of art our century can shew.

4. loosely, Manifestation; display; phase.
1850 L. Hunt Autobiog. ii. (1860) 36 She ended with enjoying, and even abetting, this new avatar of the Church militant.
1880 L. Stephen Pope ii. 29 Wit and sense are but different avatars of the same spirit.