Chief Saktyavesa Avatara

Chief Saktyavesa Avatara

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.367-384
New York, December 31, 1966

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Prabhupada:

saktyavesavatara krsnera asankhya ganana
dig-darasana kari mukhya mukhya jana

Lord Caitanya says that incarnation of opulence... Saktyavesa avatara means incarnation of opulence. We have analyzed the opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So saktyavesa avatara... An incarnation who represents a particular opulence of the Supreme Lord, he is called saktyavesa avatara. So Lord Caitanya says that there are innumerable incarnations like that, of whom only the principal, I mean to say, principal incarnations, they are mentioned herein. And who are they?

'sanakadi', 'narada', 'prthu', 'parasurama',
jiva-rupa 'brahmara' avesavatara-nama

Jiva-rupa 'brahmara' avesa. Brahma, the first creature of this universe, he's also considered as one of the saktyavesa avataras.

Now, so far our experience is concerned, Lord Caitanya says there are innumerable. So how we can accept a avatara, a saktyavesa avatara, whose names are not mentioned herein? Then we have to... As in the beginning, Lord Caitanya says that by the symptoms we can understand that He is saktyavesa. By the symptoms and activities and influence. So what is that symptom? Symptom is that eternal and temporary. So avatara, incarnation, comes to glorify the eternal existence of the Supreme Lord. So any avatara, any incarnation, he comes to glorify that "There is spiritual kingdom, there is God, and I have come to reclaim you to back to Godhead, back to home." This is the symptom. So therefore, by that symptom, we accept Lord Jesus Christ as saktyavesa avatara, or Hazrat Muhammad, he's also. Because these two religious leaders of the world, they preached about the glorification of the Supreme Lord. And they sacrificed everything for preaching the glories of the Lord. Therefore... And their influence and their followers, there are... These are the symptoms by which we can understand that Jesus Christ and Hazrat Muhammad was, were saktyavesa avataras.

So far Buddha is concerned, he's also considered saktyavesa avatara. He preached this nirvana philosophy. Although he did not speak about God, because it is considered that he was himself God, but the people amongst whom he preached, they were mostly atheistic people; therefore he did not preach about God. But he did not deny also. He simply wanted to make extinction of this present worldly activities. That was, yes... Nirvana. And he represented the sacrifice of renouncement. He..., you may remember that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His six opulences, one opulence is renouncement. So Lord Buddha's life is renouncement. He was prince. He, he was in a very young time. He renounced the world and underwent severe penances. These are the symptoms by which we can understand that he's also saktyavesa avatara. And the Bhagavad-gita you'll find, yad yad vibhutimat sattvam mama tejo-'msa-sambhavam. Anyone, not only Lord Buddha or others, but anyone, Lord, in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated, anyone who has got some extraordinary power, uncommon power, he's to be considered vibhu. Saktyavesa avatara, there are two kinds, one directly empowered for particular mission, comes from the transcendental spiritual sky, and others, those who are in this material world, but they have got some specific power, uncommon power, not found in ordinary man. They are called vibhuti. This vibhuti (is) explained in the Bhagavad-gita: yad yad vibhutimat sattvam mama tejo-'msa sambhavam. That is out of the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

sanakadye 'jnana'-sakti, narade sakti 'bhakti'
brahmaya 'srsti'-sakti, anante 'bhu-dharana'-sakti

Now, so far the principal saktyavesa avataras are concerned, as mentioned by Lord Caitanya, now, what are the manifestation of opulences in each of these saktyavesa avataras? He says that sanakadye, the Kumaras, the four Kumaras-Sanaka, Sanatana, Sananda, Sanat-kumara -- these four Kumaras, they were vastly learned, and they..., first they preached the philosophical way of understanding the Absolute Truth. Sanakadye. Later on, they become devoted, devotees, and they have got a sampradaya, or party, they are called Nimbarka-sampradaya. Sanakadye 'jnana'-sakti. Now we have analyzed that the Supreme Lord has the opulence of knowledge, full knowledge. So these four Kumaras-kumaras means unmarried brahmacaris -- they were sons of Brahma. Because in the beginning Brahma begot so many sons, and each of them were asked to increase the population. Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana, they were also requested by their father to increase population, but they refused. They said, "No, we are not going to be entangled in these material affairs. We shall remain kumaras, brahmacari, and preach the glories of God," by which Brahma was angry. And while he was angry, from his anger Rudra, Siva, was produced, and Lord Siva is therefore supposed to be son of Brahma.

So these four Kumaras, they represented the knowledge opulence of the Supreme Lord. Narada, Narada, he's also saktyavesa avatara. He was, in his previous life, he was a maidservant's son, but by the association of devotees, he rose up to this position, Narada. Narada's position is very exalted as devotee. All of the devotees of the, in this material world, more or less, they are all disciples of Narada. Vyasadeva is also a disciple of Narada. Prahlada Maharaja -- these are big devotees -- he's..., he was also a disciple of Narada. And Dhruva Maharaja, he was also disciple of Narada. Valmiki, he was also disciple of Narada. So Narada is the representation of the devotional path of opulence. Brahmaya 'srsti'-sakti. And the creative opulence was manifested in Brahma. Creative.

Anante 'bhu-dharana'. Ananta, Sesasayi, what is known as law of gravitation, that is mentioned in the Vedic scriptures as sankarasa, who is supposed to be supporting all these planets in the air. 'Bhu-dharana'-sakti. 'Bhu-dharana'-sakti means all the planets are supported by Sesasayi. It is described in the Vedic literature that He has got many hoods, just like serpent has got hood. And each hood, each planet, all these planets are resting.

sese 'sva-sevana'-sakti, prthute palana'
parasurame 'dusta-nasaka-virya-sancarana'

Sese, Sesa-avatara, He is personally serving the Supreme Lord as Maha Visnu, Karanodakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu. You have seen the picture that Visnu is lying on a serpent bed. That serpent bed is supposed to be Sesa-avatara. And prthute, Maharaja, King Prthu, he was ideal king. Therefore 'palana', God has another opulence: maintenance. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. That Supreme One is maintaining so many, innumerable eternals. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eka bahunam vidadhati kaman (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). So this maintenance performance, opulence, was invested to Prthu Maharaja. He exhibited extraordinary power, how to maintain the citizens, as king and subjects. Parasurame 'dusta-nasaka-virya-sancarana' Parasurama... Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. Under two, these two missions, the Lord comes, incarnates, descends. And Parasurama was supposed to kill the dusta, the wicked ksatriyas, when they forgot to rule over the world as bona fide ksatriyas. They..., they..., they were killed twenty-one times, and it is mentioned in the Mahabharata during that killing process, many ksatriyas fled from, fled away from India and they settled in other parts of the world, especially in Europe. It is mentioned in the Mahabharata. So Parasurama was especially meant, vinasaya ca duskrtam, to kill the miscreants.

So,

jnana-sakty-adi-kalaya
yatravisto janardanah
ta avesa nigadyante
jiva eva mahattamah

Another definition is given by Sanatana Gosvami. This same Sanatana Gosvami who is now being taught by Lord Caitanya, he also has written many books. These two brothers, Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, and their nephew, Jiva Gosvami, composed many valuable literatures. So Sanatana Gosvami has written one book, Laghu-bhagavatamrtam. Laghu-bhagavatamrtam, supplementary to Srimad-Bhagavatam. So in that Laghu-bhagavatamrtam book, he has written,

jnana-saktya-adi-kalaya
yatravisto janardanah
ta avesa nigadyante
jiva eva mahattamah

He has defined that these saktyavesa avatara, they are all living entities; they are not on the level of Visnu-tattva. But they have special power and special, I mean to say, opulence to glorify the Supreme Lord.

'vibhuti' kahiye yaiche gita-ekadase
jagat vyapila krsna-sakty-abhasavese

Now that vibhuti is, is mentioned by Lord Caitanya. That vibhutimat sattvam, saktyavesa, there are many, many... We find in the history so many extraordinary, powerful men come and go. They are called vibhuti of the Supreme Lord.

yad yad vibhutimat sattvam
srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-'msa-sambhavam

Anyone extraordinary. You'll be, I mean to..., pleased to learn that in India, the king is considered vibhutimat sattvam. King. He is also considered as the incarnation of God, king. Because when Sanatana, this Sanatana Gosvami, when he resigned from government service... So, when the King, Nawab Shah, Nawab Hussain Shah, came to his house -- "What is the matter that my minister Sanatana is not joining office? And he's taking leave under so many pretexts?" So when he personally came to the house of Sanatana Gosvami... He was not at that time Gosvami. His name was Dabira Khasa. Khasa shah. So he was received very well, and when the Nawab Shah said... There was some topics, conversation with the minister and the Nawab. The minister wanted to resign, and Nawab Shah did not like that idea. So at last it was... Nawab Shah said that "If you whimsically, whimsically resign your responsible post, then I shall arrest you." At this order, Sanatana Gosvami replied that "If you think I shall be punished, I shall accept it, because you are God's representative. You are God's representative." So this was the idea of king and Nawab. Now, although he was Muhammadan and he was brahmana, but, so far the respect of a king is concerned, Sanatana Gosvami rightly told him that "You are Nawab. You are king. You are not ordinary man. Therefore you are empowered by the Supreme Lord. So anything you punish..." Because king's punishment has to be accepted. And in the Manu-samhita it is said that when king punishes a citizen, he is reduced in his sinful actions so that he may not subjected in his next birth for that sinful reaction if he undergoes the punishment of a king. These are stated there.

So, vibhutimat...

atha va bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat
 [Bg. 10.42]

So ekamsena, ekamsena, this partial, plenary representation of the Supreme Lord, Paramatma, Visnu, Maha Visnu, they are also parts and parcels. Visnu parts. Svamsa. Visnu, or the Supreme Lord, expands Himself in two ways. One way is Visnu expansion, and the other way is the jiva, these living entities expansion. We are also expansions of the Supreme Lord. Eko bahu syama. He alone, He has become so many. And why? What is the purpose of becoming so many? The purpose is anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). He wants to enjoy Himself with so many. So practically our creation is for enjoying in the company, in the association of the Supreme Lord. But we thought that it is better to become an imitation God and try to lord it over the material nature. That is not possible; therefore we are suffering.

eita kahilun sakty-avesa-avatara
balya-pauganda-dharmera sunaha vicara

Now the Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is analyzing the characteristics of God, Krsna. Now He has explained about His different incarnations. Now He says, about His ages, how the Lord is old. Lord never becomes old. Adyam purana purusam nava-yauvanam ca [Bs. 5.33]. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that, although He's the oldest personality, adyam, because He's the original person from whom everything has come out. Everything has generated. So we living entities, we are also sons and grandsons of that Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the Brahma-samhita says although He's the oldest person... In the Bhagavad-gita He is stated by Arjuna as great-grandfather. Prapitamahas ca. You'll find this word in the Bhagavad-gita. Because Brahma is addressed as pitamaha, grandfather. He's the original first creature in this material world, in this universe, and everyone has come from him. Therefore he is called pitamaha. Pitamaha means grandfather. And, because he's born also of Visnu, therefore Visnu is prapitamaha [Bg. 11.39].

So the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, is the oldest of all, but whenever you'll find, you'll find just like a young man. Adyam purana purusam nava-yauvanam ca [Bs. 5.33]. Nava-yauvanam means just a fresh youth. So that is being explained, explained by Lord Caitanya, the age of... This is another characteristics of God. Kisora-sekhara-dharmi vrajendra-nandana. Kisora-sekhara. Kisora. Kisora is... Kisora age is called from eleven years to sixteen years. These teen years, or, in English, what is called? Adolescent? Yes. This, this age... So Krsna represents Himself just like a boy from eleven to sixteen years old. Not more than that. Even in the Battle of Kuruksetra, when He was great-grandfather, still, His feature was just like a young boy.

kisora-sekhara-dharmi vrajendra-nandana
prakata-lila karibare yabe kare mana

Prakata-lila. Prakata-lila means... Prakata and aprakata. Just like the sun, at night, we cannot see. This is called aprakata. And when we can see, during daytime, that is called prakata. Sun is already there, in the sky, but at night, by certain arrangement of the planetary system, we cannot see. That is called aprakata. Similarly, Krsna is always there. So sometimes He is manifested within this material world; sometimes He is not manifested. So when He desires to manifest Himself in this material world, rather, when He descends, then He... Prakata-lila karibare yabe...

adau prakata karaya mata-pita-bhakta-gane
pache prakata haya janmadika-lila-krame

So before His coming, some of His devotees, they come first, just to become His father, become His mother, become His family members, like that. Because He does not do anything which is against the process of this world. A man is born out of his father and mother, so He has to take His birth from a father and mother. So these fathers and mothers were, are first sent. I think in the Bible they call messiahs, or what you have? Similarly, nobody can become the father and mother of God. But, when He manifests Himself in this material world, He shows that "He's My father." Just like Krsna accepted father, Vasudeva, Vasudeva as His father and Devaki as His mother. Or His foster-father, Nanda Maharaja, and His foster-mother, Yasoda. So they are all devotees. Krsna's friend, Krsna's father, Krsna's everyone, when He displays Himself, they are all devotees. He's the Supreme. Nobody can be father of Krsna.

vayaso vividhatve 'pi
sarva-bhakti-rasasrayah
dharmi kisora evatra
nitya-lila-vilasavan

Nitya-lila-vilasavan means eternally He's..., He's manifesting His pastimes. Just like Krsna, Krsna-lila, the manifestation of Krsna and His different pastimes in this material world. In the..., on this earth was manifested, that thing is going on, nitya-lila. As I have several times explained to you that the sun, sunrise and sunset, is going on every moment. Every moment. You inquire by, by communication you'll find in some country, there is always sunrise and some country there is always... Any country, you'll find. Similarly, krsna-lila, Krsna's pastimes, are going on in some of the universes, in any of... There are innumerable universes. In some of the universes He is there already.

putana-vadhadi yata lila ksane ksane
saba lila nitya prakata kare anukrame

From His childhood, just on the lap of His mother, He killed the demon Putana. Similarly, such pastimes are going on every moment. Every moment. That is called nitya-lila. In some of the universes... When the round (?) comes in this universe, it takes so many years. For millions and billions years. Just you can imagine how many millions and trillions of universes are there. Ananta brahmanda, tara nahika ganana. Ananta means innumerable universes are there. Nahika ganana: nobody can count.

ananta brahmanda, tara nahika ganana
kona lila kona brahmande haya prakatana

Some of His pastimes is going on in either of the innumerable brahmandas.

ei-mata saba lila-yena ganga-dhara
se-se lila prakata kare vrajendra-kumara

Just like the waves of the Ganges going on, nobody can count. Similarly, all the incarnations of different pastimes in different universes, that is going on.

krame balya-pauganda-kaisorata-prapti
rasa-adi lila kare, kaisore nitya-sthiti

So krsna-lila means beginning from His childhood, up to the age of sixteenth year, when He performed the rasa-lila, this is actual krsna-lila. And beyond that lila, when Krsna left Vrndavana and came to Dvaraka, that is not krsna-lila; that is Vasudeva lila, Krsna in His Vasudeva feature, that lila. It is stated that Krsna never goes out of Goloka Vrndavana. When He goes, He goes in His Vasudeva feature. Krsna expands Himself -- Vasudeva, Sankarsana. Therefore when this is described in the Vaisnava literature, a great literary novelist, Bankimacandra Chatterji, he misunderstood that Krsna of Vrndavana is different from the Krsna of Kuruksetra or Dvaraka. He has analyzed, Krsna-caritra, character of Krsna. But in everything, he has very much eulogized.

So we shall discuss tomorrow. Any questions? (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966

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