Vyasadeva incarnation of Vasudeva?

[thehat]

Hi can someone please clear up my confusion in the Srimad Bhagavatam second canto.

 

In the second canto of bhagavatam, chapter 4 text 24 it is said that Vyasadeva in the incarnation of Vasudeva, but I thought Vyasadeva is the incarnation of Krishna? It even says later on in the purport that Vyasadeva is indeed the incarnation of Krishna.

How does this work?

I'm quite confused, I understand Vasudeva to be Krishna's father but now I can't understand that if Vyasadeva is the incarnation of Krishna how can he be the incarnation of Vasudeva too? Was Vasudeva a plenary expansion of Krishna?

 

Please can someone clear my confusion up?!

 

Thanks very much

[bija]

 

How does this work? by thehat

 

We need to make a distinction between Vasudeva (the father of Krsna) and Vasudeva - with a line above the second 'a' (Krsna the son of Vasudeva).

 

For clarification go to SB Canto One Verse One 'om namo bhagavate vasudevaya'. translation: vasudevaya - unto Vasudeva (the son of Vasudeva)

 

Here is something of more note for your contemplation regarding Vasudeva (and the original verse you are studying SB 2.4.24 - particularly the purport). Vasudeva conception is the all in all truth, free of illusion:

 

 

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.10.23

sa vā ayaḿ yat padam atra sūrayo

jitendriyā nirjita-mātariśvanaḥ

paśyanti bhakty-utkalitāmalātmanā

nanv eṣa sattvaḿ parimārṣṭum arhati

SYNONYMS

saḥ — He; vai — by providence; ayam — this; yat — that which; padam atra — here is the same Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa; sūrayaḥ — great devotees; jita-indriyāḥ — who have overcome the influence of the senses; nirjita — thoroughly controlled; mātariśvanaḥ — life; paśyanti — can see; bhakti — by dint of devotional service; utkalita — developed; amala-ātmanā — those whose minds are thoroughly cleansed; nanu eṣaḥ — certainly by this only; sattvam — existence; parimārṣṭum — for purifying the mind completely; arhati — deserve.

TRANSLATION

Here is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead whose transcendental form is experienced by the great devotees who are completely cleansed of material consciousness by dint of rigid devotional service and full control of life and the senses. And that is the only way to purify existence.

PURPORT

As it is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord can be known in His real nature by dint of pure devotional service only. So it is stated here that only the great devotees of the Lord who are able to clear the mind of all material dust by rigid devotional service can experience the Lord as He is. Jitendriya means one who has full control over the senses. The senses are active parts of the body, and their activities cannot be stopped. The artificial means of the yogic processes to make the senses inactive has proved to be abject failure, even in the case of great yogīs like Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni controlled the senses by yogic trance, but when he happened to meet Menakā (a heavenly society woman), he became a victim of sex, and the artificial way of controlling the senses failed. But in the case of a pure devotee, the senses are not at all artificially stopped from doing anything, but they are given different good engagements. When the senses are engaged in more attractive activities, there is no chance of their being attracted by any inferior engagements. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the senses can be controlled only by better engagements. Devotional service necessitates purifying the senses or engaging them in the activities of devotional service. Devotional service is not inaction. Anything done in the service of the Lord becomes at once purified of its material nature. The material conception is due to ignorance only. There is nothing beyond Vāsudeva. The Vāsudeva conception gradually develops in the heart of the learned after a prolonged acceleration of the receptive organs. But the process ends in the knowledge of accepting Vāsudeva as all in all. In the case of devotional service, this very same method is accepted from the very beginning,and by the grace of the Lord all factual knowledge becomes revealed in the heart of a devotee due to dictation by the Lord from within. Therefore controlling the senses by devotional service is the only and easiest means.

 

 

SB 1.10.22: The Personality of Godhead, again desiring to give names and forms to His parts and parcels, the living entities, placed them under the guidance of material nature. By His own potency, material nature is empowered to re-create.

SB 1.10.23: Here is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead whose transcendental form is experienced by the great devotees who are completely cleansed of material consciousness by dint of rigid devotional service and full control of life and the senses. And that is the only way to purify existence.

SB 1.10.24: O dear friends, here is that very Personality of Godhead whose attractive and confidential pastimes are described in the confidential parts of Vedic literature by His great devotees. It is He only who creates, maintains and annihilates the material world and yet remains unaffected.

 

Hari! Hari!

[bija]

Dear Hat, this Srimad Bhagavatam is the cream of Vedic literature, the ripened fruit. Penned by Vyasadeva for full satisfaction. He is an incarnation because of the appearance of Sri Krsna (Vasudeva).

 

Srila Prabhupada says in the above purports: SB1.10.22

 

 

....The scriptures, however, supply the clue for understanding the real position, but men are reluctant to take lessons from the scriptures created by the Lord for different places and times. For example, the Bhagavad-gītā is the guiding principle for every human being, but by the spell of material energy they do not take care to carry out the programs of life in terms of the Bhagavad-gītā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the post-graduate study of knowledge for one who has thoroughly understood the principles of the Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately people have no taste for them, and therefore they are under the clutches of māyā for repetition of birth and death.

It is really very simple. We can awaken from maya (seperate enjoyment) and enter Vasudeva conception, to see the transcendental form of the Lord. Possible through strict unmotivated devotional service.

 

Vyasadeva penned the Bhagavatam in maturity. The Bhagavatam describes the confidential aspect of the Lord, His pastimes, Form, Paraphenalia etc. Brahman (all-prevading) conception is the beginning, then we can perceive Super-soul (all-premeating)...then by God's grace and dictation within, we can awaken to Bhagavan conception. In Vasudeva conception our existence becomes purified.

[Shivaduta]

 

I'm quite confused, I understand Vasudeva to be Krishna's father but now I can't understand that if Vyasadeva

 

 

i guess at the rot of your confusion is the name... it is like u are confused between mahatma gandhi, indira gandhi, rajiv gandhi Sonia gandhi and rahul gandhi

 

vasus were 8 children of aditi the 8 forms of energy like water, fire wind earth, moon ... they are gods and known as vasu-deva

 

krishna's father was named vasudev

 

like kunti's sons were called kaunteya. and drupad's daughter was called draupadi... krishna was also called vasudev

 

one confusing fact however is that veda vyasa was bhishma's half brother bhishma is the son of ganga and shantanu - vyasa is the son of satyavati and parasara - after vyasa's birth shantanu married satyavati leading to the famous bhishma pratidnya... and krishna was born much after this period so how can veda vyasa be the incarnation of someone who was born 30 years or more after him.

 

but i guess god's leela has no limitations...

[thehat]

 

We need to make a distinction between Vasudeva (the father of Krsna) and Vasudeva - with a line above the second 'a' (Krsna the son of Vasudeva).

 

Ohh!! This cleared things up for me, thank you very much bija!

There was in fact a line above the a letter. So I guess that is to be taken as incarnation of Krishna, son of vasudeva. Thanks a lot!

 

It's hard to figure out sometimes what the sanskrit terminology or marks above letters means.

 

Shivadut, thanks for your contribution. I am even more confused by what you've just said though haha.

 

"vasus were 8 children of aditi the 8 forms of energy like water, fire wind earth, moon ... they are gods and known as vasu-deva

 

krishna's father was named vasudev"

 

Which form of energy was Krishna's father vasudev?

 

I can't even begin to understand what you've said in the second paragraph? It sounds very complicated.

 

Hare Krishna

[Shivaduta]

krishna's father was "named" vasudev

 

no point in drawing parellals between say prabhu shri 'ram' and shri 'ram' vilas paswan