Is God Krishna....or is Krishna God?

[skeptic]

Is God Krishna....or is Krishna God?

 

What I mean is, did God (Visnu) assume a material form in Krsna as He did with Rama? Or is God already Krishna? I've read both theories, so to speak, and I just wanted to know what you guys thought. Thanks.

[gHari]

Krsna.

 

From Him all else comes. As He says to Arjuna, He is the original cause of all causes and all that is. He is the cause of Visnu, all of them, Karanodakashayi Visnu, Garbodakashayi Visnu, and Ksirodakashayi Visnu.

 

The Upanishads speak of all candles being lit by one primary candle. Krsna is that one primal candle. He's the One you want.

 

krsnas tu bhagavan svayam - Krsna is God, the possessor of all opulences completely.<font color="#f7f7f7">

 

[This message has been edited by gHari (edited 03-25-2002).]

[Gauracandra]

Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but I think all of them (Krsna, Visnu, Rama etc...) are the same God, but only covering or revealing various aspects to their majesty, personality, opulence etc.... Its not that they are a different person from one another, but that different people approach them in different moods, and the Lord reciprocates with a certain revelation of His personality. Thats my thought.

[gHari]

Yes, They are all Krsna. The Teachings of Lord Caitanya describes His various expansions and plenary portions of Godhead below:

His Forms Are One and the Same

By devotional service one can understand that KRSNa first of all manifests Himself as svayam-rUpa, His personal form, then as tadekAtma-rUpa, and then as Aveza-rUpa. It is in these three features that He manifests Himself in His transcendental form. The feature of svayam-rUpa is the form by which KRSNa can be understood by one who may not understand His other features. In other words, the form by which KRSNa is directly understood is called svayam-rUpa, or His personal form. The tadekAtma-rUpa is that form which most resembles the svayam-rUpa, but there are some differences in the bodily features. The tadekAtma-rUpa is divided into two manifestations--the personal expansion (svAMza) and the pastime expansion (vilAsa). As far as the Aveza-rUpa is concerned, when KRSNa empowers some suitable living entity to represent Him, that living entity is called Aveza-rUpa, or zaktyAveza-avatAra.

 

The personal form of KRSNa can be divided into two: svayam-rUpa and svayam-prakAza. As far as His svayam-rUpa (or pastime form) is concerned, it is in that form that He remains always in VRndAvana with the inhabitants of VRndAvana. This personal form (svayam-rUpa) can be further divided into the prAbhava and vaibhava forms. For instance, KRSNa expanded Himself in multiple forms during the rAsa dance in order to dance with each and every gopI who took part in forms in order to accommodate His 16,108 wives. There are some instances of great mystics' also expanding their bodily features in different ways, but KRSNa did not expand Himself by any yoga process. Each expansion of KRSNa was a separate individual. In Vedic history, Saubhari RSi, a sage, expanded himself into eight forms by the yoga process, but Saubhari RSi remained one. As far as KRSNa is concerned, when He manifested Himself in different forms, each and every one of them was a separate individual. When NArada Muni visited KRSNa at different palaces at DvArakA, he was astonished at this, and yet NArada is never astonished to see expansions of a yogI's body, since he knows the trick himself. Yet in SrImad-BhAgavatam it is stated that NArada was actually astonished to see the expansions of KRSNa. He wondered how the Lord was present with His queens in each and every one of His 16,108 palaces. With each queen, KRSNa Himself was in a different form, and He was acting in different ways. In one form He was engaged in playing with His children, and in yet another form He was performing some household work. These different activities are conducted by the Lord when He is in His "emotional" forms, which are known as vaibhava-prakAza expansions. Similarly, there are other unlimited expansions of the forms of KRSNa, but even when they are divided or expanded without limit, they are still one and the same. There is no difference between one form and another. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

In SrImad-BhAgavatam it is stated that when AkrUra was accompanying both KRSNa and BalarAma from Gokula to MathurA, he entered into the waters of the YamunA River and could see in the waters all the planets in the spiritual sky. He also saw there the Lord in His ViSNu form as well as NArada and the four KumAras, who were worshiping Him. As stated in the BhAgavata PurANa (SB 10.40.7):

 

anye ca saMskRtAtmAno

vidhinAbhihitena te

yajanti tvan-mayAs tvAM vai

bahumUrty-ekamUrtikam

 

There are many worshipers who are purified by different processes of worship--such as the VaiSNavas or the Aryans--who also worship the Supreme Lord according to their convictions and spiritual understanding. Each process of worship involves understanding different forms of the Lord, as mentioned in scriptures, but the ultimate idea is to worship the Supreme Lord Himself.

 

In His vaibhava-prakAza feature, the Lord manifests Himself as BalarAma. The BalarAma feature is as good as KRSNa Himself, the only difference being that the bodily hue of KRSNa is dark and that of BalarAma is fair. The vaibhava-prakAza form was also displayed when KRSNa appeared before His Mother DevakI in the four-handed form of NArAyaNa, just when He entered the world. At the request of His parents, however, He transformed Himself into a two-handed form. Thus He sometimes manifests four hands and sometimes two. The two-handed form is actually vaibhava-prakAza, and the four-handed form is prAbhava-prakAza. In His personal form, KRSNa is just like a cowherd boy, and He thinks of Himself in that way. But when He is in the VAsudeva form, He thinks of Himself as the son of a kSatriya and acts as a princely administrator.

 

In the two-handed form, as the cowherd son of Nanda MahArAja, KRSNa fully exhibits His opulence, form, beauty, wealth, attractiveness and pastimes. Indeed, in some of the VaiSNava literatures it is found that sometimes, in His form as VAsudeva, He becomes attracted to the form of Govinda in VRndAvana. Thus as VAsudeva He sometimes desires to enjoy as the cowherd boy Govinda does, although the Govinda form and the VAsudeva form are one and the same. In this regard, there is a passage in the Fourth Chapter of the Lalita-mAdhava (4.19), in which KRSNa addresses Uddhava as follows: "My dear friend, the form of Govinda, the cowherd boy, attracts Me. Indeed, I wish to be like the damsels of Vraja, who are also attracted by this form of Govinda." Similarly, in the Eighth Chapter, KRSNa says: "O how wonderful it is! Who is this person? After seeing Him, I am so attracted that I am now desiring to embrace Him just like RAdhikA."

 

There are also forms of KRSNa which are a little different, and these are called tadekAtma-rUpa forms. These may be further divided into the vilAsa and svAMza forms, which in turn have many different features and can be divided into prAbhava and vaibhava forms. As far as the vilAsa forms are concerned, there are innumerable prAbhava-vilAsas by which KRSNa expands Himself as VAsudeva, SaGkarSaNa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. Sometimes the Lord thinks of Himself as a cowherd boy, and sometimes He thinks of Himself as the son of Vasudeva, a kSatriya prince, and this "thinking" of KRSNa is called His "pastimes." Actually He is in the same form in His vaibhava-prakAza and prAbhava-vilAsa, but He appears differently as BalarAma and KRSNa. His expansions as VAsudeva, SaGkarSaNa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are in the original catur-vyUha, or four-handed forms.

 

There are innumerable four-handed manifestations in different planets and different places, and they are manifested in DvArakA and MathurA eternally. From the four principal four-handed forms (VAsudeva, SaGkarSaNa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) there are manifest the principal twenty-four forms called vaibhava-vilAsa, and they are named differently according to the placement of different symbols (conch, mace, lotus and disc) in their hands. The four principal manifestations of KRSNa are found in each planet in the spiritual sky, and these planets are called NArAyaNaloka or VaikuNThaloka. In the VaikuNThaloka He is manifested in the four-handed form of NArAyaNa. From each NArAyaNa the forms of VAsudeva, SaGkarSaNa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are manifested. Thus NArAyaNa is the center, and the four forms of VAsudeva, SaGkarSaNa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha surround the NArAyaNa form. Each of these four forms again expand into three, and these all have different names, beginning with Kezava. These forms are twelve in all, and they are known by different names according to the placement of symbols in their hands.

 

As far as the VAsudeva form is concerned, the three expansions manifested from Him are Kezava, NArAyaNa and MAdhava. The three forms of SaGkarSaNa are known as Govinda, ViSNu and SrI MadhusUdana. (It should be noted, however, that this Govinda form is not the same Govinda form that is manifested in VRndAvana as the son of Nanda MahArAja.) Similarly, Pradyumna is also divided into three forms known as Trivikrama, VAmana and SrIdhara; and the three forms of Aniruddha are known as HRSIkeza, PadmanAbha and DAmodara.

 

 

Unlimited Forms of Godhead

 

According to the VaiSNava almanac, the twelve months of the year are named according to the twelve VaikuNTha forms of Lord KRSNa, and these forms are known as the predominating Deities for the twelve months. This calendar begins with the month of MArgazIrsa, which is equivalent to late October and early November. The remainder of November is known by VaiSNavas as Kezava. December is called NArAyaNa, January is called MAdhava, February is Govinda, March is ViSNu, April SrI MadhusUdana, May Trivikrama, June VAmana, July SrIdhara, August HRSIkeza, September PadmanAbha, and early October is known as DAmodara. (The name DAmodara was given to KRSNa when He was bound by ropes by His mother, but the DAmodara form in the month of October is a different manifestation). Just as the months of the year are known according to the twelve different names of the Supreme Lord, the VaiSNava community marks twelve parts of the body according to these names. For instance, the tilaka mark on the forehead is called Kezava, and on the stomach, breast and arms the other names are also given. These are the same names as those given the months.

 

The four forms (VAsudeva, SaGkarSaNa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) are also expanded in the vilAsa-mUrti. These are eight in number, and their names are PuruSottama, Acyuta, NRsiMha, JanArdana, Hari, KRSNa, AdhokSaja and Upendra. Out of these eight, AdhokSaja and PuruSottama are the vilAsa forms of VAsudeva. Similarly, Upendra and Acyuta are the forms of SaGkarSaNa; NRsiMha and JanArdana are the forms of Pradyumna, and Hari and KRSNa are the vilAsa forms of Aniruddha. (This KRSNa is different from the original KRSNa.)

 

These twenty-four forms are known as the vilAsa manifestation of the prAbhava (four-handed) form, and they are named differently according to the position of the symbolic representations (mace, disc, lotus flower and conch shell). Out of these twenty-four forms there are vilAsa and vaibhava forms. Names mentioned herein, such as Pradyumna, Trivikrama, VAmana, Hari and KRSNa, are also different in features. Then, coming to the prAbhava-vilAsa of KRSNa (including VAsudeva, SaGkarSaNa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha), there are a total of twenty further variations. All of these have VaikuNTha planets in the spiritual sky and are situated in eight different directions. Although each of them is eternally in the spiritual sky, some of them are nonetheless manifest in the material world also.

 

In the spiritual sky all the planets dominated by the NArAyaNa feature are eternal. The topmost planet in the spiritual sky is called KRSNaloka and is divided into three different portions: Gokula, MathurA and DvArakA. In the MathurA portion, the form of Kezava is always situated. He is also represented on this earthly planet. In MathurA, India, the Kezava mUrti is worshiped, and similarly there is a PuruSottama form in JagannAtha PurI in Orissa. In AnandAraNya there is the form of ViSNu, and in MAyApur, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, there is the form of Hari. Many other forms are also situated in various places on the earth. Not only in this universe but in all other universes as well the forms of KRSNa are distributed everywhere. It is indicated that this earth is divided into seven islands, which are the seven continents, and it is understood that on each and every island there are similar forms, but at the present moment these are found only in India. Although from Vedic literatures we can understand that there are forms in other parts of the world, at present there is no information of their location.

 

The different forms of KRSNa are distributed throughout the universe to give pleasure to the devotees. It is not that devotees are born only in India. There are devotees in all parts of the world, but they have simply forgotten their identity. These forms incarnate not only to give pleasure to the devotee but to reestablish devotional service and perform other activities which vitally concern the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Some of these forms are incarnations mentioned in the scriptures, such as the ViSNu incarnation, Trivikrama incarnation, NRsiMha incarnation and VAmana incarnation.

 

In the SiddhArtha-saMhitA, there is a description of the twenty-four forms of ViSNu, and these forms are named according to the position of the symbolic representations in Their four hands. When one describes the positions of objects in the hands of the ViSNu mUrti, one should begin with the lower right hand then move to the upper right hand, upper left hand and, finally, to the lower left hand. In this way, VAsudeva may be described as being represented by mace, conch shell, disc and lotus flower. SaGkarSaNa is represented by mace, conch shell, lotus flower and disc. Similarly, Pradyumna is represented by disc, conch shell, mace and lotus flower. Aniruddha is represented by disc, mace, conch shell and lotus flower. In the spiritual sky the representations of NArAyaNa are twenty in number and are described as follows: SrI Kezava (flower, conch shell, disc, mace), NArAyaNa (conch, flower, mace and disc), SrI MAdhava (mace, disc, conch and flower), SrI Govinda (disc, mace, flower and conch), ViSNu-mUrti (mace, flower, conch and disc), MadhusUdana (disc, conch, flower and mace), Trivikrama (flower, mace, disc and shell), SrI VAmana (conch, disc, mace and flower), SrIdhara (flower, disc, mace and shell), HRSIkeza (mace, disc, flower and conch), PadmanAbha (shell, flower, disc and mace), DAmodara (flower, disc, mace and shell), PuruSottama (disc, flower, shell and mace), Acyuta (mace, flower, disc and shell), NRsiMha (disc, flower, mace and shell), JanArdana (flower, disc, shell and mace), SrI Hari (shell, disc, flower and mace), SrI KRSNa (shell, mace, flower and disc), AdhokSaja (flower, mace, shell and disc), and Upendra (shell, mace, disc and flower).

 

According to the HayazIrSa-paJcarAtra, there are sixteen forms, and these forms are named differently according to the situations of the disc and mace. The conclusion is that the Supreme Original Personality of Godhead is KRSNa. He is called lIlA-puruSottama, and He resides principally in VRndAvana as the son of Nanda. It is also learned from the HayazIrSa-paJcarAtra that there are nine forms protecting each of the two PurIs known as the MathurA PurI and the DvArakA PurI: VAsudeva, SaGkarSaNa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha protect one, and NArAyaNa, NRsiMha, HayagrIva, VarAha and BrahmA--protect the other. These are different manifestations of the prakAza and vilAsa forms of Lord KRSNa.

 

Lord Caitanya also informs SanAtana GosvAmI that there are different forms of svAMza as well, and these are divided into the SaGkarSaNa division and the incarnation division. From the first division come the three puruSa-avatAras--the KAraNodakazAyI ViSNu, GarbhodakazAyI ViSNu and KSIrodakazAyI ViSNu--and from the other division come the lIlA-avatAras, such as the Lord's incarnations as a fish, tortoise, etc.

 

There are six kinds of incarnations: (1) the puruSa-avatAra, (2) the lIlA-avatAra, (3) the guNa-avatAra, (4) the manvantara-avatAra, (5) the yuga-avatAra, and (6) the zaktyAveza-avatAra. Out of the six vilAsa manifestations of KRSNa, there are two divisions based on His age, and these are called bAlya and paugaNDa. As the son of Nanda MahArAja, KRSNa in His original form enjoys both of these childhood aspects--namely bAlya and paugaNDa.

 

It is thus safe to conclude that there is no end to the expansions and incarnations of KRSNa. Lord Caitanya explains some of them to SanAtana just to give him an idea of how the Lord expands and enjoys. These conclusions are also confirmed in SrImad-BhAgavatam (1.3.26). There it is said that there is no limit to the incarnations of the Supreme Lord, just as there is no limit to the waves of the ocean.

 

KRSNa first incarnates as the three puruSa-avatAras, namely the MahA-ViSNu or KAraNodakazAyI avatAra, the GarbhodakazAyI avatAra and the KSIrodakazAyI avatAra. This is confirmed in the SAtvata-tantra. KRSNa's energies can also be divided into three: His energy of thinking feeling and acting. When He exhibits His thinking energy, He is the Supreme Lord; when He exhibits His feeling energy, He is Lord VAsudeva; when He exhibits His acting energy, He is SaGkarSaNa BalarAma. Without His thinking, feeling and acting, there would be no possibility of creation. Although there is no creation in the spiritual world--for there the planets are beginningless--there is creation in the material world. In either case, however, both the spiritual and material worlds are manifestations of the energy of acting, in which KRSNa acts in the form of SaGkarSaNa and BalarAma.

 

The spiritual world of the VaikuNTha planets and KRSNaloka, the supreme planet, is situated in His energy of thinking. Although there is no creation in the spiritual world, which is eternal, it is still to be understood that the VaikuNTha planets depend on the thinking energy of the Supreme Lord. This thinking energy is described in Brahma-saMhitA (5.2), where it is said that the supreme abode, known as Goloka, is manifested like a lotus flower with hundreds of petals. Everything there is manifested by Ananta, the BalarAma or SaGkarSaNa form. The material cosmic manifestation and its different universes are manifest through mAyA, or material energy. However, one should not think that material nature or material energy is the cause of this cosmic manifestation. Rather, it is caused by the Supreme Lord, who uses His different expansions through material nature. In other words, there is no possibility of any creation without the superintendence of the Supreme Lord. The form by which the energy of material nature works to bring about creation is called the SaGkarSaNa form, and it is understood that this cosmic manifestation is created under the superintendence of the Supreme Lord.

 

In SrImad-BhAgavatam (10.46.31) it is said that BalarAma and KRSNa are the origin of all living entities and that these two personalities enter into everything. A list of incarnations is given in SrImad-BhAgavatam (1.3), and they are as follows: (1) KumAras, (2) NArada, (3) VarAha, (4) Matsya, (5) YajJa, (6) Nara-nArAyaNa, (7) KArdami Kapila, (8) DattAtreya, (9) HayazIrSa, (10) HaMsa, (1 1) Dhruvapriya or PRznigarbha, (12) RSabha, (13) PRthu, (14) NRsiMha, (15) KUrma, (16) Dhanvantari, (17) MohinI, (18) VAmana, (19) BhArgava (ParazurAma), (20) RAghavendra, (21) VyAsa, (22) PralambAri BalarAma, (23) KRSNa, (24) Buddha (25) Kalki. Because almost all of these twenty-five lIlA-avatAras appear in one day of BrahmA, which is called a kalpa, they are sometimes called kalpa-avatAras. Out of these, the incarnation of HaMsa and MohinI are not permanent, but Kapila, DattAtreya, RSabha, Dhanvantari and VyAsa are five eternal forms, and they are more celebrated. The incarnations of the tortoise KUrma, the fish Matsya, Nara-nArAyaNa, VarAha, HayazIrSa, PRznigarbha, and BalarAma are considered to be incarnations of vaibhava. Similarly, there are three guNa-avatAras, or incarnations of the qualitative modes of nature, and these are BrahmA, ViSNu and Siva.

 

Of the manvantara-avatAras, there are fourteen: (1) YajJa, (2) Vibhu, (3) Satyasena, (4) Hari, (5) VaikuNTha, (6) Ajita, (7) VAmana, (8) SArvabhauma, (9) RSabha, (10) ViSvaksena, (11) Dharmasetu, (12) SudhAmA, (13) Yogezvara, (14) BRhadbhAnu. Out of these fourteen manvantara-avatAras, YajJa and VAmana are also lIlA-avatAras, and the rest are manvantara-avatAras. These fourteen manvantara-avatAras are also known as vaibhava-avatAras.

 

The four yuga-avatAras are also described in SrImad-BhAgavatam. In the Satya-yuga, the incarnation of God is white; in the TretA-yuga He is red; in the DvApara-yuga, He is blackish; and in the Kali-yuga He is also blackish, but sometimes, in a special Kali-yuga, His color is yellowish (as in the case of Caitanya MahAprabhu). As far as the zaktyAveza-avatAras are concerned, they include Kapila and RSabha, Ananta, BrahmA (sometimes the Lord Himself becomes BrahmA), CatuHsana (the incarnation of knowledge), NArada (the incarnation of devotional service), King PRthu (the incarnation of administrative power), and ParazurAma (the incarnation who subdues evil principles).

 

 

The AvatAras (Incarnations)

 

Lord Caitanya continued to explain to SanAtana GosvAmI that the expansions of Lord KRSNa who come to the material creation are called avatAras, or incarnations. The word avatAra means "One who descends," and in this case the word specifically refers to one who descends from the spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky there are innumerable VaikuNTha planets, and from these planets the expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead come into this universe.

 

The first descent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the expansion of SaGkarSaNa is the puruSa incarnation, MahA-ViSNu. It is confirmed in SrImad-BhAgavatam (1.3.1) that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends as the first puruSa incarnation of the material creation, He immediately manifests sixteen elementary energies. Known as the MahA-ViSNu, He lies within the Causal Ocean, and it is He who is the original incarnation in the material world. He is the Lord of time, nature, cause and effect, mind, ego, the five elements, the three modes of nature, the senses and the universal form. Although He is master of all objects movable and immovable in the material world, He is totally independent.

 

The influence of material nature cannot reach beyond the VirajA, or Causal Ocean, as confirmed in SrImad-BhAgavatam (2.9.10). The modes of material nature (goodness, passion and ignorance), as well as material time, have no influence on the VaikuNTha planets. On those planets the liberated associates of KRSNa live eternally, and they are worshiped both by the demigods and the demons.

 

Material nature acts in two capacities as mAyA and pradhAna. MAyA is the direct cause, and pradhAna refers to the elements of the material manifestation. When the first puruSa-avatAra, MahA-ViSNu, glances over the material nature, material nature becomes agitated, and the puruSa-avatAra thus impregnates matter with living entities. Simply by the glance of the MahA-ViSNu, consciousness is created, and this consciousness is known as mahat-tattva, The predominating Deity of the mahat-tattva is VAsudeva. This created consciousness is then divided into three departmental activities according to the three guNas, or modes of material nature. Consciousness in the mode of goodness is described in the Eleventh Canto of SrImad-BhAgavatam. The predominating Deity of the mode of goodness is called Aniruddha. Consciousness in the mode of material passion produces intelligence, and the predominating Deity in this case is Pradyumna. He is the master of the senses. Consciousness in the mode of ignorance causes the production of ether, the sky and the sense of hearing. The cosmic manifestation is a combination of all these modes, and in this way innumerable universes are created. No one can count the number of universes.

 

These innumerable universes are produced from the pores of the MahA-ViSNu's body. As innumerable particles of dust pass through the tiny holes in a screen, similarly from the pores of the MahA-ViSNu's body innumerable universes emanate. As He breathes out, innumerable universes are produced, and as He inhales, they are annihilated. All of the energies of the MahA-ViSNu are spiritual, and they have nothing to do with the material energy. In Brahma-saMhitA (5.48) it is stated that the predominating deity of each universe, BrahmA, lives only during one breath of the MahA-ViSNu. Thus MahA-ViSNu is the original Supersoul of all the universes and the master of all universes as well.

 

The second ViSNu incarnation, the GarbhodakazAyI ViSNu, enters each and every universe, spreads water from His body, and lies down on that water. From His navel, the stem of a lotus flower grows, and on that lotus flower the first creature, BrahmA, is born. Within the stem of that lotus flower are fourteen divisions of planetary systems, which are created by BrahmA. Within each universe the Lord is present as the GarbhodakazAyI ViSNu, and He maintains each universe and tends to its needs. Although He is within each material universe, the influence of material energy cannot touch Him. When it is required, this very same ViSNu takes the form of Lord Siva and annihilates the cosmic creation. The three secondary incarnations--BrahmA, ViSNu and Siva--are the predominating deities of the three modes of material nature. The master of the universe, however, is the GarbhodakazAyI ViSNu, who is worshiped as the HiraNyagarbha Supersoul. The Vedic hymns describe Him as having thousands of heads. Although He is within the material nature, He is not touched by it.

 

The third incarnation of ViSNu, KSIrodakazAyI ViSNu, is also an incarnation of the mode of goodness. He is also the Supersoul of all living entities, and He resides on the ocean of milk within the universe. Thus Caitanya MahAprabhu described the puruSa-avatAras.

 

Lord Caitanya next described the lIlA-avatAras, or "pastime" avatAras, and of these the Lord points out that there is no limit. However, He describes some of them--for example, Matsya, KUrma, RaghunAtha, NRsiMha, VAmana and VarAha.

 

As far as the guNa-avatAras, or qualitative incarnations of ViSNu, are concerned, they are three--BrahmA, ViSNu and Siva. BrahmA is one of the living entities, but due to his devotional service he is very powerful. This primal living entity, master of the mode of material passion, is directly empowered by the GarbhodakazAyI ViSNu to create innumerable living entities. In Brahma-saMhitA (5.49) BrahmA is likened to valuable jewels influenced by the rays of the sun, and the sun is likened to the Supreme Lord GarbhodakazAyI ViSNu. If in some kalpa there is no suitable living entity capable of acting in BrahmA's capacity, GarbhodakazAyI ViSNu Himself manifests as BrahmA and acts accordingly.

 

Similarly, by expanding Himself as Lord Siva, the Supreme Lord is engaged when there is a need to annihilate the universe. Lord Siva, in association with mAyA, has many forms, which are generally numbered at eleven. Lord Siva is not one of the living entities; he is, more or less, KRSNa Himself. The example of milk and yogurt is often given in this regard--yogurt is a preparation of milk, but still yogurt cannot be used as milk. Similarly, Lord Siva is an expansion of KRSNa, but he cannot act as KRSNa, nor can we derive the spiritual restoration from Lord Siva that we derive from KRSNa. The essential difference is that Lord Siva has a connection with material nature, but ViSNu or Lord KRSNa has nothing to do with material nature. In SrImad-BhAgavatam (10.88.3) it is stated that Lord Siva is a combination of three kinds of transformed consciousness known as vaikArika, taijasa and tAmasa.

 

The ViSNu incarnation, although master of the modes of goodness within each universe, is in no way in touch with the influence of material nature. Although ViSNu is equal to KRSNa, KRSNa is the original source. ViSNu is a part, but KRSNa is the whole. This is the version given by Vedic literatures. In Brahma-saMhitA the example is given of an original candle which lights a second candle. Although both candles are of equal power, one is accepted as the original, and the other is said to be kindled from the original. The ViSNu expansion is like the second candle. He is as powerful as KRSNa, but the original ViSNu is KRSNa. BrahmA and Lord Siva are obedient servants of the Supreme Lord, and the Supreme Lord as ViSNu is an expansion of KRSNa.

 

After describing the LIlA and guNa-avatAras, Lord Caitanya explains the manvantara-avatAras to SanAtana GosvAmI. He first states that there is no possibility of counting the manvantara-avatAras. In one kalpa, or one day of BrahmA, fourteen Manus are manifest. One day of BrahmA is calculated at 4 billion 320 million years, and BrahmA lives for one hundred years on this scale. Thus if fourteen Manus appear in one day of BrahmA, there are 420 Manus during one month of BrahmA, and during one year of BrahmA there are 5,040 Manus. Since BrahmA lives for one hundred of his years, it is calculated that there are 504,000 Manus manifest during the lifetime of one BrahmA. Since there are innumerable universes, no one can imagine the totality of the manvantara incarnations. Because all the universes are produced simultaneously by the exhalation of the MahA-ViSNu, no one can begin to calculate how many Manus are manifest at one time. Each Manu, however, is called by a different name. The first Manu is called SvAyambhuva, and he is the son of BrahmA. The second Manu, SvArociSa, is the son of the predominating deity of fire. The third Manu is Uttama, and he is the son of King Priyavrata. The fourth Manu, TAmasa, is the brother of Uttama. The fifth Manu, called Raivata, and the sixth Manu, CAkSuSa, are both brothers of TAmasa, but CAkSuSa is the son of CAkSu. The seventh Manu is called Vaivasvata, and he is the son of the sun-god. The eighth Manu is called SAvarNi, and he is also a son of the sun-god, born of a wife named ChAyA. The ninth Manu, DakSasAvarNi, is the son of Varuna. The tenth Manu, BrahmasAvarNi, is the son of Upazloka. Four other Manus are known as RudrasAvarNi, DharmasAvarNi, DevasAvarNi and IndrasAvarNi.

 

After describing the Manu incarnations, Lord Caitanya explained the yuga-avatAras to SanAtana GosvAmI. There are four yugas, or millennia--Satya, TretA, DvApara, and Kali--and in each millennium the Supreme Lord incarnates, and each incarnation has a different color according to the yuga. In the Satya-yuga the color of the principal incarnation is white. In the TretA-yuga the color is red, in the DvApara-yuga the color is blackish (KRSNa), and in the Kali-yuga the color of the principal incarnation is yellow (Caitanya MahAprabhu). This is confirmed in SrImad-BhAgavatam (10.8.13) by the astrologer Gargamuni, who calculated KRSNa's horoscope in the house of Nanda MahArAja.

 

In the Satya-yuga the process of self-realization was meditation, and this process is taught by the white incarnation of God. This incarnation gave a benediction to the sage Kardama by which he could have an incarnation of the Personality of Godhead as his son. In the Satya-yuga, everyone meditated on KRSNa, and each and every living entity was in full knowledge. In this present age, Kali-yuga, people who are not in full knowledge are still attempting this meditative process which was recommended for a previous age. The process for self-realization recommended in the TretA millennium was the performance of sacrifice, and this was taught by the red incarnation of God. In the DvApara millennium, KRSNa was personally present, and He was worshiped by everyone by the mantra:

 

namas te vAsudevAya

namaH saGkarSaNAya

pradyumnAyAniruddhAya

tubhyaM bhagavate namaH

 

"Let me offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, VAsudeva, SaGkarSaNa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha." This was the process of self-realization for the DvApara age. In the next millennium--this present age of Kali-yuga--the Lord incarnates to preach the chanting of the holy name of KRSNa. In this age the Lord is yellow (Caitanya MahAprabhu), and He teaches people love of God by chanting the names of KRSNa. This teaching is carried out personally by KRSNa, and He exhibits love of Godhead by chanting, singing and dancing with thousands of people following Him. This particular incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is foretold in SrImad-BhAgavatam (11.5.32):

 

kRSNa-varNaM tviSAkRSNaM

sAGgopAGgAstra-pArSadam

yajJaiH saGkIrtana-prAyair

yajanti hi sumedhasaH

 

"In the age of Kali the Lord incarnates as a devotee, yellowish in color, and is always chanting Hare KRSNa, Hare KRSNa, KRSNa KRSNa, Hare Hare/ Hare RAma, Hare RAma, RAma RAma, Hare Hare. Although He is KRSNa, His complexion is not blackish like KRSNa's in DvApara-yuga but is golden. It is in Kali-yuga that the Lord engages in preaching love of Godhead through the saGkIrtana movement, and those living entities who are intelligent adopt this process of self-realization." It is also stated in SrImad-BhAgavatam (12.3.52):

 

kRte yad dhyAyato viSNuM

tretAyAM yajato makhaiH

dvApare paricaryAyAM

kalau taddhari-kIrtanAt

 

"The self-realization which was achieved in the Satya millennium by meditation, in the TretA millennium by the performance of different sacrifices, and in the DvApara millennium by worship of Lord KRSNa, can be achieved in the age of Kali simply by chanting the holy names, Hare KRSNa." This is also confirmed in ViSNu PurANa (6.2.17) where it is stated:.

 

dhyAyan kRte yajan yajJais

tretAyAM dvApare 'rcayan

yad Apnoti tad Apnoti

kalau saGkIrtya kezavam

 

"In this age there is no use in meditation, sacrifice and temple worship. Simply by chanting the holy name of KRSNa--Hare KRSNa, Hare KRSNa, KRSNa KRSNa, Hare Hare/ Hare RAma, Hare RAma, RAma RAma, Hare Hare--one can achieve perfect self-realization."

 

When Lord Caitanya described the incarnation for this age of Kali, SanAtana GosvAmI, who had been a government minister and was perfectly capable of drawing conclusions, directly asked of the Lord, "How can one understand the advent of an incarnation?" By the description of the incarnation for the Kali millennium, SanAtana GosvAmI could understand that Lord Caitanya was indeed that incarnation of KRSNa, and he could also understand that in the future there would be many people who would try to imitate Lord Caitanya because the Lord played as an ordinary brAhmaNa, despite the fact that His devotees accepted Him as an incarnation. Since SanAtana knew that there would be many pretenders, he asked the Lord, "How can one understand the symptoms of an incarnation?"

 

"As one can understand the different incarnations for different millenniums by referring to Vedic literatures,"the Lord replied, "one can similarly understand who is actually the incarnation of Godhead in this age of Kali." In this way the Lord especially stressed reference to authoritative scriptures. In other words, one should not whimsically accept a person as an incarnation but should try to understand the characteristics of an incarnation by referring to scriptures. An incarnation of the Supreme Lord never declares Himself to be an incarnation, but His followers must ascertain who is an incarnation and who is a pretender by referring to authoritative scriptures.

 

Any intelligent person can understand the characteristics of an avatAra by understanding two features--the principal feature, called personality, and the marginal features. In the scriptures there are descriptions of the characteristics of the body and the activities of an incarnation, and the description of the body is the principal feature by which an incarnation can be identified. The activities of the incarnation are the marginal features. This is confirmed in the beginning of SrImad-BhAgavatam (1.1.1) where the features of an avatAra are nicely described. In that verse, the two terms param and satyam are used, and Lord Caitanya indicates that these words reveal KRSNa's principal feature. The other marginal features indicate that He taught Vedic knowledge to BrahmA and incarnated as the puruSa-avatAra to create the cosmic manifestation. These are occasional features manifest for some special purposes. One should be able to understand and distinguish the principal and marginal features of an avatAra. No one can declare himself an incarnation without referring to these two features. An intelligent man will not accept anyone as an avatAra without studying the principal and marginal features. When SanAtana GosvAmI tried to confirm Lord Caitanya's personal characteristics as being those of the incarnation of this age, Lord Caitanya Himself indirectly made the confirmation by simply saying, "Let us leave aside all these discussions and continue with a description of the zaktyAveza-avatAras."

 

The Lord then pointed out that there is no limit to the zaktyAveza-avatAras and that they cannot be counted. However, some can be mentioned as examples. The zaktyAveza incarnations are of two kinds--direct and indirect. When the Lord Himself comes, He is called sAkSAt, or a direct zaktyAveza-avatAra, and when He empowers some living entity to represent Him that living entity is called an indirect or Aveza incarnation. Examples of indirect avatAras are the four KumAras, NArada, PRthu and ParazurAma. These are actually living entities, but there is specific power given to them by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When a specific opulence of the Supreme Lord is invested in specific entities, they are called Aveza-avatAras. The four KumAras specifically represent the Supreme Lord's opulence of knowledge. NArada represents the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. Devotional service is also represented by Lord Caitanya, who is considered to be the full representation of devotional service. In BrahmA the opulence of creative power is invested, and in King PRthu the power for maintaining the living entities is invested. Similarly, in ParazurAma the power for killing evil elements is invested. As far as vibhAti, or the special favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is concerned, it is described in the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gItA that a living entity who appears to be especially powerful or beautiful should be known to be especially favored by the Supreme Lord.

 

Examples of direct or sAkSAd-avatAras are the SeSa incarnation and the Ananta incarnation. In Ananta the power for sustaining all planets is invested, and in the SeSa incarnation the power for serving the Supreme Lord is invested.

 

After describing the zaktyAveza incarnations, Caitanya MahAprabhu began to speak about the age of the Supreme Lord. He said that the Supreme Lord KRSNa is always like a sixteen-year-old boy, and when He desires to descend on this universe, He first of all sends His father and mother, who are His devotees, and then He advents Himself as an incarnation, or He comes personally. All His activities--beginning with the killing of the PUtanA demon--are displayed in innumerable universes, and there is no limit to them. Indeed, at every moment, at every second, His manifestations and various pastimes are seen in different universes (brahmANDas). Thus His activities are just like the waves of the Ganges River. Just as there is no limit to the flowing of the waves of the Ganges, there is no cessation of Lord KRSNa's incarnations in different universes. From childhood He displays many pastimes, and ultimately He exhibits the rAsa dance.

 

It is said that all the pastimes of KRSNa are eternal, and this is confirmed in every scripture. Generally people cannot understand how KRSNa performs His pastimes, but Lord Caitanya clarified this by comparing His pastimes to the orbit of the earth about the sun. According to Vedic astrological calculations, the twenty-four hours of a day and night are divided into sixty daNDas. The days are again divided into 3,600 palas. The sun disc can be perceived in every sixty palas, and that time constitutes a daNDa. Eight daNDas make one prahara, and the sun rises and sets with in four praharas. Similarly, four praharas constitute one night, and after that the sun rises. Similarly, all the pastimes of KRSNa can be seen in any of the universes, just as the sun can be seen in its movement through 3,600 palas.

 

Lord KRSNa remains in this universe for only 125 years, but all the pastimes of that period are exhibited in each and every universe. These pastimes include His appearance, His boyhood activities, His youth and His later pastimes up to those pastimes at DvArakA. Since all these pastimes are present in one or another of the myriad universes at any given time, they are called eternal. The sun is eternally existing, although we see it rise and set, appear and disappear, according to our position on the planet. Similarly, the Lord's pastimes are going on, although we can see them manifest in this particular universe only at certain intervals. His abode is the supreme planet known as Goloka VRndAvana, and by His will, this Goloka VRndAvana is manifested in this universe and in other universes as well. Thus the Lord is always in His supreme abode, Goloka VRndAvana, and by His supreme will His activities there are also manifested in innumerable universes. When He appears, He appears in those particular places, and in every manifestation His six opulences are displayed.

 

[xvi000]

I have told you "Concept of KriSNa" in Krishna Talk group. Now I post the matter on 3 entities of Buddha

*********

Brahman -- Dharmakaya

ViSNu -- Sambhogakaya

KriSNa -- Nirmanakaya

Three bodies of the Buddha (Skt. trikaya)

1. Dharmakaya: The Dharma-body, or the "body of reality", which is formless, unchanging, transcendental, and inconceivable. Synonymous with suchness, or emptiness. 2. Sambhogakaya: the "body of enjoyment", the celestial body of the Buddha. Personification of eternal perfection in its ultimate sense. It "resides" in the Pure Land and never manifests itself in the mundane world, but only in the celestial spheres, accompanied by enlightened Bodhisattvas. 3. Nirmanakaya: the "incarnated body" of the Buddha. In order to benefit certain sentient beings, a Buddha incarnates himself into an appropriate visible body, such as that of Sakyamuni Buddha.

 

The incarnated body of the Buddha should not be confused with a magically produced Buddha. The former is a real, tangible human body which has a definite life span, The latter is an illusory Buddha-form which is produced with miraculous

powers and can be withdrawn with miraculous powers (G.C.C. Chang).

 

[gHari]

I found some better words that explain the points raised above, oddly enough in the Bhagavatam verse about krsnas tu bhagavan svayam:

<center>

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.28

 

ete cAMza-kalAH puMsaH

kRSNas tu bhagavAn svayam

indrAri-vyAkulaM lokaM

mRDayanti yuge yuge

</center>

ete--all these; ca--and; aMza--plenary portions; kalAH--portions of the plenary portions; puMsaH--of the Supreme; kRSNaH--Lord KRSNa; tu--but; bhagavAn--the Personality of Godhead; svayam--in person; indra-ari--the enemies of Indra; vyAkulam--disturbed; lokam--all the planets; mRDayanti--gives protection; yuge yuge--in different ages.

 

All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord SrI KRSNa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.

 

PURPORT

In this particular stanza Lord SrI KRSNa, the Personality of Godhead, is distinguished from other incarnations. He is counted amongst the avatAras (incarnations) because out of His causeless mercy the Lord descends from His transcendental abode. AvatAra means "one who descends." All the incarnations of the Lord, including the Lord Himself, descend on the different planets of the material world as also in different species of life to fulfill particular missions. Sometimes He comes Himself, and sometimes His different plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions, or His differentiated portions directly or indirectly empowered by Him, descend on this material world to execute certain specific functions. Originally the Lord is full of all opulences, all prowess, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation. When they are partly manifested through the plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions, it should be noted that certain manifestations of His different powers are required for those particular functions. When in the room small electric bulbs are displayed, it does not mean that the electric powerhouse is limited by the small bulbs. The same powerhouse can supply power to operate large-scale industrial dynamos with greater volts. Similarly, the incarnations of the Lord display limited powers because so much power is needed at that particular time.

 

For example, Lord ParazurAma and Lord NRsiMha displayed unusual opulence by killing the disobedient kSatriyas twenty-one times and killing the greatly powerful atheist HiraNyakazipu. HiraNyakazipu was so powerful that even the demigods in other planets would tremble simply by the unfavorable raising of his eyebrow. The demigods in the higher level of material existence many, many times excel the most well-to-do human beings, in duration of life, beauty, wealth, paraphernalia, and in all other respects. Still they were afraid of HiraNyakazipu. Thus we can simply imagine how powerful HiraNyakazipu was in this material world. But even HiraNyakazipu was cut into small pieces by the nails of Lord NRsiMha. This means that anyone materially powerful cannot stand the strength of the Lord's nails. Similarly, JAmadagnya displayed the Lord's power to kill all the disobedient kings powerfully situated in their respective states. The Lord's empowered incarnation NArada and plenary incarnation VarAha, as well as indirectly empowered Lord Buddha, created faith in the mass of people. The incarnations of RAma and Dhanvantari displayed His fame, and BalarAma, MohinI and VAmana exhibited His beauty. DattAtreya, Matsya, KumAra and Kapila exhibited His transcendental knowledge. Nara and NArAyaNa RSis exhibited His renunciation. So all the different incarnations of the Lord indirectly or directly manifested different features, but Lord KRSNa, the primeval Lord, exhibited the complete features of Godhead, and thus it is confirmed that He is the source of all other incarnations. And the most extraordinary feature exhibited by Lord SrI KRSNa was His internal energetic manifestation of His pastimes with the cowherd girls. His pastimes with the gopIs are all displays of transcendental existence, bliss and knowledge, although these are manifested apparently as sex love. The specific attraction of His pastimes with the gopIs should never be misunderstood. The BhAgavatam relates these transcendental pastimes in the Tenth Canto. And in order to reach the position to understand the transcendental nature of Lord KRSNa's pastimes with the gopIs, the BhAgavatam promotes the student gradually in nine other cantos.

 

According to SrIla JIva GosvAmI's statement, in accordance with authoritative sources, Lord KRSNa is the source of all other incarnations. It is not that Lord KRSNa has any source of incarnation. All the symptoms of the Supreme Truth in full are present in the person of Lord SrI KRSNa, and in the Bhagavad-gItA the Lord emphatically declares that there is no truth greater than or equal to Himself. In this stanza the word svayam is particularly mentioned to confirm that Lord KRSNa has no other source than Himself. Although in other places the incarnations are described as bhagavAn because of their specific functions, nowhere are they declared to be the Supreme Personality. In this stanza the word svayam signifies the supremacy as the summum bonum.

 

The summum bonum KRSNa is one without a second. He Himself has expanded Himself in various parts, portions and particles as svayaM-rUpa, svayam-prakAza, tad-ekAtmA, prAbhava, vaibhava, vilAsa, avatAra, Aveza, and jIvas, all provided with innumerable energies just suitable to the respective persons and personalities. Learned scholars in transcendental subjects have carefully analyzed the summum bonum KRSNa to have sixty-four principal attributes. All the expansions or categories of the Lord possess only some percentages of these attributes. But SrI KRSNa is the possessor of the attributes cent percent. And His personal expansions such as svayam-prakAza, tad-ekAtmA up to the categories of the avatAras who are all viSNu-tattva, possess up to ninety-three percent of these transcendental attributes. Lord Siva, who is neither avatAra nor Aveza nor in between them, possesses almost eighty-four percent of the attributes. But the jIvas, or the individual living beings in different statuses of life, possess up to the limit of seventy-eight percent of the attributes. In the conditioned state of material existence, the living being possesses these attributes in very minute quantity, varying in terms of the pious life of the living being. The most perfect of living beings is BrahmA, the supreme administrator of one universe. He possesses seventy-eight percent of the attributes in full. All other demigods have the same attributes in less quantity, whereas human beings possess the attributes in very minute quantity. The standard of perfection for a human being is to develop the attributes up to seventy-eight percent in full. The living being can never possess attributes like Siva, ViSNu or Lord KRSNa. A living being can become godly by developing the seventy-eight-percent transcendental attributes in fullness, but he can never become a God like Siva, ViSNu or KRSNa. He can become a BrahmA in due course. The godly living beings who are all residents of the planets in the spiritual sky are eternal associates of God in different spiritual planets called Hari-dhAma and Maheza-dhAma. The abode of Lord KRSNa above all spiritual planets is called KRSNaloka or Goloka VRndAvana, and the perfected living being, by developing seventy-eight percent of the above attributes in fullness, can enter the planet of KRSNaloka after leaving the present material body.

 

<font color="#f7f7f7">

 

[This message has been edited by gHari (edited 03-29-2002).]

[Guest guest]

Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam...

 

Krishna is eternally Supreme.

 

Hare Krishna!

[I_love_krishna_]

Are you a skeptic or Is skeptic you! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Guruvani]

Krishna is much more than God - he is the absolute truth, the God of Gods.

The conception of God and the conception of Absolute Truth are not on the same level. The Srimad-Bhägavatam hits on the target of the Absolute Truth. The conception of God indicates the controller, whereas the conception of the Absolute Truth indicates the summum bonum or the ultimate source of all energies. There is no difference of opinion about the personal feature of God as the controller because a controller cannot be impersonal.

[Guest guest]

nice to see you have caught on ! /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Guest guest]

i would have to disagree, Krsna is non different then his energy, they are one and the same,

 

Tattva Prakaranam

 

 

[ By Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakur ]

 

1. ekah paro nanyah

 

Sri Krishna is one without a second: He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

2. agunopi sarvasaktirameyatvat

 

Although transcendental to material qualities, Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, possesses expansive, immense potencies inconceivable to mundane perception.

 

3. viruddha-samanyam tasminnacitram

 

Innumerable contradictory qualities simultaneously existing in Sri Krishna is nothing uncommon or wonderful.

 

4. sa saccidanando jnanagamyo bhakti visayatvat

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna, whose form is eternal, fully conscious and blissful, is not perceivable by mundane faculties but can be realized only by transcendental unalloyed devotional service.

 

5. sa ca satyo nityo 'nadirananto desa-kalaparicchedat

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth, beyond the influence of time and space.

 

6. paropi cijjadabhyam vilasi visva-siddheh

 

Although transcendental to matter and spirit, Sri Krishna expands through His diverse energies as the cosmic manifestation, consisting of both matter and spirit, for His pastimes.

 

7. tacchaktitastatvadhikyamiticcenna tadabhedat

 

Sri Krishna's transcendental potency is not a separate principle, it is identical with Him.

 

 

 

hladini sandhini samvit tvayeka sarva samsthitau

hladatapakari misra tvayi no guna-varjite

 

O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes hladini, sandhii, and samvit exist in You as one spiritual energy. but the material modes, which cause happiness, misery, and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You have no material qualities. (Visnu Purana 1.12.69)

 

 

sac-citnanandamaya krsnera svarupa

ata eva svarupa-sakti haya tina-rupa

anandamse hladini sadamse sandhini

cid-amse samvit ya're jnana kari' mani

 

Lord Krsna is .-cidnananda-vigraha - the transcendental form of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Therefore His personal energy (svarupa-sakti, the internal energy of the Lord) has three different forms. Hladini is His energy of ecstasy, beauty, sweetness, charm, harmony; sandhini, His energy of eternal existence, or reality; and samvit, of cognizance, knowledge, awareness. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 8.154-155)

 

 

 

svayam tva-samyatisayas-tryadhisam svarajya-laksmynapta-samasta-kamam

balim haradbhis cira-loka-palaim kirita-koty edita-.-pitham

 

Lord Sri Krsna is the Lord of all kinds of threes and is independently supreme by achievement of all kinds of fortune. He is worshiped by the eternal maintainers of the creation, who offer Him the paraphernalia of worship by touching their millions of helmets to His feet. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.2.21)

 

 

visnu-saktim para prokta kstretrajnakhya tatha-para

avidya karma-samjnanya trtiya saktir-isyate

 

Visnu-sakti, the energy of Krsna is threefold: para-sakti, or the Lord's superior, spiritual energy; ksetrajna-sakti, or the marginal living beings; and avidya-sakti, or the illusory energy, which is characterized by karma, the world of action and reaction. In other words, the potency of Lord Visnu is summarized in three categories - namely, the spiritual potency, the living entities and ignorance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge; the living entities, although belong to the spiritual potency, are subject to beweilderment; and the third energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities. (Visnu Purana 6.7.61)

 

 

 

sei vapu bhinnabhase kicchu bhinnakara

bhava vesakrti bhede "tadketatma" nama ta-'ra

 

When the Lord's form is a little differently manifest and its features a little different in transcendental emotion and form, it is called tad-ekatma-rupa. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 20.183)

 

 

tad-ekatma-rupe "vilasa,svamsa," - dui bheda

vilasa svamsera bhede vividha vibheda

 

In the tad-ekatma-rupa feature of the Lord, there are pastime expansions (vilasa) and personal expansions (svamsa). Consequently there are two divisions. According to pastime and personal expansion, there are various differences. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 20.184)

 

 

 

prabhava-vilasa - vasudeva,sankarsana

pradyumna, aniruddha, - mukhya carijana

 

The chief quadruple expansions are named Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. These are called prabhava-vilasa. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 20.186)

 

 

 

vraje gopa-tava ramera pure ksatriya-bhavana

varna-vesa-bheda ta'te "vilasa" ta-'ra nama

 

Balarama, who has the same original form of Krsna, is Himself a cowherd boy in Vrndavana, and He also considers Himself to belong to the ksatriya race in Dvaraka. Thus His color and dress are different, and He is called a pastime (vilasa) form of Krsna. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 20.187)

 

 

 

vaibhava-prakase ara prabhava-vilase

eka-i murtye baladeva bhava-bhede bhase

 

Sri Balarama is a vaibhava-prakasa manifestation of Krsna. He is also manifest in the original quadruple expansion of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. These are prabhava-vilasa expansions with different emotions. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 20.188)

 

 

 

adi catur-vyuha keha nahi i-'hara sama

ananta catur-vyuhaganera prakatya-karana

 

The first expansion of the caturyvyuha, quadruple forms of the Lord, is unique. There is nothing to compare with them. These quadruple forms are the source of unlimited quadruple forms. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 20.189)

 

 

 

vasudevam sankarsanam pradyumno'niruddho'tam matsyam kurmo varaham

nrsimho vamano ramo ramo ramam krsno buddham kalkir aham iti

 

The Supreme Lord said, "I am Krsna. I appear as Vasudeva, Sanarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. I appear as Baladeva, Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Rama and Parasurama. I also appear as Buddha and Kalki. (Catur-Veda-Siksa)

 

 

 

 

siddhanta-tas-tva-bhedo'pi sri krsna-svarupapayom

rasenot-krsyate krsna-rupamesa rasasthitim

 

Although the Lord of Laksmi, Narayana and Sri Krsnaare essentially one and the same, the superexcellence of Sri Krsna's position lies in His being the object of the highest prema-rasa, because the very nature of rasa shows the most supreme excellence of the Form of Sri Krsna in whom alone all 12 rasas find their highest expression. In other words, according to transcendental realization, there is no difference between the forms of Naayana and Krsna. Yet in Krsna, there is a special transcendental attraction due to the conjugal mellow, and consequently He surpasses Narayana. This is the conclusion of transcendental mellows.(Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu, Purva-vibhaga 2.59)

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so here oneness and difference is given detailed

thought.

 

the lord has one energy,but it takes different forms,

and those forms are given names,such as yoga maya,hladini,samvit etc.

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this is Bhaktivinode

 

 

"The potency and the possessor of the potency are not different."

 

 

"The meaning, then, is that the potency does not exist apart from its substance. The only true substance is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of potencies. The nature of the potency is either to be a quality of the Supreme Lord, or submissive to His will. When it is said that the potency has pure consciousness, that means that because the potency and the master of potencies are not different, therefore, like the master of potencies, the potency also has a form of spiritual consciousness, has desires that are at once fulfilled, and is beyond the touch of the three modes. It is not a mistake to say these things. Will and consciousness are qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By itself, the potency does not possess will, but rather it carries out the will of the Supreme. For example, you have power, and by Your will, your potencies act. If you say, 'the power acted', then that means that the possessor of the power was actually behind the action. To say that 'the power acted' is only to use a figure of speech. In truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has only one potency. When she performs spiritual actions, she is called spiritual potency, and when she performs material actions, she is called the material potency, or maya. The Vedas (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8) explain:

 

 

"The potency of the Supreme is manifested in many different ways."

 

 

The potency that manifests the three modes is the material potency. She creates and destroys the material universes. Those are her duties. In the Puranas and Tantras this potency is called by many names, such as Visnu-maya, Maha-maya, and Maya. Allegorically she is also called 'the mother of Brahma, Visnu and Shiva", 'the killer of Sumbha and Nisumbha', and other like names that describe her different activities. As long as he remains deeply enmeshed in material consciousness, the soul is under her power. When he attains pure spiritual knowledge, the soul can understand the nature of his original spiritual form. Then he is freed from the ropes of Maya. Then he is under the power of the spiritual potency. Then he becomes happy.

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so he said above;

 

"To say that "the power acted" IS ONLY TO USE A FIGURE OF SPEECH.IN TRUTH THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD HAS ONLY ONE POTENCY.WHEN SHE PEFORMS SPIRITUAL ACTIONS SHE IS CALLED SPIRITUAL POTENCY,WHEN SHE PERFORMS MATERIAL ACTIONS,

SHE IS CALLED THE MATERIAL POTENCY OR MAYA."

 

 

[Guest guest]

not to be obnoxious, but to say that the word God

doen't imply the absolute truth , may be overstating

the reality, often Prabhupada would say Krsna is God,

when people say God ,generally they mean the supreme

being, whether or not they have full knowledge of that

reality, still Krsna can be said to be God,

 

 

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.40

New York, May 22, 1973

 

"So the gopis' activities, they are the supreme platform of pure devotion. There is no other business, there is no other business. Gopis, they are not interested to know philosophically whether Krsna is God. Although they are seeing every step, Krsna is God. Mother Yasoda is that Krsna is God. Gopis also gopi-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhari. Krsna is lifting the Govardhana Hill, who can do it except God? They are seeing it, still they do not know that Krsna is God. Krsna is wonderful, that's all. They do not like to know whether Krsna is God or not. They want to love Krsna. Krsna may be God or not God, it doesn't matter. Just like if you love somebody, what he is, is he rich man, poor man, educated or non-educated? There is no consideration. Love has no such thing, consideration. Similarly, gopis' love for Krsna was pure. There was no consideration that Krsna was God,"