Srila Prabhupada teaches us about saktyavesa-avataras

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Dear Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances at the lotus feet of

Srila Prabhupada.

The following is a small portion from a personal study

of Srila Prabhupada's writings and lectures on the study of saktyavesa-avataras

and Jesus Christ :

>From Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 11.55, purport

"...A devotee of Krsna is friendly to everyone. Therefore it

is said here that he has no enemy. How is this? A devotee situated in Krsna

consciousness knows that only devotional service to Krsna can relieve a

person from all the problems of life. He has personal experience of this,

and therefore he wants to introduce this system, Krsna consciousness, into

human society. There are many examples in history of devotees of the

Lord risking their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. The favorite

example is Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the nondevotees, but

he sacrificed his life for spreading God consciousness. Of course,

it would be superficial to understand that he was killed. Similarly, in

India also there are many examples, such as Thakura Haridasa. Why such

risk? Because they wanted to spread Krsna consciousness, and it is difficult.

A Krsna conscious person knows that if a man is suffering, it is due to

his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Krsna. Therefore, the

highest benefit one can render to human society is relieving one's neighbor

from all material problems. In such a way, a pure devotee is engaged in

the service of the Lord. Now, we can imagine how merciful Krsna is to those

engaged in His service, risking everything for Him. Therefore it is certain

that such persons must reach the supreme planet after leaving the body...."

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Srila Prabhupada explains the mission of a saktyavesa avatara

:

"...Buddhist philosophy is incomplete, but that does not mean Lord Buddha

did not know the complete truth. A teacher may have received his Masters

degree, yet he still teaches the ABC's to his students. It is not that

his knowledge is limited to the ABC's. Similarly, any especially empowered

incarnation (saktyavesa avatara) will preach God consciousness according

to time, place, and circumstances. The teacher holds his Masters degree,

but the students may not be qualified to receive the high instructions

that the teacher is competent to teach...."

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Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.3

given by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada on Oct. 15, 1976 in Vrindavana,

India

"... Similarly, a mahatma, he is not well received. He is criticized,

insulted, sometimes injured. Still, he wants Just like Lord Jesus Christ.

He was so badly treated and still he was thinking, "Father, they do not

know what they are doing. Please excuse." This is suhrdah. He is

praying to God This is sadhu, mahatma. Suhrdah prasanta.

Not that... In India there are examples like Haridasa Thakura, Prahlada

Maharaja. And the Western countries also, Lord Jesus Christ, he is saktyavesa-avatara,

God's son. And he tolerated so much. These are the examples of mahatma.

Don't misunderstand that we are preaching that mahatmas are only

in India. No. By the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead there

are mahatmas even amongst the birds, even amongst the beasts, even amongst

the lower than animals. Because this Krsna consciousness movement

is going on in different places, in different circumstances. That is God's

desire. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata tadatmanam srjamy

aham. So Krsna wants this. Just like in your country there is welfare

activities by the government. The welfare department is seeing that nobody

is unhappy for want of money. Similarly, mahatmas, they are also

in the welfare department of Krsna. They are sent to different countries,

different places, different species of life, so that the living entity

may take advantage of Krsna consciousness.

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>From Srila Prabhupada's lecture given Dec.14, 1966, in New York

on Caitanya-Caritamrta, Madya Lila 20.172

"...So there are three incarnation of gunavatara, then manvantaravatara.

Manvantaravatara means... There is seventy-one yugas. One yuga means

about 4,300,000's of years. Four million and 300,000's of years, that makes

a complete yuga. Such seventy-one yuga is the duration of a Manu.

That is called Man... And each Manu is also an incarnation,

Manvantaravatara. And such Manu takes place, fourteen Manus

take place, during one day of Brahma. So Manvantaravatara.

Then yuga avatara. Yuga avatara... In each yuga, during

that 4,300,000's of years, there are yuga avatara. They are the

incarnation. They come. They are called yugavataras. And then

there is saktyavesa-avatara. Saktyavesa-avatara, they are

counted just like Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ. They are counted amongst the

saktyavesavataras. They are also incarnation of saktyavesavatara,

powerful. In this way the Supreme Lord manifests all over the universes.

There are innumerable universes, and some of His incarnation are working

always...."

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Aspiring to serve the lotus feet of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada.

your servant.....

Bhuvana Pavani d.d.

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