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amsha-bhaagena: Is Krishna an expansion?

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shrii kR^iShNa janmaaShTami ki jaya!

 

I had some doubts about some verses I was reading from 10th Canto

regarding the transcendental appearance of Lord Krishna. It concerns

Krishna as svayam bhagavaan and His other forms as amshas (plenary

expansions of Himself). Admittedly, this is somewhat of an esoteric

subject matter, but since we devotees preach it so publicly, it is

only reasonable that we know the basis for it in case someone objects.

 

If memory serves, some of these verses from 10th Canto are used by

Srila Jiva Gosvami in Shri Krishna Sandarbha to support the idea that

Krishna is svayam bhagavaan. But reading the Sanskrit, I wasn't so

sure that their meaning as we understood them was so obvious. Here

are the relevant verses.

 

athaahama.mshabhaagena devakyaaH putrataa.m shubhe |

praapsyaami tva.m yashodaayaa.m nandapatnyaa.m bhaviShyasi || bhaa

10.2.9 ||

 

O all-auspicious Yogamaayaa, I shall then appear with My full six

opulences as the son of Devakii, and you will appear as the daughter

of mother Yashodaa, the queen of Mahaaraaja Nanda. (bhaagavata

puraaNa 10.2.9)

 

bhagavaanapi vishvaatmaa bhaktaanaamabhaya.nkaraH |

aaviveshaa.mshabhaagena mana aanakadundubheH || bhaa 10.2.16 ||

 

Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul of all

living entities and who vanquishes all the fear of His devotees,

entered the mind of Vasudeva in full opulence. (bhaagavata puraana

10.2.16)

 

tato jaganma.ngalamachyutaa.msha.m samaahita.m shuurasenena devii |

dadhaara sarvaatmakamaatmabhuuta.m kaaShTaa yathaanandakara.m

manastaH || bhaa 10.2.18 ||

 

Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent

Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire

universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of

Devakii. Devakii, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became

beautiful by carrying Lord Krishna, the original consciousness for

everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just

as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon.

(bhaagavata puraaNa 10.2.18)

 

1) First question: Is it commonly understood by all traditions that

the Bhagavaan who entered the mind of Vasudeva and later got

transferred to Devakii is Krishna (as opposed to Vishnu who entered

Devakii's womb and only later became Krishna at her request)? Much of

the Gaudiiya interpretation appears to rest on the premise that this

Bhagavaan is Krishna, but in the Sanskrit verses I didn't think this

was obvious.

 

2) The words "amsha-bhaagena" is used twice in this chapter, which

Srila Prabhupada translates as "by My plenary expansion" (10.2.9)

or "with all His potential opulences" (SB 10.2.16). Correct me if I

am wrong, but "amsha-bhaagena" appears to be singular instrumental

case meaning expansion (of the Lord). In the first occurrence (SB

10.2.9), Srila Prabhupada gives the synonym for "amsha-bhaagena"

as "by My plenary expansion" which seems to fit this, but then in the

verse he translates as "I shall then appear with My full six

opulences." Perhaps he means for us to believe that these meanings

are interchangeable. Still, several questions arose in my mind:

2a) Why would it be unreasonable to think that "amsha-bhaagena"

refers to an expansion of Vishnu, i.e. Vishnu is appearing by means

of His plenary expansion Krishna in the womb of Devakii?

2b) Will the translation of amsha-bhaagena as "with My full six

opulences" seem reasonable to non-Gaudiiya commentators? It is not

obvious to me why this can be translated that way although I admit I

don't know what "bhaaga" means.

 

3) In SB 10.2.18, the term "achyutaamsha.m" is used. Srila Prabhupada

translates in the synonyms as "the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

who is never bereft of the six opulences, all of which are present in

all His plenary expansions" and in the translation as "the fully

opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead." Srila Jiva Gosvami picks

this verse specifically and in Krishna-Sandarbha, he points out that

the term "achytaamsha.m" indicates that Lord Krishna is present along

with all of His expansions (thus supporting the idea that Krishna is

svayam bhagavaan). However, taking this verse literally, all it is

saying is that the "Achyuta-amsha" was transferred from mind of

Vasudeva to heart of Devakii. Achyuta-amsha appears to be singular,

so is it not speaking of a specific amsha (expansion) of Lord Achyuta

who entered the heart of Devakii? How does this term indicate Lord

Krishna, accompanied by various amshas of Himself?

 

Comments welcome.

 

hare krishna,

 

- K

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  • 6 months later...

"krishna_susarla" <krishna_susarla@h...> wrote:

 

> Comments welcome.

>

> hare krishna,

>

> - K

---

 

i dont know sanskrit or its grammar but heres some similar verses

that could possibly be of some use:

 

 

http://bhagavatam.net/10/2/41

 

diSTyAmba te kukSi-gataH paraH pumAn

aMzena sAkSAd bhagavAn bhavAya naH

mAbhUd bhayaM bhoja-pater mumUrSor

goptA yadUnAM bhavitA tavAtmajaH

 

 

http://bhagavatam.net/10/33/27

 

zrI-parIkSid uvAca

saMsthApanAya dharmasya

prazamAyetarasya ca

avatIrNo hi bhagavAn

aMzena jagad-IzvaraH

sa kathaM dharma-setUnAM

vaktA kartAbhirakSitA

pratIpam Acarad brahman

para-dArAbhimarzanam

 

 

http://bhagavatam.net/10/41/46

 

bhavantau kila vizvasya

jagataH kAraNaM param

avatIrNAv ihAMzena

kSemAya ca bhavAya ca

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest guest

achintya, "dhani" <dhannyganesh> wrote:

> i dont know sanskrit or its grammar but heres some similar verses

> that could possibly be of some use:

>

>

> http://bhagavatam.net/10/2/41

>

> diSTyAmba te kukSi-gataH paraH pumAn

> aMzena sAkSAd bhagavAn bhavAya naH

> mAbhUd bhayaM bhoja-pater mumUrSor

> goptA yadUnAM bhavitA tavAtmajaH

>

>

> http://bhagavatam.net/10/33/27

>

> zrI-parIkSid uvAca

> saMsthApanAya dharmasya

> prazamAyetarasya ca

> avatIrNo hi bhagavAn

> aMzena jagad-IzvaraH

> sa kathaM dharma-setUnAM

> vaktA kartAbhirakSitA

> pratIpam Acarad brahman

> para-dArAbhimarzanam

>

>

> http://bhagavatam.net/10/41/46

>

> bhavantau kila vizvasya

> jagataH kAraNaM param

> avatIrNAv ihAMzena

> kSemAya ca bhavAya ca

--

http://bhagavatam.net/11/7/2

 

mayA niSpAditaM hy atra

deva-kAryam azeSataH

yad-artham avatIrNo 'ham

aMzena brahmaNArthitaH

 

Answering the prayer of Lord brahmA, I descended within this world

along with My plenary portion, Lord baladeva, and performed various

activities on behalf of the demigods. I have now completed My

mission here

 

 

aside, maha visnu & krsna:

 

http://bhagavatam.net/11/6/16

 

tvattaH pumAn samadhigamya yayAsya vIryaM

dhatte mahAntam iva garbham amogha-vIryaH

so 'yaM tayAnugata Atmana ANDa-kozaM

haimaM sasarja bahir AvaraNair upetam

 

My dear Lord, the original puruSa-avatAra, mahA-viSNu, acquires His

creative potency from You. Thus with infallible energy He

impregnates material nature, producing the mahat-tattva. Then the

mahat-tattva, the amalgamated material energy, endowed with the

potency of the Lord, produces from itself the primeval golden egg of

the universe, which is covered by various layers of material elements

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