10 Avataras

[Guest guest]

Dear Raghu,

 

It does not matter total how many avatar of Lord is having. Does it matter

whether it is 9,10 or 15? When we call avatar we know that it is one

prominent appearance of lord within a particular period of time. There is a

parameter called “time” which is very uncertain and changeable with respect

to a body or physical existence. So when the parameter against which the

avatar is visible subject to change than the appearance of avatar is also

subject to change with respect to every physical being. For example the time

in this world is measured as a year against the number of days this earth

takes to rotate around the sun. If you take the time to measure one year

against moon than how many days the moon takes to rotate against the earth.

So the same time called year which we can measure against sun and we agree

that one year =365 days and against moon one year=28 days. So time is

changeable and it changes every moment and every second. The same place

where you born, the locality where you stayed and the same physical body

which you currently have all has been changed in every second, every hour,

every moment.

 

As we know the physical attribute of any body changes from time to time thus

the existence of living and non-living substance are subject to change. Only

what does not changes; is the basic principle of that is universal truth.

The universal truth is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. Except these

three attributes everything is changeable. The same sky that you see in the

morning, it appears different in the evening. The same sun that you see in

the morning looks different in the noon and even in the afternoon. So what

is not changing in this universe?

 

That which is not changing is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent.

Something, which is beyond one capacity where the mind can not reach, can

not break or can not found. That's why we search that thing every time and

every moment. Why this word beyond in one's dictionary? So there is

something that is beyond the parameter of time and not changing. Which is

incomprehensible and all pervading Brahman. Science can tell you today that

the universe is millions of light years width and somewhere is the end of

this universe. But the question is after the end of this universe what is

the next? What is the beginning? Does this word beyond again not come back?

Does the science will not say that "that is beyond universe". So that is

that. That is Brahman.

 

So similarly avatar is beyond universe, beyond visibility, beyond time. If

one can see the complete universe in a form of lord in human form who

appears in this earth than there is no beyond! That will be the end of that

beyond. But practically there is no end of beyond. Where is the end of one

beyond there is the beginning of another beyond. So that's why avatar after

avatar. Lord appears again and again. That is one universal Truth.

 

That's why lord told in the Geetha that I will incarnate myself when there

is complete disorder and depletion of virtue in this world. That is the

promise only God had made which is another truth like omnipresent,

omnipotent and omniscient. That is the universal truth. So the avatar of

lord is countless and whenever there the basic virtue and basic principle of

universe is destroyed, the god will appear with His full splendor.

 

So do not count how many avatar of lord has come and gone. Only count

whether you can see one avatar at present in the form of Sai or not! Only

count whether you are lucky enough to recognize and realize the basic truth

of this universe in the form of omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient in

this avatar of Sai! If you can not than ask the lord why He is not visible

to you when He is visible to other in His cosmic form? Why He don't show you

mercy when He can show to other? Why He is different to you than other? And

so on...

 

Hope this will help you to understand the avatar of Lord Vishnu.

 

With lots of loves,

 

Sairam,

 

Srimanta

 

 

>Raghunath

>Srimanta Kumar Jana <srimantajana

>RE: 10 Avataras

>Mon, 25 Apr 2005 04:55:39 -0700 (PDT)

>

>Dear Srimanta,

> Thanks for your response. I have some idols of 10

>avataras and in that both Krishna and BalaRama were

>shown seperately. I think that's wrong.

>

>Thanks,

>Raghu

>

>--- Srimanta Kumar Jana <srimantajana

>wrote:

> > Dear Raghu,

> >

> > BalaRama and Krsna is only one avatar. Just Like

> > Rama and Lakshma. What is

> > the need of 2 Avatar BalaRama and Krsna at same

> > time? But both are same atma

> > and one soul. Definitely Lord Buddha was 9th Avatar

> > that was known to us. It

> > was known from the scripture that Lakshmana become

> > elder brother in Krsna

> > Avatar and Rama became younger. Thats what I know.

> >

> > Thanks

> > Srimanta

> >

> > >Raghunath

> > >srimantajana

> > >10 Avataras

> > >Sat, 23 Apr 2005 17:13:43 -0700 (PDT)

> > >

> > >Dear Sri Srimantha,

> > > Is BalaRama included in 10 Avataras? Some say

> > >BalaRama is 9th Avatar and some say Budha is 9th

> > >Avatar. I'm really confused. Can you please enlight

> > >me?

> > >

> > >Thanks,

> > >Raghu

[Guest guest]

Dear Sai Devotees,

 

Can anybody update me in which scriptures lord Vishnu had mentioned that He

will have only 10 Avatars? As per Bhagavat Geeta is concerned the lord said

that which ever is srestha (supreme) He is that. In elephant He is

Airavatha, in Demon He is Kubera, In Devas He is Indra etc.. So His

incarnation is countless. Moreover He has promised that He will incarnate

Himself when the Dharma (right conduct and rightwardness) is in danger to

protect it. Lord also mentioned that He will not be mere witness but He will

established Dharma Killing all the evils. So Lord Vishnu is not one witness

but He is authority and power to establish Dharma (right conduct) for human.

 

As my knowledge in Hindu scripture is limited and I never read any Vedas or

puranas, so I will be happy that if anybody can point me to the right

literatures where I can find that Lord Vishnu had mentioned only 10 avatars

and after that whatever evil comes on this earth He will never incarnate.

The truth is that those 10 avatars are prominent among many avatar of Vishnu

in that planet of earth. And as per lord Vishnu is concerned He never bound

Himself within the limit of time so there is no mentioned of time when and

where He will incarnate Himself. These are a great mistakes perhaps for long

time that Lord will only incarnate with a particular time and in particular

location. The measurement of time itself is one relative and that's why lord

said He will incarnate whenever there is Adharma ( no right conduct) and

human has forgotten right conduct and right behavior. To my knowledge this

is the absolute truth from lord and by His authority.

 

Regards,

 

Srimanta

[Guest guest]

dear sister or brother I found this pages of the srimad bhagavata purana in the

vahini.org , is the second canto and speaks about the Incarnations with

Specific Functions

 

Source texts:

Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions

 

Text 1:

The Creator said: 'When the Lord attempted to lift the earth out of the great

ocean [ - the Garbodhaka], He assumed for His pastimes the form of the sum

total of all sacrifices as the Unlimited One within the universe, being faced

with the the first demon [called Hyranyâksa, the demon of gold Varâha] who was

defeated by Him with His tusk [Him considered as the boar-avatâra] as if He was

a thunderbolt piercing a pack of clouds.

Lord Brahmâ said: When the unlimitedly powerful Lord assumed the form of a boar

as a pastime, just to lift the planet earth, which was drowned in the great

ocean of the universe called the Garbhodaka, the first demon [Hiranyâksha]

appeared, and the Lord pierced him with His tusk.

Text 2:

>From Âkûti [good intention] , the wife of the Prajâpati, Suyajna [appropriate

sacrifice] was born who with his wife Dakshinâ [the reward] gave birth to the

godly headed by Suyama [proper regulation] by which He greatly diminished the

distress in the three worlds and because of which the father of mankind called

Svâyambhuva Manu was named Hari [the Lord].

The Prajâpati first begot Suyajn'a, in the womb of his wife Âkûti, and then

Suyajn'a begot demigods, headed by Suyama, in the womb of his wife Daksina.

Suyajn'a, as the Indradeva, diminished very great miseries in the three

planetary systems [upper, lower and intermediate], and because he so diminished

the miseries of the universe, he was later called Hari by the great father of

mankind, namely Svâyambhuva Manu.

Text 3:

Next He took birth in the house of the twice born Kardama ['the shadow of the

Creator'], from the womb of Devahûti ['the invocation of the Gods'] accompanied

by nine women. In teaching His mother as Lord Kapila ['the analytic one'] in

spiritual realization, she in that life was freed from the soul-covering

material modes and achieved liberation.

The Lord then appeared as the Kapila incarnation, being the son of the prajâpati

brâhmana Kardama and his wife, Devahûti, along with nine other women [sisters].

He spoke to His mother about self-realization, by which, in that very lifetime,

she became fully cleansed of the mud of the material modes and thereby achieved

liberation, the path of Kapila.

Text 4:

The sage Atri praying for offspring, I, satisfied by his surrender, promised the

Supreme Lord to be born as Datta [Dattâtreya, the given one] of whom the dust of

His lotusfeet purified the body of mysticism bringing wealth to the spiritual

and material worlds of Yadu [the founder of the dynasty], Haihaya [a

descendant] and others.

The great sage Atri prayed for offspring, and the Lord, being satisfied with

him, promised to incarnate as Atri's son, Dattâtreya [Datta, the son of Atri].

And by the grace of the lotus feet of the Lord, many Yadus, Haihayas, etc.,

became so purified that they obtained both material and spiritual blessings.

Text 5:

Because of my first having lived austere in penance for the sake of the creation

of the different worlds the Lord appeared as the four Sana's [the four celibate

son's called Sanat-Kumâra, Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanâtana]. In the epoch

before, the spiritual truth was devastated in the inundation of the world, but

it became completely manifest with these sages who had a clear vision of the

soul.

To create different planetary systems I had to undergo austerities and penance,

and the Lord, thus being pleased with me, incarnated in four sanas [sanaka,

Sanat-kumâra, Sanandana and Sanâtana]. In the previous creation the spiritual

truth was devastated, but the four sanas explained it so nicely that the truth

at once became clearly perceived by the sages.

Text 6:

>From Mûrti [the idol], the wife of Dharma [righteousness] and the daughter of

Daksha [the able one, a prajâpati], He took the form of Nara-Nârâyana [man, the

course of man]. Thus [in that descent] by seeing the strength of [the beauties

originating of] His personal penances the Supreme Lord never would see His vows

broken by the celestial beauties that came to Him with Cupid [the god of love].

To exhibit His personal way of austerity and penance, He appeared in twin forms

as Nârâyana and Nara in the womb of Mûrti, the wife of Dharma and the daughter

of Daksha. Celestial beauties, the companions of Cupid, went to try to break

His vows, but they were unsuccessful, for they saw that many beauties like them

were emanating from Him, the Personality of Godhead.

Text 7:

Great stalwarts [like Lord S'iva] can overcome their being overwhelmed by lust

by means of their wrathful vision, but they cannot overcome their own

intolerance. To that however with having Him within the lust is afraid to

enter. How can it factually recur to the attention with His mind?

Great stalwarts like Lord S'iva can, by their wrathful glances, overcome lust

and vanquish him, yet they cannot be free from the overwhelming effects of

their own wrath. Such wrath can never enter into the heart of Him [the Lord],

who is above all this. So how can lust take shelter in His mind?

Text 8:

Incited by the sharp words uttered by a co-wife, even in the presence of the

king, [He as] a boy took to severe penances in a great forest and therewith set

the goal of the attainment of Dhruva [the immovable] with being prayed for to

the satisfaction of the denizens of heaven as do the great sages ever since

ascending and descending from that position [see also fourth Canto].

Being insulted by sharp words spoken by the co-wife of the king, even in his

presence, Prince Dhruva, though only a boy, took to severe penances in the

forest. And the Lord, being satisfied by his prayer, awarded him the Dhruva

planet, which is worshiped by great sages, both upward and downward.

 

Text 9:

When the twice born cursed King Vena [the anxious], going astray from the path

of religion, it burnt him like a thunderbolt and all his great deeds and

opulence went to hell. Being prayed for He delivered him coming to the earth as

his son [named Prithu, the great one] as well achieving that the earth could be

exploited to give all kinds of crops.

Mahârâja Vena went astray from the path of righteousness, and the brâhmanas

chastised him by the thunderbolt curse. By this King Vena was burnt with his

good deeds and opulence and was en route to hell. The Lord, by His causeless

mercy, descended as his son, by the name of Prithu, delivered the condemned

King Vena from hell, and exploited the earth by drawing all kinds of crops as

produce.

Text 10:

As the son of King Nâbhi [the pivot] He was born as Rishabha [the best one] from

Sudevi to go for the certainty of being equibalanced in the matter of yoga which

is accepted by the learned sages as the highest stage of perfection, in which

one does accept the selfreposed in suspension of the activities of the senses,

being perfectly liberated from material influences.

The Lord appeared as the son of Sudevi, the wife of King Nâbhi, and was known as

Rishabhadeva. He performed materialistic yoga to equibalance the mind. This

stage is also accepted as the highest perfectional situation of liberation,

wherein one is situated in one's self and is completely satisfied.

Text 11

In a sacrifice of mine the Supreme Lord appeared with a horse-like head [called

Hayagrîva] and thus He is seen as the personality of sacrifices with a golden

hue from whose breathing through His nostrils the sounds of the vedic hymns,

personal sacrifices and all that concerns the [super-]soul of the godly can be

heard.

The Lord appeared as the Hayagrîva incarnation in a sacrifice performed by me

[brahmâ]. He is the personified sacrifices, and the hue of His body is golden.

He is the personified Vedas as well, and the Supersoul of all demigods. When He

breathed, all the sweet sounds of the Vedic hymns came out of His nostrils.

Text 12

He who became the Manu [called Satyavrata, the truth abiding] at the end of the

epoch saw that Lord Matsya [the fish] is the shelter of all living beings up to

the earthly ones because of which out of a great fear for the waters, having

taken to my mouth, therefrom certainly all the Veda's could be enjoyed.

At the end of the millennium, the would-be Vaivasvata Manu, of the name

Satyavrata, would see that the Lord in the fish incarnation is the shelter of

all kinds of living entities, up to those in the earthly planets. Because of my

fear of the vast water at the end of the millennium, the Vedas come out of my

[brahmâ's] mouth, and the Lord enjoys those vast waters and protects the Vedas.

 

Text 13:

In the ocean of milk [knowledge] when the leaders of the immortals and their

opponents where churning the mountain [called Mandara, big] for gaining the

nectar the primeval Lord supported half asleep as a tortoise [called Kurma] it

scratching and itching His back.

The primeval Lord then assumed the tortoise incarnation in order to serve as a

resting place [pivot] for the Mandara Mountain, which was acting as a churning

rod. The demigods and demons were churning the ocean of milk with the Mandara

Mountain in order to extract nectar. The mountain moved back and forth,

scratching the back of Lord Tortoise, who, while partially sleeping, was

experiencing an itching sensation.

Text 14:

As Nrisimha [the lion] He appeared as the one that takes away the fear of the

god-conscious in rolling His eyebrows and showing the terrifying teeth of His

mouth, immediately piercing on His lap with His nails the fallen king of the

demons [Hiranyakas'ipu] who challenged Him with a club in his hands.

The Personality of Godhead assumed the incarnation of Nrisimhadeva in order to

vanquish the great fears of the demigods. He killed the king of the demons

[Hiranyakas'ipu], who challenged the Lord with a club in his hand, by placing

the demon on His thighs and piercing him with His nails, rolling His eyebrows

in anger and showing His fearful teeth and mouth.

Text 15:

The leader of the elephants who within the river at his leg was taken by an

exceptionally strong crocodile, holding a lotus in great distress addressed

[Him] like this:' You are the Original Personality and Lord of the Universe and

as famous as a place of pilgrimage all good ensues just hearing of Your name so

worthy to chant.'

The leader of the elephants, whose leg was attacked in a river by a crocodile of

superior strength, was much aggrieved. Taking a lotus flower in his trunk, he

addressed the Lord, saying, "O original enjoyer, Lord of the universe! O

deliverer, as famous as a place of pilgrimage! All are purified simply by

hearing Your holy name, which is worthy to be chanted."

Text 16:

The Lord who heard him in his need, as the unlimited powerful one seated on the

king of the birds [Garuda], cut the beak of the crocodile in two with His

cakra-weapon and delivered him in His causeless mercy by pulling him out by his

trunk.

The Personality of Godhead, after hearing the elephant's plea, felt that the

elephant needed His immediate help, for he was in great distress. Thus at once

the Lord appeared there on the wings of the king of birds, Garuda, fully

equipped with His weapon, the wheel [cakra]. With the wheel He cut to pieces

the mouth of the crocodile to save the elephant, and He delivered the elephant

by lifting him by his trunk.

Text 17:

Although by His transcendental qualities the greatest He [as the youngest] of

all the sons of Aditi [the infinite one] surpassed in this universe all the

worlds [as Vâmana] and was therefore called the Lord of Sacrifice: pretending

[to need] only three steps of land he took thus begging all the lands [of Bali

Mahârâja] without ever offending the authorities he is never bereft of.

The Lord, although transcendental to all material modes, still surpassed all the

qualities of the sons of Aditi, known as the Âdityas. The Lord appeared as the

youngest son of Aditi. And because He surpassed all the planets of the

universe, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On the pretense of asking

for a measurement of three footsteps of land, He took away all the lands of

Bali Mahârâja. He asked simply because without begging, no authority can take

one's rightful possession.

Text 18:

O Nârada, by virtue of the strength of the water that washed from the feet of

the Lord, he [bali Mahârâja], who kept it on his head and who had the supremacy

over the kingdom of the godly, never tried for anything else but to keep - even

at the cost of his own body- to his promise, as he was dedicated to the Lord

within his own mind.

Bali Mahârâja, who put on his head the water washed from the lotus feet of the

Lord, did not think of anything besides his promise, in spite of being

forbidden by his spiritual master. The king dedicated his own personal body to

fulfill the measurement of the Lord's third step. For such a personality, even

the kingdom of heaven, which he conquered by his strength, was of no value.

Text 19:

Unto you, Nârada, the Supreme Lord satisfied by the developing of your goodness

through your transcendental love, nicely in all detail described the light of

the knowledge of yoga and the science of relating to the soul which all

surrendered to Vâsudeva so perfectly know to appreciate.

O Nârada, you were taught about the science of God and His transcendental loving

service by the Personality of Godhead in His incarnation of Hamsavatara. He was

very much pleased with you, due to your intense proportion of devotional

service. He also explained unto you, lucidly, the full science of devotional

service, which is especially understandable by persons who are souls

surrendered unto Lord Vasudeva, the Personality of Godhead.

 

Text 20:

By His cakra and undeterred in all circumstances ['ten sides'] He in the

different incarnations as the Manu-successor in the Manu-dynasty ruled over de

miscreants and kings of that type subduing by the marks of His personal glories

from the world of truth the three systems [see loka] thus establishing His fame.

As the incarnation of Manu, the Lord became the descendant of the Manu dynasty

and ruled over the miscreant kingly order, subduing them by His powerful wheel

weapon. Undeterred in all circumstances, His rule was characterized by His

glorious fame, which spread over the three lokas, and above them to the

planetary system of Satyaloka, the topmost in the universe.

Text 21:

With the name of Dhanvantari ['moving in a curve'] the Supreme Lord as fame

personified descended in the universe directing the knowledge for obtaining a

long life by bringing the nectar from the [Kurma-churning] sacrifice that

quickly cures the diseases of all living entities.

The Lord in His incarnation of Dhanvantari very quickly cures the diseases of

the ever-diseased living entities simply by his fame personified, and only

because of him do the demigods achieve long lives. Thus the Personality of

Godhead becomes ever glorified. He also exacted a share from the sacrifices,

and it is he only who inaugurated the medical science or the knowledge of

medicine in the universe.

Text 22:

With the purpose of diminishing the increasing dominance of the ruling class the

great soul [as Lord Paras'urâma] as the ultimate spiritual truth abated all

those thorns of the world who strayed from the path and opted for a hellish

life, awfully powerful operating thrice seven times by His transcendental

hatchet.

When the ruling administrators, who are known as the kshatriyas, turned astray

from the path of the Absolute Truth, being desirous to suffer in hell, the

Lord, in His incarnation as the sage Paras'urâma, uprooted those unwanted

kings, who appeared as the thorns of the earth. Thus He thrice seven times

uprooted the kshatriyas with His keenly sharpened chopper.

Text 23:

By dint of His causeless all-embracing mercy, the Lord of all time [as Râma]

descended in the family of Ikshvâku [the dynasty of the solar order] where on

the command of his father [Das'aratha] he took to the forest with His wife

[sîtâ] and brother [Laksman] on the opposition of the ten-headed one [the

demoniac ruler Râvana] that had caused great distress.

Due to His causeless mercy upon all living entities within the universe, the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His plenary extensions, appeared in

the family of Mahârâja Ikshvâku as the Lord of His internal potency, Sîtâ.

Under the order of His father, Mahârâja Das'aratha, He entered the forest and

lived there for considerable years with His wife and younger brother. Râvana,

who was very materially powerful, with ten heads on his shoulders, committed a

great offense against Him and was thus ultimately vanquished.

Text 24:

Unto Him the fearful Indian ocean, that saw its aquatics [sharks, seasnakes and

such] burnt, quickly gave way when from a distance He, angered as he was about

his aggrieved intimate friend [the kidnapped Sîtâ], meditated the city of the

enemy [on the island of Lankâ] with red-hot eyes like Hara did [who wanted to

burn the heavenly kingdom by his fiery looks] in desiring to burn it down.

The Personality of Godhead Râmacandra, being aggrieved for His distant intimate

friend [sîtâ], glanced over the city of the enemy Râvana with red-hot eyes like

those of Hara [who wanted to burn the kingdom of heaven]. The great ocean,

trembling in fear, gave Him His way because its family members, the aquatics

like the sharks, snakes and crocodiles, were being burnt by the heat of the

angry red-hot eyes of the Lord.

Text 25:

When the trunk of the elephant carrying Indra broke on the chest of Râvana he

was proudly overtaken by laughter strolling amidst the armies when it illumined

all directions, but within no time the kidnapper was killed by the tingling of

the bow [of Râma].

When Râvana was engaged in the battle, the trunk of the elephant which carried

the King of heaven, Indra, broke in pieces, having collided with the chest of

Râvana, and the scattered broken parts illuminated all directions. Râvana

therefore felt proud of his prowess and began to loiter in the midst of the

fighting soldiers, thinking himself the conqueror of all directions. But his

laughter, overtaken by joy, along with his very air of life, suddenly ceased

with the tingling sound of the bow of Râmacandra, the Personality of Godhead.

Text 26:

When the entire world is in misery from the burden of the soldiers of

disbelievers, He, with His plenary expansion, His beauty and His black hair,

whose glorious activities are so difficult to see by the people in general, is

bound to appear for the sake of the decimation of those atheists.

When the world is overburdened by the fighting strength of kings who have no

faith in God, the Lord, just to diminish the distress of the world, descends

with His plenary portion. The Lord comes in His original form, with beautiful

black hair. And just to expand His transcendental glories, He acts

extraordinarily. No one can properly estimatehow great He is.

Text 27:

Who possibly else than He as a child could kill a living being that assumed the

form of a giant demoness [Pûtanâ] or only being three months old with His leg

turn over a cart and also uproot two high rising Arjuna trees?

There is no doubt about Lord Krishna's being the Supreme Lord, otherwise how was

it possible for Him to kill a giant demon like Pûtanâ when He was just on the

lap of His mother, to overturn a cart with His leg when He was only three

months old, to uproot a pair of arjuna trees, so high that they touched the

sky, when He was only crawling? All these activities are impossible for anyone

other than the Lord Himself.

Text 28:

At Vrindâvana [where Krishna grew up] by His merciful glance He brought back to

life the cowherd boys and their animals who drank of the poisoned water [of the

Yamunâ]. In order to purify [the water] from the excess of the highly potent

poison he went into the river and took pleasure in punishing the snake severely

that was lurking there with its venomous tongue.

Then also when the cowherd boys and their animals drank the poisoned water of

the River Yamunâ, and after the Lord [in His childhood] revived them by His

merciful glance, just to purify the water of the River Yamuna He jumped into it

as if playing and chastised the venomous Kâliya snake, which was lurking there,

its tongue emitting wavesof poison. Who can perform such herculean tasks but

the Supreme Lord?

Text 29:

He by His superhuman activity saved all the inhabitants of Vraja [the

cowherd-village], that were sleeping that night carefreely, from being burnt by

the fire that was ablaze in the dry forest. Thus to them [later on, also those

cowherdboys] who were sure to see the last of their days, He together with

Balarâma proved His unfathomable prowess [delivering them the same way from

another fire in the forest ] by simply having them closing their eyes.

On the very night of the day of the chastisement of the Kâliya snake, when the

inhabitants of Vrajabhûmi were sleeping carefreely, there was a forest fire

ablaze due to dry leaves, and it appeared that all the inhabitants were sure to

meet their death. But the Lord, along with Balarâma, saved them simply by

closing His eyes. Such are the superhuman activities of the Lord.

Text 30:

Whatever rope His [foster] mother [Yas'odâ] tried to take to bind her son, time

and again proved to be too short and that which she saw when He opened His

mouth to the doubting cowherd woman were all the worlds, which convinced her

thus in another way.

When the cowherd woman [Krishna's foster mother, Yas'odâ] was trying to tie the

hands of her son with ropes, she found the rope to be always insufficient in

length, and when she finally gave up, Lord Krishna, by and by, opened His

mouth, wherein the mother found all the universes situated. Seeing this, she

was doubtful in her mind, but she was convinced in a different manner of the

mystic nature of her son.

 

Text 31:

Nanda Mahârâja His [fostering] father whom He also saved from the fear for

Varuna [the demigod of the waters] and the cowherd men who were held captive in

the caves by the son of Maya [a demon] and also the ones [in Vrindâvana] working

during the day and sleeping during the night of their hard labor, He surely

awarded the highest world of the spiritual sky.

Lord Krishna saved His foster father, Nanda Mahârâja, from the fear of the

demigod Varuna and released the cowherd boys from the caves of the mountain,

for they were placed there by the son of Maya. Also, to the inhabitants of

Vrindâvana, who were busy working during daytime and sleeping soundly at night

because of their hard labor in the day, Lord Krishna awarded promotion to the

highest planet in the spiritual sky. All these acts are transcendental and

certainly prove without any doubt His Godhood.

Text 32:

When the cowherd men were being stopped in their sacrifices by the king of

heaven who caused the downpour of heavy rains, He, desiring to protect the

animals in his causeless mercy, being only seven years of age, held up

Govardhana Hill for seven days in a row, just like an umbrella playfully with

one hand only without getting tired.

When the cowherd men of Vrindâvana, under instruction of Krishna, stopped

offering sacrifice to the heavenly King, Indra, the whole tract of land known

as Vraja was threatened with being washed away by constant heavy rains for

seven days. Lord Krishna, out of His causeless mercy upon the inhabitants of

Vraja, held up the hill known as Govardhana with one hand only, although He was

only seven years old. He did this to protect the animals from the onslaught of

water.

Text 33:

When in His nightly pastimes in the forest desiring to dance in the silver light

of the moon with sweet songs and melodious music He awakened the amorous desires

of the wives of Vrajabhûmi [the region of Vrindâvana], He decapitated their

kidnapper [a demon known as S'ankhacûda] who was in pursuit of the riches of

Kuvera [the heavenly treasurer].

When the Lord was engaged in His pastimes of the rasa dance in the forest of

Vrindâvana, enlivening the sexual desires of the wives of the inhabitants of

Vrindâvana by sweet and melodious songs, a demon of the name S'ankhacûda, a

rich follower of the treasurer of heaven [Kuvera], kidnapped the damsels, and

the Lord severed his head from his trunk.

Text 34-35:

All who were like that like Pralamba, Dhenuka, Baka, Kes'î, Arishtha, Cânûra and

Mushthika [wrestling for Kamsa], Kuvalayâpîda [the elephant], Kamsa [the

demoniac uncle], many foreign kings [like those of Persia], the ape Dvivida,

Paundraka and others, as well as kings like S'âlva, Narakâsura, Balvala,

Dantavakra, Saptoksha, Sambara, Vidûratha and Rukmî and all powerful and well

equipped as Kâmboja, Matsya, Kuru [the sons of Dhritarâshthra], Srin'jaya, and

Kekaya, found their dissociation or would attain to His heavenly abode through

either Himself or with His other names like Baladeva [Krishna's brother] Arjuna

or Bhîma.

All demonic personalities like Pralamba, Dhenuka, Baka, Kes'i, Arishtha, Cânûra,

Mushthika, Kuvalayâpîda elephant, Kamsa, Yavana, Narakâsura and Paundraka, great

marshals like S'âlva, Dvivida monkey and Balvala, Dantavakra, the seven bulls,

S'ambara, Vidûratha and Rukmî, as also great warriors like Kâmboja, Matsya,

Kuru, Srin'jaya and Kekaya, would all fight vigorously, either with the Lord

Hari directly or with Him under His names of Baladeva, Arjuna, Bhîma, etc. And

the demons, thus being killed, would attain either the impersonal brahmajyoti

or His personal abode in the Vaikunthha planets.

Text 36:

Born from Satyavatî He [as Vyâsadeva], in due course of time seeing the

difficulties of the less intelligent and short-lived of mankind at large with

His appearance in the exact complex vedic literature compiled, [would and] will

for certain divide the desire tree of the Veda's into its branches according the

circumstances of the age.

The Lord Himself in His incarnation as the son of Satyavatî [Vyâsadeva] will

consider his compilation of the Vedic literature to be very difficult for the

less intelligent persons with short life, and thus He will divide the tree of

Vedic knowledge into different branches, according to the circumstances of the

particular age.

Text 37:

To those well situated on the path of the Veda's envious with the divine who

unseen roam the worlds by inventions of Maya [a demon] and who are destructive

of the bewildered mind, He dresses Himself attractively [as the Buddha]

speaking mainly of moral guidelines.

When the atheists, after being well versed in the Vedic scientific knowledge,

annihilate inhabitants of different planets, flying unseen in the sky on

well-built rockets prepared by the great scientist Maya, the Lord will bewilder

their minds by dressing Himself attractively as Buddha and will preach on

subreligious principles.

Text 38:

When with even the civilized gentlemen there is no mention of the Lord and the

twice-born [the higher classes] and government itself never take to the hymns,

paraphernalia, altars and words wherever, then at the end of the Age of Dissent

the Supreme Lord, the chastiser will appear.

Thereafter, at the end of Kali-yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject

of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen of

the three higher castes, and when the power of government is transferred to the

hands of ministers elected from the lowborn sudra class or those less than

them, and when nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word,

at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser.

Text 39:

I of penance [as Brahmâ] from the beginning with the generating [nine] sages

[Prajapatis], certainly [in the middle] maintained the duties of sacrifice [as

Vishnu] with Manu, the godly and the different rulers, but in the end with the

forsaking of the principles it is S'iva to the atheists subjected to anger. All

of them are the potent representatives of the One of Supreme Power.

At the beginning of creation there are penance, myself [brahmâ], and the

Prajâpatis, the great sages who generate; then, during the maintenance of the

creation, there are Lord Vishnu, the demigods with controlling powers, and the

kings of different planets. But at the end there is irreligion, and then Lord

S'iva and the atheists full of anger, etc. All of them are different

representative manifestations of the energy of the supreme power, the Lord.

Text 40:

Who can fully describe the prowess of Lord Vishnu? Not even the scientist that

might have counted the atoms. All were greatly moved by Him who by His own leg

could cover the universe [as Trivikrama] up to the topmost world beyond the

operating modes.

Who can describe completely the prowess of Vishnu? Even the scientist, who might

have counted the particles of the atoms of the universe, cannot do so. Because

it is He only who in His form of Trivikrama moved His leg effortlessly beyond

the topmost planet, Satyaloka, up to the neutral state of the three modes of

material nature. And all were moved.

Text 41:

Never do I, nor all the sages born before you, know the end of the Omnipotent

Original Person. Then what to say of others born after us who even to the

present day by singing the qualities with the thousand faces of Ananta S'esha

[the 'snakebed' of Vishnu ] of the primordial God, cannot achieve to His limit?

Neither I nor all the sages born before you know fully the omnipotent

Personality of Godhead. So what can others, who are born after us, know about

Him? Even the first incarnation of the Lord, namely S'esha, has not been able

to reach the limit of such knowledge, although He is describing the qualities

of the Lord with ten hundred faces.

Text 42:

He, the Supreme Lord, will only bestow the mercy of His Unlimited Potential upon

those who by all means without any reservation and pretension are as the souls

that surrendered to His feet who passed the insurmountable ocean of His

material energies and not upon those who hold on to the I and mine of the body

that is known [in the end] to be eaten by dogs and jackals.

But anyone who is specifically favored by the Supreme Lord, the Personality of

Godhead, due to unalloyed surrender unto the service of the Lord, can overcome

the insurmountable ocean of illusion and can understand the Lord. But those who

are attached to this body, which is meant to be eaten at the end by dogs and

jackals, cannot do so.

Text 43-45:

O Nârada, know me and yourself to be of the Supreme over the deluding material

potency as also are the great Lord S'iva, Prahlâda Mahârâja who came from the

atheist family, S'atarûpâ, the wife of Manu and Svâyambhuva Manu himself with

his children, Prâcînabarhi, Ribhu, Anga [the father of Vena], and like Dhruva,

Ikshvâku, Aila, Mucukunda, Janaka, Gâdhi, Raghu, Ambarîsha, Sagara, Gaya,

Nâhusha, etc. as also others like Mândhâtâ, Alarka, S'atadhanve, Anu,

Rantideva, Bhîshma, Bali, Amûrttaraya, Dilîpa, Saubhari, Utanka, S'ibi, Devala,

Pippalâda, Sârasvata, Uddhava, Parâs'ara, Bhûrishena, and first ones as

Vibhîshana, Hanumân, S'ukadeva Gosvâmî, Arjuna, Ârshthishena, Vidura and

S'rutadeva.

O Nârada, although the potencies of the Lord are unknowable and immeasurable,

still, because we are all surrendered souls, we know how He acts through

yogamâyâ potencies. And, similarly, the potencies of the Lord are also known to

the all-powerful S'iva, the great king of the atheist family, namely Prahlâda

Mahârâja, Svâyambhuva Manu, his wife S'atarûpâ, his sons and daughters like

Priyavrata, Uttânapâda, Âkûti, Devahûti and Prasûti, Prâcînabarhi, Ribhu, Anga

the father of Vena, Mahârâja Dhruva, Ikshvâku, Aila, Mucukunda, Mahârâja

Janaka, Gâdhi, Raghu, Ambarîsha, Sagara, Gaya, Nâhusha, Mândhâtâ, Alarka,

S'atadhanve, Anu, Rantideva, Bhîshma, Bali, Amûrttaraya, Dilîpa, Saubhari,

Utanka, S'ibi, Devala, Pippalâda, Sârasvata, Uddhava, Parâs'ara, Bhûrishena,

Vibhîshana, Hanumân, S'ukadeva Gosvâmî, Arjuna, Ârshthishena, Vidura,

S'rutadeva, etc.

Text 46:

Undoubtedly do also those persons manage to surpass the illusion of the divine

energy and to arrive at knowledge who are women, laborers, barbarians and

outcasts do despite of [formerly] being sinful souls - provided they live up to

the instructions of admirable devotees. When even those who [were] not of the

human do, then what to say about those who devotedly listened [from the

beginning]?

Surrendered souls, even from groups leading sinful lives, such as women, the

laborer class, the mountaineers and the Siberians, or even the birds and

beasts, can also know about the science of Godhead and become liberated from

the clutches of the illusory energy by surrendering unto the pure devotees of

the Lord and by following in their footsteps in devotional service.

Text 47:

Being eternal and unperturbed, free from fear and uncontaminated in the opposing

consciousness without preferences in the reality of the Supersoul over the true

and untrue, one is [having surpassed] unconcerned about the fruits of action in

sacrifices and sees the illusion flying away that is full of shame [see also

B.G. 2: 52]. For certain that is the ultimate phase of the Supreme Lord

[bhagavân] who is the Spirit of Transcendence of the person which is thus known

as being of unlimited happiness without grief.

What is realized as the Absolute Brahman is full of unlimited bliss without

grief. That is certainly the ultimate phase of the supreme enjoyer, the

Personality of Godhead. He is eternally void of all disturbances and fearless.

He is complete consciousness as opposed to matter. Uncontaminated and without

distinctions, He is the principle primeval cause of all causes and effects, in

whom there is no sacrifice for fruitive activities and in whom the illusory

energy does not stand.

 

Text 48:

In that state of hearing are the diverse practices of seeking the truth of the

mystics in their process of spiritual culture then given up just the way Indra

[god of the rains] doesn't worry to dig a well [to have water].

In such a transcendental state there is no need of artificial control of the

mind, mental speculation or meditation, as performed by the jn'ânîs and yogîs.

One gives up such processes, as the heavenly King, Indra, forgoes the trouble

to dig a well.

 

Text 49:

He, all auspicious is also the master, the Supreme Lord, because to the natural

living being its own nature all doing good is rewarded the ultimate success to

which, after the body with its constituent elements is being vanquished and

given up, one like the sky, being unborn as a person will never be vanquished.

The Personality of Godhead is the supreme master of everything auspicious

because the results of whatever actions are performed by the living being, in

either the material or spiritual existence, are awarded by the Lord. As such,

He is the ultimate benefactor. Every individual living entity is unborn, and

therefore even after the annihilation of the material elementary body, the

living entity exists, exactly like the air within the body.

 

Text 50:

My dear, like this I explained in brief to you about the Supreme Lord as the

creator of the known worlds, without whom nothing else of whatever that may

exist in the phenomenal and noumenal can be of any causation.

My dear son, I have now explained in brief the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

who is creator of the manifested worlds. Without Him, Hari, the Lord, there are

no other causes of the phenomenal and noumenal existences.

 

Text 51:

This story of the Fortunate One called S'rîmad Bhâgavatam, was given to me

through the enlightenment of pure devotion and constitutes the accumulation of

His diverse potencies. Now you from your good self must expound on this science

of Godhead yourself.

O Nârada, this science of God, S'rîmad-Bhâgavatam, was spoken to me in summary

by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it was spoken as the accumulation of

His diverse potencies. Please expand this science yourself.

 

Text 52:

Therefore describe with determination, for the cause of enlightening mankind,

this science of devotion [bhakti] for the Supreme Personality, the summum bonum

and Absolute of all Souls.

Please describe the science of Godhead with determination and in a manner by

which it will be quite possible for the human being to develop transcendental

devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead Hari, the Supersoul of every

living being and the summum bonum source of all energies.

 

Text 53:

With the description of the external affairs of Him, the Lord, in regular

devoted appreciation and attendance, the living entity will never become

illusioned by the external energy.

The Lord's activities in association with His different energies should be

described, appreciated and heard in accordance with the teachings of the

Supreme Lord. If this is done regularly with devotion and respect, one is sure

to get out of the illusory energy of the Lord.

 

 

For this original translation a one-volume printed copyhas been used with an

extensive commentary.ISBN: o-91277-27-7See the S'rîmad Bhâgavatam links-pagefor

this and more books of Prabhupâda.Production: Filognostic Association of The

Order of Time

Srimanta Kumar Jana <srimantajana (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Dear Sai Devotees,Can anybody update me in which scriptures lord Vishnu had

mentioned that He will have only 10 Avatars? ..........