Shri-laghu-

bhagavatamrita
of Shrila Rupa Gosvami

translated from the original Sanskrit,

with commentary,

by Gopiparanadhana Dasa

GIRIRAJA PUBLISHING

***
The six Gosvamis, under the direction of Shrila Rupa Gosvami and Shrila Sanatana Gosvami,
studied various Vedic literatures and picked up the essence of them, the devotional service of
the Lord. This means that all the Gosvamis wrote many scriptures on devotional service with
the support of the Vedic literature. [...] All the Vedic literature aims at understanding
Krishna, and how to understand Krishna through devotional service has been explained by
Shrila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, with evidence from all Vedic literatures.

His Divine Grace A.C.

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Founder Acharya of the International

Society for Krishna Consciousness

***

The Gosvamis wrote a vast body of work in order to preserve and propagate Shri Chaitanya’s
teachings for posterity. The BBT has risen to the occasion of producing a high quality edition
of an important Gaudiya text that approaches the academic standards of scholarship of our
day and age — just as the Gosvamis committed themselves to doing in accordance with the
scholarly milieu of their own times. This level of publication thus provides a great resource
for all students and scholars of Religion.

Edwin Bryant

Professor of Hindu Religion and Philosophy

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

 Contents

Foreword

Preface

Shrila Rupa Gosvami

Introduction

PART ONE

Shri-krishnamrita

THE IMMORTAL NECTAR OF KRISHNA

CHAPTER I – SVAYAM-RUPA, TAD-EKATMA, AND AVESA

The mangalacharana

The structure, methodology, and objective of Shri Laghu-bhagavatamrita

The three kinds of Krishna‘s forms

The svayam-rupa

The tad-ekatma-rupa

The vilasa

The svamsha

The dvesha

The prakasha

All forms of the Lord have Their own spiritual abodes

CHAPTER 2 – PURUSHA-AVATARAS AND GUNA-AVATARAS

The definition of avatara

The purusha-, guna-, and lila-avataras introduced

The purusha-avataras

The First Purusha

The Second Purusha

The Third Purusha

The guna-avataras

Brahma

Rudra

Vishnu

CHAPTER 3 – LILA-AVATARAS

The four Sanas (four Kumaras)

Narada

Varaha

Matsya

Yajna

Nara-Narayana

Kapila

Datta (Dattatreya)

Hayashirsha (Hayagriva)

Hamsa

Dhruva-priya (Prishnigarbha)

Rishabha

Prithu

Nrisimha

Kurma

Dhanvantari, Mohini
Vamana

Bhargava (Parashurama)

Raghavendra (Rama)

Vyasa

Rama (Balarama), Krishna

Buddha

Kalki

CHAPTER 4 – MANVANTARA-AVATARAS AND YUGA-AVATARAS

The definition of manvantara-avatara

Vibhu

Satyasena

Hari

Vaikuntha

Ajita

Sarvabhauma

Rishabha

Vishvaksena

Dharmasetu

Sudhama

Yogeshvara

Brihadbhanu

The yuga-avataras

The number of avataras and the time of their appearance

The Manus

The dveshas

The prabhavas and vaibhavas

The vaibhava-avataras’ residential places in the material world

All avataras possess abodes in the spiritual world :

CHAPTER 5 – PARA-AVASTHAS AND SVAYAM-BHAGAVAN

Krishna as superior to Narayana (of Nara-Narayana) or Vamana

Three para-avastha forms (Krishna, Rama, Nrisimha)

Krishna as highest among the para-avasthas

Gradation of the Supreme Lord’s forms

Contradictory nature of the Supreme Lord

Krishna as superior to the purusha-avataras

Krishna as superior to Vasudeva (of chatur-vyuha)

Krishna as superior to brahman

Krishna as superior to Narayana (Krishna as the svayam-rupa)

Krishnas form and pastimes are eternal

Krishna’s manifest and non-manifest pastimes

Krishna’s birth pastime

Krishna outside of Vraja

Krishnas reappearance in Vraja

Krishna’s pastimes are eternal

Krishna’s abodes

Krishnas sweetness in Gokula

PART TWO

Shri-bhaktamrita

THE NECTAR OF KRISHNA’S DEVOTEES

The worship of the Lord's devotees is obligatory

Prahlada is considered to be the best devotee

The Pandavas are greater than Prahlada

Some Yadus are greater than the Pandavas

Among the Yadus Uddhava is most excellent

The gopis of Vraja are superior to Uddhava

Shrimati Radharani is the greatest of all gopis

APPENDICES

Variant readings of the text of Shri Laghu-bhagavatamrita

Readings of verses that differ from the BBT edition

Select bibliography

Glossary
 Foreword

Rupa Gosvami is one of six Gosvamis of Vrindavana, one of the six ascetic devotional scholars
entrusted with intellectually systematizing the popular revival of krishna-bhakti by the
sixteenth-century charismatic Shri Chaitanya. Considered an incarnation of Krishna by His
followers, Shri Chaitanya triggered a wave of Krishna devotionality across parts of India
featuring meditations on Krishna’s early pastimes in the Shrimad-Bhagavatam’s Tenth Canto
and its derived literature. Although Shri Chaitanya personally recorded only eight verses in
writing, He inculcated to some of His followers, most especially Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana
Gosvami, an elaborate theology of krishna-bhakti featuring the various types of moods and
relationships with Krishna that could be cultivated through devotional practices. Thus a
school was formed around Shri Chaitanya’s life and teachings that came to be known as the
Chaitanya Vaishnava tradition, also known as the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.

The Six Gosvamis, especially Rupa and his elder brother Sanatana, were entrusted with
recording the teachings of Shri Chaitanya and, along with their nephew Jiva Gosvami, became
the primary theologians and most prolific authors of the tradition. They produced a textual
corpus of literary and philosophical works dedicated to Krishna and, in effect, created the
entire primary canon that lies at the core of the Gaudiya Vaishnava scholastic tradition. Rupa
is perhaps best known for his Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, a treatise on the moods (bhavas) and
devotional experiences (rasas) attainable at the highest stages of krishna-bhakti, as well as for
its sequel, the Ujjvala-nilamani, on the highest bhava, madhurya. He also wrote a small
handbook on bhakti practice, the Upadeshamrita. His brother Sanatana produced a large
tome called the Brihad-bhagavatamrita – a book that moved Rupa to write this shorter
sequel, the Laghu-bhagavatamrita.

As we will see from this text, the task of the theologian – and this is the raison détre of
theology in any tradition – is not just to record a new set of religious revelations, but to
situate these in the intellectual context and scholarly milieu of the day and age. This entails
engaging the established epistemologies and scholarly methods and protocols of the time. In
other words, for an emerging tradition to be taken seriously by outsiders, it needs to establish
its credentials. For the Vedanta tradition, within which the Gaudiyas locate themselves, this
entails hermeneutics: interpreting the established body of scripture recognized as
authoritative by the greater Vedanta tradition in such a way as to accommodate the new
revelations.

Put differently, the Gaudiya tradition lays claim to previously unrevealed truths imparted by
Shri Chaitanya to the Gosvamis, especially Rupa and Sanatana. Since Shri Chaitanya is
deemed an incarnation of Krishna by His followers, His teachings are considered supremely
authoritative in their own right. But Shri Chaitanya and His followers were not simply
committed to promoting and propagating a new revelation on its own merits, but to proving
that this revelation is not only fully supported by the enormous existing classical Sanskrit
textual tradition – Veda, Itihasa, Purana, and sutra – but is actually its culmination. The
Gosvamis were entrusted with demonstrating this.

This is no easy feat – the highly elaborate network of devotional relationships and moods that
can be exchanged and cultivated between various categories of devotees and Krishna as
taught by Shri Chaitanya is nowhere explicitly set out even in the tradition’s primary text, the
Shrimad-Bhagavatam Purana. Nor does the text clearly schematize the complex web of
relationships between the multiplicity of divine manifestations and avataras of Krishna
Himself, nor present a comprehensively systematic hierarchical map of the various abodes
and divine realms they inhabit. Indeed, even the divine Brahman realm of Goloka – the
ultimate destination of the entire tradition, where devotees strive to gain residence so as to
engage in eternal rasa with Krishna – receives only a cursory mention in the Bhagavata, the
scripture par excellence of the tradition. And what then to speak of locating this entire vast
and highly intricate spiritual universe in the larger textual corpus of the shruti and smriti,
which a Vedantist would need to do in order to be taken seriously outside the community of
believers?

Taking on such a project requires remarkable exegetical skill and erudition. The new
revelations must be presented as being implicit and concealed in the Bhagavata – just as
Krishna himself is concealed in the shruti corpus, specifically, the Vedas and Upanishads. So,
as with all predecessor interpreters of Vedanta, the task of the orthodox exegete is not to
pronounce some brand new teachings but to locate and extricate the “new” lineage teachings
from their seed forms lying hitherto undetected or underdeveloped in the existing sources. In
other words, absolute truths, by definition, cannot be created or freshly composed; they are
eternal and embodied in the eternal Vedas. But by dint of already existing in a dormant or
concealed state in these sacred texts, they can be progressively revealed at various times in
human history (usually by divine avataras). This is how the followers of the Gaudiya tradition
understand Shri Chaitanya’s teachings of the krishna-bhakti distinctive of this school.

The Six Gosvamis rose to their assigned tasks of identifying and excavating the various
hidden ingredients of the Gaudiya theology from the vast corpus of Sanskrit literature. The
sheer depth and breadth of erudition of the Gosvamis – especially Rupa, Sanatana, and their
nephew Jiva — is simply astonishing: the reader will find quotes in the Laghu-bhagavatamrita
from an endless array of Sanskrit texts. The Gosvamis clearly demonstrate that propagating a
devotionality that culminates in intoxicated emotional states of krishna-bhava is not (as some
of their critics supposed) an inferior type of religiosity suitable for unschooled emotional
simpletons. Rupa and his colleagues stand out amongst the intellectual giants of the entire
history of Indian scholasticism.

Rupas work is also an excellent example of traditional hermeneutics. The essential underlying
principle of such hermeneutics, as Rupa notes with reference to the Kurma Purana, is that
when there appear to be contradictions between differing scriptures, or even differing
sections within a scripture, one should not consider one to be incorrect, but “rather one
should seek an elucidation that reconciles the two statements” (5.327). The exegetical
ingenuity and mastery Rupa demonstrates in scripturally substantiating the amazingly
intricate but wondrous vision of an unlimited Godhead and His primary manifestations as
revealed by Shri Chaitanya, and the sheer scope of Sanskrit literature he brings to bear on his
task, have few precedents in the entire Sanskrit literary tradition.

It is very gratifying to see the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust take on the task of publishing the
primary texts of the Gaudiya tradition at such a high standard of scholarship.
Gopiparanadhana’s Sanskrit is superb, and his commentary, based on that of Baladeva
Vidyabhushana, is erudite and written very much in the mood, style, and tone of traditional
commentators — engaging the purvapaksha (opposing point of view), but free of
sectarianism and polemics. While this volume will naturally be of great interest to ISKCON
members seeking access to the intellectual writings of their founding fathers, publications of
this quality can transcend their own in-house readership and be of interest to the greater
scholarly community, as well as the educated lay public, when they are written in a scholarly
idiom.

The Six Gosvamis wrote a vast body of work in order to preserve and propagate Shri
Chaitanya’s teachings for posterity. The BBT has risen to the occasion of producing a high-
quality edition of an important Gaudiya text that approaches the academic standards of
scholarship of our day and age – just as the Gosvamis committed themselves to doing in
accordance with the scholarly milieu of their own times. This level of publication thus
provides a great resource for all students and scholars of religion. The possibility of the BBT
becoming not just a publishing house for preaching literature but also the go-to source for
outstanding scholarly editions of the Gaudiya classics for academics and the larger
intellectual community is a very welcome prospect. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami stressed
repeatedly that he wanted these books to be appreciated by the intelligentsia. Publications of
the standard of this Laghu-bhagavatamrita are an impressive and very welcome step in that
direction.

Edwin Bryant

Professor of Hindu Religion and Philosophy

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

***
 Preface

Medieval India saw a dynamic and far-reaching efflorescence of popular devotion to Lord
Krishna, sometimes called ‘the bhakti renaissance’. This movement was largely propagated by
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (14861534 AD), whom the faithful accept as Lord Krishna
Himself, manifested in the form of a devotee who taught the chanting of His own names.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu directly inspired in His followers a tremendous outpouring of
works in Sanskrit on philosophy and theology, as well as devotional songs, poetry, drama, and
hagiography. The Laghu-Bhagavatamrita is one such theological work, by Shrila Rupa
Gosvami, a chief disciple of Lord Chaitanya and one of the most important Gaudiya
Vaishnava acharyas.

There is much in the present day that may be compared to that medieval Indian renaissance
of Vaishnava bhakti, and recent decades have also witnessed a similar explosion of devotion
to Krishna – though it is now worldwide. This was effected mainly by the foremost modern
representative of the same Gaudiya tradition, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
(ISKCON), popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement.

When Shrila Rupa Gosvami authored the Laghu-Bhagavatamrita in the sixteenth century,
there was a great need to prove that Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Most Vaishnavas accepted Lord Vishnu as the original form of the Supreme Lord, considering
Krishna merely one of His avataras — albeit the most beloved of the Lord’s many forms.
Much has changed since Rupa Gosvami wrote this book, but the need to demonstrate how
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead remains urgent today, when so few
believe in any God at all – much less in a God who is a dark-complexioned flute-playing
cowherd boy named Krishna. Shrila Rupa Gosvami herein provides a compelling scriptural
exegesis of that assertion. In a modern world permeated by varieties of atheism, voidism, and
impersonalism, this book thus has great relevance for the spiritual lives of all sincere seekers,
especially aspiring devotees of Krishna.

The essential teachings of the Vedas are found in the Upanishads, whose philosophical
content Vyasadeva codified as the Vedanta-sutras. While many Vaishnavas therefore focus
their theological scholarship on these sutras, others consider Shrimad-Bhagavatam to be
Vyasadeva’s own commentary on the Vedanta-sutras, and thus the Bhagavatam has long been
the paramount scripture for Vaishnavas, especially in North India. Its essential teaching, as
understood by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is summarized in this traditional verse:

aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrindavanam

ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita
srimad-bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pum artho mahan
sri-caitanya-mahaprabhor matam idam tatradaro nah parah
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead to be worshiped is Krishna, the son of Vrajas king; His
eternal abode is Vrindavana; the mode of worship most pleasing to Him is that practiced by
the women of Vraja; ShrimadBhagavatam is the pristine scriptural evidence; and pure love of
God is the highest objective of mankind. This is the doctrine of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
which we hold in utmost regard.” 1

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita of Shrila Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami’s elder brother and
another chief disciple of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, highlights the pure devotees
mentioned in Shrimad-Bhagavatam and the various forms of the Lord they worship, as well as
their respective abodes, thus expanding the Bhagavatam’s ocean of nectar. 2 Shrila Rupa
Gosvami composed Laghu-Bhagavatamrita as a sequel to Brihad-bhagavatamrita,
highlighting the Lord Himself. 3 In one sense, then, the Laghu-bhagavatamrita is the creme
de la creme of the Vedas, in that it focuses on the essential and primary truth known as
sambandha-jnana, preliminary understanding of the relationship between the Godhead and
all His emanations.

The Laghu-bhagavatamrita provides ample evidence about the multiforms of Godhead vis-a-
vis Lord Krishna and His pure devotees; as the author writes in text 10:

Now, by describing His various self-same forms one after another, I will show, through
appraisal of comparative excellence, that Krishna is the most worshipable Supreme
Lord.

To consider this aim, we may look to one of the most important scriptural references for
followers of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: Shrimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.28 (cited at Laghu-
bhagavatamrita 5.180). That verse follows a long list of incarnations and expansions of the
Lord that are described in Vedic literature, and contrasts them to Lord Krishna, whom it calls
svayam bhagavan, “the Lord’s own personal form”:

ete camsa-kalah pumsah

krishnas tu bhagavan svayam

“All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the
plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Shri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead.”

Emphasizing Krishnas unique and primary position as the superlative, original Supreme
Personality of Godhead, this verse is a foundational axiom of Gaudiya Vaishnava theology.
Following Shrila Jiva Gosvami (in Krishnasandarbha 29), Gaudiya acharyas consider it the
Paribhasa-sutra, or governing declaration, of the Shrimad-Bhagavatam (Goswami 2012: 142,
ft). Its gist is encapsulated in the words krishnas tu bhagavan svayam, which may be loosely
translated as “Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

While the Brihad-bhagavatamrita was clearly predicated on this understanding, in that book
Shrila Sanatana Gosvami made no attempt to corroborate it, perhaps because Shrimad-
Bhagavatam itself was already widely regarded as explicit, unambiguous, and authoritative.
Shriman Gopiparanadhana Dasa, who also wrote the commentated translation of the
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust edition of Brihad-bhagavatamrita, therein explains (2002: xvi) that
Shrila Sanatana Gosvami left the task of conclusively establishing Krishna’s preeminence to
Shrila Rupa Gosvami, who then wrote his Laghu-bhagavatamrita. Herein, Shrila Rupa
Gosvami approaches this theological conclusion gradually and methodically, exemplifying the
careful scriptural discrimination that characterizes those empowered to propagate Krishna
consciousness. The same assertion – that Krishna is the original Supreme Godhead Himself –
was further elaborated upon by Shrila Jiva Gosvami in his Krishna-sandarbha, and it has been
exhaustively explained by various other Gaudiya Vaishnava scholars down to the present day.

Shrila Prabhupada stated that his mission was to deliver the Western world (in particular)
from the grip of voidism and impersonalism, 4 and his explicit strategy was to establish Lord
Shri Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His inimitable presentation of Krishna
consciousness to the modern world was an unimaginably ambitious effort focused on this
purpose. He clearly expressed his own profound appreciation of the importance of this simple
truth even before founding ISKCON. 5 He later instituted daily practices in his ISKCON
movement such that even casual ISKCON participants would, at least in theory, understand
unmistakably that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His Divine Grace
repeatedly emphasized this essential truth throughout his many books, recorded lectures,
correspondence, and personal conversations – so much so that His Holiness Tamal Krishna
Goswami could fairly identify it as Shrila Prabhupada’s mahavakya, 6 or definitive slogan
(2012: 127):

For Prabhupada, the wide range of topics that come under the umbrella of sambandha
is commanded by one axiomatic truth: Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
This is Prabhupada’s mahavakya, his “great saying” that informs the entire content of
his thought, which would radically change without it. As a semantic time-release
device, it is deployed throughout his already prioritized texts as a gradual disclosure of
reality.

Nowhere are Prabhupada’s pedagogical skills more in demand than in making the
otherwise abstruse Gaudiya Vaishnava ontology comprehensible. Much of this burden
is shouldered by formulaic assertions, foremost among them his mahavakya: Krishna is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 7

The Laghu-bhagavatamrita theologically corroborates this simple yet sublime assertion in

great detail and with copious scriptural references, thus elevating popular Krishnaite
devotion beyond poetic sentiment or personal opinion, and using the conventional terms of a
serious philosophical exegesis.

Readers will find this book a valuable source of information that answers the kinds of
perennial questions all genuine spiritual aspirants must ask. Also, it can serve as a helpful
resource when celebrating the appearance days of the major incarnations listed herein. Both
the text and its learned commentary can also reconcile what might appear to be
contradictory statements from different Vedic authorities. On a deeper level, it implicitly
recognizes that logically irreconcilable disagreements exist even among liberated Vaishnavas
and mahajanas; this characteristic is also shared by its companion work, the Brihad-
bhagavatamrita.
The Laghu-bhagavatamrita is one of the Gaudiya Vaishnava traditions most important and
definitive texts. It is a foundational work substantiating the essential theological conclusion
animating the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the institution that is the
major vehicle for transmitting the teachings of Gaudiya Vaishnavism worldwide and that His
Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded and guided more than four
centuries after the book’s composition. Hare Krishna.

Mukunda Datta Dasa

Shridhama Vrindavana

Shri Gaura-purnima

March 19, 2014

1 This is the mangalacharana (invocation) in the commentary on Shrimad-Bhagavatam by Shrinatha Chakravarti

Thakura, a commentary called the Chaitanya-mata-manjusha.

2 The compound word bhagavatamrita may also be translated as “the nectar of the Bhagavatam’” or even “the
nectarean devotees.” As Gopiparanadhana Prabhu writes in his English commentary on text 1.6: “By the
definition of the word bhagavata, a book named Bhagavatamrita should describe both the Supreme Lord and
His devotees.”

3 The title Brihad-bhagavatamrita means “the great Bhagavatamrita,’ and Laghu-bhagavatamrita means “the
minor Bhagavatamrita”. The Laghu-bhagavatamrita is sometimes also called the Sankshepa-bhagavatamrita (as
suggested in text 1.5), which literally means “the summary Bhagavatamrita”.

4 The verse used in ISKCON for offering obeisance to Shrila Prabhupada is:

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine

nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine

“Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly
preaching the message of Lord Chaitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with
impersonalism and voidism.”

Shrila Prabhupada necessarily composed this verse himself, since in the early days of ISKCON his disciples knew
little or no Sanskrit.

5 In his now famous 1936 Vyasa-puja address before members and guests of the Bombay Gaudiya Matha, Shrila
Prabhupada said:

Had [Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura| not appeared before us, we would not have been able to
understand the eternal truth of the sublime teaching of Lord Chaitanya – had he not appeared before
us, we could not have been able to know the significance of the first shloka of Brahma-samhita:

ishvarah paramah krishnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

anddir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam

“Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body.
He is the origin of all, He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes.”
6 Goswami thus echoes, and then directly quotes, the noted scholar S.K. De (1961: 321), who had said the same
thing about Shrimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.28 itself, on the basis of the Krishna-sandarbha of Shrila Jiva Gosvami
(Goswami 2012: 143-144).

7 Goswami further describes (2012:157) Shrila Prabhupada’s fidelity and careful handling of this truth inherited
from his predecessors (including Shrila Rupa Gosvami):

As expected, it is not in outright doctrinal originality that Prabhupada makes his mark, but through
creativity in the area of preservation and transmission. His genius is appropriation, a creative retaining
and reshaping, ensuring that the latter both guarantees and extends the former. His predecessors had
used the mahavakya’s Sanskritic equivalent to assemble subordinate images, citing it on occasion, but
when not, still allowing its hidden strength to reconcile contradictions and guide their arguments.
Recognizing its untapped potential, Prabhupada steps up the mahavakya’s utility through transmission
and by constant repetition, and harnesses its mantra-like force. The resultant revelation communicates
ultimate reality in a manner that uniquely bridges the Gaudiya tradition and its newly found audiences.
This is a considerable achievement.

***
 Shrila Rupa Gosvami

What we know about the life of the Laghu-bhagavatamrita’s author comes mostly from
Krishnadasa Kaviraja’s Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita and Narahari Chakravarti’s Bhakti-
ratnakara. These two sources inform us that Shrila Rupa Gosvami (c. 1489-1564) was a direct
disciple of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and that he and his brother, Shri Sanatana Gosvami,
were the most senior of the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavana, the exalted group who helped
establish the Gaudiya sampradaya.

Rupa Gosvami was born into a family of respectable Sarasvata brahmanas from the southern
province of Karnataka. His great-grandfather, Rupeshvara, after a quarrel with his brother
Harihara, migrated east, and Rupas grandfather, Padmanabha, settled on the bank of the
Ganga at Naihati, West Bengal. Rupa’s father, Shri Kumara, moved further east into what is
now the Jessore district of Bangladesh, where he settled and had a number of sons, the last
three of whom he named Amara (later, Sanatana), Santosha (later, Rupa), and Vallabha
(Anupama). These three brothers were attracted to devotional service from childhood —
Amara and Santosha were especially attracted to Lord Krishna and Vallabha to Lord
Ramachandra.

The brothers proved extremely competent scholars and managers, and the Mogul tyrant
Nawab Hussain Shah pressed them into government service. Amara was appointed the
Nawab’s Prime Minister, Santosha his chief assistant minister, and Vallabha his state
treasurer. Turning over most of his responsibilities to the three brothers, the Nawab felt free
to pursue his military ambitions.

The brothers established themselves in Ramakeli, near the Nawab’s capital. By this time
Santosha had become known by his official title Dabira Khasa, and Amara by Sakara Mallika.
Still, despite their powerful positions, their only real joy in life lay in serving Krishna and His
devotees. They opened their wealthy estate to the Vaishnavas, planted groves of kadamba and
other Vrindavana trees to remind their guests of Krishna, built replicas of sacred Radha-
kunda and Syama-kunda, and invited learned panditas to hold discussions on Shrimad-
Bhagavatam and other Shastras. The brothers became renowned for their own scholarship
and exalted characters.

The three of them heard that Lord Chaitanya was living as a family man in Navadvipa and
became eager to meet Him, but how could they? They felt degraded and untouchable. Their
father, Kumaradeva, had been so strict in his brahminical principles that if he had even seen
the face of a meat-eater he would have fasted for the day, and here they were, working as paid
servants of a yavana king. Nonetheless, they wrote to Lord Chaitanya.

The Lord encouraged them to be patient about their situation:

para-vyasanini nari
vyagrapi grha-karmasu
 tad evasvadayaty antar
nava-sanga-rasayanam

“If a woman is attached to a man other than her husband, she will appear very busy in
household affairs, though within her heart always relishing the company of her paramour.’
(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 1.211)

After Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa He decided to go to Vrindavana. Followed by

large crowds He proceeded north and stopped at Ramakeli. Meanwhile, Hussain Shah
received news that a sannyasi named Chaitanya was creating a stir in the countryside. By
consulting with Dabira Khasa and other ministers the Nawab decided that Chaitanya was a
worthy saint — perhaps even God Himself – and ordered that no one interfere with His
doings. Still, Dabira Khasa worried that the capricious Hussain Shah could turn against Lord
Chaitanya. Thus in the middle of the night he and Sakara Mallika went incognito to warn the
Lord of the danger.

The two approached Lord Chaitanya with straws between their teeth to show their humility.
They prostrated themselves before Him and with plaintive prayers confessed their unfitness
to receive His mercy.

In response the Lord showered them with affection:

shuni’ mahaprabhu kahe, — shuna, dabira-khasa

tumi dui bhai — mora puratana dasa

“After hearing their prayer, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, ‘My dear Dabira Khasa, you two
brothers are My old servants.

My dear Sakara Mallika, from this day your names will be changed to Shrila Rupa and Shrila
Sanatana. Now please abandon your humility, for My heart is breaking to see you so humble.”
(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 1.207-208)

Sanatana then advised that Lord Chaitanya not go to Vrindavana with so many people, and
the Lord accepted his advice and returned to His base at Puri. The three brothers – Rupa,
Sanatana, and Anupama – then made plans to join Him, and they engaged brahmanas in
performing purificatory rituals to help them give up their material life and realize their hope.
Soon, Rupa and Anupama loaded the bulk of their wealth on a large boat and left Ramakeli
for their hometown, leaving their senior brother, Sanatana, to deal with Hussain Shah. In
case Sanatana might need funds, Rupa deposited a large sum with a merchant in Ramakeli
and informed Sanatana about this in a letter. The rest of their wealth he distributed to family
members, brahmanas, and various Vaishnavas.

Rupa and Anupama heard that Lord Chaitanya was making a second attempt to visit
Vrindavana, and they set out in that direction in hopes of meeting Him. By then, though,
Lord Chaitanya was already on His way back, and the brothers met up with Him at Prayaga
(now Allahabad). Lord Chaitanya was very happy to see Rupa and Anupama freed from their
material obligations, and He placed His feet on their heads in blessing. Later, at a place in
Prayaga called Dashashvamedha-ghata, Lord Chaitanya spent ten days instructing Rupa
Gosvami and blessed him with the power to understand and disseminate the ultimate
conclusions about Lord Krishna, devotional service, and the truth about the transcendental
mellows, culminating in conjugal love between Radha and Krishna. 1

1 The summary of these teachings is presented in Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, chapter 19.

Rupa wanted to accompany the Lord back to Puri, but the Lord ordered him to go to
Vrindavana instead. Soon, He promised, the brothers could visit Him in Puri.

Shrila Kavi-karnapura, an eminent poet among Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotees, writes in

his Chaitanya-chandrodaya (9.29, 38):

yah prag eva priya-guna-ganair gadha-baddho pi mukto

gehadhyasdad rasa iva paro murta evapy amurtah
premaldpair drdhatara-parisvanga-rangaih prayage
tam shri-rupam samam anupamenanujagraha devah

“From the very beginning, Shrila Rupa Gosvami was bound by attraction to the qualities of
his beloved Lord yet free from the false identification of family life. Although Shrila Rupa had
no material body, he was the embodiment of the transcendental tastes of devotional service.
At Prayaga the Lord bestowed mercy on Rupa and his brother Anupama, holding loving
conversations with them and embracing them with wholehearted pleasure.”

kalena vrindavana-keli-varta
lupteti tam khyapayitum visisya
krpamritenabhisiseca devas
tatraiva rupam ca sanatanam ca

“In the course of time, the transcendental news of Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana was
almost lost. To carry out the work in Vrindavana of explicitly enunciating those pastimes,
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu empowered Shrila Rupa Gosvami and Shrila Sanatana Gosvami
with the nectar of His mercy.’

Rupa and Anupama went on to Vrindavana, and, having reached Mathura, met Subuddhi
Raya, another devotee Lord Chaitanya had sent there. The brothers stayed in Subuddhi Raya’s
company for one month, touring the twelve forests of Vraja. After that, they went east in
search of Sanatana Gosvami. By then, Sanatana, having finally escaped from the hands of
Hussain Shah, was already on his way to Vrindavana. The brothers missed each other as they
traveled in opposite directions between Prayaga and Vrindavana.

Reaching Varanasi, Rupa and Anupama were extremely happy to see how the city, although
known to be a seat of Mayavada philosophers, had been transformed by Shri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu’s visit. They also learned about the meeting between Lord Chaitanya and
Sanatana Gosvami and Sanatana’s departure for Vrindavana on the Lord's order. Rupa and
Anupama decided to go to Jagannatha Puri through Bengal and not to immediately look for
Sanatana Gosvami. On that journey, on the banks of the Ganga in Bengal, Anupama passed
away. Because of the delay caused by his brother’s death, Rupa couldn't join the Bengali
devotees on their annual pilgrimage to Jagannatha Puri, so later proceeded to Puri alone.
Finally arriving in Jagannatha Puri, Rupa Gosvami met Lord Chaitanya, who had been
awaiting him there. The Lord suggested that Rupa Gosvami live with Shrila Haridasa
Thakura, and then introduced him to all the devotees, who embraced Rupa Gosvami with
affection. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Rupa and Haridasa every day, blessing them with
His personal association and bringing them prasada from Lord Jagannatha’s temple. Neither
Rupa nor Haridasa would enter the temple; absorbed in humility, they considered themselves
unfit.

There was an incident after the Ratha-yatra that proved that Lord Chaitanya had empowered
Shrila Rupa Gosvami to understand and express in writing the inner feelings of His heart.
Each year, as the Lord danced before Lord Jagan-natha’s chariot, the Lord always uttered a
particular verse, the meaning of which no one except Svarupa Damodara could understand:

yah kaumara-harah sa eva hi varas ta eva caitra-ksapas

te conmilita-malati-surabhayah praudhah kadambanilah
sa caivasmi tathapi tatra surata-vyapara-lila-vidhau
reva-rodhasi vetasi-taru-tale cetah samutkanthate

“That very personality who stole away my heart during my youth is now again my master.
These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Chaitra.

The same fragrance of blooming malati flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are
blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet
still my mind is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Reva
under the Vetasi tree. That is my desire.” (Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya 1.78)

Having by chance overheard Chaitanya Mahaprabhu reciting this verse, Rupa Gosvami
composed another verse to describe the meaning of the first verse:

priyah so ‘yam krishnah saha-cari kuru-ksetra-militas

tathaham sa radha tad idam ubhayoh sangama-sukham
tathapy antah-khelan-madhura-murali-panchama-juse
mano me kalindi-pulina-vipinaya sprhayati

“My dear friend, now I have met My very old and dear friend Krishna on this field of
Kurukshetra. I am the same Radharani, and now We are meeting together. It is very pleasant,
but I would still like to go to the bank of the Yamuna beneath the trees of the forest there. I
wish to hear the vibration of His sweet flute playing the fifth note within that forest of
Vrindavana.”

Writing the verse on a palm leaf, Rupa Gosvami slipped it between the thatches in his roof
and went to the ocean to bathe. Lord Chaitanya arrived, and seeing the palm leaf among the
thatches, read it and became overwhelmed with ecstatic love. When Rupa Gosvami returned,
the Lord slapped him mildly in love and spoke, “My heart is very confidential. How did you
know My mind in this way?” Saying this, He firmly embraced Rupa Gosvami. Later, Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu showed Rupas verse to Svarupa Damodara, who concluded that Rupa Gosvami
could understand the Lord’s heart only by the Lord’s causeless mercy. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
confirmed that in Prayaga He had bestowed on Rupa His transcendental potency. The Lord
then entrusted Rupa Gosvami to Svarupa Damodara for further instruction in bhakti-rasa.

On another day, Lord Chaitanya glorified Rupa Gosvami's poetry in a gathering of devotees.
Ramananda Raya, an expert in Sanskrit poetry and dramaturgy, was struck with wonder at
Rupa Gosvami's poetic genius, and like Svarupa Damodara, he concluded that Rupa’s ability
was a sign of his empowerment by Lord Chaitanya.

Rupa Gosvami stayed in Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s company until the Dola-yatra festival
in March. Then Lord Chaitanya sent him to Vrindavana with the mission to establish the
service of Lord Krishna, preach that service by writing books, and excavate the lost holy
places. This was the second-last meeting between Shrila Rupa Gosvami and Shri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu.

From Nilachala Rupa Gosvami again visited Bengal. There he distributed the remainder of his
assets, and, being fully relieved from all worldly obligations, traveled to Vrindavana as Shri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had requested him.

In Vrindavana Rupa and Sanatana were fully immersed in the mood of separation,
remembering Krishna and His eternal devotees. The brothers gave up all material
indulgences, wandered about the holy land with no fixed residence, and almost completely
forgot to eat and sleep. Sometimes staying together and sometimes moving separately, they
searched constantly for the forgotten places of Krishna’s pastimes and wrote books on
Krishna consciousness, guided always by Shrimad-Bhagavatam and other devotional
scriptures.

Shrila Rupa Gosvami was instrumental in discovering the deities of Shri Govindadeva and
Shrimati Vrinda Devi.

Shri Govinda Himself came to Rupa Gosvami in the form of a Vrajavasi and told him to
search for His Deity on Goma-tila, in the spot where, as the Vrajavasi told it, a cow used to
come every day and moisten the ground with her milk. With these directions and the help of
locals, Rupa Gosvami eventually unearthed a beautiful Deity – the one he had read
descriptions of in the scriptures. Eventually, a beautiful, seven-story, red sandstone temple
was constructed for Shri Govindadeva under the patronage of the famous Emperor Akbar and
with the sponsorship of Jaipur's King Man Singh. Unfortunately, in the early eighteenth
century this magnificent temple was partially destroyed by the invader Aurangzeb, and the
Deity of Govindadeva was taken to Jaipur for His safety.

Rupa Gosvami discovered a deity of Shrimati Vrinda Devi on the banks of Brahma-kunda, not
far from Goma-tila, after being directed in a dream by Vrinda Devi herself. This deity is now
established at the Radha-Govinda temple in Kamyavana.

Rupa Gosvami had also personally carved the Deity of Shri Damodara for Shrila Jiva Gosvami,
who became Rupa Gosvami's disciple in Vrindavana. Jiva Gosvami established a temple for
Shri Damodara, where Rupa Gosvami had his bhajana-kutira and later his samadhi.
Rupa Gosvamis literary contribution to the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya is monumental.
He was the author of more than sixteen books – a total of about 100,000 verses. The following
is a brief description of these books: 2

2 Some works by Rupa Gosvami included in the Stava-mala compilation are mentioned separately.

Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (“The ocean of the nectarean bhakti-rasa”) – arguably the most

important of Rupa Gosvamis works. In its four divisions, compared to the four parts of the
ocean, the book comprehensively and systematically describes the process of bhakti and its
various stages, and analyzes the twelve rasas in relation to Lord Krishna.

Ujjvala-nilamani (“The sapphire of ujjvala-rasa” 3) – an addendum to Bhaktirasamrita-

sindhu, this book delves into the shringara-rasa, describing in detail its various facets,
including its object (Krishna), subject (Krishna’s beloveds, such as Radha), and the roles of
Their various companions (messengers, sakhis, etc.) in Their amorous pastimes in Vraja.
Following the pattern of Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu the book also analyzes the essential
components of shringara-rasa, such as uddipana, anubhava, etc.

3 Here, “amorous.”

Vidagdha-madhava (“Clever Madhava”) – an eight-act play about Shri Krishna’s Vrindavana

pastimes. Some of the pastimes described are Krishna’s fluteplaying and its effects; the
mutual attraction between Radha and Krishna prior to Their first meeting (purva-raga) and
Radha’s writing of a love letter to Krishna; Radha and Krishna’s meeting; the stealing of
Krishna’ flute; Krishna’s appeasement of Radha’s anger; pastimes of the Divine Couple in
autumn; and Krishna’ dressing Himself as a Deity of Gauri (Durga) in order to meet Radha.

Lalita-madhava (“Gentle Madhava’) – a ten-act play about Lord Krishna’s pastimes outside
of Vraja and in Dvaraka. The drama starts with the description of the mysterious birth of two
sisters, Radha and Chandravali, how Krishna disguised Himself as priest of the sun god, and
the killing of Shankhachuda. The play goes on to describe the sakhis’ agony of separation
from Krishna after He left for Mathura and what befell them after His departure; Krishna
watching a drama in Mathura about His own Vraja pastimes; Krishnas regaining of
Chandravali, Lalita, and other gopis in the form of queens; Krishna's longing for Radha and
His meeting Her in Nava-vrindavana in Dvaraka; and the marriage of Radha and Krishna.
Rupa Gosvami originally planned to compile a drama that contained the incidents in both the
Vidagdha-madhava and the Lalita-madhava, but Satyabhama appeared to him in a dream and
ordered him to separate the pastimes into two separate works. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
later confirmed this order.

Dana-keli-kaumudi (“the moonlight on the toll pastime”) – a short, one-act play about the
toll-collecting pastime, which happened at Govardhana Hill. Radha and her sakhis were on
their way to Govinda-kunda when Krishna and his friends blocked their way and demanded a
ridiculously high toll for the ghee the gopis carried. A animated dispute ensued, full of
mutual challenges, accusations, word jugglery, and inconspicuous loving exchanges between
Radha and Krishna, culminating in Their joyful union.
Nataka-chandrika (“The moonlight on nataka” 4) – Rupa Gosvamis textbook on dramaturgy,
which defines and explains all aspects of playwriting. The text is illustrated with examples
taken from the author's Lalita-madhava.

4 A type of large drama in Sanskrit dramaturgy.

Stava-mala (“A garland of hymns”) – a large compilation of ashtakas, songs, poems, and
graphical verses (chitra-kavitvani), written by Rupa Gosvami and compiled by Jiva Gosvami.

Padyavali (“Anthology of poetic verses”) – an anthology of verses about Lord Krishna and
devotional service composed by about 125 authors. The verses are grouped under a wide
range of topics.

Samanya-virudavali-lakshana (“A general definition of the virudavali poetry”) – the only

book that defines the virudavali style of Sanskrit poetry. Virudavali is a complex poetic style
involving various types of rhythmical phrasing, abundant alliteration, special word choices,
and a particular compositional structure. To show the theory in practice, Rupa Gosvami
wrote Govinda-virudavali (“Virudavali in praise of Govinda”), which describes the pastimes of
Lord Govinda beginning from His birth. This piece is included in the Stava-mala.

Mathura-mahatmya (“The glory of Mathura”) – a collection of verses from the Puranas

glorifying the sacred region of Mathura (Vraja-dhama).

Hamsa-duta (“The swan messenger”) – a heart-wrenching description of Radha’ feelings of

separation after Krishnas departure for Mathura. Radha is on the verge of death, and Lalita
goes to the Yamuna to fetch water for Her. There Lalita sees a swan, to which she gives a
message for Krishna. In her loving anger Lalita tells Krishna of Radha’s condition and begs
Krishna to return and save Radha’s life.

Uddhava-sandesha (“The message of Uddhava”) – in this poem Krishna sends Uddhava to

Vrindavana to solace the gopis, especially Radha. Both Hamsa-duta and Uddhava-sandesha
are written in the mood of the famous Megha-duta of Kalidasa. Both contain descriptions of
various places in Vraja.

Radha-krishna-ganoddesha-dipika (“Indications illuminating the entourage of Radha-

Krishna’) – In its two parts (Brihat and Laghu) the book describes the attributes (age,
appearance, dress color, parentage, etc.) of Krishna, Radha, and Their associates.

Krishnabhisheka 5 (“The bathing of Krishna”) – a manual for worshiping – and particularly

bathing – the Deity of Lord Krishna on Janmastami.

Prayuktakhyata-chandrika (“Moonlight on commonly used verbs”) – a small lexical work

useful to writers. The book is a selection of commonly used verbal roots with their meanings
drawn from a larger work, the Adbhutakhyata-chandrika by Bhatta-malla.

5 Also known as Krishna-janma-tithi-vidhi.

Nikunja-rahasya-stava (“Glorification of the secret pastimes in the groves”) a poem

describing the very confidential pastimes of Radha and Krishna in the forest groves of
Vrindavana.
***
 Introduction

This edition of Shrila Rupa Gosvami’s Laghu-bhagavatamrita is divided into two sections, as
is the original text: Krishnamrita, dealing with Krishna and His expansions, and Bhaktamrita,
dealing with His most prominent devotees. The translator, Gopiparanadhana Dasa,
comments at text 1.2.7 on the general style used in this work:

“Shrila Rupa Gosvami presents the Laghu-bhagavatamrita in the typically concise style
of philosophical shastras: short definitions and statements of fact with the support of
quotations from authoritative scriptures, which are then often followed by the author's
own karikas, or explanatory verses.”

The Krishnamrita section consists of five chapters. After offering obeisances and defining the
methodology he used for his work, 1 Shrila Rupa Gosvami states that his purpose is to
demonstrate that Krishna is the most worshipable Supreme Personality of Godhead (1.1.10).
To do so, he describes a hierarchy of the Lord’s diverse forms and distinguishes the original
(Shri Krishna) from His parts or plenary expansions, largely on the basis of the qualities and
potencies each form displays. 2 He illustrates clearly why Shrimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.26 depicts
the Lord's incarnations as limitless. The commentary informs us that, unlike Shrimad-
Bhagavatam (1.3), the Laghu-bhagavatamrita (1.3.2) lists these avataras in the order of Their
appearance. The text also describes three paravastha forms of the Lord – Nrisimha, Rama,
and Krishna – who display increasing degrees of supreme opulence, culminating in the
complete manifestation of opulence in Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such
statements corroborate those of another text central to Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, Shri
Brahma-samhita, which declares that Shri Krishna is the ultimate form, the origin of all, and
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Notably, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu brought this
Brahma-samhita back to Bengal from South India, indicating that these conclusions were to
be found then even in the region of Kanyakumari, far from the birthplace of Gaudiya
Vaishnavism.

1 These are both standard conventions. The commentary on text 7 in this edition presents a summary of the
epistemology typically used in Vedic philosophical works; Shrila Rupa Gosvami favors shabda-pramana
(authoritative testimony), as have pure devotees since time immemorial.

2 See the summary of the Laghu-bhagavatamrita given in the Bhaktivedanta purport to Shri
Chaitanyacharitamrita, Madhya-lila, text 1.41.

The manner in which the Laghu-bhagavatamrita classifies this tremendous variety of divine
forms may help readers deepen their appreciation for the theological context of another key
Gaudiya Vaishnava assertion: that Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the nonblackish
form of Lord Krishna Himself, descending in this Kali-yuga (as per the traditional
interpretation of Shrimad-Bhagavatam 11.5.32): 3
 krishna-varnam tvisakrishnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah

In this age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the
incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna. Although His
complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates,
servants, weapons, and confidential companions. 4

3 This is also the second verse of Laghu-bhagavatamrita and the opening verse of Shrila Jiva Gosvami's Tattva-
sandarbha.

4 Although Shrila Rupa Gosvami cites many scriptural references that are cohesive and logically consistent, this
is potentially confusing unless one considers them all in light of what the authoritative commentaries explain.
For example, one might ask: If Lord Chaitanya comes only once in a day of Brahma, then what color and type is
the incarnation in Kali-yugas when Lord Chaitanya doesn't appear? Or is there no Kali-yuga incarnation, as
scriptures also say? As Sarva-samvadini (paragraph 3) explains regarding the second verse of Tattva-sandarbha,
Gargamuni says (at Shrimad-Bhagavatam, 10.8.13) that Lord Krishna comes in a yellow form. Gaudiya Vaishnava
acharyas identify this as Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, svayam bhagavan Himself. The Laghu-bhagavatamrita
(4.26) explains that normally yuga-avataras expand from the existing manvantara-avatara, but its commentary
on text 4.41 describes the yuga-avatara for Kali-yuga as a jiva, a shaktyavesha incarnation having a blackish
complexion. ‘That shaktyavesha incarnation unites with Lord Chaitanya whenever He appears – thus becoming
non-blackish (akrishnam). However, he same commentary (at text 4.46) includes among the prabhava forms,
“the other three yuga-avataras, whom Garga Muni described as Rakta Pita, and Krishna” (i.e., forms other than
svayam bhagavan Shri Krishna), also described therein as, “less-famous, short-term incarnations.” Meanwhile
Laghu-bhagavatamrita 4.25 says that the white (shukla), red (rakta), bluish (shyama), and black (krishna) yuga-
avataras come in the Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali ages respectively; the same commentary therein says that
according to scripture (cf., the present editions commentary on Laghu-bhagavatamrita, 1.2), the avatara in Kali-
yuga sometimes displays different hues (such as yellow). As such, a different yellow (pita) incarnation
occasionally appears in other Kali-yugas. Gold and yellow are similar enough that one may consider them
virtually the same, as has Gopiparanadhana Dasa herein and other authorities elsewhere. Therefore it is not
incorrect to say that in Kali-yuga there is no incarnation, that Lord Chaitanya (or, an empowered yuga-avatara)
is the incarnation in Kali-yuga, and that in Kali-yuga the Lord appears as either blackish, golden, or yellow.
Indeed, all of these statements appear in scripture.

Chapter five is nearly triple the length of all the other chapters combined. In it, Shrila Rupa
Gosvami explains his essential assertion (based on ShrimadBhagavatam 1.3.28) that Lord
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says that Krishna is the amshi (emanator)
and that all other forms of Godhead are His amshas (emanations). He refutes the views of
various thinkers who dispute the identity of Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
overturning scriptural misinterpretations that obscure or adulterate the conclusion of
Bhagavatam 1.3.28. Quoting diverse scriptures,’ Shrila Rupa Gosvami logically shows how
Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead because He fully exhibits all
perfections. Thus Rupa Gosvami obliges even worshipers of other forms of Lord Vishnu to at
least seriously consider the ramifications of this assertion – or ignore the scriptural authority
he cites. Likewise, his line of argument refutes what might otherwise appear to be credible
assertions within the misinterpretations given by learned impersonalists.

5 Please see the appendices for indices of verses quoted in both the text and its commentary.
Citing the Vishnu Purana, Shrila Rupa Gosvami shows how the uniquely attractive love
displayed only by Lord Krishna distinguishes Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead –
especially in the momentous epiphany by which He delivered the demon Shishupala. Therein
(1.5.40-84) he explains how Lord Krishnas liberating the demons He kills proves that He is
the original Personality of Godhead. Jaya and Vijaya weren’t liberated when, in the forms of
Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha, they were killed by Nrisimha and Varaha, respectively, nor
when they were killed by Rama in their forms as Ravana and Kumbhakarna, but only when
they were finally killed by Krishna in their forms as Shishupala and Dantavakra. It is also
noteworthy that for Shishupala this was effected largely by his chanting of Krishnas holy
names (1.5.46-49), even in the mood of enmity toward Krishna. This example suggests
Krishnas supremacy in two ways that Shrila Rupa Gosvami explains elsewhere: First, Lord
Krishna alone allows His devotees to serve Him in all twelve rasas (devotional feelings),
thereby meriting the designation akhilarasamrita-murti, “the reservoir of all devotional
mellows.” Secondly, the unique sweetness of Lord Krishnas love and beauty inspire such
intense attraction for Him that pure devotees curse the creator for making eyelids that blink,
thus momentarily obscuring sight of Him.

Shrila Rupa Gosvami also explains the great mystery of Krishna’s appearance. He reveals the
dual nature of Krishnas pastimes (manifest and unmanifest), and explains how they are all
eternal, even though they seem to begin and end. Inconceivable to mundane minds, all these
pastimes are conducted by His pastime potency, who impels Krishna devotees to act
according to His will. Some of these devotees have mundane expansions that merge with
themselves when they incarnate as earthly relatives during the Lord’s manifest pastimes. Of
course, Krishna also reciprocates with the desires of His devotees, and this reciprocation is
the definitive principle in all His spiritual relationships. Thus, unlike ordinary living entities,
whose birth and subsequent relationships are impelled by needs, events, causes, and effects
subject to physical laws such as karma, it is by His own sweet will that Krishna takes birth
from both Yashoda and Devaki, who eternally personify the perfection of maternal sentiment.
Mainly to protect the intrinsic confidentiality of such intimate relationships, great authorities
only hint at these events in various scriptures. Krishna similarly departs from and returns to
Vraja, which itself can expand or contract to accommodate any pastimes Lord Krishna
desires; time and space are rendered elastic by the Lord’s inconceivable potency. The
geography of Vraja, being non-different from the Lord, is limitlessly malleable, much as
Krishna is inconceivably able to perform any function using any of His transcendental senses.
All these wonders are invisible to those lacking pure devotion; their revelation depends
entirely on Krishna’s unfettered desire. As Shrila Rupa Gosvami writes (1.5.515):

Thus nothing is impossible for the Supreme Lord, His dear devotees, His abode, and
His own course of time. They all possess inconceivable power.

All such manifestations are inconceivably simultaneously one and different; indeed, the
Lord’s inconceivable potency (achintya-shakti) is central to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy.
Shrila Rupa Gosvami describes its inherent contradictions at length in this chapter. 6
At the end of the first section we read how Lord Krishna possesses four unique excellences –
His influence, His sportive pastimes, His flute, and His personal form – which distinguish
Him from all other forms of Godhead (1.5.526-540).”

Bhaktamrita, the second section of Laghu-bhagavatamrita, consists of only one chapter. In it

Shrila Rupa Gosvami elaborates on an essential principle of bhakti, namely, that in order to
worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead properly one must also worship His bona fide
devotees. Citing a verse from the Padma Purana, Shrila Rupa Gosvami declares this point in
text 2.1.5:

One who worships Govinda without worshiping His devotees cannot be a devotee. The
scriptures call such a person a mere pretender.

Commenting on text 2.1.8, Gopiparanadhana Prabhu explains:

The Personality of Godhead’s various forms as svayam-rupa, vilasa, vyuha, and so on

can be graded according to how fully They exhibit perfect qualities. Similarly, the
devotees of Godhead can be graded according to the quality of their devotion.

6 Shrila Jiva Gosvami later elaborated on this topic in his Bhagavata-sandarbha.

7. As listed herein, (1.5.526), the Sanskrit terms used for these four excellences displayed only by Lord Krishna
are krida-madhurya, aishvarya-madhurya, venu-madhurya, and Shri-vigraha-madhurya. Respectively, they are
also listed by Shrila Rupa Gosvami in his Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (2.1.209-217) as lila-madhurya, prema-
priyadhikya, venu-madhurya, and rupa-madhurya. Shrila Prabhupada, in his Nectar of Devotion, a summary
study of the Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, describes them as “performing wonderful activities, “surrounded by loving
devotees”, “attractive flute”, and “exquisite beauty”. (Chapter 21-22).

Shrila Rupa Gosvami then gives a list of several well-known and exemplary devotees – Lord
Shiva, Prahlada, the Pandavas, Uddhava, and, ultimately, the cowherd women of Vraja. The
list parallels that given by Shrila Sanatana Gosvami in his Brihad-bhagavatamrita. Here,
again, the spiritual milkmaids of Vraja are established as the very best of all devotees, and
readers are encouraged to worship them wholeheartedly. Ultimately, the very best of these
gopis is Shrimati Radharani, Lord Krishna’s most beloved consort. In the final verse (2.1.46,
quoted by Rupa Gosvami from the Adi Purana), Lord Krishna said:

O Partha, among all planetary systems this earth is especially fortunate, for on earth is
the town of Vrindavana. And there the gopis are especially glorious because among
them is My Shrimati Radharani.

The publisher wishes to express its thanks to Gopala Bhatta Dasa, who has been a constant
source of every kind of support for so many years. We thank him particularly for providing
funds for the production of this edition. Also indispensable has been the expert advice and
production assistance of Kaishori Devi Dasi. Jagadisha Dasa and Dravida Dasa edited the
English. Nityananda Dasa edited the Sanskrit and, along with Mukunda Datta Dasa, compiled
parts of the front and back matter. Dr. Edwin Bryant kindly wrote the foreword.
Paramananda Puri Dasa compiled the appendix showing variant readings. Prahlada Bhakta
Dasa, who helped with the appendices, also proofread, along with Vishakha-priya Devi Dasi
and Vinit. Artwork was done by Sacchidananda Dasa, and Radhapriya Devi Dasi designed the
cover. Production manager Maharshi Dasa oversaw the project and did the layout. Brahma
Muhurta Dasa, Govinda Dasa, and Hare Krishna Dasa, staff of the North European BBT,
kindly offered much expert advice.

This edition is among the last literary works of the late Gopiparanadhana Dasa Adhikari,
Shrila Prabhupada’s faithful disciple who dedicated his life to the BBT. His efforts serve the
fervent desire of Shrila Prabhupada to enlighten sincere souls with a solid, authoritative
understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Shri Krishna, and the nature of
the pure devotees eternally associated with Him. His work thus speaks with transparent
authority. The translation includes Gopiparanadhana Dasa’s English commentary, largely
based on the eighteenth-century Saranga-rangada (“Delight for True Connoisseurs”)
commentary of Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana. With only a few exceptions, both the
translation and commentary for this edition were done by Gopiparanadhana Dasa before he
passed away in 2011; in those areas where his draft was either unclear, or partial, and not
consistent with the Saranga-rangada, the production staff completed them so as to represent
that commentary.

Present and future generations of Vaishnavas owe a significant debt to the late
Gopiparanadhana Dasa Adhikari, who produced this Laghubhagavatamrita, truly a learned
labor of love. It is unfortunate that Gopiparanadhana Dasa could not write its Preface or
Introduction before he left this world. We hope and pray that this Laghu-bhagavatamrita
may inspire and enlighten readers aspiring to enter the realm of pure devotional service to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Shri Krishna.

***
 SHRI LAGHU-BHAGAVATAMRITA

Part One

SRI-KRISHNAMRITA
The Immortal Nectar
of Krishna

Chapter One

Svayam-rupa,

Tad-ekatma and Avesa

..

om namah shri-krishnaya

Obeisances to Shri Krishna.

Text 1

I offer my obeisances to the bestower of unimpeded intelligence, the Supreme Lord

Krishna, who manifests His all-attractive personal expansions so that all living beings
can achieve liberation.

Commentary

In the mangalacharana, which comprises the first four verses of the Laghubhagavatamrita,
Shrila Rupa Gosvami invokes auspiciousness and indicates the book’s focus. Shrila Baladeva
Vidyabhushana writes in his commentary (Saranga-rangada, “Delight for True Connoisseurs”)
that in these verses Shrila Rupa, aware of the essential teachings of all revealed scriptures,
offers respects to Shri Krishna, the focus of Laghu-bhagavatamrita’s systematic exposition on
the Personality of Godhead and His expansions. Shrila Baladeva writes that this
mangalacharana is intended by the author to “incinerate all obstacles as if they were a heap of
dry grass and to dispense nectar like a downpour from a rain cloud, fulfilling all desires.”

Shrila Baladeva introduces his commentary with two verses of his own:

bhakty-abhasenapi tosanam dadhane

dharmadhyakse vishva-nistari-namni
nityanandadvaita-caitanya-rupe
tattve tasmin nityam astam ratir nah

“May our attraction ever flow toward that Truth who grants contentment in exchange for
even a shadow of devotion, who oversees the principles of righteousness, and who delivers
the universe with His names – the Supreme Truth in the forms of Shri Nityananda Prabhu,
Shri Advaita Acharya, and Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.”

devacharyam yam viduh sat-kavitve

Parasharyam tattva-vade mahantah
shringarartha-vyanjane vyasa-sunum
sa sri-rupah patu no bhrtya-vargan

“Exalted authorities consider Shrila Rupa Gosvami equal to the gods’ preceptor Brihaspati in
his perfect poetic skill, equal to Parashara's son Vyasa in the elucidation of philosophical
truth, and equal to Vyasa’s son Shukadeva in revealing the significance of amorous love of
God. May that Shri Rupa protect us, his servants.’

Shrila Rupa Gosvami's first verse is a slightly modified version of a prayer spoken by the sage
Narada in the Tenth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.46). Narada glorified Krishna, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, after hearing from Lord Badarinatha how Shri Sanandana
had recited to the sages on Janaloka the prayers the personified Vedas had presented to the
Lord at the end of the period of universal devastation.

In his prayer Narada bows down to Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead. The word
bhagavan can indicate any superior person who possesses the six opulences to a large degree,
but it most often indicates God, who is said to possess them completely. These are listed in
Shri Vishnu Purana (6.5.74):

aisvaryasya samagrasya
viryasya yasasah Shriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva
sannam bhaga itingana

“Complete sovereignty, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation — these are the
six opulences called bhaga.” With the added suffix -van, indicating permanent, inviolable
ownership, bhagavan means “one who possesses completely all worthy and attractive assets.”

This Bhagavan is the same Krishna who, as a baby, drinks the breast milk of His mother,
Yashoda. By His grace alone, anyone can attain the steady, keen intelligence (akuntha-
medhas) that enables one to know the Absolute Truth. As Uddhava said to Shri Krishna,
 tvatto jnanam hi jivanam
pramosas te ‘tra saktitah
tvam eva hy atma-mayaya
gatim vettha na caparah

“From You alone arises the knowledge that living beings possess, and by Your potency that
knowledge is stolen away. Indeed, no one but You can understand the real nature of Your
illusory potency.’ (Bhagavatam 11.22.28)

To grant opportunities for liberation to all conditioned beings, the Supreme Lord appears as
His many avataras to attract the hearts of His devotees. As Shrila Rupa Gosvami will explain
after his mangalacharana verses, Krishna expands in various degrees of completeness – as His
svamshas, kalas, and vibhutis. The word kala, used by Narada in his prayer mentioned above,
refers to all the personal forms of Godhead taken together. Although the Personality of
Godhead appears to be divided into these many forms, He remains always one integral whole.
Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana refers to this multiplicity of the Lord’s forms with the term
vishesha, which he borrowed from the Madhva school of Vaishnavism, and which they in
turn borrowed from followers of Gautama, the author of the Nyaya-sutras. Shrila Baladeva
will explain this term later in his commentary.

Text 2

“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship
the expansion of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna. Although His
complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His
associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions.”

Commentary

This second mangalacharana verse glorifies Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the direct
appearance of Lord Krishna in our age. Karabhajana Yogi originally spoke this verse in
response to a question posed by King Nimi (Bhagavatam 11.5.32). Karabhajana had described
the special avataras of the Supreme Lord who established religious principles in the previous
ages (Satya, Treta, and Dvapara), and now he spoke this verse to describe the Lord’s
appearance in Kali-yuga.

Intelligent people worship the Supreme Lord even in the Kali Age. How? By performing
sacrifices (yajnas) and other forms of worship based primarily on sankirtana, the
congregational chanting of God's holy names. Which form of the Lord is worshiped in this
way? Krishna-varnam, “the very form of Krishna.’ (One definition of the word varna, found in
the Medini-kosha dictionary, is “visible form.’) Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, however, as
indicated here by the words tvisha akrishnam, has a complexion opposite to Krishna’.

At the name-giving ceremony of Lord Krishna, Garga Muni explains that Krishna appears
with different complexions in each of the three other ages:
 dsan varnas trayo hy asya
grhnato nu-yugam tanuh
suklo raktas tatha pita
idanim krishnatam gatah

“Your son Krishna appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past He assumed
three different colors – white, red, and yellow – and now He has appeared in a blackish color.’
(Bhagavatam 10.8.13)

It is known from the Bhagavatam and other Puranas that the Supreme Lord's yuga-avatara in
the Satya Age is usually white-complexioned, His incarnation in the Treta Age is red-
complexioned, and, as Garga here tells Krishnas father, in the Dvapara Age He had appeared
with a blackish hue. By simple application of the “logic of the remainder,’ the normal
complexion of the yuga-avatara in the Kali Age must be yellow. In fact Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu’s complexion is golden, like brilliant lightning.

Every incarnation of the Supreme Lord Vishnu reveals in some way His extraordinary limbs
(angas and upangas), weapons (astras), and associates (parsadas). Lord Chaitanya is no
exception, but because of the exceptional character of His avatara – His affectionate dealings
with many devotees and His abstention from violence – His limbs and weapons are radically
different from those of other Vishnu incarnations. Lord Mahaprabhu’s angas – His right and
left arms – are the two Prabhus, Nityananda and Advaita. His other limbs (upangas) are His
numerous devotees, led by Shrivasa Pandita. His weapons are the holy names of God, which
cut to the root the opposing forces of ignorance. And His intimate associates are loving
servants like Gadadhara and Govinda. Accompanied by all these, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
is the most powerful appearance of the Supreme Lord.

Garga describes the avatara for Kali-yuga as pita, which indicates yellow rather than golden-
complexioned, but that referred to the yugavatara of an earlier Kali age. The appearance of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu occurs during the Kali age of the twenty-eighth maha-yuga of the
reign of Vaivasvata Manu in the day of Brahma called the Shveta-varaha-kalpa.

We also hear from various scriptures that in other Kali-yugas the avataras who established
religious principles for the age were dark blue and parrot green in complexion. Both of these
other Kali-yuga avataras were living entities whom the Supreme Lord empowered to initiate
the chanting of Krishnas holy names. It is with these shakty-avesha jivas in mind that ancient
authorities have made such statements as pratyaksha-rupa-dhrig devo / drishyate na kalau
harih: “The Supreme Lord Hari does not allow Himself to be seen in Kali-yuga.” (Vishnu-
dharma Purana 104)

This being the case, the intelligent worshipers of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu understand the
confidential significance of Prahlada Maharaja's declaration to Lord Nrisimha that “You
appear as a disguised incarnation in Kali-yuga” (Bhagavatam 7.9.38), and of Karabhajana’s
above description of the Kali-yuga avatara. Prahlada’s exact words were channah kalau yad
abhavah. Here channa (“covered”) indicates that Lord Chaitanya is Krishna Himself covered
by the complexion of His beloved, Shrimati Radharani. Krishna states in the Brihan-naradiya
Purana,
 aham eva kalau vipra
nityam pracchanna-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena
lokan raksdmi sarvatha

“O brahmana, in the Age of Kali I always disguise Myself as a devotee of the Supreme Lord,
and in that way I do everything needed to protect the worlds.”

The Upanishads also allude to Lord Chaitanya’s descent:

yada pasyah pasyate rukma-varnam

kartaram isam purusham brahma-yonim

“Sometimes the Supreme Lord, the all-encompassing origin of creation, appears in a golden-
complexioned form.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.3)

mahan prabhur vai purushah

sattvasyaisa pravartakah

“The Personality of Godhead is the supreme master, Mahaprabhu. He is the original teacher
of the principles of goodness.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.12)

According to Shri Skanda Purana and Hari-vamsha, the incarnation for Dvapara-yuga is also
sometimes yellow, and since the Personality of Godhead has countless varieties of
incarnations, that fact is reconcilable as an occasional variation.

Text 3

May the gentle tones of Mukunda’s flute, filled with the rich nectar flowing from His
lotus mouth, evoke my complete ecstasy.

Commentary

Shrila Rupa Gosvami reveals His exclusive devotion to the son of Nanda Maharaja in this
third mangalacharana verse. The devotion to Krishna that Rupa Gosvami and his followers
teach is not blind surrender of will to an unknown Supreme, but ecstatic attraction to the
most lovable person.

The more selfless a Vaishnava becomes in his devotion, the more ecstatic he becomes when
he perceives Krishna’s all-attractive features, especially His beauty and charming flute music.
The unique sweetness of Krishnas flute-playing will be discussed toward the end of this book,
in texts 532-37 of the fifth chapter.

Kakali is a term rarely used except in elegant poetry. Shrila Baladeva Vidya-bhushana cites
the word’s definition in the Amara-kosha dictionary and explains that it means “a subtle,
pleasurable sound.”
Text 4

All glories to the syllables “Ha-re Krish-na” emanating from the mouth of Shri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! These syllables, forming His own names, are drowning the
whole world in love of God.

Commentary

Shrila Rupa Gosvami concludes his mangalacharana by praising the chanting of Krishnas
names because it is the most effective spiritual practice in the Age of Kali, because his brother
and preceptor (Shrila Sanatana Gosvami) enthusiastically promoted it, because it bestows the
highest goal of life, and because it brings one into direct association with Krishna, who is
non-different from His name. In this verse the word iti, “and so on,’ indicates that Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu chanted the entire thirty-two syllable maha-mantra, which begins with the
words hare krishna:

hare krishna hare krishna

krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare

In text 2 Rupa Gosvami had already proclaimed the importance of chanting the Supreme
Lord's names in the Kali Age, and many other statements in Shrimad-Bhagavatam, as well as
in other scriptures, confirm this:

harer nama harer nama

harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha

“In the Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-
realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of
Lord Hari.’ (Brihan-naradiya Purana)

madhura-madhuram etan mangalam mangalanam

sakala-nigama-valli-sat-phalam cit-svarupam
sakrd api parigitarn sraddhaya helaya va
bhrgu-vara nara-matram tarayet krishna-nama

“O best of the Bhrigu dynasty, the holy name of Krishna is the sweetest of the sweet and the
most auspicious of the auspicious. It is the transcendental fruit of all the Vedas and is purely
spiritual. Whoever chants it but once, whether with faith or with contempt, is liberated”
(Skanda Purana, Prabhasa-khanda)

Text 5
The feet of my blessed master are like lotus flowers. I will now honor the nectar my
master extracted from Shrimad-Bhagavatam by summarizing that nectar in brief.

Commentary

Shri Bhagavatamrita is one of Sanatana Gosvami’s major works, a definitive presentation of

the distilled essence of Shrimad-Bhagavatam. What need is there, then, of another book with
the same title and claiming to serve the same purpose? Shrila Rupa answers that the original
Bhagavatamrita is so long and complex that many Vaishnavas may have difficulty studying it.
Therefore systematically summarizing its teachings is a worthy endeavor. Shrila Rupa is eager
to distribute to all the Vaishnavas the nectar his elder brother laboriously extracted from
Shrimad-Bhagavatam. Then both he and the readers of his Bhagavatamrita (known
henceforth as Laghubhagavatamrita, in contrast to his brother’s Brihad-bhagavatamrita) will
enjoy the sweet taste of this nectar.

Text 6

This nectar is divided into two parts – one relating to Shri Krishna, and the other to
His devotees. To His well-wishers I will first serve the nectar of Krishna.

Commentary

By the definition of the word bhagavata, a book named Bhagavatamrita should describe both
the Supreme Lord and His devotees. Shrila Rupa wants to take up the topics of the
Personality of Godhead first, and then he will write about His devotees, honoring the
precedent established by Shri Shaunaka Rishi:

tat kathyatarn maha-bhaga

yadi krishna-kathasrayam
atha vasya padambhoja-
makaranda-liham satam

“O great one, please describe these incidents as they relate to topics of Lord Krishna and the
saintly devotees who lick the honey flowing from his lotus feet.” (Bhagavatam 1.16.5-6)

Text 7

In this presentation I will avoid becoming entangled in logical proofs. I will depend
on scriptural authority as evidence because it is the most important means of
acquiring knowledge.

Commentary

Since this book is a serious philosophical investigation and not an essay expressing the
author's personal opinion or a poetic offering of his sentiments, Shrila Rupa Gosvami begins
by addressing the question of pramana. Every traditional school of thought in India has its
own pramana, or means of acquiring prama (“correct knowledge’). From a broad survey of
these schools we can identify at least eight different pramanas: pratyaksha, anumana,
upamana, shabda, arthapatti, anupalabdhi, sambhava, and aitihya.

Pratyaksha means knowledge acquired when ones senses of perception contact their objects.
A person might report this knowledge by saying, “I see a pot”.

Anumana refers to gaining knowledge by inference. According to Gautama Rishi’s method of

analysis, one makes an inference when one detects a concrete instance of a general truth, or
vyapti. For example, one may see smoke on a mountain and think, “There is a fire on this
smoky mountain, because wherever there is smoke there is fire.” Gautamas original followers
defined vyapti in the negative, as “a particular indicator is not present in any situation where
some essential causative factor does not occur.’ Or, stated in the positive, “there is an
invariable concomitance between the indicator and the causative factor to be inferred from
it.” That is: smoke is proof of fire because smoke is never present in the absence of fire. The
panditas of the New School of logic explained vyapti in more sophisticated terms as
“occurrence of the indicator never coinciding with total absence of the causative factor.’

Upamana is the means of knowing by comparison. For example, one may learn about an
animal he has never seen by being told, “The gavaya [wild forest cow] is similar to a cow.’
Thus by comparison one understands the connection between the name gavaya and its
referent; a person thus informed may recognize a gavaya when he visits the forest and sees
one.

Shabda-pramana means learning from the words of a trustworthy authority. For example, one
who has experience may tell someone else, “Five palm trees grow on the bank of that river.’
Such a statement by an experienced person is a means of obtaining reliable knowledge.

Arthapatti means a presumption drawn from circumstances to explain a phenomenon that is

otherwise unexplainable. One may know, for instance, that Devadatta is plump even though
he never eats during the day; by arthapatti-pramana one presumes that Devadatta must be
eating at night.

Anupalabdhi means discerning something's absence, as when one knows the absence of a pot
on a certain piece of ground because one cannot see a pot there.

Sambhava refers to knowledge that one occurrence, by definition, includes another

occurrence, as one realizes, for example, that one hundred includes ten.

Aitihya refers to information obtained from a tradition whose original speaker is not
remembered. For example, one might hear, “People say there is a ghost living in this tree.”

The materialistic philosophers of the Lokayitaka school, founded by Charvaka, who identify
the body as the self, accept only the first among these eight kinds of pramana, namely direct
sensory perception (pratyaksha). The followers of the Vaisheshika school of physical analysis
accept pratyaksha plus anumana (inference). The Sankhya philosophers and Patanjala yogis
recognize these two pramanas plus shabda (verbal authority). The logicians of Gautamas
school accept these three plus upamana (comparison). The proponents of the Mimamsa
school of Vedic hermeneutics accept all these plus two more: arthapatti (presumption) and
anupalabdhi (perception of absence). And the adherents of Puranic lore acknowledge two
more pramanas – sambhava (inclusion) and aitihya (tradition) — for a total of eight.

Arguing from the position of the Vaishnava Vedantists on the question of which pramanas to
accept, Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana says that upamana should not be considered a
separate pramana because it is a special application of direct perception combined with
inference and verbal evidence. Knowing that a gavaya present before one’s eyes is similar to a
cow is accomplished by pratyaksha. That the word gavaya applies to the forest cow is
established by anumana. And one's understanding that “a gavaya is like a cow’ was first of all
acquired simply by shabda-pramana.

Arthapatti, Shrila Baladeva further explains, is also not a separate means of knowing, since it
is a kind of anumana referred to as kevala-vyatireki, or “exclusively negative inference.”
“Devadatta must be eating at night, since he is plump even without eating during the day.
Anyone who does not eat at night cannot be stout without eating during the day, like this
other plump person, who, we know, eats during the day. Devadatta never eats in the daytime,
so he must be eating at night.”

Sambhava is also a special kind of anumana, since we can infer that “Ten is included in one
hundred because we never have one hundred without ten.”

Aitihya is nothing but a kind of sensory perception because whoever began the passing on of
particular historical information must have seen the phenomenon himself.

Anupalabdhi is also not a distinct pramana but rather a variety of visual perception, where an
object's absence is perceived.

Thus there remain only three independent pramanas — sensory perception (pratyaksha),
inference (anumana), and verbal testimony (Shabda). This conclusion agrees with the
opinion of Shrila Madhvacharya, the illustrious predecessor of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s
sampradaya.

Even these three, however, are reliable means of acquiring only ordinary knowledge –
knowledge of the material world. They are inadequate for gaining access to transcendental
knowledge, being flawed by the four faults: delusion, limited perception, inattention, and
dishonesty. One may see what he thinks is the head of a person walking behind a wall, but
the head may be an imitation, intentionally designed to fool the viewer. One may see a pillar
of smoke on a mountain and wrongly infer that there is a fire there, unaware that the fire has
just been extinguished by rainfall. Even verbal authority is imperfect when received from less-
than-perfect sources.

Thus sages propounding their own versions of truth with all sincerity often contradict one
another. Therefore, when we need to ascertain truth beyond material existence, our only
definitive source of knowledge is that shabda-pramana which is based on words that have no
human author: the four Vedas, the Puranas, and the Itihasa epics. The Puranas and Itihasas
form an integral part of the Vedas, as confirmed in the Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad (4.4.10):
 evam va are asya mahato bhitasya nisvasitam etad yad rg-vedo
yajur-vedah sama-vedo ‘tharvangirasa itihasah puranam

“This indeed comprises the breath of the infinite Supreme Being: the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda,
Sama Veda, Atharvangirasa Veda, Itihasa, and Purana.”

What is special about the Puranas and epics is that even laborers and the spiritually inexpert
can study them. Normally such people who have not received sacred-thread initiation are
forbidden to chant or even hear Vedic mantras, although there are exceptions to this rule. For
example, chariot builders (ratha-karas) are permitted to light the sacrificial fires and chant
the required mantras for certain yajnas: varshasu ratha-karo ‘gnin adadhita: “A ratha-kara
should install the sacred fires during the rainy season.”

Text 8

The greatest sages have accepted the authority of scriptural evidence, as we see from
such aphorisms in the Vedanta-sutras as shastra-yonitvat.

Commentary

It is not uncommon for someone to want to prove God's existence through logical argument.
“People cannot always fulfill their desires, and they often suffer trouble. But there is a
supremely powerful being who can help them gain what they want and avoid what they don't
want. That Supreme Lord makes things that finite persons like us are powerless to create,
such as the earth and living plants. When we worship that Lord, He destroys our miseries.
Since the Vaisheshikas and other philosophers establish His existence by logical proofs, it is
not reasonable to reject inference as a means of knowing Him and to insist on using only
shabda-pramana”.

Shrila Rupa Gosvami answers this suggestion unequivocally in this and the following verse.
The gist of Shrila Rupa’s reply is that as followers of Shrila Vyasadeva we adhere to his
opinions without compromise. We are not hesitant to disregard opinions that disagree with
his.

Shastra-yonitvat is the third sutra of Vyasadeva’s Vedanta-sutras. Like most sutras of the
Vedanta, this one expresses the resolution of a logical discussion. In this case there is a doubt
as to whether one can achieve genuine meditation on the Supreme Lord by discovering Him
through inference, or whether one can know Him only by referring to what is revealed in
scriptures like the Upanishads.

Some thinkers, like the above-mentioned Vaisheshikas, propose that inference is adequate for
gaining reliable knowledge of the Supreme Person, and they cite the Upanishads to support
their stand: atma va are drastavyah srotavyo mantavyo nididhyasitavyo maitreyi: “Indeed,
Maitreyi, one should realize this Supreme Soul by hearing about Him, applying one’s
reasoning power to understand Him, and meditating deeply on Him.” (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 4.5.6)
Vyasadeva rejects this hypothesis, however, in the statement Shastrayonitvat: “No, the
Supreme cannot be known by anumana because $astra alone is the source of real knowledge
about Him.” Here shastra means scriptures like the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-gita, and the
Purana spoken by Shukadeva (Bhagavatam), which are all part of the Vedas. Yoni, which
literally means “womb,” can also indicate “source of knowledge,’ as is verified by the
definition given by the Haima-kosa Dictionary: yonih karane bhagatamrayoh, “yoni” means
‘cause, ‘womb, and ‘copper”.

A number of Upanishadic declarations corroborate Vyasadeva’s argument: Tam tv

aupanishadam purusham pricchami: “I am asking about that Person who is known by the
Upanishads.” (Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad 3.9.26) Navedavin manute tam brihantam: “One
who is ignorant of the Vedas cannot contemplate that Supreme Being.” (Shakatyayana
Upanishad 4)

Those who try to prove God's existence by logic imagine that God, though not transcendent,
is infinite in size and power and endowed with eternal awareness, desire, and activity.
Sometimes He inhabits a material body, in the same way that a ghost inhabits the body of a
person it haunts. When He has accomplished the purpose for which He accepted that body,
He gives it up.

The conception of the Supreme Person taught by the Upanishads, however, is quite different:
God has complete and perfect knowledge, is full of bliss, and is endowed with all
transcendental qualities, which are inseparable aspects of His infinite personality. He is
perfectly situated in His own unique existence distinct from the relative existence of all
others, and He has limitless varieties of personal potencies. Although His transcendental
form may sometimes appear to be the same size as ordinary creatures, He is actually all-
pervading and boundless. He possesses transcendental and eternal abodes, pastimes, and
associates.

Vyasadeva, the greatest of sages and a dedicated student of the Upanishads, could not
possibly accept the speculative view of God propounded by these empirical philosophers. For
Vyasadeva and his disciplic descendants, only the Upanishads and their complementary
shastras are reliable evidence for understanding the Absolute Truth.

Text 9

It is obvious from Vedanta propositions such as tarkapratishthanat that these sages

have little respect for conjecture.

Commentary

An empiricist might point out that Shrila Vyasadeva also accepts the shruti’s statement (cited
in the commentary on the previous verse) that “the Supreme Person should be understood by
using one's reason.” Doesn't this mean that Vyasadeva recognizes the adequacy of logic for
understanding the Supreme? Vyasa specifically denies this in another sutra,
tarkapratisthanat:
“No, conjecture is never conclusive.” (Vedanta-sutras 1.1.11) This sutra also belies a proposal of
the Sankhya philosophers, presented through logical arguments, that material nature is the
cause of creation and the Supreme Person is only a passive witness.

Since human intelligence can adapt to many divergent points of view, inferential conjecture
never finally settles any question. Certainly the Absolute Truth cannot be definitively
ascertained by tarka, as the Katha Upanishad (2.9) states:

naisa tarkena matir apaneya

proktanyenaiva su-jnanaya prestha

“My dear boy, this understanding cannot be reached by logical guesswork. It can be acquired
only when an especially qualified authority speaks it to an intelligent inquirer.”

Although the word tarka is commonly used to refer to the whole system of logic, it also has a
more specific, technical meaning. In the logical system taught by Gautama Rishi and his
followers, tarka is the conjecture that appropriately clarifies the facts of a situation. For
example, when there is doubt as to whether a certain mountain has fire on it, someone may
hypothesize that there is no fire. That conjecture can be ruled out, however, by observing
that smoke rises from the mountain. If there were no fire on the mountain, there would be no
smoke there either. Thus tarka is the process of inference by which one examines possibilities
and eliminates unreasonable ones. It is a useful technique in understanding ordinary matters,
but far from adequate for understanding the Absolute Truth.

But the logicians may still object that if speculative logic is not a means of knowing the
Absolute, what is the purpose of the Upanishadic statement that the Supreme should be
understood by using one’s reason? This logical reasoning, referred to in the Brihad-aranyaka
Upanishad, is based on truths established by scriptural authority. Accepting the Vedic works
of literature as our primary authority, we should use our intelligence to understand the
meaning and application of their statements. In the words of the Mahabharata, shushka-
tarkam parityajya / ashrayasva shruti-smriti: “Reject dry logic and take shelter of the shrutis
and smritis.” As followers of Shrila Vyasa, we take the Vedas as our primary authority, make
use of logic in understanding the Vedic conclusions, and avoid ungrounded speculation.

Text 10

Now, by describing His various self-same forms one after another, I will show,
through appraisal of comparative excellence, that Krishna is the most worshipable
Supreme Lord.

Commentary

Having validated the pramana, Shrila Rupa now clarifies the prameyas (“objects of
knowledge”). The Laghu-bhagavatamrita will aim at identifying the supremely worshipable
Personality of Godhead. The Supreme has many expansions, some of them His personal
expansions and others His sparks empowered with His perfections. But what is His original
identity? That original Supreme must be superior to all His expansions — in terms of
potency, personal qualities, opulences, and pastimes. Shrila Rupa Gosvami will show in this
book that the original Personality of Godhead is Krishna, who as an infant drinks from the
breast of His mother, Yashoda.

Text 11

In His spiritual abodes beyond the material creation He appears in three kinds of
forms, known as svayam-rupa, tad-ekatma-rupa, and avesha.

Commentary

How can the Supreme Truth have many different forms? Both shruti and smriti seem to deny
this: Ekam evadvitiyam, “[the Supreme is] one without a second” (Chandogya Upanishad
6.2.1). Vadanti tat tattva-vidas / tattvam yaj jnanam advayam. “Learned transcendentalists
know the Absolute Truth as consciousness devoid of duality.” (Bhagavatam 1.2.11) To answer
this doubt, Shrila Rupa Gosvami begins his description of the expansions of the Supreme
Godhead, who, by His inconceivable energies, manifests Himself in unlimited forms without
abandoning His essential oneness. This capacity of the Supreme to be one and many is
confirmed in many Vedic scriptures, including the Gopala-tapani Upanishad, which belongs
to the Atharva Veda:

eko vasi sarva-gah krishna idya

eko ‘pisan bahudha yo vibhati

“Krishna is the one supreme controller who exists everywhere and is worthy of worship.
Although one, He appears as many.” (Gopala-tapani Upanishad, Purva 20). The Vishnu
Purana (1.2.3) speaks of the Supreme Person as ekaneka-svarupaya, “You who have one
identity and many: ShrimadBhagavatam (10.40.7) calls Him bahu-marty-eka-murtikam, “the
one who has many forms and only one form.” He transforms Himself without changing, like
the mystical vaidurya stone or like an expert magician. There is no incongruity between the
statements emphasizing His oneness and those highlighting His varieties.

The three kinds of forms of the Supreme appear in the spiritual abodes, which expand from
His divine energies; these abodes include Shri Gokula and the various Vaikuntha realms.

Text 12

First the svayam-rupa: The form that does not depend on any other is called svayam-
rupa.

Commentary

In this definition of svayam-rupa, the word rupam means svarupam (“essential identity”).
Therefore svayam-rupa indicates “His own essential identity. The original form of the
Supreme is called svayam-rupa because He is self-manifested, i.e., not derived from any other
reality. He is “His own essential identity” in the same way that an ascetic yogi, being
independent of everyone else, is “his own servant” (svayam-dasa). According to Shrila
Baladeva Vidyabhushana, Shri Rupa Gosvami has borrowed this concept of svayam-rupa from
the phrase ananya-siddham (“not manifested from anything else”), which appears in
Shrimad-Bhagavatam (10.44.14):

gopyas tapah kim acharan yad amusya rupam

lavanya-saram asamordhvam ananya-siddham
drgbhih pibanty anusavabhinavam durapam
ekanta-dhama yasasah Shriya aishvarasya

“What austerities must the gopis have performed! With their eyes they always drink the
nectar of Lord Krishnas self-manifested form, which is the essence of loveliness and cannot
be equaled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame, and opulence. It is
ever-fresh and extremely rare.’

The very idea of anya (beings other than the Supreme) has meaning only in terms of His
expanding Himself in various ways (vishesha) through His inconceivable energies, not in
terms of any divisions within Himself. The essence of the Supreme is always undivided.

Text 13

As stated in the Brahma-samhita [5.1], “Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the

Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all
and has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.”

Commentary

This verse reveals Krishna as the one and only example of svayam-rupa. The word krishnah at
the end of the first line is the subject of this affirmation, and the other nouns and adjectives
describe His qualities. The name Krishna should be understood as established by convention
(rudhi) rather than by lexical and grammatical construction (yoga) from other words,
prefixes, and suffixes. As a rule, conventional meanings take precedence over derived
meanings: rudhir yogam apaharati. “A rudhi meaning overrules a yoga meaning.’ Thus even
though the name Krishna is sometimes said to be derived from the parts krish (“existence”)
and na (“bliss”), and is thus taken to mean “the bliss beyond material existence,’ the preferred
meaning is simply the conventional reference to the son of Yashoda and Nanda. As stated by
Shri Lakshmidhara Svami in his Bhagavan-nama-kaumudi (3.6), krishnashabdasya tamala-
syamala-tvisi yasoda-stanan-dhaye para-brahmani radhih: “The word krishna is a
conventional name for the Supreme Absolute Truth, whose color is dark blue like a tamala
tree and who drinks from the breast of Yashoda.”

The two modifying words in the verse under discussion, ishvarah (“Lord”) and paramah
(“Supreme’), indicate that Krishna is the original Godhead, the svayam-rupa, independent of
all others. If He were not so, the verse would simply call Him ishvarah, rather than ishvarah
paramah. In other words, Krishna is distinct from all His expansions.
What is the substance of Krishna’s form? He is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah, which indicates that
His personal form (vigraha) is eternal (sat) and composed of purely conscious bliss (cid-
ananda). He is the perfect embodiment of His self-manifest ecstasy. The word sat can also
refer to His exquisite beauty, the delightful configuration (sannivesa) of His body. This
further distinguishes Krishna from the liberated jivas in this world, who are different from
their bodies.

In what enjoyable activities does Krishna engage? He is Govinda, a cowherd, as described in

the Brahma-samhita (5.29): surabhir abhipalayantam. Such an engagement is not at all
demeaning for the Supreme Lord, because according to the Go-sukta:

gobhyo yajrah pravartante

gobhyo devah samutthitah
gobhir vedah samudgirnah
sa-sad-anga-pada-kramah

“From cows come the Vedic sacrifices, and from cows arise the demigods. By cows all the
Vedas, along with their six corollaries and word-by-word and permutated texts, have been
uttered.”

Krishna is anadi for the Yadus because they do not presume (adiyate) that He is their
subordinate, and He is adi for the residents of Vraja because they do presume that He is their
subordinate. Since this verse contains the phrase sarva-karana-karanam, “the cause of all
causes,” anadir adir is not intended to mean that Krishna is without cause and is the cause of
everything.

Calling Krishna “the cause of all causes” discloses another of His pastimes, the creation of the
material world, which is enacted by His svamsha expansion, the Purusha.

Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 20.165-66) records what Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

taught Sanatana Gosvami about the Supreme Lord’s svayam-rupa.

Text 14

Next, the ekatma-rupa: The form of the original person that is nondifferent from Him
but that displays some difference in bodily features and so on is called tad-ekatma-
rupa. This form has two varieties, vilasa and svamsha.

Commentary

The Supreme Lord’s ekatma forms are in essence identical with His svayam-rupa. Although
there is no essential difference between Them, They appear different in Their bodily features
and activities. The Vishva-kosha dictionary defines akriti as akritih kathita ripe samanya-
vapushor api: “Akriti can be used to mean ‘form, ‘species, and “body.”

Text 15
The vilasa form is defined as follows: The Lord’s selfsame form whose appearance
differs from the svayam-rupa’s but who displays almost equal powers while enjoying
pastimes is known as vilasa.

Commentary

The ekatma forms in the category of vilasa, with bodily features different from the svayam-
rupas, are expansions of the svayam-rupa for performing special pastimes. They display
potency nearly equal to that of the svayam-rupa. For example, Lord Narayana lacks only a few
of Krishna’s unique qualities:

lila premna priyadhikyam

madhurye venu-rupayoh
ity asadharanam proktam
govindasya catustayam

“His pastimes, His dear devotees who have exceptional love for Him, the charm of His flute,
and His sweet beauty – these are the four unique qualities of Govinda.” (Bhakti-rasamrita-
sindhu 2.1.43)

Text 16

For example, the scriptures describe the Lord of the spiritual sky, Narayana, as a
vilasa of Govinda; and Lord Vasudeva, similarly, as a vilasa of Narayana.

Commentary

The consensus of the Vedas is that all forms of Godhead and of the demigods expand from
Krishna as their one original source. This is stated explicitly in such confidential texts as Shri
Brahma-samhita (5.43):

goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya

devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

“Below the planet named Goloka Vrindavana are the planets known as Devidhama, Mahesha-
dhama, and Hari-dhama. These are opulent in different ways. I adore the primeval Lord
Govinda, who has allotted the rulers of those graded realms their respective authorities.’

Although Shri Krishna’s two expansions, Narayana and Vasudeva, seem the same in physical
appearance, both having four arms and a dark blue complexion, They have different
mentalities. As the subsequent expansion, Vasudeva considers Himself a servant of Narayana.
He feels shy in the presence of Lord Narayana, just as Bharata feels constrained from acting
independently from His elder brother Rama.
Text 17

The svamsha: That form similar to the vilasa expansions but displaying less potency is
called svamsha. Among the svamshas are Sankarshana, Matsya, and others, each of
whom appears in His own abode.

Commentary

The svamsha expansions of Godhead, like the vilasa forms, are essentially non-different from
the original svayam-rupa. In each of His personal forms God is never less than the complete
whole, but the svamsha expansions may seem lesser because They refrain from exhibiting all
of Their potencies.

Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana addresses a possible objection in this regard. Someone might
suggest that distinguishing the forms of Godhead as amsha (part) and amshi (possessor of the
part) goes against the teaching of our predecessor acharya, Shri Madhva Muni, in his
explanation of the statement of the Vedanta-sutras (1.1.9), svapyayat. This sutra literally
means “because of merging back into Himself” Shri Madhva explains it with the help of a
verse found in both the Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad (5.1.1) and the Isa Upanishad
(Invocation): om purnam adah purnam idam / purnat parnam udacyate. He asserts that all the
avataras of the Supreme Person ultimately merge back into Him, their original source.
According to the hypothetical presenter of this objection, then, since Acharya Madhva
characterizes all the avataras of Godhead as purnam (“complete”), there cannot be any
distinction among them as amsha and amshi.

Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana contends, on the contrary, that Madhva actually favors the
concepts of amsha and amshi, as revealed by his comments on the section of the Vedanta-
sutras beginning with sutra 2.3.46, prakashadivan naivam parah: “The Supreme is not like
this, similar to light and so on”. According to Shri Madhva, although the avataras of God like
Lord Matsya are amshas of the original amshi, they are not limited amshas like the jivas. He
continues to explain that the Lord's avataras and the jivas are similar in that they are both
amshas, but there are important differences between them. One might also say that the fire
of universal devastation and the illumination of a firefly are similar in that they are both
expansions of the element fire, but they are very different. Similar comparisons could be
made between urine and an ocean of nectar as products of the element water, and between
feces and the great Mount Meru as products of the element earth. Despite their common
origin, the members of each pair are very different from one another.

The purport of svapyayat, therefore, is not that there is no hierarchy of emanation among the
forms of Godhead, but that the essential being of the Supreme is always complete and perfect
in all His appearances. Shrila Rupa Gosvami will clarify this point in the fifth chapter of
Laghu-bhagavatamrita (1.5.90):

sakter vyaktis tathavyaktis

taratamyasya karanam

“The manifestation or non-manifestation of potency is the basis of gradation”.

Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 20.183-88) records Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s
description of the Supreme Lord's tad-ekatma-rupa in His teachings to Sanatana Gosvami.

Text 18

Then the avesha: Very great jivas in whom Lord Janardana invests portions of His
knowledge, strength, and other energies are called aveshas.

Text 19

Even in Vaikuntha there are examples, such as Shesha, Narada, and Sanaka. The
Tenth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam describes Akrura seeing these avesha forms.

Thus ends the discussion of the three different kinds of forms.

Commentary

The Shesha mentioned in this verse is different from Lord Ananta Shesha, who serves as the
bed of Maha-vishnu.

The three kinds of forms of Godhead discussed above are the svayamrupa, tad-ekatma-rupa,
and dvesha.

Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 20.367-76) records Lord Chaitanya Maha-prabhus

description of the Supreme Lord’s avesha expansions in His teachings to Sanatana Gosvami.

Text 20

The prakasha manifestations are not counted among these three distinct forms
because they are in no way different from the forms from which they expand.

Text 21

That is to say, when a particular form of the Lord manifests Himself in more than one
place simultaneously, retaining in all regards the same identity, His expanded forms
are called prakasha.

Text 22

For example, in Dvaraka Krishna was visible simultaneously in each of His palaces.
This is confirmed by such statements as the one beginning “citrarh bataitat.”

Commentary
The verse beginning citram bataitat was spoken by Narada Muni when He visited Krishna’s
palaces in Dvaraka:

citram bataitad ekena

vapusa yugapat prthak
grhesu dvy-asta-sahasram
striya eka udavahat

“It is quite amazing that with a single body Lord Krishna simultaneously married sixteen
thousand women, each in a separate palace.’ (Bhagavatam 10.69.2)

We find in various scriptures that Krishna expands Himself to appear at the same time in the
forest groves of Chandravali, Radhika, and other gopis, or in the palaces of Rukmini,
Satyabhama, and other queens. We might ask which of His forms are the amshas and which
form is the amshi? The current verses address this question. The Lord's prakasha forms are
not included in the vilasa or svamsha categories because They do not manifest different
qualities. Thus when Krishna goes out from the palaces of Nanda Maharaja or Vasudeva and
simultaneously enters the residences of several of His beloveds in Vraja or Dvaraka,
manifesting the very same form in more than one location, these are called His prakasha
expansions. His prakasha is not different from Himself in bodily appearance, qualities, and
style of pastimes.

This verse mentions Krishnas prakasha expansions in Dvaraka, but He had also exhibited His
prakasha expansions in Vraja during the rasa-lila:

kritva tavantam atmanam

yavatir gopa-yositah
reme sa bhagavams tabhir
atmaramo pi lilaya

“Expanding Himself as many times as there were cowherd women to associate with, the
Supreme Lord, though self-satisfied, playfully enjoyed their company. (Bhagavatam 10.33.19)

The word kritva in this Tenth Canto verse should not be understood in the sense of
“creating”; rather Krishna “manifested” His eternally existing form by the side of each gopi.

Krishna’ being “self-satisfied” in Vraja means that He is always satisfied in relationships with
the manifestations of His transcendental energy, which are non-different from Himself.

Text 23

Sometimes Krishna does not give up His original character even when He appears
with four arms. Thus some four-armed forms are prakasha expansions of the two-
armed Lord.

Commentary
When Krishna was consoling Rukmini after teasing her with the idea that she ought to select
another, better husband, He stood before her with four arms instead of two. Should this form
Krishna manifested in Dvaraka be counted as a vilasa-rupa, since it is different from His
original form? No, Krishna remains the same even when He sometimes assumes an extra two
arms for certain pastimes in Vrindavana, Mathura, or Dvaraka.

In this verse krishna-rupatam means “the original character of Krishna, who drank from
Mother Yashodas breast.” Rupa can also mean “character,” according to the Medini-kosha
dictionary: rupam svabhave saundarye: “Rupa can be used to mean ‘character’ and “beauty.”

The original form of Krishna has two arms like an ordinary human being: yatravatirnah
krishnakhyam param brahma narakriti. “Where the Supreme Absolute Truth descended in
human form with the name Krishna.” (Vishnu Purana 4.11.2) Occasionally He shows four
arms in situations eliciting moods like humor, without losing His primary identity. For
example, this is how we can understand Krishna’s appearance before His parents with four
arms at His birth. Shukadeva Gosvami states, babhiva prakritah sisuh (Bhagavatam 10.3.46),
“He became a regular baby,” indicating that by changing from His four-armed form to His
two-armed baby form Krishna merely displayed His original nature.

The Upanishads also confirm that Krishna’s real identity is two-armed:

sat-pundarika-nayanam meghabham vaidyutambaram

dvi-bhujarm mauna-mudradhyam vana-mdlinam ishvaram

“That Lord has two arms, eyes like beautiful lotuses, and a complexion the color of a rain
cloud. He wears clothing the color of lightning, displays the gestures of a sage, and sports a
garland of forest flowers.” (Gopala-tapani Upanishad, Purva 10)

One should not think that Krishna’s form with four arms is superior to His form with only
two, since this idea disagrees with the Anandakhya-samhita:

sthulam asta-bhujam proktam

suksmam caiva chatur-bhujam
param tu dvi-bhujam proktam
tasmad etat trayam yajet

“His eight-armed form is said to be bulky, while His four-armed form is considered subtle.
The supreme form, however, is said to be the two-armed form. Therefore one should worship
all three of these.” The Samhita advises us to worship all three forms because they are
essentially nondifferent. Nonetheless, the Gopala-tapani Upanishad relates that Lord Brahma
obtained the power to create the universe by meditating on Krishna’ two-armed form.

Shrila Krishnadasa Kaviraja also describes the Lord’s prakasha forms in Shri Chaitanya-
charitamrita (Adi 1.68-75 and Madhya 20.166-83).

Text 24
Various scriptures, like the Uttara-khanda of the Padma Purana, describe in detail
that each of these forms has His own abode beyond the material creation.

This ends the examination of the categories of Godhead in terms of svayam-rupa,

vilasa, svarsha, avesha, and prakasha.

Commentary

Every one of the Supreme Lord's personal expansions is eternal, and each has His own eternal
abode in the spiritual world. That the residences of the Godhead's expansions are all eternal
is declared in many scriptures:

ya yatha bhuvi vartante

puryo bhagavatah priyah
tas tatha santi vaikunthe
tat-tal-lilartham adrtah

“All the abodes in which the Supreme Lord takes delight on the earth are present in
Vaikuntha. He honors each of them with various pastimes”. (Skanda Purana)

vaikuntha-bhuvane nitye
nivasanti mahojjvalah
avatarah sada tatra
matsya-kurmadayo ‘khilah

“All the Lord’s supremely resplendent avataras – Matsya, Kurma, and the others — reside
always in that eternal world of Vaikuntha.” (Padma Purana)

***

Chapter Two

Purusha-avataras and Guna-avataras

Text 1

Next comes a discussion of the Lord’s avataras, among whom Krishna is the most
complete.

Commentary
By calling Krishna “the original Personality of Godhead” (bhagavan svayam), Shrimad-
Bhagavatam indicates that He is the source of all the avataras of Godhead. The next topic is
the avataras who expand from Krishna. But isn’t Krishna Himself said to be one of the
avataras? Yes, in the context of making a list of avataras it is convenient to list Him among
the others, but He is pushkala, “the most complete.” He is the original svayam-rupa.
According to the Haima dictionary, pushkalas tu purane shresthe: “Pushkala” means
‘complete’ or ‘best’.

Text 2

Here is the definition of avatara: When the above-mentioned forms of the Lord
appear unprecedentedly for various purposes in the material creation, either solely
by Their own power or through some agency, they are called avataras.

Commentary

The first chapter of this book defined the major categories of the Supreme Persons
expansions. The forms of Godhead in each of the categories described there become avataras
when They descend from the spiritual to the material world. Avataras can appear through
parents, as expansions, or without the help of any agency. Among those who appear through
parents are Lords Krishna and Ramachandra, the sons of Vasudeva and Dasharatha,
respectively. Among those who appear as expansions is Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu, who
expands from Shesha-shayi Maha-vishnu in the Causal Ocean. And among those who appear
without help are Matsya and Hamsa.

The various purposes of the Supreme Lord’s avataras can be summarized generally as vishva-
karya, creating the universe and helping its inhabitants. Maha-vishnu, for example, agitates
primordial nature with His glance and stimulates her to evolve the causal elements. Other
avataras subdue malefactors for the relief of the demigods and other faithful servants of the
Lord. Others bestow upon the eager seekers of truth the greatest benefits by revealing
Themselves, by teaching the principles of pure devotional service, and by granting the bliss of
love of God.

Although the Supreme Lord's forms exist eternally, as avataras ‘They dramatically appear in
the material world as if novel creations of the times and places of Their advent.

Text 3

The agent through whom an avatara appears can be a tad-ekatma form of the Lord,
such as He who lies on Shesha Naga, or a devotee of the Lord, like Vasudeva.

Text 4
The Lord’s avataras are of three kinds: the Purushas, those who preside over the
modes of nature, and those who appear in order to perform pastimes.

Commentary

Lord Chaitanya explained these divisions of avataras in His instructions to Sanatana Gosvami
(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 20.244-46).

Text 5

Most of these avataras are either svamsha or avesha expansions. The one avatara who
is svayam-rupa will be discussed later on.

Commentary

Maha-vishnu is an example of a svamsha avatara. The four Kumaras and Prithu are avesha
avataras. This verse qualifies its first assertion with the word prayah (“for the most part”),
because sometimes the svayam-rupa, the origin of all other forms of God, descends to the
material world. That most special of avataras will be discussed at length in the fifth chapter of
Shri Laghu-bhagavatamrita.

Text 6

Among the three kinds of avataras, the Purusha avatara is described as follows in the
Vishnu Purana [6.8.61]: “I bow down to the always infallible Purusha, who appears
from the original Supreme Lord. The Purusha is completely transcendental, although
He seems otherwise when He expands Himself into various personal forms who
associate with the modes of material nature. He possesses perfect knowledge and
manifests all the living beings in the wonderful material creation.” Shrila Shridhara
Svami comments that ‘tasyaiva anu’, “He appears afterwards,” indicates that He
expands from the Supreme Personality of Godhead who had been previously
described.

Commentary

As indicated by the word anu in this verse of the Vishnu Purana, the Purusha avatara expands
from the original Godhead, who was glorified a few verses earlier:

nanto sti yasya na ca yasya samudbhavo ‘sti

vrddhir na yasya parinama-vivarjitasya
napakshayam ca samupaity avikalpa-vastu
yas tam nato smi purusottamam adyam idyam

“I bow down to Him who has no end and no birth, who does not develop or change, and who
never suffers decay. He is the immutable reality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
original, worshipable Lord.” (Vishnu Purana 6.8.58)
The Purusha associates with material nature only to the extent of glancing at prakriti at the
beginning of creation and maintaining conscious control over the creation that evolves from
her. He never gives up His unity, even while expanding into numerous amsha forms. He
generates the wonderful cosmos, filling it with all sorts of living beings.

Does this mean that the Purusha becomes affected by contact with nature and her creation?
No. Because the entire process of creation is set into motion simply by His desire, prakriti
cannot affect Him. Even while the material world is being conducted by His prakriti, He
remains uninfluenced, thanks to His inconceivable personal energies.

Text 7

Here is an explanatory verse:

Scripture describes the Purusha as the partial expansion of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead who seems to connect with the qualities of material nature, beginning
with making the effort to glance at her, and who has many incarnations.

Shrila Rupa Gosvami presents the Laghu-bhagavatamrita in the typically concise style of
philosophical shastras. Short definitions and statements of fact with the support of
quotations from authoritative scriptures, which are then often followed by the author's own
karikas, or explanatory verses. Karika yatana-vrittyoh: “The word karika can mean ‘torment’
or ‘commentary on a basic text.” (Amara-kosha)

Texts 6 and 7 apply to all three of the Purusha incarnations. We also find general information
about the purusha-avataras in Lord Chaitanya’s instructions to Sanatana Gosvami
(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 20.250-64).

Text 8

That He is an avatara is confirmed in the Second Canto of ShrimadBhagavatam

[2.6.42]: “The Purusha is the first incarnation of the Supreme Lord.”

Commentary

The first Purusha, Karanarnava-shayi Vishnu (Maha-vishnu), is an incarnation of Krishna, the

ultimate avatari.

Text 9

The Satvata-tantra [1.30] describes the different forms of the Purusha: “Vishnu has
three forms called Purusha. The first, Maha-vishnu, creates the total material energy
[mahat], the second, Garbhoda-shayi, is situated within each universe, and the third,
Ksiroda-shayi, lives in the heart of every living being. He who knows these three
becomes liberated from the clutches of maya.”
Commentary

In this verse vishnu refers to the original Supreme Lord, the svayam-rupa. The first Purusha,
Sankarshana, is the Supersoul of prakriti; the second, Pradyumna, is the Supersoul of four-
headed Brahma; and the third, Aniruddha, is the Supersoul of each of the jivas.

Text 10

The first of these is described in the Eleventh Canto [11.4.3]: “When the primeval Lord
Narayana created the universe out of the five elements produced from Himself and
then entered within it by His own plenary portion, He thus became known as the
Purusha.”

Commentary

The supremely independent Lord of Vaikuntha, Shri Narayana, expanded Himself as

Sankarshana, the first Purusha, who produced from His own body the five elements of
creation, from which He fashioned the egg-like universes. He then entered each egg as
Pradyumna, the second Purusha.

Text 11

Also, the Brahma-samhita [5.10-13] states: “The Lord of the universe, Maha-vishnu,
became manifest near that partial expansion of the Supreme [Narayana]. He
possesses thousands of heads....”

“The same Maha-vishnu is known as Narayana in this mundane world. From that
eternal person has sprung the vast expanse of spiritual water, the Causal Ocean,
which is the subjective portion of Sankarshana, who abides in the para-vyoma. The
above-mentioned supreme Purusha, Maha-vishnu, with thousands of subjective
portions, reposes in the state of divine sleep [yoga-nidra] in the waters of the Causal
Ocean.”

This passage ends by saying “The spiritual seeds of Sankarshana, existing in the pores
of Maha-vishnu’s skin, are born as so many golden sperms.

These sperms are covered with the five great elements.”

Commentary

Maha-vishnu originates as an expansion of Narayana, the Lord of Vaikuntha, who is a partial

expansion (linga) of the svayam-rupa Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Maha-vishnu appears
“within” Narayana, or more exactly near Him, in one corner of His Vaikuntha realm. He
“became manifest” (avirabhut) in the sense of making His appearance in the Causal Ocean to
glance at prakriti.
To dispel any doubts that Maha-vishnu is certainly that expansion of Narayana whose acts of
creation are described in the Vishnu Purana (1.4.6), it is mentioned here that the waters of
creation emanate from Him.

apo nara iti prokta

apo vai nara-sunavah
ayanam tasya tah purvam
tena narayanah smrtah

“The water from which the material creation evolves is called nara because it is born from
Nara, the Supreme Person. Because that Supreme Person is the primeval origin of these
waters, the scriptures remember Him as Narayana.”

Since the water of the Causal Ocean is produced from the body of Sankarshana Maha-vishnu,
it is termed sankarshanatmaka. Lord Maha-vishnu lies down on that ocean, resting on the
bed of Ananta Shesha. Therefore He is called Karanarnava-shayi. He glances at material
nature, thus impregnating her with the seeds of the universes and the spiritual sparks who
will populate those universes. Germinating within the womb of prakriti, the seedlike
universes develop into golden eggs. Lord Maha-vishnu then expands Himself thousands of
times – or rather, countless times — as the Pradyumna Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnus in all the
universal eggs.

Text 12

The word “lingam” (in Brahma-samhita 5.10, quoted above] indicates a particular
expansion of the original svayam-rupa Lord.

Commentary

Shrila Krishnadasa Kaviraja writes about the first Purusha incarnation in the Chaitanya-
charitamrita, at Adi-lila 5.50-91 and 6.13-19, and also at Madhya-lila 20.265-82, where he
describes Lord Chaitanya’s instructions to Sanatana Gosvami.

Shrimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.1 also depicts Lord Maha-vishnu:

jagrhe paurusam rupam

bhagavan mahad-dadibhih
sambhutam sodasa-kalam
adau loka-sisrksaya

“In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first expanded Himself in the universal form of the
Purusha incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at
first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the
purpose of creating the material universe.” And Shrila Sanatana Gosvami’s Brihad-
bhagavatamrita, second part (3.33-46), describes Maha-vishnu's expansion as Lord Mahakala,
who resides beyond the universe's outer shell of pradhana.
Text 13

The second Purusha is described in the very next passage of the Brahmasamhita
[5.14]: “The same Maha-vishnu enters into every universe as His own separate
subjective portions.”

Commentary

Here evam means “in this way, or in other words in the same transcendental way that He
glances at prakriti, impregnating her without becoming at all entangled. Maha-vishnu enters
each universe in a separate form as the second Purusha. Some manuscripts of the Brahma-
samhita record pratyandam (“each egg”) for this verse instead of praty-ekam (“each one”), but
this creates no real difference in meaning.

Text 14

In the Narayaniya section of the Moksha-dharma Lord Padmanabha, who lies on the
Garbha Ocean, is called Aniruddha. This same Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, as
Pradyumna, is the controller of Hiranya-garbha Brahma.

Commentary

Strictly speaking, from the chatur-vyuha in Vaikuntha, the first Vishnu Purusha expands from
Sankarshana, the second from Pradyumna, and the third from Aniruddha; yet sometimes
these names are used freely for any or all of the three. They are all forms of the same Supreme
Person.

We should thus not fault the Narayaniya narration in the Mahabharata (Shanti-parva 236.68-
69, 327.26) for referring to Garbhodaka-shayi, the progenitor of Brahma, as Aniruddha:

asman-murtis chaturthi ya
sasrjac chesam avyayam
sa hi sankarshanah proktah
pradyumnam so py ajijanat

pradyumnac caniruddho ‘ham

sargo mama punah punah
aniruddhat tato brahma
tan-nabhi-kamalodbhavah

“My fourth personal form generated His infallible expansion known as Sankarshana.
Sankarshana further expanded as Pradyumna, and from Pradyumna came Aniruddha. Thus I
expanded Myself again and again. Brahma came from Aniruddha, appearing on the lotus
growing from His navel.”
 aniruddho hi lokanam
mahan atmeti kathyate
yo sau vyaktatvam apanno
nirmame ca pitamaham

“Aniruddha is known as the Supreme Soul of all the worlds. Assuming the manifest form of
the universal body, He gave birth to Brahma, the forefather of all beings.” (Mahabharata,
Shanti-parva 339.70-72, 340.27-28)

Shrimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.2-3 specifies that Brahma appears on the lotus growing from the
second Purusha:

yasyambhasi sayanasya
yoga-nidram vitanvatah
nabhi-hradambujad asid
brahma vishva-srjam patih

yasyavayava-samsthanaih
kalpito loka-vistarah
tad vai bhagavato rupam
visuddham sattvam urjitam

“A part of the Purusha lies down within the water of the universe, from the navel lake of His
body sprouts a lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem Brahma, the master of all
engineers in the universe, becomes manifest. It is believed that all the universal planetary
systems are situated on the extensive body of the Purusha, but He has nothing to do with the
created material ingredients. His body is eternally in spiritual existence par excellence.’

These two verses of the Bhagavatam indicate that since the Supreme Lord never actually has
a material body, conceiving of the universal form as the body of God helps materialistic
persons purify their intelligence. The universal form is not Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu’s body
but Brahmas. It is subtler than the four-headed body Brahma later acquires, and it is
sometimes called Hiranyagarbha. The Purushas own body, on the other hand, is vishuddham
sattvam, pure spirit, and urjitam, innately endowed with self-manifested, unlimited
consciousness. Appearing in His perfect, incorruptible body within the universe, the second
Purusha gives birth to Hiranyagarbha Brahma. Then, as the Supersoul within that universal
body, the Lord guides Brahma .

The Garbhodaka-shayi Purusha is described in some detail in Shri Chaitanyacharitamrita (Adi

5.93-107 and Madhya 20.283-93).

The virat-rupa expansion from the second Purusha is explained in several chapters of
Shrimad-Bhagavatam, including chapter six of the Second Canto.

Lord Maha-vishnus appearance as the Maha-purusha_ incarnation on Brahmaloka is

described by Shrila Sanatana Gosvami in Shri Brihadbhagavatamrita (first part, chapter two,
texts 34, 39-42, and 50-52; and second part, chapter two, texts 130-32, 141-43, and 226-28).
Text 15

The third Purusha: The third of these forms is discerned from the verses of the
Second Canto beginning kecit sva-dehantah.

This ends the definition of the Purusha incarnations.

Commentary

In the second chapter of the Second Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Shukadeva Gosvami

briefly describes how to meditate on the Supersoul present in one’s own heart:

kecit sva-dehantar-hrdayavakdase
pradesa-matram purusham vasantam
chatur-bhujam kanja-rathanga-sankha-
gada-dharam dharanaya smaranti

“Others conceive of the Personality of Godhead residing within the body in the region of the
heart and measuring only eight inches, with four hands carrying a lotus, a wheel of a chariot,
a conch shell, and a club, respectively.” (Bhagavatam 2.2.8) As Shrila Shukadeva reveals in
this verse and subsequent verses, the third Purusha, the Lord of the Milk Ocean, enters the
heart of every living being in the appropriate size. In the case of human beings, Lord
Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu’s form is the height of one pradesha, the distance between the tips
of a person’s extended thumb and index finger.

The third Purusha is also described in Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Adi 5.109116 and Madhya
20.294-95).

Text 16

Next, the guna-avataras: The guna incarnations are said to appear from the Purusha
as Vishnu, Brahma, and Rudra for the purposes of maintenance, creation, and
destruction, respectively.

Commentary

These three avataras appear from the Supreme Lord’s second Purusha form.

Text 17

As is stated in the First Canto [1.2.23]: “The transcendental Personality of Godhead is

indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion,
goodness, and ignorance, and just for the material world’s creation, maintenance,
and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva,
respectively. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from
Vishnu, the form of the quality of goodness.”
Commentary

This “transcendental Personality of Godhead” is Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu, who expands

Himself separately as each of the three guna-avataras.

The fourfold goals of human life – religiosity, economic success, sense gratification, and
liberation – can be fully realized only by worshiping the avatara of the mode of goodness,
Vishnu.

Text 18

The “association” mentioned here refers to a connection with the modes of nature as
their controller. Thus, the particular guna-avatara who is a svamsha of the Supreme
Lord does not actually contact the material modes.

Commentary

How can the Supreme Person have a connection with the modes of material nature? Indeed,
according to Shrimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.47, just the opposite is the case: maya paraity
abhimukhe ca vilajjamana, “Maya stays far away from Him, ashamed to show herself to His
face.’

Yes, this is true, but as explained here, the yoga or “connection” of the Supreme Lord with the
material modes is not like that of the finite living beings, who become entangled when they
consort with these modes. The three gunas remain subordinate to the Personality of
Godhead’s three gunaavataras, who regulate the modes’ control of the material world.

In particular, Lord Vishnu can never come under the sway of prakriti and her modes.

adav abhuc chata-dhrti rajasasya sarge

vishnuh sthitau kratu-patir dvija-dharma-setuh
rudro ‘pyayaya tamasa purushah sa adya
ity udbhava-sthiti-layah satatam prajadsu

“First, the original Supreme Personality manifested the form of Brahma through the material
mode of passion in order to create this universe. Then the Lord manifested His form as
Vishnu, the Lord of sacrifice and the protector of the brahmanas and their religious duties, to
maintain the universe. And when the universe is to be annihilated, the same Supreme Lord
employs the material mode of ignorance and manifests the form of Rudra. The created living
beings are thus always subject to the forces of creation, maintenance, and destruction.”
(Bhagavatam 11.4.5) In this verse the great yoga master Drumila describes Brahma as
connected with the mode of passion and Shiva as connected with ignorance, but he describes
Vishnu without any mention of a connection to goodness or the other material modes.

The guna-avatara Vishnu is a svamsha expansion of Godhead, always situated in

transcendence, free from all coverings of false material identity. But when the Supreme Lord
chooses to associate with the modes of passion and ignorance, He becomes Brahma and
Shiva. Similarly, when He chooses to associate with atheism, He becomes Buddha, and in
association with deviant behavior He becomes Rishabha. In reality, however, the Supreme
Lord is never contaminated by the material modes.

However, worshiping the Supreme Lord disguised as Brahma or Shiva cannot bring about full
realization of dharma, artha, and kama. And it certainly cannot lead to moksha. As Lord
Shiva says in the Hari-vamsha, muktipradata sarvesham vishnur eva na samsayah: “Lord
Vishnu is undoubtedly the only bestower of liberation for everyone.’ The material mode of
goodness has no power over Lord Vishnu. He is not in direct contact with it but controls it
merely by His desire. Therefore real benefit comes only from worshiping Him directly.

In the words of the Vamana Purana:

brahma-visnv-isa-rupani
trini visnor mahatmanah
brahmani brahma-rupah sa
siva-rupah sive sthitah
prthag eva sthito deva
vishnu-rupi janardanah

“Brahma, Vishnu, and Isa are three forms of the Supreme Soul Vishnu. Lord Janardana
situates His Brahma form in Lord Brahma and His Shiva form in Lord Shiva. The same
Supreme Lord, however, remains Himself in His Vishnu form.”

The ruler of all three modes of nature is indeed the one Supreme Lord, but He expands
Himself as each of the guna-avataras.

Contact with the mode of goodness is more beneficial than contact with passion and
ignorance. The Bhagavatam verse that follows the one quoted in text 17 confirms this:

parthivad daruno dhimas

tasmad agnis trayi-mayah
tamasas tu rajas tasmat
sattvam yad brahma-darsanam

“Firewood is a transformation of earth, but smoke is better than the raw wood. And fire is still
better, for by fire we can derive the benefits of superior knowledge [through Vedic sacrifices].
Similarly, passion is better than ignorance, but goodness is still better, for by goodness we
can come to realize the Absolute Truth.” (Bhagavatam 1.2.24) Firewood, smoke, and fire are
respectively ineffective, imperfectly effective, and fully effective for executing Vedic sacrifice.
Similarly, the modes of tamas, rajas, and sattva — with their bewildering, agitating, and
enlightening influences – respectively block realization, allow partial realization, and
facilitate full realization of the Supreme Truth. It is therefore appropriate to say that the
Personality of Godhead in His expansions as the controllers of tamas and rajas does not
bestow genuine success, but that He does bestow this success in His role as the controller of
sattva-guna.
Text 19

Regarding Brahma: In this world his subtle form is known as Hiranyagarbha and his
gross form as Vairaja, and he also appears as the lotus-born one (Padmabhu). He
accepts these forms for furthering his enjoyment and for creating the universe.

He appears in two different ways, as follows.

Commentary

The Personality of Godhead Himself sometimes plays Brahmas role, and sometimes He
empowers a jiva for this purpose. The previous verses described the first case, and now the
second is being considered. Hiranyagarbha is the name for Brahma in his subtle body, the
mahat-tattva. Only the Supreme Lord can see him in that form, the demigods cannot. Vairaja
is the name for Brahma in his grosser universal body; many yogis meditate on this form. His
third body, with four heads, eight eyes, and eight arms, can be seen by the demigods and
other living beings, who can then receive benedictions from him.

His first purpose for appearing in these forms is his own enjoyment, and his second purpose
is to create the universe. He also has another responsibility, implied by the word ca: to
promulgate the Vedas. We read in the Kurma Purana: veda-pracharanarthaya brahmda jatas
chatur-mukhah: “Fourheaded Brahma was born to disseminate the Vedas.”

Text 20

Usually the Vairaja becomes four-headed Brahma for creating and ruling, but
sometimes the Supreme Lord Vishnu Himself becomes Brahma and creates the
universe.

Text 21

Thus the Padma Purana states, “In some maha-kalpas a jiva becomes Brahma due to
the exalted quality of His worship of the Lord, and in some maha-kalpas Maha-vishnu
assumes the role of Brahma.”

Commentary

The name Maha-vishnu in this verse actually refers to Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu.

Text 22

During a maha-kalpa in which Vishnu becomes the creator, Vairaja Brahma enters
within Him and enjoys all facilities for material happiness.

Thus Brahma is sometimes a jiva and sometimes the Supreme Lord.

Commentary

In the kalpas when Vishnu Himself becomes Brahma, what does the jiva Brahma do? Does he
achieve liberation at the very beginning of his life? No. Brahma can be liberated only after
living out his lifespan of one hundred years. As Dvaipayana Vyasa states in the Vedanta-
sutras (3.3.33), yavad adhikaram avasthitir adhikarikanam: “The appointed administrative
demigods must remain in their posts for the duration of their terms.”

This verse answers the question posed above: In kalpas when Vishnu is Brahma, the jiva
Brahma enters the spiritual body of Vishnu with both his Vairaja body and his subtle
Hiranyagarbha body. This jiva Brahma thus enjoys the offerings the demigods make in his
name. Just see the generosity of the Supreme Lord in granting His servant the ability to enjoy
the advantages of his position without having to take any responsibility!

Thus the role of Brahma can be taken by either a jiva or God.

Text 23

The revealed scriptures speak of Brahma as an avatara because his form comes
directly from the Supreme Lord. Other authorities say he is an incarnation because of
how intimate he becomes with the Personality of Godhead while ruling the universal
body. Still others describe him as an avesha incarnation.

Commentary

There are various opinions as to why Brahma is called an avatara. In the most complete sense
he is considered an incarnation because he appears directly from Lord Garbhodaka-shayi
Vishnu.

Some Vaishnava acharyas consider Brahma an avatara because of his close association with
Lord Vishnu in sharing the virat form with Him. Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu embraces Brahma’
universal body, infusing it with the potencies of creation. The finite soul Brahma and
Supersoul Vishnu retain their separate identities, but the two become intimately associated,
like a mixture of water and milk.

Other acharyas explain that Brahma is an avesha incarnation like certain other jivas.

In any case, when the Supreme Lord rather than an appointed jiva is playing the role of
Brahma, he is more fully an avatara.

Text 24

Thus in the Brahma-samhita [5.49]: “I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, from whom
the separated subjective portion Brahma receives his power for the regulation of the
mundane world, just as the sun manifests some portion of his own light in all the
effulgent gems that bear the names of suryakanta, etc.”
Commentary

This verse of Brahma-samhita describes how a jiva with exceptional karma is empowered to
take birth with the whole universe as his body and to use that universal form to create the
various worlds and the individual bodies that inhabit them. Such empowerment is further
explained below, in the discussion of the third guna-avatara, Rudra.

Text 25

Brahma is born from the lotus growing from the navel of Garbhoda-shayi Vishnu. But
the scriptures say that sometimes he is born from the Garbha water itself or from
another source, such as fire or wind.

Commentary

As the Supreme Lord wills, from time to time Brahma may appear in ways other than from
the lotus sprouting from the Lord’s own navel.

Shrila Sanatana Gosvami reveals the glories of Lord Brahma in the Brihad-bhagavatamrita
(1.2.30-79 and 2.2.121-129).

Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami gives a description of Brahma as a gunaavatara in the

Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 20.302-5).

Shrimad-Bhagavatam presents a condensed account of the Bhagavatam that Brahma

presented to his son Narada (Second Canto, chapters 5-7). The Bhagavatam also describes
Brahmas performance of austerities under the guidance of Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu and his
subsequent vision of Vaikuntha (2.9.4-39). And the Bhagavatam relates how Brahma created
the material universe (Third Canto, chapters 8-12).

Text 26

Regarding Shri Rudra: Rudra has eleven expansions, and he also has eight bodies. He
is usually described as having five faces, three eyes, and ten arms.

Commentary

As the scriptures relate that the role of Brahma is sometimes assumed by Vishnu and
sometimes by an empowered jiva, so various scriptures relate that the role of Rudra (Shiva) is
also assumed in these two ways. Rudra as a direct expansion of Lord Vishnu is mentioned in
the Shrimad-Bhagavatam First Canto, in a verse that describes the Supreme Lord assuming
the forms of all three guna-avataras.

The original Rudra expands himself in many forms in the material world, including as the
eleven Rudras:
 ajaikapad ahirbradhno
virupakso ‘tha raivatah
haras ca bahurupas ca
tryambakas ca sureshvarah
savitras ca jayantas ca
pinaki caparajitah

“Lord Shiva appears as Ajaikapat, Ahirbradhna, Virupaksha, Raivata, Hara, Bahu-rupa, the
best of demigods Tryambaka, Savitra, Jayanta, Pinaki, and Aparajita.” (Mahabharata, Shanti-
parva 201.18)

He also expands as eight shiva-linga incarnations (presiding over eight elements), who are
worshiped as deities:

prthivi salilam tejo

vayur akasham eva ca
surya-chandramasau soma-
yaji cety asta-murtayah

“His eight deity forms preside over earth, water, fire, air, ether, the sun, the moon, and the
offerer of Soma sacrifice.’ (Mahabharata, Shanti-parva 201.19)

Lord Rudra is “usually described as having five faces” because sometimes he is seen with only
one, as in that form seen within the layer of water that covers the universe.

Text 27

Some scriptural statements indicate that Lord Hara is an individual jiva, like Brahma.
These are descriptions of partial expansions of Hara, similar to some statements
about Ananta Shesha.

Commentary

Lord Chaitanya taught Sanatana Gosvami that Lord Rudra is neither Vishnu nor a finite jiva
but is in a special, intermediate category of his own (Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya
20.308). But Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana, in his commentary on the previous two verses,
uses the word ishvara in referring to Rudra’s original appearance in this world, indicating
virtual equality with the Personality of Godhead.

Lord Ananta Sega, the bedstead of Maha-vishnu and a direct expansion of Godhead, can
empower a jiva to act in His name so that the jiva can hold the material planets on his
serpent hoods. Lord Rudra similarly empowers jJiva representatives. These are described in
many scriptures, beginning with the Rig Veda (10.125.5-6): yam kamaye tam ugram krnomi
tam brahmanam tam rsim tarn su-medham. “Whomever I choose for the role, I empower as a
fearsome Rudra, a Brahma, a sage, or a wise man.”
The Narayana Upanishad (1) states: atha puruso ha vai ndardyano ‘kamayata praja srjeya.
“Then the Purusha Narayana desired, “Let me create progeny.” The Upanishad continues:
narayanad brahma jayate narayanad rudro jayate narayanat prajapatir jayate narayanad indro
jayate narayanad astau vasavo narayanad ekadasa rudra narayanad dvadasadityah. “From
Narayana, Brahma was born. From Narayana, Rudra was born. From Narayana, Prajapati was
born. From Narayana, Indra was born. From Narayana, the eight Vasus were born. From
Narayana, the eleven Rudras were born. From Narayana, the twelve Adityas were born.”

The Maha Upanishad (1-2) states: eko ha vai narayana as in na brahma nesanah. tasya
dhyananta-sthasya lalatat try-aksah sula-panih puruso ‘jayata bibhrad chriyam satyarh
brahma-caryam tapo vairagyam. “There was only Narayana, not Brahma or Shiva. While He
was absorbed in meditation, there appeared from His forehead a person with three eyes
holding a trident in his hand and displaying the opulences of truth, celibacy, austerity, and
renunciation.”

The Rudras depicted in these and the following passages are empowered jivas, since they take
birth and have other limitations.

prajapatim ca rudram capy

aham eva srjami vai
tau hi mam na vijanito
mama maya-vimohitau

“I alone create Prajapati Brahma and Rudra. Both of them, bewildered by My maya, fail to
know Me in truth” (Mahabharata, Moksha-dharma)

brahma sambhus tathaivarkas

chandramas ca Satakratuh
evam-dadyas tathaivanye
yukta vaishnava-tejasa

jagat-karyavasane tu
viyujyante ca tejasa
vitejasas ca te sarve
panchatvam upayanti vali

“Brahma, Shambhu (Rudra), the gods of the sun and moon, Indra, and others are empowered
with the potency of Lord Vishnu. When the period of the manifested material creation ends,
their powers are withdrawn; they become powerless, and their forms return to the material
elements from which they were born.’ (Vishnu-dharma Purana)

Text 28

When Lord Hara is a personal expansion of the Purusha, he is nearly transcendental

to the material modes. But because of his contact with the mode of ignorance, all in
this world perceive him as subject to transformation. We find in the Tenth Canto
[10.88.3] that “Lord Shiva is always united with his personal energy, the material
nature. He manifests three features in response to the entreaties of nature’s three
modes.”

Commentary

As mentioned in the First Canto verse that calls the three guna-avataras direct expansions of
the Supreme Person, this Lord Hara is transcendental to the modes of nature. His
transcendental position differs from that of the limited jivas when they assume the roles of
Lord Rudra’ expansions. Lord Hara is purusha-dhama, nondifferent in substance from Lord
Vishnu.

As indicated in this verse by the words nirgunah prayah, “nearly transcendental,’ Lord Hara
sometimes allows himself to be covered by ignorance. It is generally thought that his
association with matter subjects him to material change, but in truth he is changeless.

Lord Rudra is eternally related with material nature in her neutral state of equilibrium. When
her modes become agitated and develop the visible creation, he becomes tri-linga,
surrounded from a distance by the three modes.

Lord Rudra is famous for being covered by the mode of ignorance. How, then, can one
correctly call him tri-linga? The answer is that the modes of nature always intermingle, so
when Rudra contacts tamo-guna he also contacts sattva and rajas. The Bhagavatam concludes
that only ordinary people consider him covered by the modes.

Text 29

Thus the Brahma-samhita [5.45] states: “Milk changes into yogurt when mixed with a
yogurt culture, but actually it is constitutionally nothing but milk. Similarly,
Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, assumes the form of Lord Shiva
[Shambhu] for the special purpose of material transactions. I offer my obeisances at
His lotus feet.”

Commentary

This verse explains how Lord Rudra remains transcendental to the material modes while
apparently being affected by contact with the mode of ignorance. Shambhu (Rudra) is not a
completely separate person from the Supreme Person Govinda; rather, Shambhu is His
special transformation. The Supreme Lord chooses to take charge of the mode of ignorance
and thus expands Himself for that specific purpose without giving up His transcendental
nature.

Text 30

Sometimes Rudra is born from Brahma’s forehead, and sometimes he is born from
Lord Kamala-pati [Vishnu]. At the end of Brahma’s day, the Rudra who generates the
all-destructive fire of time appears from Lord Sankarshana.
Commentary

Rudras birth from the forehead of Brahma is described in the Shatapatha Brahmana and in
Shrimad-Bhagavatam, and his birth from the forehead of Lord Vishnu, the husband of
Kamala, is described in the Maha Upanishad (2) and various Puranas. These descriptions are
not incompatible, since Rudra appears in different ways during different days of Brahma.

The Rudra who destroys the universe at the end of Brahma’s day is described in the Eleventh
Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.10):

patala-talam arabhya
sankarshana-mukhanalah
dahann urdhva-sikho vishvag
vardhate vayuneritah

“Beginning from Patala-loka, a fire grows, emanating from the mouth of Lord Sankarshana.
Its flames shooting upward, driven by great winds, it scorches everything in all directions.”

Text 31

The form called Sadashiva is completely free from any trace of the mode of ignorance.
He is the cause of the entire material creation and is a personal expansion from the
body of the original Personality of Godhead. The Vayu Purana and other scriptures
state that he resides on Shivaloka.

Commentary

Thus far Shrila Rupa Gosvami has drawn the following conclusions: Shri Krishna is the
original Personality of Godhead, Narayana and other forms of Godhead are His vilasa and
svamsha expansions, and there are also jivas who become avesha incarnations. From the
svamsha expansion lying on the Garbha Ocean come Vishnu, Brahma, and Rudra, who are
originally His own expansions, but the latter two roles are sometimes also played by jivas.

There are other opinions. For example, it might be said that Lord Sadashiva is the original
truth, that He alone deserves to be called svayamrupa, that Narayana and the others are His
expansions, and that the three guna-avataras are created by Him. This is supported by the
Kaivalya Upanishad (6-9):

acintyam avyaktam ananta-rupam

sivam prasantam amritam brahma-yonim
tam adi-madhyanta-vihinam ekam
vibhum cid-dnandam arupam adbhutam

“Inconceivable, unmanifest, peaceful, immortal, and all-auspicious, He is the expander of

unlimited forms, the Absolute Truth, from which everything originates. Having no beginning,
middle, or end, He pervades all existence. He is pure, blissful consciousness, formless and
amazing.
 uma-sahayam parameshvaram prabhum
tri-locanam nila-kantham prasantam
dhyatva munir gacchati bhita-yonim
samasta-saksirn tamasah parastat

“By meditating on the peaceful, three-eyed, blue-throated Supreme Lord accompanied by His
consort Uma, a sage attains Him, who is beyond the realm of ignorance and is the master of
creation, the source of all created beings, and the witness of everything.

sa brahma sa shivah sendrah

so ‘ksarah paramah svarat
sa eva vishnuh sa pranah
sa kalagnih sa chandramah

“He is Brahma, Shiva, and Indra. He is the infallible, absolutely independent Supreme, Lord
Vishnu. He is the air of life, the fire of annihilation, and the moon.

sa eva sarvam yad bhitam

yac ca bhavyam caracharam
jnatva tam mrtyum atyeti
nanyah pantha vimuktaye

“He is everything that has been and everything that is, both moving and nonmoving.
Knowing him, one overcomes death. There is no other path to liberation.”

Although these reliable and authoritative statements of shruti seem to equate Lord Shiva
with Lord Narayana, we need to understand these statements correctly. Shrila Baladeva
Vidyabhushana explains that these verses describe only Lord Narayana, the vilasa expansion
of Krishna, the original Godhead. Shiva is also a name of Narayana, and thus the two names
are used interchangeably in the Maha-narayana Upanishad 13.3: shivam achyutam
narayanam. Similarly, Uma is another name of Kirti, one of Lord Narayana’ principal shaktis.
Then, since this passage describes the Lord of Vaikuntha and not the guna-avatara of the
material world, nila-kantha indicates “one whose neck is adorned with a blue gem.” And
finally, Shivaloka should be understood as the Supreme Lord's abode, Vaikuntha.

Shrila Jiva Gosvami, in his Bhagavat-sandarbha (72), has cited the verses of the Vayu Purana
(49.153-61) mentioned in this verse, beginning with the words andaughasya samantat tu
(“surrounding the mass of all the universal eggs”), which glorify Lord Shiva’s abode.

Text 32

The Brahma-samhita [5.8] explains the original form of Lord Shiva: “Rama-devi, the
spiritual potency, beloved consort of the Supreme Lord, is the regulatrix of all
entities. The divine plenary portion of Krishna creates the mundane world. At
creation there appears a divine halo of the nature of His own subjective portion. This
halo is divine Shambhu, the masculine symbol or manifested emblem of the Supreme
Lord. This halo is the dim twilight reflection of the supreme eternal effulgence. This
masculine symbol is the subjective portion of divinity who functions as progenitor of
the mundane world, subject to the supreme regulatrix. The conceiving potency in
regard to mundane creation makes her appearance out of the supreme regulatrix. She
is Maya, the limited, nonabsolute potency, the symbol of mundane feminine
productivity.”

Commentary

This is Shri Brahma-samhita’s discussion of Lord Krishna’s expansion as Lord Sadashiva. The
discussion continues with these words:

kamo bijam mahad dhareh

“The intercourse of these two brings forth the faculty of perverted cognition, the reflection of
the seed of the procreative desire of the Supreme Lord.

linga-yony-atmika jata
ima mahesvari prajah

“All offspring of the consort of the great lord [Maheshvara] of this mundane world are of the
nature of the embodiment of the mundane masculine and feminine generative organs.

saktiman purushah so yam

linga-rupi maheshvarah
tasminn avirabhil linge
maha-vishnuh jagat-patih

“The person embodying the material causal principle, viz. the great lord of this mundane
world [Maheshvara] Shambhu, in the form of the male generating organ, is joined to his
female consort, the limited energy [Maya], as the efficient causal principle. The Lord of the
world Maha-vishnu is manifest in him by His subjective portion in the form of His glance”
(Brahmasamhita 8-10).

Verse seven of the Brahma-samhita states that the Supreme Lord always enjoys with His
pleasure potency, Rama. Rama is tad-vasa, subordinate to the Supreme Lord in their mutual
enjoyment and never separated from Him. Indeed, she can never be separated from Him
because she is of His very essence. The Hayashirsha Pancharatra says, na vishnuna vind devi /
na vishnuh padmajam vina. “The goddess is never alone without Vishnu, and Vishnu is never
without the lotus-born goddess.” And the Vishnu Purana (1.8.15) describes her as nityaiva sa
jagan-mata / visnoh Ssrir anapayini. “Lord Vishnu's consort, Shri, is the eternal mother of the
universe and is always by His side.”

Shambhu (Sadashiva) is a reflection and representative of the svayam-rupa lord. According to

the Vishva-kosha dictionary, lingam cihne numane ca. “Linga can mean ‘sign or “inference.”
Lord Sadashiva is also Bhagavan, the Lord of the spiritual sky, full in six opulences, an
expanded form of mundane success. His body is jyoti-rupa, pure spirit. The revelation that
Sadashiva, the lord of the material creation, expands from Krishna is supporting evidence
that Krishna is the original form of the Supreme, just as the detection of a dewlap on an
animal is evidence that the animal is a cow.
The consort energy of Lord Shambhu in the material world is the inferior sakti who
comprises the three modes. When the Supreme Lord's expansion, Sankarshana Maha-vishnu,
desires to glance at this inferior sakti, the mahat-tattva begins to evolve. Thus Lord Vishnu's
desire is the seed of material existence (mahad bijam). The word mahat refers to the
countless finite living beings impregnated in the womb of material nature by Lord Vishnu’s
glance. They become mahesvari-prajah, the offspring of the Lord’s feminine prakriti, the all-
powerful ruler of creation. And they are linga-yony-atmikah, born from the combination of
the supreme enjoyer and His prakriti. These conditioned jivas are also known as children of
prakriti because they are fully dependent on her.

Shri Brihad-bhagavatamrita glorifies Lord Rudra in the second and third chapters of the first
part (2.80-98 and 3.1-42) and in the third chapter of the second part (3.48-66), and Shri
Chaitanya-charitamrita describes Rudra in his role as guna-avatara (Madhya 20.307-12).

Shrimad-Bhagavatam also presents Lord Rudra prominently in several cantos. The Third
Canto describes his birth from the forehead of Brahma (3.12.6-20). The Fourth Canto explains
the terrible reactions Prajapati Daksha suffered for offending him (chapters 2-6). The Fifth
Canto describes Shri Rudra residing on Ilavrita-varsha and worshiping Lord Sankarshana,
from whom he expands (5.17.15-24). And the Eighth Canto tells the history of Lord Rudra
drinking the poison churned from the Milk Ocean (8.7.1846) and describes his encounter
with Lord Vishnu’s Mohini incarnation (chapter 12).

Text 33

Regarding Shri Vishnu, the Third Canto (3.8.15) states: “Into that universal lotus
flower Lord Vishnu personally entered as the Supersoul, and when it was thus
impregnated with all the modes of material nature, the personality of Vedic wisdom,
whom we call the self-born, was generated.”

Commentary

This Third Canto text describes the avatara Vishnu who activates the material mode of
goodness. Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu, also known as Pradyumna, entered the lotus-shaped
material universe, which contains all facilities for the living entities attempts at enjoyment.

The scriptures never mention that the guna-avatara Vishnu can be either jiva- or vishnu-
tattva, as Brahma and Shiva can, because Vishnu is always the complete Personality of
Godhead.

Text 34

The Vishnu spoken about here is the Lord who lies on the Milk Ocean. Because He is
a personal expansion of Garbhoda-shayi Vishnu, the best of sages call Him Narayana.
They also call Him Virat and Antar-yami [Supersoul].
Commentary

Lord Garbhoda-shayi Vishnu, also known as Pradyumna and Sahasra-shirsha, expands as

Aniruddha and enters the lotus of the universe. There He rests in the Milk Ocean and thus
becomes known by the name Kshirodaka-shayi.

Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu is the Lord of the Milk Ocean and Supersoul of the living entities.
Although He is not the Lord of Vaikuntha, He is called Narayana because He is a vilasa form
of Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu, who is a vilasa of Maha-vishnu. Lord Maha-vishnu can be called
Narayana because He rests on the Karanarnava, the water of creation. His non-different
expansion resting on the Milk Ocean is thus also Narayana.

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's explanation of the guna-avatara Vishnu is recorded in Shri

Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 20.313-18).

Text 35

The Vishnu-dharmottara and other Puranas describe Vishnu’s various expansions

and abodes that manifest within the material universe. A condensed account follows.

Commentary

Since the incarnations of Godhead generally appear in the material world through the Lord of
the Milk Ocean, Their personal abodes belong to Him.

Text 36

It is said that a planet belonging to Vishnu can be found fifty thousand yojanas above
Rudra’s domain. The inhabitants of these worlds cannot reach that planet.

Text 37

Beyond that planet, the egglike shell of the universe radiates a brilliant golden
effulgence.

It is said that in the Salt Water Ocean east of Meru Mountain is another vast planet of
Lord Vishnu.

Commentary

The shell of the universe is called the brahmanda because even Lord Brahma travels (amyate)
there to see its beauty.

Text 38
There the Lord of lords, Janardana, takes rest at the end of the hot season. Attended
always by Lakshmi, He reposes on the bed of Ananta Shesha.

Texts 39-40

Also, within the Milk Ocean east of Mount Meru lies a beautiful island that is another
abode of the Supreme Lord. On that island amid the milky waters He rests on His
bed, Ananta Shesha, during the four months of the rainy season, attended by
Lakshmi.

Text 41

Within the Milk Ocean south of Mount Meru is a continent twenty-five thousand
yojanas in diameter. This most gorgeous island is known as Shvetadvipa.

Text 42

“My dear Yadava, the people on Shvetadvipa are as effulgent as the sun and as
attractive as the cool-rayed moon. They emit such a brilliance that even the demigods
find it difficult to look at them.”

Texts 43-44

And from the Brahmanda Purana: “The great and very beautiful golden island known
as Shveta stretches for a hundred thousand yojanas amidst the Milk Ocean. On all
sides it is swept by the ocean’s countless rolling waves, which leave on its shores
perfectly polished white gemstones resembling jasmine flowers, the moon, or white
lotuses.”

Text 45

According to the Vishnu Purana and other Puranas, as well as the Mokshadharma,
Shvetadvipa lies near the northern shore of the Milk Ocean.

Text 46

In the opinion of the Padma Purana, Shvetadvipa lies in the northern part of the
ocean of pure water.

Commentary
For different kalpas Lord Brahma locates Shvetadvipa on different sides of the Milk Ocean, or
even in different oceans. Thus the various Puranas are not actually contradicting one another
on this point.

Text 47

The scriptures describe Lord Vishnu and His many incarnations as sattva-tanu. This
word can indicate that Vishnu propagates (tanoti) the mode of goodness (sattva) or
that the mode of goodness is His body (tanu) because it is His external place of
residence.

Commentary

Shri Suta Gosvami uses the word sattva-tanu in his statement shreyamshi tatra khalu sattva-
tanor nrnam syuh: “Of these three [Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva], all human beings can derive
ultimate benefit from Vishnu, who propagates the quality of goodness.” (Bhagavatam 1.2.23)

It might be asked whether this word sattva-tanu, which can be translated “embodiment of
material goodness,’ is a material form assumed by Lord Vishnu. If so, then worshiping that
form of His would not likely result in liberation. According to the Vedanta-sutras (4.1.3) one
can gain liberation only by worshiping the Supreme in His original form as the Soul of all
existence: atmeti tupa-gacchanti grahayanti ca (“Only as the Supreme Soul can He be
properly understood and explained to others.’).

This doubt is resolved by the explanation that sattva-tanu has meanings other than “the
embodiment of material goodness,’ meanings consistent with Lord Vishnu’s granting
liberation. The verb tan means “to propagate,’ and so tanu can mean “propagation” as well as
“body. Lord Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu and the incarnations who appear from Him propagate
the mode of goodness.

Or, alternatively, sattva-guna is Lord Vishnu’s external place of residence, as opposed to

Vaikuntha, His real home. Suta Gosvami also says sattvam yad brahma-darshanam: “It is the
quality of goodness that enables one to see the Absolute Truth’ (Bhagavatam 1.2.24). This
means that the Supreme Lord can be realized through the knowledge that arises in clear and
peaceful consciousness influenced by sattva-guna.

Text 48

Thus all scriptures consistently present Him as being beyond the modes of nature.

Text 49

As, for example, in the Tenth Canto (10.88.5): “Lord Hari, however, has no connection
with the material modes. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the all-seeing
eternal witness, transcendental to material nature. One who worships Him becomes
similarly free from the material modes.”

Commentary

Lord Vishnu controls the mode of goodness by His sweet will, without becoming entangled
by it. He personally (sakshat) remains always in His original independent position, not
coverable by any power of the material energy. To some extent the three modes cover
Brahma and the other demigods, but the modes can never touch Vishnu because material
desire can never compel Him to consort with them. He sees everything (sarva-drik), and He
bestows the transcendental vision (drish or darshana) that leads all fit candidates to
liberation. He is the ever-present witness for these souls on the path to liberation, and He is
their goal, not just another object to leave aside. Therefore by worshiping Him a human
being becomes also transcendental to the material modes. Niranjanah paramam samyam
upaiti: “Freed from the taint of material association, one attains transcendental equality with
the Supreme. (Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.3)

Text 50

It is thus said that from Him, the propagator of goodness, come supreme benefits.

Text 51

Therefore the scriptures declare that performing devotional service to Lord Vishnu is
an eternal obligation.

Text 52

As stated in the Padma Purana (Uttara-khanda 71.100), “Lord Vishnu should always be
remembered and never forgotten. All other injunctions and prohibitions are servants
of these two.”

Commentary

In common language nitya means “regular” or “constant,” but in the specific contexts of
sacrifice and service it means “obligatory.” When failure to perform some particular activity
will lead to loss, that activity is called nitya. Since Lord Vishnu is the Supreme Person, failure
to perform devotional service to Him leads to losing the real value of human life. Therefore
devotional service to Lord Vishnu must be considered nitya. Moreover, there is no more
serious obligation than this devotional service. By fulfilling ritual obligations like chanting
the Gayatri mantra at the junctures of the day, a person can achieve the Pitriloka, but by
performing devotional service to Vishnu one can achieve Vishnu's abode.
Text 53

Thus the same Padma Purana (Patala-khanda 93.26) states: “Each of the many Puranas
and other Vedic scriptures speaks of particular demigods as supreme just to bewilder
the moving and nonmoving living entities. Let these scriptures dispute like this
perpetually. But when one studies and analyzes all of them collectively, one
concludes that Lord Vishnu is the one and only Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

Commentary

How can one say that Vishnu alone is supreme when there are so many conflicting scriptural
statements? Vyasadeva himself has presented various Puranas that speak of Brahma, Rudra,
or others as the supreme being. While it is true that the Puranas and other scriptures seem to
make contending claims of supremacy, these claims should be properly understood.
According to the Padma Purana, persons other than Vishnu are put forward as the one Lord
of creation to bewilder the faithless among the souls living in the bodies of demigods,
humans, and animals, as well as in mountains and other immobile bodies.

The true philosophical siddhanta is established in the Vedanta-sutras, in its commentaries by

reputable Vaishnava acharyas, and in Shrimad-Bhagavatam, the natural commentary on
Vedanta compiled by the sutras’ author. When we carefully interpret the statements of all the
revealed scriptures with the guidance of this faultless siddhanta, employing both literal and
metaphorical readings, we will conclude that Vishnu alone is the Supreme Truth, the
unlimited reservoir of knowledge and bliss.

Text 54

The First Canto (1.2.26) states: “Those who are serious about liberation are certainly
nonenvious, and they respect all. Yet they leave aside the horrible and ghastly forms
of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Vishnu and His
plenary portions.”

Commentary

To support his contention that since Vishnu is supreme He alone should be worshiped, Suta
Gosvami cites this verse from Shrimad-Bhagavatam concerning the behavior of spiritually
advanced persons. Brahma, Rudra, and other demigods are certainly the lords of the mass of
created beings (bhuta-patin), but their personal appearance is ghastly in comparison with the
perfectly peaceful forms of the Supreme Godhead. Still, because the pure devotees of these
various selfsame expansions of the Supreme Godhead are free from envy, they never
disrespect Brahma, Rudra, or other demigods:

harir eva sadaradhyah

sarva-devesvareshvarah
itare brahma-rudradya
navajneyah kaddacana
“Lord Hari is the Lord of all the lordly demigods. He alone should always be worshiped. But
others like Brahma and Rudra should never be treated with contempt.”

Text 55

In this verse the word kala indicates the svamshas of Lord Hari.

Commentary

Suta Gosvami uses the word kalah to refer to the Supreme Lord's svamshas, His selfsame
expansions like Matsya and Kurma, who are equal to Him as embodiments of full knowledge
and bliss.

Text 56

Thus it has been shown that Brahma, Shiva, and all the other demigods are inferior to
Shri Vishnu’s svamsha expansions.

Commentary

Moreover, the welfare of Brahma, Rudra, and all the demigods depends on their performing
devotional service to Vishnu. And while Lord Vishnu's knowledge and bliss are always
unaffected by material illusion, the demigods are obliged to take shelter of His various
svamsha forms to keep themselves free from illusion.

Text 57

The First Canto [1.18.21] also states: “Who can be worthy of the name of the Supreme
Lord but the Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna? Brahmaji collected the water
emanating from the nails of His feet in order to award it to Lord Shiva as a worshipful
welcome. This very water [the Ganges] is purifying the whole universe, including Lord
Shiva.”

Text 58

And the Maha-varaha Purana states: “The incarnations Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, and
so on are on the same level as Vishnu, being nondifferent from Him. Brahma and
other demigods, however, are said to be not on the same level as Vishnu. Prakriti is
both on the same level and not on the same level.”

Commentary

Even when Vishnu Himself takes the part of Brahma or Shiva, His body appears material, as if
covered by passion or ignorance. He arranges this to teach the demigods by example: even
Vishnu in the role of Brahma or Shiva worships His own transcendental svamsha forms.
Certainly, then, when Brahma and Shiva are not selfsame avataras of Lord Vishnu, they
worship Him with fixed devotion. Lord Vishnu alone possesses all six opulences of Godhead
in full. Worshipable by Brahma and Shiva, He is certainly worshipable by all other living
beings. Brahma and Shiva never manifest glories equal to His. Thus Shri Ramachandra
Kaviraja, the great disciple of Shrinivasa Acharya and friend of Narottama Dasa Thakura, has
written the following two verses:

prahlada-dhruva-ravananuja-bali-vyasambarisadayo
vishnupasanayaiva padmaja-bhavadinam priya jajnire
ye nye ravana-bana-paundraka-vrkah krauricandhakadya ami
yad-bhakta na ca tat-priya na ca hares tasmaj jagad-vairinah

“Only by worshiping Vishnu did persons like Prahlada, Dhruva, Ravana’s younger brother
Vibhishana, Bali, Vyasa, and Ambarisha become dear friends of lotus-born Brahma, Shiva,
and the other demigods. Others, however, such as Ravana, Bana, Paundraka, Vrika, Baka, and
Trinavarta, were dear to neither the demigods nor Lord Hari, and so they were enemies of the
whole world.”

sivo bhavatu vaishnavah kim ajito ‘pi shaivah svayam

tatha samatayastu va vidhi-haradi-murti-trayam
vilokya bhava-vedhasoh kim api bhakta-varga-kramam
pranamya shirasapi tan vayam upendra-dasan chritah

“Shiva may be considered a devotee of Lord Vishnu or Vishnu a devotee of Lord Shiva, or
Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu may be considered equal members of the triple form of Godhead.
In any case, while we look respectfully upon and bow our heads to the devotees of Shiva and
Brahmi, we take shelter of the servants of Lord Vishnu, the younger brother of Indra.’

Text 59

In this verse the word prakriti indicates the Lord’s spiritual energy. Because she is
simultaneously different and nondifferent from Him, she is said to be both on the
same level and not on the same level.

This ends the description of the purusha-avataras and guna-avataras.

Commentary

The word prakriti in text 58 refers to the Supreme Lord's superior, spiritual energy, which is
nondifferent from Him. She is described in the Upanishads and Puranas:

parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate

svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca
“The scriptures say that this Supreme has many kinds of energies who, though autonomous
agents, are nondifferent from Him and partake of His own innate nature. They manifest His
knowledge, power, and activity.’

(Shvetasvatara Upanishad 6.8)

vishnu-saktih para prokta

ksetrajnakhya tatha para
avidya-karma-samjrianya
trtiya saktir isyate

“Lord Vishnu’s personal energy is known as superior. Another energy of His, called the
‘knower of the field; is also superior. His third energy is called ‘activity in ignorance.” ( Vishnu
Purana 6.7.61)

Because this spiritual energy is both nondifferent and different from Lord Vishnu, the Maha-
varaha Purana calls her samasama. She is nondifferent from Him in the way that heat is
nondifferent from fire. The verse cited here from Shvetashvatara Upanishad expresses this
nondifference with the word svabhaviki, “innate.” The Amara-kosha dictionary considers
svarupa (“essential identity”), svabhava (“innate character’), and nisarga (“nature”) as
synonyms.

Although the Supreme Lord's personal energy is nondifferent from Him, there is also a
distinction. This subtle distinction is called vishesha. The principle of vishesha allows us to
say “Existence exists,’ “The difference is different,” and “Time is always.’ Although the
distinction between the subject and predicate of these three statements is subtle, intelligent
speakers still find sensible meaning in them.

But don’t these statements just depict the svabhava, or innate character, of these phenomena
– existence, difference, and time? Yes. And that svabhava can be called vishesha. In other
words, vishesha applies in situations where phenomena and their characteristics are
inseparable. Without this faculty of vishesha, the Supreme Truth can never be known in
terms of the qualified (visheshya) and His qualification (visheshana).

Moreover, statements that express vishesha, such as “Existence exists, cannot be proven
fallacious using the argument that they can be negated in certain circumstances; whereas
statements such as “Here is a pot’ can be proven fallacious because there are circumstances in
which “here” refers to a location where there is no pot.

Nor does this principle of vishesha apply in a series of ever-receding causes and effects – each
cause needing a preceding one to support it, ad infinitum. In this case, the possessor of
qualities is the first cause, who has no cause. His faculty of vishesha allows Him to express
qualities that are nondifferent from Himself without help from any other support.

The conclusion that Lord Vishnu possesses personal potencies simultaneously different and
nondifferent from Himself is supported by the same evidence that establishes His supreme
identity. The evidence that shows that He is the creator of the universe implies that He has
complete free will, knowledge, and the ability to act. One without a second, He becomes
many through His faculty of vishesha, by which He manifests variety even though there is
nothing different from Him.

In his book Siddhanta-ratna Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana has given a complete

explanation of vishesha. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu uses acintya-bhedabheda,
“inconceivably different and nondifferent,’ to express the same vishesha principle.

***

Chapter Three

Lila-avataras

Text 1

Now I will describe what I know of the lila-avataras, mostly following Shrimad-
Bhagavatam.

Commentary

Lord Chaitanya’s instructions to Sanatana Gosvami in Chaitanya-charitamrita mention the

lila-avataras only briefly (Madhya 20.396-99).

Text 2

Among them, the four Sanas (1) are mentioned in the First Canto (1.3.6): “First of all,
in the beginning of creation, He manifested the four unmarried sons of Brahma [the
Kumaras], who, being situated in a vow of celibacy, underwent severe austerities for
realization of the Absolute Truth.”

Commentary

The sah (He) referred to in this verse from the First Canto is Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, Shri
Krishna’s svamsha-rupa. Assuming the roles of these four sages (brahma), Lord Garbhodaka-
shayi Vishnu masterminded the stage of creation named Kaumara.

In the verses quoted from Shrimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, third chapter, the incarnations
are numbered in a way that does not strictly follow the chronological order of the avataras’
appearance. Shrila Rupa Gosvami presents the incarnations in their actual order of
appearance.
Text 3

Saintly authorities consider these four persons a single avatara. Because their names
all include the word Sana, the scriptures call them the four Sanas.

Text 4

This incarnation descended to preach pure knowledge and devotional service. The
Sanas appear from lotus-born Brahma as goldencomplexioned five-year-old boys.

Commentary

Shrila Sanatana Gosvami describes the glories of Sanat-kumara and his brothers in the second
part of Brihad-bhagavatamrita (2.67-73 and 3.92-95).

Lord Brahma describes the Sanas at Shrimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.5:

taptam tapo vividha-loka-sisrksaya me

adau sanat sva-tapasah sa catuh-sano ‘bhit
prak-kalpa-samplava-vinastam thatma-tattvam
samyag jagada munayo yad acaksatatman

“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-kumara,
Sanandana, and Sanatana]. In the previous creation the spiritual truth had been completely
lost, but the four Sanas explained it so nicely that the truth at once became clearly perceived
by the sages.”

The birth of the four sages from Brahma and their disobedience to his order to beget children
are described at Shrimad-Bhagavatam 3.12.4-6.

Text 5

Shri Narada (2) is also described in the First Canto (1.3.8): “In the millennium of the
rishis, the Personality of Godhead accepted the third empowered incarnation in the
form of Devarishi Narada, who is a great sage among the demigods. He spoke
expositions of the Vedas which deal with devotional service and which inspire
nonfruitive action.”

Commentary

In the phase of universal creation following that of the four Sanas, sages appeared, Narada
among them. Narada compiled a textbook of practice for devotees of Vishnu (a satvata-
tantra), which is known as the Narada Pancharatra. According to Narada’s method of
devotional service, one should adjust one’s activities so that they become fit for offering to
the Supreme Lord. Those activities will then help one become free from the bondage of
material work. This method is like the use of mercury, a dangerous poison, to remove other
toxins from one’s body.

Text 6

Manifesting a radiant moonlike complexion, Lord Hari appeared from Brahma as the
sage among the demigods to distribute everywhere His own devotional service.

Commentary

The first half of Shrila Sanatana Gosvami’s Brihad-bhagavatamrita describes Narada Munis
travels throughout the universe in search of Krishnas dearest devotees. The second half of the
same work depicts Narada appearing several times in order to give important guidance to
Gopa-kumara, who is searching for the Lord of his heart. Especially significant are Narada’s
instructions to Gopa-kumara in part two, chapter four (from text 123) and chapter five (from
text 49).

Narada appears frequently in Shrimad-Bhagavatam, most often in the roles of instructing

spiritual master and divine messenger. He advised Dvaipayana Veda-vyasa to compile the
Bhagavatam (1.5-6). He consoled Yudhisthira when Dhritarashtra left home (1.13.38-60) and
warned him when Krishna was about to finish His pastimes (1.14.8). He was also present when
Shukadeva spoke the Bhagavatam to Parikshit (1.19.10).

He inquired from his father Brahma about the supreme creator (2.5.1-8). He revealed to
Hiranyaksha where to find Hiranyaksha’s enemy, Vishnu (3.18.1). He told Devahuti about
Kardama Muni’ good qualities (3.22.9) and informed Lord Shiva about his wife Sati’s suicide
(4.5.1). He preached to Dhruva (4.8.25-61) and to Dhruvas father Uttanapada (4.8.63-69), and
he praised Dhruva in the assembly of the Prachetas (4.12.41-43). He enlightened King
Prachinabarhi with the story of Puranjana (4.25-29), instructed the Prachetas on how to
attain the Supreme (4.32.3-22), and became the spiritual master of Priyavrata (5.1.6). He
taught the principles of the Narada Pancharatra to Savarni Muni (5.19.10) and always sings
Lord Ananta’ glories in Brahmas assembly (5.25.8).

After inspiring the thousands of Haryashvas and Savalashvas to renounce material life, he
received a curse in return from their father Daksha (6.5). He related the history of King
Chitraketu to Shukadeva (beginning from 6.14.9). He and Angira Muni preached to
Chitraketu when the king was lamenting his own son's death (6.15.1-8). He initiated
Chitraketu into the worship of Lord Ananta (6.15.27-28, 6.17—25) and brought Chitraketu's
son back to life (6.16.1-3).

At Maharaja Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice, Narada explained to him why Krishna awarded
liberation to His enemies, Shishupala and Dantavakra (7.1.13-34). In explaining how the
Vaikuntha gatekeepers Jaya and Vijaya were cursed to become demons, he narrated Prahlada’
life story to Yudhisthira (7.1-10). Narada prevented Indra from arresting Hiranyakashipu’s
pregnant wife, kept her safely at his ashrama, and imparted transcendental knowledge to
Prahlada in her womb (7.7.7-16).

During the battle between Bali and Indra, after Indra had killed Jambhasura, Narada
informed Jambhasura’s friends and relatives of his death (8.11.19). Then, on behalf of Lord
Brahma he asked the demigods to stop the battle before they entirely destroyed the dynasty
of the demons (8.11.43-44).

He also advised Harishchandra to take Lord Varuna’s help in obtaining a son (9.7.8).

Just before Krishna’ birth, Narada warned Kamsa that the demoniac persons who were a great
burden on the earth would be killed (10.1.64). Narada cursed Kuvera’s sons after they had
publicly bathed naked in the company of young girls (10.10.5-22). He also led the Gandharvas,
Vidyadharas, Siddhas, and Charanas in singing the praises of Giridhari at His coronation as
Govinda, Lord of the cows (10.27.24).

Narada divulged to Kamsa the secret that Krishna, Balarama, and Subhadra were really
Vasudeva’s children (10.36.17). He recounted to Krishna the pastimes Krishna would perform
in Mathura and Dvaraka (10.37.9-23). And he gave information to Kalayavana that impelled
him to attack Krishna at Mathura (10.50.43).

He told Mayavati, who was living as a maidservant of Sambara, that the infant given to her,
which had been found in the belly of a fish, was actually her husband Cupid (10.55.7). To
Krishna and His parents and queens, Narada explained this amazing rebirth of Cupid as
Pradyumna (10.55.36).

He gave news to the Vrishnis of Aniruddha’s capture by Bana (10.63.2), told the Yadus about
Sambas capture by the Kurus (10.68.13), and visited Krishna in His many palaces in Dvaraka
(10.69).

Narada informed Krishna that Yudhisthira Maharaja was eager to perform the Rajasuya
sacrifice (10.70.32-43), he spoke of Krishna’s glories in the presence of Princess Lakshmana
(10.83.17), and with a number of other great sages, he came to Kurukshetra to be with Krishna
and His devotees during a solar eclipse (10.84).

With other sages, Narada traveled on Krishna’ chariot to Videha (10.86.1718). Another time
He inquired from Lord Nara-Narayana about how the Absolute Truth, who is beyond words,
can be described by the Vedas. The Lord replied by recounting the Prayers of the Personified
Vedas (10.87.4-8).

Asked by Vrikasura which of the three lords of the universe can be most easily pleased, he
told Vrika to worship Lord Shiva (10.88.14-16).

Narada and other sages cursed the impetuous young Vrishnis, which led to the destruction of
their dynasty (11.1.11-16). He instructed Vasudeva in pure devotional service by relating the
discussions of King Nimi with the nine Yogendras (11.2-5).

Krishna personally glorified Narada by telling Uddhava, devarshinam narado ‘ham: “I am

Narada Muni among saintly demigods” (11.16.14).
Text 7

The four Sanas and Narada appear during Brahma’s first day, the Brahma-kalpa. They
remain through all the kalpas.

Text 8

Shri Varaha (3) is described in the First Canto (1.3.7): “The supreme enjoyer of all
sacrifices accepted the incarnation of a boar [the second incarnation], and for the
welfare of the earth He lifted the earth from the nether regions of the universe.”

Commentary

According to Shri Vishnu-dharmottara Purana, Lord Varaha lifted the earth from the Rasatala
region because it had fallen from its regular place during the flood of universal devastation.

Text 9

And in the Second Canto [2.7.1]: “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 [Hiranyaksha]
appeared, and the Lord pierced him with His tusk.”

Commentary

‘This verse poetically says that the Lord assumed the form of Varaha (bibhrat kraudim
tanum). The complete picture is that His form of Varaha exists eternally in Vaikuntha and
appears as an avatara at certain times and places in the material creation.

Shri Brihad-bhagavatamrita (2.3.15-16) mentions that Lord Varaha is present within the shell
of elemental earth that surrounds the universe, where the goddess Bhumi worships Him with
incomparable opulence. In the Third Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (chapters 13, 17, 18 and
19) Maitreya tells Vidura about the Varaha avatara. And in the Fifth Canto (5.18.3439)
Shukadeva describes how Bhumi-devi worships Lord Varaha in the Uttarakuru region of
Jambudvipa.

Texts 10-11

He appeared twice in this day of Brahma. He first appeared during the reign of
Svayambhuva, the first Manu. He came out from the nostril of Lord Brahma and
raised the earth planet from the lower regions of the universe. That supreme among
tusked animals appeared again during the reign of Chakshusha Manu. At that time,
while lifting up the earth He came out from the universal waters to kill Hiranyaksha.
Shri Varaha has four legs, but sometimes He is understood to have a form as half-
man, half-boar.

Commentary

The first of these two Varaha appearances is described in the Bhagavatam’s First Canto, and
the second is described in the Second Canto. Both of these Varaha incarnations, as well as
two Lord Matsya avataras, appeared during this first day, the Brahma-kalpa, of Brahmas
current month, occurring during the beginning of his fifty-first year. The first Lord Varaha
appeared during the Svayambhuva manvantara, when He came out from Lord Brahma’s
nostril and lifted the earth. The second Lord Varaha appeared during the reign of
Chakshusha Manu, when He came from within the universal water, lifted the earth, and
killed Hiranyaksha.

Lord Varaha is portrayed with a half-human, half-boar form in the Padma Purana and other
texts.

Text 12

Sometimes He is dark blue like a rain cloud, and sometimes white like the moon.
These are the two colors the scriptures attribute to that mighty personification of
Vedic sacrifice.

Commentary

The Varaha of the Svayambhuva manvantara is dark blue, and the other Varaha is white.

Text 13

We hear from scripture how Daksha, son of the Prachetas, repopulated the universe
during the sixth manvantara. From this account it is reasonable to conclude that
Hiranyaksha was born during that period.

Text 14

As stated in the Fourth Canto [4.30.49], “Daksha’s previous body had been destroyed,
but inspired by the supreme will, he created all the desired living entities in the
Chakshusha manvantara.”

Commentary

The previously quoted verse from the Second Canto, describing Lord Varaha’s second
appearance, mentions neither the Chakshusha manvantara as the time nor the water of
devastation as the source of His advent. How do we know, then, to distinguish this Varaha as
a separate appearance? Evidence is found in the Fourth Canto. Previously the Supreme Lord
had arranged for Daksha to be killed because of his offenses against Lord Shiva and Sati. The
Lord then gave Daksha a new body in the Chakshusha manvantara and inspired him to
repopulate the universe.

Text 15

The Prachetas were descendants of Uttanapada, and Daksha was their son.
Hiranyaksha was the son of Diti, a daughter of Daksha’s.

Text 16

In the beginning of Brahma’s day Manu did not yet have any offspring, so how could
Daksha, son of the Prachetas, be present? And how then could Diti or Diti’s son be
present?

Commentary

Here is proof that Hiranyaksha and the avatara of Varaha who killed him appeared not in the
Svayambhuva manvantara but later, in the Chakshusha manvantara. There is no evidence
that Svayambhuva’s sons (Priyavrata and Uttanapada) or daughters (Akuti, Devahuti, and
Prasuti) had children of their own during Svayambhuva’s reign as Manu. There is evidence,
however, that the Prachetas were descendants of Uttanapada, that Daksha was the son of the
Prachetas, that Diti was the daughter of Daksha, and that Hiranyaksha was the son of Diti
and her husband Kashyapa. It is thus not possible that Hiranyaksha, born eighteen
generations (more than a billion years) after Uttanapada, could have been killed by the Lord
Varaha who appeared at the beginning of the kalpa.

Text 17

We thus conclude that Shri Varaha enacts His pastimes at two different times, and
that Maitreya combined incidents from both of the histories in his answer to Vidura’s
questions.

Commentary

In the initial narration of Lord Varaha’s appearance, in the Third Canto, Maitreya Muni did
not distinguish between the two Varaha’s, even though he described incidents from the
pastimes of both of Them. In the thirteenth chapter of that canto, Maitreya described how
Lord Varaha lifted the earth out of the Garbha Ocean. He mentioned in texts 31 and 32 of that
chapter that Varahadeva also easily disposed of a demon who attacked Him when He came
out of the water. At the beginning of the fourteenth chapter, Vidura asked to hear more
about the killing of this demon, whom he identified as Hiranyaksha.
Text 18

Some Puranas mention an annihilation of the universe that occurs in the middle of a
manvantara because of Manu’s being cursed by a sage.

Text 19

This exceptional occurrence happened during the reign of Chakshusha Manu. At

other times Lord Padmanabha has personally enacted the pastime of universal
annihilation.

Commentary

It may be asked why Lord Varaha had to rescue the earth in the middle of the first
manvantara, long before the scheduled devastation of the lower part of the universe. As
indicated here, special circumstances sometimes lead to a universal flood during a
manvantara. The Matsya Purana relates that Svayambhuva Manu was once cursed by Agastya
Muni to have the worlds inundated during his reign. When the earth was thus lost in the
water, Lord Varaha appeared and lifted her out. In the sixth manvantara, Chakshusha Manu
was similarly cursed. According to the Vishnu-dharmottara and other Puranas, however, the
flood at that time was due to the Supreme Lord's desire.

Text 20

In the Vishnu-dharmottara Purana [1.75.2-3] Markandeya states that the universe is

certainly annihilated at the end of each manvantara:

Commentary

Lord Varaha appeared during two different manvantaras to lift the earth out of the water of
devastation. Although the lower part of the universe also floods at the end of every
manvantara, at those times the earth does not sink in the universal flood but floats unseen on
the surface of the turbulent water.

Texts 21-22

“At the end of Manu’s reign, the demigods who presided during his manvantara go in
a purified condition to Maharloka, where they remain for some time. Manu, Indra,
and their company of demigods then achieve Brahma-loka, O Yadu-nandana, from
where one rarely returns to material life.”

Commentary

The end of a manvantara is also the end of the term of authority for Indra and the other
demigods. They do not die at this time, but they have to vacate Svargaloka, since that region
of the universe is being inundated. They go first to the higher planet Maharloka, and from
there to the highest planet of the universe – Brahmaloka, or Satyaloka.

Generally, for those who must die, even for those who die while facing an enemy in battle,
achievement of this realm of Lord Brahma is very rare. And even if some do achieve it, they
cannot remain very long; when their good karma dissipates they must return to the lower
worlds. As Shri Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita (8.16): a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah punar-
dvartino rjuna (“From Brahmaloka on down, all the worlds are places where repeated birth
and death take place’).

The retired Indra and other appointed demigods, however, can remain on Satyaloka for the
rest of Brahmas life, and then may attain liberation along with him:

brahmana sa te sarve
samprapte pratisancare
parasante kritatmanah
pravisanti param padam

“When the universe is dissolved at the end of Brahmas life, all of them, if they have perfected
their lives, enter the supreme abode along with Brahma.” Shrila Shridhara Svami cites this
smriti in his commentary on ShrimadBhagavatam 3.32.10.

Texts 23-24

“O Vajra, the Supreme Lord then assumes a form of water and covers the earth and
the subterranean planets. Wearing waves as His garlands, the powerful Lord covers
everything. At that time everything in Bhur-loka is destroyed, O Yadava. Only the
well-known, principal mountains are not destroyed, O king of kings.”

Commentary

Markandeya Rishi spoke this passage, taken from the Vishnu-dharmottara (1.75.5-6), to Shri
Krishnas great-grandson Vajra. When the flood of devastation engulfs the earth and the seven
Patala planets, the eight highest mountain ranges, headed by the Himalayas, escape
destruction and remain visible to the demigods.

Texts 25-27

“O hero of the Yadu clan, the goddess earth then assumes the form of a boat and
carries the seeds of every species of life. O lion among kings, the future Manu and
seven sages who will assume their positions on the earth take their place on this boat.
Vishnu, the Lord of the universe, assumes the form of a fish with a horn on His head,
and he enjoys the pastime of pulling the boat from one place to another.” [Vishnu-
dharmottara Purana 1.75.9-12]

Commentary
The goddess who rules the earth is Lord Varaha's wife. Her husband, in His form as the most
excellent of fishes, shares with her this pastime of saving the seeds of all forms of life.

Texts 28-29

“Matsya, the Lord of the universe, disappeared after securing the boat to a peak in the
Himalayan range, and the boat’s passengers disembarked. The world had been
cleansed by the flood and thus became as it had been during the Krita Age. The
waters subsided, returning to their usual calm condition, O king, and Manu and the
sages then did what was required.” [Vishnu-dharmottara Purana 1.75.15-16]

Commentary

At the end of the inundation a new manvantara began. The next Manu and the seven new
rishis began to beget progeny and provide them with all required guidance and protection.

Text 30

Shridhara Svami, however, does not agree with this account. He says that
annihilation does not occur at the end of Manu’s life, and that Lord Vishnu only made
a show for Vaivasvata Manu with His illusory energy.

Commentary

Shridhara Svamipada expresses his opinion in commenting on ShrimadBhagavatam 1.3.15 and

8.24.46. He contends that the universe is flooded not at the end of the manvantaras but only
at the end of Brahma’ day. He writes that Vaivasvata Manu experienced a universal flood as
something like a dream, under the influence of the Supreme Lord’s maya. The Vishnu-
dharmottara, however, gives a different opinion.

Text 31

Shri Matsya (4) is described in the First Canto [1.3.15]: “When there was a complete
inundation after the period of the Chakshusha Manu and the whole world was
submerged in water, the Lord accepted the form of a fish and protected Vaivasvata
Manu, keeping him on a boat that was actually the earth.”

Text 32

And in the Second Canto [2.7.12]: “At the end of the millennium, Satyavrata, the future
Vaivasvata Manu, saw the Lord in His fish incarnation as the shelter of the earth and
all kinds of living entities.
Because of my fear of the vast water at the end of the millennium, the teachings of the
Vedas come out of my mouth. The Lord enjoyed those vast waters and protected the
Vedas.”

Commentary

Lord Brahma spoke this verse.

Text 33

And in the Padma Purana [Uttara 229.16]: “Thus addressed by Brahma, the Supreme
Lord Hrishikesha assumed the form of a fish and entered the great ocean.”

Commentary

Brahma had prayed to the Supreme Lord, “O protector of the Vedas, a demon stole the Vedas
as they emanated from my mouth. Please save us!”

Shrimad-Bhagavatam’s account of Lord Matsya’s pastimes is found in the Eighth Canto,

chapter 24.

Text 34

Like Lord Varaha, Lord Matsya has appeared twice in this day of Brahma. He first
appeared at the beginning of Svayambhuva’s reign, when He killed a demon and
recovered the Vedas. His second appearance occurred at the end of the Chakshusha
manvantara, when He showed mercy to Satyavrata.

Commentary

During the first manvantara of this Brahma-kalpa, a demon named Hayagriva stole the Vedas
from Brahma. Lord Matsya then killed the demon and recovered the Vedas.

At the very end of the sixth manvantara Lord Matsya appeared again. This time He protected
the future Manu and others.

Text 35

As descriptions of Lord Varaha’s appearances have been combined, so have the

descriptions of Lord Matsya’s. The first verse and a half describe the activities of Lord
Matsya’s second avatara, and the second verse and a half describe those of His first
avatara.

Commentary
Three verses about Lord Matsya have been quoted here from ShrimadBhagavatam and the
Padma Purana. The last half of the Second Canto verse, beginning with the words visramsitan
uru-bhaye, and the Padma Purana verse refer to the Matsya avatara who killed Hayagriva and
delivered the Vedas. The First Canto verse and the first half of the Second Canto verse refer to
the other Matsya’s compassionate dealings with King Satyavrata.

Text 36

These verses give only a partial indication of Lord Matsya’s descents, which also occur
in the other manvantaras. From the Vishnu-dharmottara Purana we learn that He has
fourteen appearances.

Commentary

Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana adds that there are fourteen Matsya avataras not only in the
current kalpa but in every day of Brahma.

Text 37

Shri Yajna (5) is described in the First Canto [1.3.12]: “The seventh incarnation was
Yajna, the son of Prajapati Ruchi and his wife Akuti. He ruled during the period of
Svayambhuva Manu and was assisted by the Yamas and other demigods.”

Commentary

‘The demigods collectively called the Yamas were Lord Yajnas sons. Lord Yajna helped
Svayambhuva Manu manage the universe by taking the post of Indra.

Text 38

Because Lord Yajna relieved the three worlds from great distress, His maternal
grandfather, Manu, called Him Hari.

Commentary

Shri Brahma describes Lord Yajna in the Second Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.2):

Jato rucer ajanayat suyaman suyajna

akuti-sunur amaran atha daksinayam
loka-trayasya mahatim aharad yad artim
svayambhuvena manuna harir ity anuktah

“The Prajapati [Ruchi] first begot Suyajna [Lord Yajna] in the womb of his wife Akuti, and
then Suyajna begot the demigods known as the Suyamas in the womb of his wife Dakshina.
Suyajna, as the Indradeva, diminished extreme miseries in the three planetary systems
[upper, lower, and intermediate], and for this reason he was later called Hari by the great
father of mankind, Svayambhuva Manu.’

Text 39

Shri Nara-Narayana (6) are also described in the First Canto [1.3.9]: “In the fourth
incarnation, the Lord became Nara and Narayana, the twin sons of the wife of King
Dharma. In these forms He undertook severe and exemplary penances to control the
senses.”

Commentary

Kala literally means “fraction,” or in this context Dharma’s “better half,’ his wife. Ardho va esa
atmano yat patni (“One's wife is half of oneself-’).

In the Brihad-bhagavatamrita (2.2.107-9) Gopa-kumara hears of the glories of Lord Nara-

Narayana from Pippalayana Rishi. In the Fifth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (5.19.9-15)
Shukadeva Gosvami describes how Narada worshiped Nara-Narayana at Badarikashrama.
And in chapter eight of the Bhagavatam’s Twelfth Canto, Suta Gosvami tells how the sage
Markandeya earned a visit from Nara-Narayana by avoiding the temptations of Cupid.

Lord Brahma describes the incarnation of Nara-Narayana as follows:

dharmasya daksa-duhitary ajanista murtyam

narayano nara iti sva-tapah-prabhavah
drstvatmano bhagavato niyamavalopam
devyas tv ananga-prtana ghatitum na sekuh

“To exhibit His own way of austerity and penance, He appeared in twin forms as Narayana
and Nara in the womb of Marti, 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 themselves were emanating from Him, the
Personality of Godhead.

kamam dahanti kritino nanu rosa-drstya

rosam dahantam uta te na dahanty asahyam
so yam yad antaram alam pravisan bibheti
kamah katham nu punar asya manah srayeta

“Great stalwarts like Lord Shiva 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 the heart of Him [the Lord], who is above all this. So how can lust take
shelter in His mind?” (Bhagavatam 2.7.6-7)

Text 40
The scriptures mention two brothers of Nara-Narayana named Hari and Krishna.
These four together make one incarnation, like Sanaka and his brothers.

Commentary

The Narayaniya speaks of Nara-Narayanas two brothers, who became householders.

Text 41

Shri Kapila (7) is also described in the third chapter of the First Canto [1.3.10]: “The
fifth incarnation, named Lord Kapila, is foremost among perfected beings. He gave an
exposition of the creative elements and metaphysics to Asuri Brahmana, for in course
of time this knowledge had been lost.”

Commentary

Lord Kapila taught about how to distinguish the elements of creation that evolve from
Prakriti, and about her Lord and controller, the Purusha.

Text 42

He appeared in the womb of Devahuti through the semen of Kardama. Because of His
reddish complexion, Lord Brahma named Him Kapila.

Text 43

In the Padma Purana it is said: “Lord Kapila, a partial expansion of Vasu-deva, spoke
the science of Sankhya to the demigods headed by Brahma, to the sages headed by
Bhrigu, and to Asuri. That science was replete with all the purports of the Vedas.

Text 44

“A different Kapila spoke to a different Asuri a Sankhya philosophy contrary to the

Vedas and full of bad logic.”

Commentary

To resolve the confusion about whether Kapila avatara was also the author of the well-known
atheistic Sankhya, the Padma Purana explains that the atheist Kapila was a different person, a
jiva who used the same name and promoted a similar but deviant philosophy. The son of
Devahuti taught Sankhya principles perfectly consistent with the Vedas and Upanishads, but
the other Kapila invented his own ideas without following Vedic authority.
According to a statement of Markandeya Rishi’s in the Mahabharata (Vanaparva 211.21), the
atheist Kapila was a powerful descendant of the fire god:

kapilam paramarsim ca
yam prahur yatayah sada
agnih sa kapilo nama
sankhya-yoga-pravartakah

“Self-controlled renunciants often refer to Kapila as an exalted sage. He was one of the fire
gods descended from Agni, appearing with the name Kapila to institute the Sankhya yoga
system.”

Lord Brahma mentions the original Lord Kapila, son of Devahuti, in his summary of the
principal lila-avataras:

jajne ca kardama-grhe dvija devahutyam

stribhih samam navabhir atma-gatim sva-matre
ce yayatma-samalam guna-sanga-pankam
asmin vidhuya kapilasya gatim prapede

“The Lord then appeared as the Kapila incarnation, being the son of the prajapati brahmana,
Kardama, and his wife Devahuti, along with nine other women [His 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.” (Bhagavatam
2.7.3)

The demigod Aryama and other residents of Hiranmaya-varsha praise Lord Kapila with these
words:

yasminn asankhyeya-vishesha-nama-
rupakritau kavibhih kalpiteyam
sankhya yaya tattva-drsapaniyate
tasmai namah sankhya-nidarsanaya te

“O my Lord, Your name, form, and bodily features are expanded in countless forms. No one
can determine exactly how many forms exist, yet You Yourself, in Your incarnation as the
learned scholar Kapiladeva, have analyzed the cosmic manifestation as containing twenty-
four elements. Therefore if one is interested in Sankhya philosophy, by which one can
enumerate the different truths, he must hear it from You. Unfortunately, nondevotees simply
count the different elements and remain ignorant of Your actual form. I offer my respectful
obeisances unto You.” (Bhagavatam 5.18.33)

The Bhagavatam (9.8.9-13) describes how the sons of Sagara, while searching for their father's
sacrificial horse, came upon Lord Kapila at His ashrama and attacked Him, resulting in their
bodies suddenly burning to ashes.

Text 45
Shri Datta (8) is described in the Second Canto [2.7.4]: “The great sage Atri prayed for
offspring, and the Lord, being satisfied with him, promised to incarnate as Atri’s son,
Dattatreya. And by the grace of the lotus feet of the Lord, many persons like Yadu and
Haihaya became so purified that they obtained both material and spiritual blessings.”

Commentary

The Supreme Lord told Atri, “I give Myself to you,” and thus the Lord appeared with the
name Datta (“the given one”). The Haihaya mentioned here is the famous Kartavirya Arjuna.

Text 46

And in the First Canto [1.3.11]: “The sixth incarnation of the Purusha was the son of the
sage Atri. He was born from the womb of Anasuya, who prayed for an incarnation. He
spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlada, and others.”

Text 47

Shri Brahmanda Pur4na also relates that the Supreme Lord became Atri’s son in
answer to the prayers of Atri's wife, Anasuya:

Commentary

The Brahmanda Purana reaffirms the description given in the First Canto of Shrimad-
Bhagavatam. Atri Muni and Anasuya each prayed for Lord Dattatreya’s appearance, but Atri
prayed for a son like the Lord, whereas his wife wanted the Lord Himself to become her son.

The Fourth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (4.1.15-33) recounts how Atri and Anasuya
obtained as their sons Lord Dattatreya and His brothers, Soma and Durvasa.

Text 48

“Having given a benediction to Anasuya, Lord Vishnu, in whom reside all the
universes, entered her womb as the son of Atri and appeared in human form by His
own sweet will. Known as Dattatreya, He was adorned with the dress of a sannyasi.”

Text 49

Shri Hayashirsha (9) is described in the Second Canto [2.7.11]: “The Lord appeared as
the Hayagriva incarnation in a sacrifice performed by me [Brahma]. 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.”
Commentary

Dharmarajas son Bhadrashrava worships Lord Hayashirsha on Bhadrashvavarsa. ‘That

worship is described in the Fifth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (5.18.1-6).

Text 50

Manifesting from the sacrificial fire, that Lord of the goddess of speech killed the
demons Madhu and Kaitabha and brought back the Vedas.

Text 51

Shri Hamsa (10) is described in the Second Canto [2.7.19]: “O Narada, 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 resolute devotional service. This science of devotional service is especially
understandable by persons who are surrendered unto Lord Vasudeva, the Personality
of Godhead.”

Commentary

The words tubhyam ca (“to you also”) imply that others besides Narada, namely the four
Kumara brothers, were present and heard Lord Hamsa’s instructions. Surrendered devotees
of Vasudeva easily understand (vidur anjasaiva) the pure devotion this incarnation taught,
but those without strong faith in the Lord can understand it only with great difficulty and can
never understand it completely.

Text 52

He appeared from the water as a regal swan, as if to say, “Just as I am able to separate
milk from water, I am able to discern truth from all kinds of statements.”

Commentary

This verse cleverly derives the name Hamsa from the two words aham (“I”) and saktah
(“able”).

In His teachings to Uddhava, Shri Krishna cites the instructions Lord Hamsa gave to Brahma
and the Kumaras (Bhagavatam 11.13.16-42).

Text 53

Shri Dhruva-priya (11) is also described in the seventh chapter of the Second Canto
[2.7.8]: “Being insulted by sharp words spoken by his stepmother in the presence of
the king, Prince Dhruva, though only a boy, took to severe penances in the forest. The
Lord was satisfied by his prayer and awarded him the Dhruva planet, which is
worshiped by the great sages, above and below.”

Commentary

King Uttanapada was so intimidated by his wife Suruchi that he could not say anything when
she insulted Dhruva, the son of his other wife. Due to his kshatriya spirit, Dhruva could not
tolerate being insulted, even though only five years old, and so he at once left home. By good
fortune he met Shri Narada on the way, and under the saint’s guidance Dhruva performed
austerities in the forest. After six months his austerities became so severe that the well-being
of the entire universe seemed threatened. At that time Lord Vishnu appeared to Dhruva and
awarded him a planet of his own to govern in the highest region of the universe. This history
is narrated in eighth and ninth chapters of the Fourth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam.

In the present verse, the sages “above” are the first sages in the universe, Brahmas sons
Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Vasistha, Daksha, and Narada
(Bhagavatam 3.12.22). The sages “below” are the seven sages Chitraketu, Suruchi, Viraja,
Mitra, Ulbana, Vasubhridyana, and Dyuman, who are sons of Vasistha and his wife Arundhati
(Bhagavatam 4.1.40-41). Thus the sons of Brahma are “above” (upari), and the second-
generation saptarishis are “below” (adhastat).

Text 54

Considering that this avatara is said to have appeared in the Svayambhuva

manvantara, that He is not specifically named in this verse [from the Second Canto,
chapter seven], and that each of the other incarnations (Yajna and so on) who
appeared in that period are specifically named in that chapter, by elimination we
conclude that this must be the well-known avatara Prishnigarbha. This is the same
kind of reasoning used to conclude that the hill referred to in the verse beginning
“Indeed this hill” [Bhagavatam 10.21.18] is Govardhana.

Commentary

From the Shrimad-Bhagavatam’ description of Lord Vishnu’s appearing before Dhruva, it is

not clear whether the Lord came directly from Vaikuntha to bless Dhruva or instead took
birth from a father and mother. Shrila Rupa Gosvami resolves this doubt using the technique
known as parisheshya-nyaya, or “logic of the remainder.”

Lord Yajna and the other incarnations who appeared during the Svayambhuva manvantara
are all mentioned by name in the Bhagavatam, and except for Prishnigarbha, Their pastimes
are mentioned along with ‘Their names. However, the second and fourth cantos do contain
descriptions of an unnamed avatara who favored Dhruva during Svayambhuva Manu’s reign.
The blessing of Dhruva is not associated with any of the other avatara of this manvantara,
and therefore by parisheshya-nyaya we can conclude that the blessing must have come from
Lord Prishnigarbha.
Another example of using this logic to identify a certain person from a description of his
particular activities is found in the verse glorifying Govardhana Hill spoken by the gopis
when they were enchanted by the sound of Krishna’s flute:

hantayam adrir abala hari-dasa-varyo

yad rama-krishna-carana-sparasa-pramodah
manam tanoti saha-go-ganayos tayor yat
paniya-suyavasa-kandara-kandamulaih

“Of all the devotees of Hari, this hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krishna and
Balarama, along with Their calves, cows, and cowherd friends with all kinds of necessities –
water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In this way the hill
offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krishna and Balarama, the hill
appears very jubilant.” (Bhagavatam 10.21.18) The gopis do not mention the hill’s name in this
verse, but one can deduce from the context that they refer to none other than Giriraja
Govardhana.

Text 55

Thus it is said in the Tenth Canto [10.3.32, 41]: “My dear mother, best of the chaste, in
your previous birth, in the Svayambhuva millennium, you were known as Prishni, and
Vasudeva, who was the most pious Prajapati, was named Sutapa.”

“I became Your son, known in the scriptures as Prishnigarbha.”

Commentary

Krishna spoke these words to His parents the night of His birth in Kamsa’s dungeon.

Text 56

Because these Tenth Canto verses do not describe Lord Prishnigarbha’s activities, and
because the above-cited verse from the Second Canto does not mention His name, we
can reasonably combine these two complementary descriptions.

Commentary

Krishnas Tenth Canto statements and Brahma’s brief description of Lord Dhruva-priya in the
Second Canto are consistent. Each supplies information missing in the other.

Text 57

If this instance of the Lord’s simply appearing to His devotee could be considered a
separate incarnation, then many other, similar appearances could be arbitrarily
presumed to be separate incarnations.
Commentary

Someone may question why Lord Prishnigarbhas special appearance to encourage Dhruva
should not be counted as a separate incarnation. The answer is that if this case were counted
separately, then each time the Lord appeared to His various devotees, as Lord Ramachandra
or Lord Krishna for example, that could also be counted as a separate incarnation.

Text 58

Shri Rishabha (12) is described in the First Canto [1.3.13]: “The eighth incarnation was
King Rishabha, son of King Nabhi and his wife Merudevi. In this incarnation the Lord
showed the path of perfection that is followed by those who have fully controlled
their senses and that is honored by all orders of life.”

Text 59

To teach the religious principles of the parama-hamsas, the flawless Lord appeared as
Rishabhadeva. He is called Rishabha because He excels all in good qualities.

Commentary

The pastimes of Rishabha, the grandson of Agnidhra, are related in the Fifth Canto of
Shrimad-Bhagavatam, chapters 3-6.

Lord Brahma also describes this incarnation in the Second Canto:

nabher asav rishabha asa sudevi-stunur

yo vai cachara sama-drg jada-yoga-caryam
yat paramahamsyam rsayah padam dmananti
svasthah prasanta-karanah parimukta-sangah

“The Lord appeared as the son of Sudevi [Merudevi], the wife of King Nabhi, and was known
as Rishabhadeva. He performed jada-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.” (Bhagavatam 2.7.10)

Text 60

Shri Prithu (13) is also described in the First Canto: “O brahmanas, in the ninth
incarnation, the Lord, prayed for by sages, accepted the body of a king [Prithu] who
was most attractive and who cultivated the land to yield various products.”
[Bhagavatam 1.3.14]

Commentary
The name Prithu indicates this avataras relationship with the earth, Prithivi, as her ruler.
Shrila Suta Gosvami uses the word parthiva (“earthly king”) to indicate this to the assembly of
brahmanas headed by Shaunaka. Customarily any ordinary king on earth can be called
parthiva, but in this case Shri Prithu was actually the master of the entire earth. He was able
to reprove Prithivi and induce her to give up her reluctance to produce food for everyone.

Text 61

When the sages churned Vena's dead body, the great king Prithu, with a complexion
as effulgent as pure gold, appeared from Vena’s right arm.

Commentary

Prithu literally means “broad, which points to an alternative interpretation of this

incarnation’ name: that he appeared from the broad right arm of Vena. Prithu Maharaja’
history is told in the Fourth Canto, chapters 14-23.

Lord Brahma describes him as follows:

yad venam utpatha-gatam dvija-vakya-vajra-

nisplusta-paurusa-bhagam niraye patantam
tratvarthito jagati putra-padam ca lebhe
dugdha vasuni vasudha sakalani yena

“Maharaja Vena went astray from the path of righteousness, and the brahmanas chastised
him with their thunderbolt curse. By this curse 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 milked the earth,
drawing out all kinds of crops as produce.” (Bhagavatam 2.7.9)

Text 62

The thirteen incarnations beginning with the Kumaras and ending with Prithu
appeared in the first manvantara, and the boar and fish incarnations appeared again
in the Chakshusha manvantara.

Text 63

Shri Nrisimha (14) is also described in the First Canto [1.3.18]: “In the fourteenth
incarnation, the Lord appeared as Nrisimha and bifurcated the strong body of the
atheist Hiranyakashipu with His nails, just as a carpenter pierces cane.”

Commentary
In Shrila Sanatana Gosvami’s Brihad-bhagavatamrita, Lord Nrisimha’s special Kindness
toward Prahlada is mentioned by Brahma (1.2.68-69), by Shiva (1.3.80-81), and by Prahlada
himself (1.4.24-25 and 38).

In Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, chapter seventeen, Shrila Krishnadasa Kaviraja

Gosvami describes the incidents of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s assuming the mood of Shri
Nrisimha and Nrisimha’s threatening Chand Kazi for his obstruction of Lord Chaitanya’s
sankirtana.

Shrimad-Bhagavatam (Canto Seven, chapters 8-10) describes Lord Nrisimha’s killing

Hiranyakashipu and blessing Prahlada. In the Fifth Canto (Bhagavatam 5.18.7-14), Prahlada,
while living in Hari-varsha, offers prayers to Lord Nrisimha.

In the Second Canto (2.7.14) Lord Brahma has this to say about the Nrisimha avatara:

trai-pistaporu-bhaya-ha sa Nrisimha-rupam
kritva bhramad-bhru-kuti-damstra-kardla-vaktram
daityendram asu gadayabhipatantam arad
urau nipatya vidadara nakhaih sphurantam

“The Personality of Godhead assumed the incarnation of Nrisimha-deva in order to vanquish

the great fears of the demigods. When the king of the demons [Hiranyakashipu] challenged
the Lord with a club in his hand, the Lord killed the demon, placing him on His thighs and
piercing him with His nails while moving His eyebrows in anger and showing His fearful
teeth and mouth.”

Text 64

This incarnation has many vilasa expansions, such as Lakshmi-Nrisimha, as

mentioned in the Padma Purana and other scriptures. These expansions manifest
various colors and activities.

Commentary

The following verse is part of the Padma Purana’s discussion of Lord Nrisimha’s various
pastime expansions:

nanakarah nrisimhas tu
nana-cesta-samanvitah
jana-loke ca vaikunthe
nitya-dhamni cakashati

“The many different forms of Lord Nrisimha perform various pastimes. They appear even in
Janaloka and in the eternal abode of Vaikuntha.”

Text 65
Lord Nrisimha appeared in the sixth manvantara, before the churning of the Milk
Ocean. Thus He appeared prior to Kurma and the other incarnations who appeared in
the sixth manvantara.

Text 66

Shri Kurma (15) is also described in the First Canto [1.3.16]: “The eleventh incarnation
of the Lord took the form of a tortoise whose shell served as a pivot for the Mandara
Hill, which was being used as a churning rod by the theists and atheists of the
universe.”

Commentary

Another name of Lord Kurma is Ajita, and by that name He is included in Shrimad-
Bhagavatam among the manvantara-avataras. Shrila Rupa Gosvami will discuss these
manvantara-avataras in the next chapter of the Laghubhagavatamrita.

The appearance of Lord Kurma during the churning of the Milk Ocean is described in the
seventh chapter of the Eighth Canto of ShrimadBhagavatam, and the prayers to Lord Kurma
by Aryama and other residents of Hiranmaya-varsha are described in the Fifth Canto (5.18.29-
33).

Lord Brahma describes this incarnation to his son Narada thus:

ksirodadhav amara-danava-yithapanam
unmathnatam amrita-labdhaya adi-devah
prsthena kacchapa-vapur vidadhara gotram
nidra-ksano dri-parivarta-kasana-kanduh

“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 rotated back and forth, scratching the back of Lord Tortoise, who,
while partially sleeping, was experiencing an itching sensation.” (Bhagavatam 2.7.13)

Text 67

The Padma Purana says that this same avatara of Lord Kurma, when requested by the
demigods, also lifted the entire earth. Other scriptures, however, say that Kurma
made His appearance at the beginning of Brahma’ day to hold up the earth.

Commentary

According to Shri Padma Purana, the same Kurma avatara who lifted Mandara Mountain
later lifted the entire earth from the lower regions of the universe. Other scriptures, however,
including the Vishnu-dharmottara Purana, describe the Kurma who perpetually holds up the
earth as the one who lifted Mandara Mountain. Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana prefers this
last version as the more reasonable, especially since Shrila Rupa mentions it last.

Text 68

Shri Dhanvantari and Mohini (16-17) are also described in the First Canto [1.3.17]: “In
the twelfth incarnation the Lord appeared as Dhanvantari, and in the thirteenth He
allured the atheists by the charming beauty of a woman and gave nectar to the
demigods to drink.”

Commentary

During the pastime of the churning of the Milk Ocean, Lord Dhanvantari, the first teacher of
medical science, appeared in order to deliver nectar, the object of the demigods’ and demons’
endeavor. ‘The demons immediately seized the pot of nectar from Lord Dhanvantari’s hands,
and to recover it the Supreme Lord appeared in another form, disguised as a female.

Text 69

Of these two, Shri Dhanvantari appeared twice, in the sixth and seventh manvantaras.

Text 70

In the sixth manvantara He rose from the churning of the ocean with two arms and a
dark blue complexion, and He initiated the teaching of the Ayur-veda. In the seventh
manvantara He appeared in a similar form as the son of the King of Kashi.

Commentary

The words “similar form” in this verse indicate that both avataras of Lord Dhanvantari – the
one who appeared during the reign of Chakshusha Manu and the one who appeared during
the reign of Vaivasvata Manu – had two arms.

We find a description of the first Dhanvantari avatara in the Eighth Canto of Shrimad-
Bhagavatam (8.8.31-35). In the Second Canto Lord Brahma says this about Him:

dhanvantaris ca bhagavan svayam eva kirtir

namna nrnam puru-rujam ruja asu hanti
yajne ca bhagam amritayur avavarundha
ayusya-vedam anusasty avatirya loke

“The Lord in His incarnation of Dhanvantari is fame personified. He quickly cures the
illnesses of the ever-diseased human beings and enables the demigods to achieve long lives.
He receives a portion of Vedic sacrifices and has inaugurated the knowledge of medical
science in the universe.”
(Bhagavatam 2.7.21)

Text 71

Shri Mohini: To bewilder the demons and then give delight to Lord Shiva, Lord Ajita
appeared twice in the form of Mohini.

Commentary

In the Brihad-bhagavatamrita (2.3.25), when Gopa-kumara visits Mother Nature (Prakriti)

within the region of her covering shell of the universe, he sees her worshiping Shri Mohini.

Shrimad-Bhagavatam describes Mohini’s first appearance in the eighth and ninth chapters of
the Eighth Canto, and her second appearance in the twelfth chapter.

Text 72

Thus four incarnations, beginning with Lord Nrisimha, are said to appear in this
world in the sixth manvantara.

Text 73

Shri Vamana (18) is also described in the First Canto [1.3.19]: “In the fifteenth
incarnation the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf-brahmana [Vamana] and visited
the arena of sacrifice arranged by Maharaja Bali. Although in His heart He wanted to
regain the kingdom of the three planetary systems, He simply asked for a donation of
three steps of land.”

Text 74

Lord Vamana has appeared three times in this day of Brahma. The first time He
visited the sacrifice of Baskali, king of the demons. During the current Vaivasvata
manvantara, Lord Vamana first went to the sacrifice of Dhundhu, and then later, in
the seventh yuga-cycle of this manvantara, He took birth as the son of Kashyapa from
the womb of Aditi. Lord Trivikrama has thus appeared three times for the purpose of
accepting charity.

Commentary

Lord Vamana accepted charity from Baskali in the first manvantara, that of Svayambhuva. His
second appearance is mentioned in the Vamana Purana:

dhundhor yajne vararohe

bhagavan madhusudanah
 deham vamanakam kritva
gatvayacat tri-pistapam

“O elegant woman, the Supreme Lord Madhustdana assumed the body of a dwarf and went to
the sacrifice of Dhundhu to beg from him Indra’s heaven.”

The third time Vamana appeared He tricked Bali into returning Indra’s kingdom to Him, as
described at length in the Eighth Canto of ShrimadBhagavatam, chapters 17-23.

In the Second Canto (2.7.17-18) Lord Brahma gives the following description of Vamana’s
third appearance:

jyayan gunair avarajo py aditeh sutanam

lokan vichakrama iman yad athadhiyajnah
ksmam vamanena jagrhe tripada-cchalena
yacnam rte pathi caran prabhubhir na calyah

“Although the youngest of Aditi’s sons, He possesses qualities that surpass those of all the
others. And considering that He stepped over all the planets of the universe, He is certainly
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 Maharaja. He asked Bali's permission
because a person who adheres to the path of religion may not be deprived of property, even
by authorities, without giving permission.

nartho baler ayam urukrama-pada-saucam

dpah sikha-dhrtavato vibudhadhipatyam
yo vai pratisrutam rte na cikirsad anyad
atmanam anga manasa haraye ‘bhimene

“Bali Maharaja, who put on his head the water that washed the Lord’s lotus feet, thought only
of keeping his promise despite being forbidden by his spiritual master. The king dedicated his
own body to fulfilling the measurement of the Lord's third step. For such a personality, even
the kingdom of heaven, which he had conquered by his strength, was of no value.”

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita often mentions the same Lord Vamana. Narada sees Vamana
worshiped by His elder brother Indra (1.2.1-7), and Indra laments to Narada that although
Vamana showed His mercy by returning Indra’s kingdom, He did it in a way that also
humiliated him (1.2.1617). Narada gives his opinion that Bali has conquered the Supreme
Lord, who now serves as Bali’s doorkeeper (1.4.13), Lord Shiva gives his opinion that lord
Vamana became Bali's doorkeeper because He favored Bali's grandfather Prahlada (1.3.82-83),
and Prahlada gives his opinion that Vamana acts as Balis doorkeeper just to keep Bali captive
(1.4.32-33). Prahlada also tells Narada that Vamana cannot easily be seen at Bali Maharaja's
gate; He shows Himself only to those whom He chooses, like Durvasa (1.4.33).

In the second chapter of the second part of Shri Bhagavatamrita, Gopakumara hears from
some brahmanas about Vamana-deva’s avatara and His residence in Indras court. Gopa-
kumara then goes to heaven to see Lord Vamana and there witnesses Indra worshiping Him.
In that assembly of devas, Vamana treats Gopa-kumara very kindly.
Text 75

Shri Bhargava (19) is also described in the First Canto (1.3.20): “In the sixteenth
incarnation of the Godhead, the Lord annihilated the administrative class
[kshatriyas] twenty-one times, being angry with them because of their rebellion
against the brahmanas.”

Text 76

This golden-complexioned incarnation appeared from Renuka and Jamadagni. Some

say He descended during the seventeenth yuga cycle, but others say He descended
during the twenty-second.

Commentary

Lord Parashurama appeared as a brahmana descendant of Bhrigu Muni in either the

seventeenth or the twenty-second chatur-yuga of the current Vaivasvata manvantara. His
pastimes are described in the Ninth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam, chapters 15 and 16, and in
the Brahmanda Purana (2.21-47).

Lord Brahma also mentions the Parashurama avatara in the Second Canto of Shrimad-
Bhagavatam (2.7.22):

ksatram ksayaya vidhinopabhrtam mahatma

brahma-dhrug ujjhita-patham narakarti-lipsu
uddhanty asdv avani-kantakam ugra-viryas
trih-sapta-kritva uru-dhara-parasvadhena

“When the ruling administrators, who are known as kshatriyas, turned from the path of the
Absolute Truth, being desirous to suffer in hell, the Lord in His incarnation as the sage
Parashurama 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 77

Shri Raghavendra (20) is also described in the same chapter: “In the eighteenth
incarnation, the Lord appeared as King Rama. In order to perform some pleasing
work for the demigods, He exhibited superhuman powers by controlling the Indian
Ocean and then killing the atheist King Ravana, who lived on the other side of the
sea.” [Bhagavatam 1.3.22]

Text 78
In the Treta-yuga of the twenty-fourth yuga cycle, Lord Ramachandra appeared
through Dasharatha from the womb of Kaushalya, His complexion like lustrous new
blades of durva grass. He was joined by Bharata and the two sons of Sumitra.

Commentary

Lord Ramachandra appeared in the current Vaivasvata manvantara, four yuga cycles ago.

Text 79

According to scripture, Lakshmana and Ramachandra’s other brothers are His vyaha
expansions. Bharata has a complexion like a dark blue cloud, and the sons of Sumitra
have golden complexions.

Commentary

The Rama-gita of the Skanda Purana declares that Lord Ramachandra is Vasudeva, which
means that Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna are Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and
Aniruddha, respectively.

Text 80

In the Padma Purana, Bharata and Shatrughna are said to be Lord Vishnu’s conch and
disc, and Shri Lakshmana is identified as Ananta Shesha.

Commentary

In the first part of the Brihad-bhagavatamrita, chapter four, Narada visits Kimpurusha-loka,
where Hanuman always worships the Deity of Lord Ramachandra and recites His glories. The
prayers Hanuman sings to Lord Rama are recorded in the Fifth Canto of Shrimad-
Bhagavatam (5.19.1-8). In the second part of the Brihad-bhagavatamrita (4.239-274), Gopa-
kumara visits the eternal Ayodhya in the spiritual world and is granted intimate association
with Lord Rama and His brothers.

As described in Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 9.178-217), when Lord Chaitanya

Mahaprabhu traveled in South India He met a brahmana devotee of Ramachandra who would
not eat because he could not tolerate the idea that the demon Ravana had kidnapped the
Lord's consort. Lord Chaitanya rescued this brahmana by discovering a passage in the Kurma
Purana explaining how Ravana had captured only a shadow of Mother Sita, created by maya.

Lord Chaitanya’s associate Murari Gupta was an incarnation of Hanuman and was fully
devoted to Lord Ramachandra. When Lord Chaitanya tried to convince Murari to worship
Radha and Krishna instead, Murari made the attempt but could not abandon the lotus feet of
his beloved Lord Rama. Lord Chaitanya was completely satisfied with Murari Gupta
unswerving devotion (Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 15.142-57). The gosvamis Rupa and
Sanatana had a similar experience with their brother Anupama when they suggested he give
up the worship of Lord Ramachandra and adopt the worship of Lord Krishna (Cc. Antya 4.30-
43).

Shrimad-Bhagavatam describes Lord Ramachandra’s pastimes in chapters ten and eleven of

the Ninth Canto.

Lord Brahma glorifies Him in three verses in the Second Canto (2.7.23-25):

asmat-prasada-sumukhah kalaya kalesa

iksvaku-vamsha avatirya guror nidese
tisthan vanam sa-dayitanuja avivesa
yasmin virudhya dasa-kandhara artim arcchat

“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
Maharaja Ikshvaku as the Lord of His internal potency, Sita. Under the order of His father,
Maharaja Dasharatha, He entered the forest and lived there for considerable years with His
wife and younger brother. Ravana, who was very materially powerful, with ten heads on his
shoulders, committed a great offense against Him and was thus ultimately vanquished.

yasma adad udadhir udha-bhayanga-vepo

margam sapady ari-puram hara-vad didhaksoh
dure suhrn-mathita-rosa-susona-drstya
tatapyamana-makaroraga-nakra-chakrah

“The Personality of Godhead Ramachandra, being aggrieved for His distant intimate friend
[Sita], glanced over the city of the enemy Ravana with redhot 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.

vaksah-sthala-sparsa-rugna-mahendra-vaha-
dantair vidambita-kakub-jusa udha-hasam
sadyo subhih saha vinesyati dara-hartur
visphurjitair dhanusa uccarato dhisainye

“When Ravana was engaged in the battle, the trunk of the elephant which carried the king of
heaven, Indra, broke into pieces, having collided with the chest of Ravana, and the scattered
broken parts illuminated all directions. Ravana 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
resounding of the bow of Ramachandra, the Personality of Godhead.”

Text 81

Shri Vyasa (21) is also described in the third chapter of the First Canto [1.3.21]:
“Thereafter, in the seventeenth incarnation of Godhead, Shri Vyasadeva appeared
from the womb of Satyavati through Parashara Muni. Vyasadeva divided the one Veda
into several branches and subbranches, seeing that the people in general were less
intelligent.”

Text 82

This is the Vyasa whom Shri Krishna indicated with the words “Among the Vyasas I
am Dvaipayana.” [Bhagavatam 11.16.28] His uniqueness is also thus described in the
Vishnu Purana and other scriptures.

Commentary

Although at the end of each Dvapara-yuga a different sage is given the role of Vyasa, editor of
the Vedas, Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa is unique among all of them since He is a svamsha
expansion of the Personality of Godhead.

Text 83

For example: “Know that Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa is Lord Narayana Himself. Who
else but the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord could be the author of the Mahabharata?”
[Vishnu Purana 3.4.5, and Mahabharata, Shanti-parva 334.9]

Text 84

We hear from scripture that the sage Apantaratama accepted the role of Dvaipayana
Vyasa. Apantaratama may have united with Dvaipayana or he may have also been a
partial expansion of Lord Vishnu. Because of such statements, however, some
authorities say that Dvaipayana is an avesha incarnation.

Commentary

It is from the Narayaniya portion of the Mahabharata that we obtain the information that
Krishna Dvaipayana was the sage Apantaratama in his previous life. This sage was extremely
strict in his observance of austerities. His name indicates that he managed to dispel (apagata)
all darkness within his heart (antara-tamas). Because of this information, some think that
Krishna Dvaipayana was an empowered jiva like Sanaka Kumara and his brothers.

The First Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (chapters 4 and 5) relates how Dvaipayana Vyasa
received from Narada the instruction to compile the Bhagavatam and (chapter 7) how Vyasa
then meditated on the subject of the Bhagavatam, namely Shri Krishna and His energies.

Lord Brahmi glorifies Shrila Vyasa thus:

kalena milita-dhiyam avamrsya nfnam

stokayusam sva-nigamo bata dura-parah
 avirhitas tv anu-yugam sa hi satyavatyam
veda-drumam vitapaso vibhajisyati sma

“The Lord Himself in His incarnation as the son of Satyavati 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 that particular age.’ (Bhagavatam 2.7.36)

Text 85

Next, Shri Rama and Krishna (22 and 23) are mentioned in the First Canto [1.3.23]: “In
the nineteenth and twentieth incarnations, the Lord advented Himself as Lord
Balarama and Lord Krishna in the family of Vrishni [the Yadu dynasty], and by so
doing He removed the burden of the world.”

Commentary

With the word bhagavan, this verse implies that Krishna is svayam bhagavan, the original
Personality of Godhead. He descends directly from His eternal abode Goloka and so is not an
expansion of the Pradyumna known as Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu. It will be shown later on
that Krishna and His own chatur-vyuha – Himself, His brother Balarama, His son Pradyumna,
and His grandson Aniruddha – are not expansions of the purusha-avatara.

Text 86

Of Them, Shri Rama is described as follows: He appeared through Vasudeva from two
mothers. He has a complexion the color of camphor, and He always wears garments
the color of a dark blue raincloud.

Commentary

Lord Balarama first entered the womb of Devaki and then was conveyed by Yogamaya into
the womb of Rohini. Thus He literally had two mothers.

Text 87

This Rama expands as Sankarshana, the second of the Supreme Lord’s vyaha forms.
When Rama appears, Shesha, the bearer of the earth, unites with Him.

Commentary

The expansion of Ananta Shesha who holds the earth on his hoods is also called Sankarshana.
That makes sense, since Shesha, who expands from Lord Balarama, reunites with Him when
Balarama appears on earth.
Text 88

Lord Shesha has two forms, as the holder of the earth and as Lord Sharngi’s bed. The
holder of the earth is called Sankarshana because he is an avesha expansion of the
original Sankarshana. The other form of Shesha, the bed of Lord Vishnu, thinks
Himself the Supreme Lord’s friend and servant.

Commentary

The first of these two Sheshas is a jiva, the other a plenary portion of Balarama.

Since Lord Balarama is Shri Krishna’s constant companion, He is glorified extensively in the
devotional scriptures, especially in Shrimad-Bhagavatam; therefore it would be difficult to
cite all these references here.

Those who are interested, however, can find descriptions of Lord Balarama in Shri Brihad-
bhagavatamrita: first part, chapters six (57-62 and 114-125) and seven (9-26 and 55-68); and
second part, chapters six (72-74, 230-239 and 278-289) and seven (32). There are also
descriptions in Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Adi §.4-11, 135-141, and 154-6, and Adi 17.115-19).

Text 89

Shri Krishna: He appeared through Anakadundubhi from His mother Devaki, having
a complexion like a dark blue raincloud and manifesting sometimes two arms and
sometimes four.

Commentary

While it is true, as corroborated by scripture, that Krishna took birth simultaneously from
Devaki and Yashoda, because this is confidential information Shrila Rupa Gosvami does not
mention it here.

The passages from devotional scriptures cherished by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His
followers focus primarily on Shri Krishna’s glories. There are many such passages: for
example, the last two chapters of part one of Brihad-bhagavatamrita, the last three chapters
of that book’s part two, many passages throughout Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita, and the
entire Tenth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam. In the Bhagavatam’s Third Canto, chapters 2 and
3, Uddhava remembers Krishna with special poignancy just after His disappearance.

In the Second Canto (2.7.26-35) Lord Brahma praises Krishna’s pastimes in ten verses,
beginning with this one:

bhumeh suretara-varutha-vimarditayah
klesa-vyayaya kalaya sita-krishna-kesah
jatah karisyati jananupalaksya-margah
karmani catma-mahimopanibandhanani
“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 estimate how great He
is.”

Text 90

Shri Buddha (24) is also described there: “Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the
Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the province of Gaya, just for
the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theists.” [Bhagavatam
1.3.24]

Commentary

According to some manuscripts of Shrimad-Bhagavatam, this verse gives the name of Lord
Buddha's father, Ajina, rather than that of his mother, Anjana.

Text 91

He appeared after two thousands years of Kali-yuga had passed. He had a rose
complexion, manifested two arms, and kept his head shaven.

Text 92

Suta spoke on the topic of Lord Buddha before he had actually appeared. Since then
he has taken birth in the village of Dharmaranya.

Commentary

Dharmaranya is in the district of Gaya, which was mentioned by Sita Gosvami (kikateshu
bhavishyati).

Lord Brahma also describes this avatara:

deva-dvisam nigama-vartmani nisthitanam

purbhir mayena vihitabhir adrsya-turbhih
lokan ghnatam mati-vimoham ati-pralobham
vesam vidhaya bahu bhasyata aupadharmyam

“When the atheists, after being well versed in the Vedic scientific knowledge, annihilate
inhabitants of different planets, flying unseen in the sky on wellbuilt 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.” (Bhagavatam 2.7.37)
Text 93

Shri Kalki (25) is also described in the third chapter of the First Canto [1.3.25]:
“Thereafter, at the conjunction of two yugas, the Lord of the creation will take His
birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of Vishnuyasha. At this time the
rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers.”

Text 94

The Padma Purana reveals that Svayambhuva Manu appeared as Dasharatha and then
as Vasudeva, and that in the future he will become Vishnuyasha.

Commentary

According to the Padma Purana, the future father of Lord Kalki, the learned brahmana
Vishnuyasha, has been the Supreme Lord's father in at least two other lifetimes.

Text 95

A good description of Lord Kalki’s glories is found in the Brahmanda Purana. Some
say that both Buddha and Kalki appear in each Kali-yuga.

Commentary

An alternative opinion about the descent of these two avataras is that they appear only
during the twenty-eighth Kali-yuga of each manvantara.

Speaking of Lord Kalki, Brahma says:

yarhy dlayesv api satam na hareh kathah syuh

pasandino dvija-jana vrsala nr-devah
svaha svadha vasad iti sma giro na yatra
sasta bhavisyati kaler bhagavan yugante

“At the end of Kali-yuga, when there will be no more discussion on the subject of God, even
at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen of the three higher varnas,
when the twice-born brahmanas will have all become atheists, when the power of
government will have been transferred to the hands of wicked persons, when nothing will
remain known of the techniques of sacrifice, and when the sacred words svaha, svadha, and
vasat will not be heard at all, at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser.’
(Bhagavatam 2.7.38)

Text 96
The last eight incarnations just described, beginning with Vamanadeva, all occur
during the Vaivasvata manvantara.

Commentary

These eight avataras are Vamana, Parashurama, Ramachandra, Veda-vyasa, Balarama,

Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki.

Text 97

Thus we have described twenty-five kalpa-avataras. Most of them appear once in each
day of Brahma.

***

This ends the description of the lila-avataras.

***

Exceptions to the rule of kalpa-avataras appearing only once in a day of Brahma include Lord
Varaha, who descends twice, and Lord Matsya, who descends fourteen times. The Prabhasa-
khanda of Shri Skanda Purana names the thirty kalpas, or days, that occur in each month of
Brahma.

prathamah sveta-kalpas tu
dvitiyo nila-lohitah
vamadevas trtiyas tu
tato gathantaro parah

“The first kalpa is named Shveta, the second Nilalohita, the third Vamadeva, and the next
Gathantara.

rauravah panchamah proktah

sasthah prana iti smrtah
saptamo tha brhat-kalpah
kandarpo stama ucyate

“The fifth is called Raurava, the sixth Prana, the seventh Brihat, and the eighth Kandarpa.

savyo tha navamah proktah

isano dasamah smrtah
 dhyana ekadasah proktas
tatha sarasvato ‘parah

“The ninth is called Savya, the tenth Ishana, the eleventh Dhyana, and the next Sarasvata.

trayodasa udanas tu
garudo tha chaturdasah
kaurmah paricadaso jrieyah
paurnamasi prajapateh

“The thirteenth is the Udana-kalpa, the fourteenth Garuda, and the fifteenth is the Kaurma-
kalpa, which is considered the full-moon day of Prajapati Brahma.

sodaso narasimhas tu
samadhis tu tato parah
agneyo vishnujah saurah
soma-kalpas tato parah

“The sixteenth day is Narasimha, followed by Samadhi, Agneya, Vishnuja, Saura, and Soma.

dvavimso bhavanah proktah

supuman iti caparah
vaikunthas carcisas tadvat
valmi-kalpas tato ‘parah

“The twenty-second day is called Bhavana, followed by Supuman, Vaikuntha, Arcisha, and
Valmi.

sapta-vimso ‘tha vairajo

gauri-kalpas tathaparah
maheshvaras tatha proktas
tripuro yatra ghatitah

“The twenty-seventh is Vairaja, then Gauri, and then Maheshvara, when the three cities of the
demons are destroyed.

pitr-kalpas tathante ca
yah kuhar brahmanah smrtah
trimsat kalpah samakhyata
brahmano divasaih sada

“At the end is the Pitri-kalpa, thought of as the new-moon day of Brahma. The thirty kalpas
known by these names always correspond to the days of Lord Brahmas month.

atitas ca bhavisyas ca
varaho vartate dhuna
pratipat brahmanah prokta
dvitiyardhasya sampratam
“These kalpas have occurred in the past and will occur in the future. The present kalpa,
known as Varaha, is considered the first day in the second half of Brahmas life.”

The kalpa named Shveta or Shveta-varaha is also called the Brahma-kalpa because Brahma
took birth during a Shveta-varaha-kalpa. The particular Pitri-kalpa (thirtieth day) that comes
at the end of the first half of Brahmas life is known also as the Padma-kalpa because at that
time the worlds are recreated from the lotus flower on which Brahma was born. In each kalpa
there are fourteen manvantaras, and each manvantara includes seventy-one cycles of four
ages. Altogether there are nearly one thousand yuga cycles in one kalpa.

***

Chapter Four

Manvantara-avataras,

Yuga-avataras,

Aveshas and Avasthas

Text 1

Now the manvantara-avataras: A manvantara-avatara is Lord Mukunda appearing

among the demigods, usually for the purpose of helping Indra by killing his enemies.

Commentary

In the word manvantara, antara means “a period of time.’ In other words, a manvantara refers
to the period in which a Manu reigns.

According to Halayudhas dictionary,

vastu-madhye tatha chidre

vyavasaye ntar-atmani
avakdase bahir-yoge
visese vasare ‘ntaram

“Antara can mean ‘the inside of an object; ‘hole; ‘resolve; ‘mind} ‘space, ‘external relationship,
‘peculiarity; or ‘period of time.”
In the Second Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.20) Lord Brahma gives a general
description of the manvantara-avataras:

chakram ca diksv avihatam dasasu sva-tejo

manv-antaresu manu-vamsha-dharo bibharti
dustesu rajasu damam vyadadhat sva-kirtir
satye tri-prstha usatim prathayams charitraih

“As the manvantara incarnations, the Lord has descended into each of the Manu dynasties
and ruled over the miscreant kings, subduing them with His powerful wheel weapon.
Undeterred in all circumstances, His reigns were 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.”

In his instructions to Sanatana Gosvami, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu described the

manvantara-avataras and listed them by name (Chaitanyacharitamrita, Madhya 20.319-28).

Text 2

Some kalpa-avataras, like Lord Yajna, are also clearly manvantaraavataras because
they give special protection for the duration of the reigns of particular Manus.

Commentary

By definition, a kalpa-avatara appears at some time during a particular day of Brahma, and a
manvantara-avatara appears in order to help the demigods for the duration of a Manu’s reign.
Thus it is certainly possible for one incarnation to be both a kalpa-avatara and a manvantara-
avatara.

Text 3

These incarnations, beginning with Yajna and ending with Brihadbhanu, are said to
appear one after another in successive manvantaras, beginning with the reign of
Svayambhuva Manu.

Text 4

Since Lord Yajna has already been described, He will not again be written about here.

Commentary

For the Laghu-bhagavatamrita’s description of Lord Yajna, see chapter three, texts 37-38. He
is a lila-avatara and also the first manvantara-avatara, who helps Svayambhuva Manu during
his reign.
Text 5

As described in the Eighth Canto [8.1.21-22], Lord Vibhu appeared in the second
manvantara, ruled by Svarochisha: “Vedashira was a great rishi. Through him, from
the womb of his wife Tushita, came the celebrated avatara Vibhu.

Commentary

Svarochisha was the son of Svarochis, one of the fire gods, and he became the second Manu
in this kalpa.

Text 6

“Vibhu remained a brahmachari, never marrying throughout his life. Eighty-eight

thousand saintly persons took lessons from him on self-control, austerity, and
similar behavior.”

Commentary

‘The Eighth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam describes the principal pastimes and associates of
all fourteen manvantara-avataras who appear in this kalpa.

Text 7

In the third manvantara, ruled by Uttama, Satyasena appeared: “In this manvantara
the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared from the womb of Sunrita, the wife of
Dharma, the demigod in charge of religion. The Lord was celebrated as Satyasena,
and He appeared with other demigods known as the Satyavratas.” [Bhagavatam 8.1.25]

Text 8

“Satyasena and His friend Satyajit, king of heaven, killed all the untruthful, impious,
misbehaved Yakshas, Rakshasas, and ghosts, who all torment other living beings.”
[Bhagavatam 8.1.26]

Commentary

Uttama, the third Manu in this kalpa, was the son of Priyavrata. The Satyavratas were Lord
Satyasenas brothers.

Text 9
In the fourth manvantara, ruled by Tamasa, Hari appeared: “In this manvantara the
Supreme Lord Vishnu, known by the name Hari, took birth from the womb of Harini,
the wife of Harimedha. Hari saved His devotee Gajendra, the king of the elephants,
from the mouth of a crocodile.” [Bhagavatam 8.1.30]

Text 10

To destroy all inauspiciousness, persons seriously devoted to virtuous behavior

remember this form of Lord Hari, the deliverer of the king of the elephants, early
each morning.

Commentary

Tamasa Manu was Uttamas brother. How the manvantara-avatara Hari rescued Gajendra is
described in the Eighth Canto, chapters 2-4.

Text 11

In the fifth manvantara, ruled by Raivata, Vaikuntha appeared: “From the

combination of Shubhra and his wife Vikuntha there appeared the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Vaikuntha, along with the best of demigods, the Vaikunthas,
His personal plenary expansions.” [Bhagavatam 8.5.4]

Text 12

“Just to please the goddess of fortune, at her request Vaikuntha created another
Vaikuntha planet, which is worshiped by everyone.” [Bhagavatam 8.5.5]

Text 13

People imagine that this planet is located above Satyaloka, but it is actually a
manifestation of the all-pervading and infallible supreme world of Vaikuntha.

Commentary

Raivata, the fifth Manu, was the third brother of Uttama and Tamasa, the third and fourth
Manus. The demigods collectively called the Vaikunthas were brothers of the manvantara-
avatara Vaikuntha. Although the word kalpana usually means “manufacture,” it can also
indicate “manifestation.” The verb klip, from which kalpana is derived, means “produce” or
“imagine, but it also sometimes means “able.” Thus Lord Vaikuntha showed His extraordinary
ability by exhibiting a Vaikuntha planet within the material world. Shrila Sanatana Gosvami
mentions this pastime in his Brihad-bhagavatamrita (1.2.22) and further explains it in his Dig-
darshini commentary on that book.
Text 14

In the sixth manvantara, ruled by Chakshusha, Ajita appeared: “In the sixth
manvantara, Lord Vishnu, the master of the universe, appeared in His partial
expansion. He was begotten by Vairaja in the womb of his wife Sambhuti, and His
name was Ajita.” [Bhagavatam 8.5.9]

Commentary

Chakshusha Manu was the son of Chakshus.

Text 15

“By churning the Ocean of Milk, Ajita produced nectar for the demigods. In the form
of a tortoise He moved here and there, carrying on His back the great mountain
known as Mandara.” [Bhagavatam 8.5.10]

Text 16

We have already described the appearance of Lord Vamana during the manvantara of
Vaivasvata. Now we will describe the seven future manvantara-avataras who will
appear during the reigns of Savarni and the other remaining Manus.

Commentary

Vaivasvata Manu, also known as Shraddhadeva, who is the currently reigning Manu, is the
son of Vivasvan, the god of the sun.

Text 17

In the eighth manvantara, ruled by Savarni, Sarvabhauma will appear: “In the eighth
manvantara the greatly powerful Personality of Godhead Sarvabhauma will take
birth. His father will be Devaguhya, His mother Sarasvati. He will take the kingdom
away from Purandara [Lord Indra] and give it to Bali Maharaja.” [Bhagavatam 8.13.17]

Text 18

In the ninth manvantara, ruled by Daksha-savarni, Rishabha will appear:

“Rishabhadeva, a partial incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will
take birth from his father Ayushman and his mother Ambudhara. He will enable the
Indra named Adbhuta to enjoy the opulence of the three worlds.” [Bhagavatam
8.13.20]
Commentary

Daksha-savarni is the son of the demigod Varuna. He will gain control over the three worlds
and give them to Indra Adbhuta to rule.

Text 19

In the tenth manvantara, ruled by Brahma-savarni, Vishvaksena will appear: “A

plenary portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead named Vishvaksena will
appear in the home of Vishvajit from the womb of Vishuchi. He will make friends
with Shambhu.” [Bhagavatam 8.13.23]

Commentary

Brahma-savarni Manu is the son of Upashloka. Shambhu is the name of the Indra during this
tenth Manus reign.

Text 20

In the eleventh manvantara, ruled by Dharma-savarni, Dharmasetu will appear: “The

son of Aryaka named Dharmasetu is a partial incarnation of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. He will appear from the womb of Vaidhrita and will rule the three
worlds.” [Bhagavatam 8.13.26]

Text 21

In the twelfth manvantara, ruled by Rudra-savarni, Sudhama will appear: “From His
mother Sunrita and His father Satyasaha will come Sudhama, a partial incarnation of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He will rule the twelfth manvantara.”
[Bhagavatam 8.13.29]

Text 22

In the thirteenth manvantara, ruled by Deva-savarni, Yogeshvara will appear:

“Yogeshvara, a partial incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will
appear as the son of His father Devahotra and His mother Brihati. He will perform
activities for the welfare of Divaspati.” [Bhagavatam 8.13.32]

Commentary

Divaspati will be the Indra during Deva-savarni’s manvantara.

Text 23

In the fourteenth manvantara, ruled by Indra-savarni, Brihadbhanu will appear: “O

King Parikshit, in the fourteenth manvantara the Supreme Personality of Godhead
will appear from the womb of Vitana through His father Satrayana. This incarnation,
celebrated as Brihadbhanu, will promote spiritual activities.” [Bhagavatam 8.13.35]

Text 24

Since the two avataras Yajna and Vamana have been mentioned for the second time
here, only twelve manvantara incarnations have been counted.

This ends the discussion of the manvantara-avataras.

Commentary

There are a total of fourteen manvantara-avataras, one for each manvantara, but here only
twelve of these are being counted toward the total number of avataras, since Yajna and
Vamana have already been counted among the lila-avataras.

Text 25

Now the yuga-avataras: Lord Hari is said to appear with the name and complexion of
Shukla [white] in the Satya-yuga, and Rakta [red], Syama [dark blue], and Krishna
[black] in the Treta, Dvapara, and Kali Ages respectively.

Commentary

The respective yuga-avataras have the complexions shukla, rakta, shyama, and krishna and
also the names Shukla, Rakta, Syama, and Krishna. Shri Hari-vamsha refers to the Kali-yuga
avatara as krishna (black), but other scriptures claim that some of the Kali-yuga avataras have
different complexions.

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the avatara for the current Kali-yuga, appears only once in an
entire day of Brahma. Although He has a golden complexion, He accepts the name “Krishna.”
Indeed, He is Krishna Himself.

Text 26

It is the current manvantara-avatara who expands as each of the incarnations, one

after another, for Satya-yuga and the other ages. In each case His purpose is to
establish the particular method for His own worship.

This ends the discussion of the yuga-avataras.

Commentary
The yuga-avataras appear through the ruling manvantara-avataara rather than through
Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu, through whom the lila-avataras appear.

In the Eleventh Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.20-36), Karabhajana Yogindra describes

the yuga-avataras to Maharaja Nimi. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also describes them in His
instructions to Sanatana Gosvami (Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 20.329-65).

Text 27

So then, the number of avataras: Calculating according to our list, we find forty-one
incarnations appearing relative to the kalpas, manvantaras, and yugas.

Commentary

Adding twenty-five kalpa-avataras, twelve manvantara-avataras, and four yuga-avataras gives

a total of forty-one.

Text 28

Thousands of Brahma’s days have already passed, beginning with the Brahma-kalpa
and ending with the Padma-kalpa. The current day of Brahmi is called the Shveta-
varaha-kalpa.

Commentary

Lord Brahma has just passed the midpoint of his lifespan. It is now the first day of the first
month of the second half of his life. Since Brahma has already lived fifty of his years, there
have been many Brahma-kalpas since his birth. It is now again a Brahma-kalpa, this one
known also as the Shveta-varaha-kalpa.

Text 29

During the Brahma-kalpa, the incarnations beginning with the Kumaras and Narada
appeared during the reign of the first Manu, Svayambhuva. The other incarnations
appear during the manvantaras of Chakshusha and the subsequent Manu.

Commentary

As stated in the previous chapter (text 62), the first thirteen lila-avataras, beginning from the
Kumaras and Narada, appeared during the first manvantara. The next twelve avataras,
beginning with Lord Nrisimha, appeared during the sixth and seventh manvantaras. Lord
Varaha and Lord Matsya appeared during both the first and sixth manvantaras.

Text 30
Generally these Manus and manvantara-avataras, beginning with Svayambhuva and
Yajna respectively, appear in succession during each day of Brahma.

Text 31

Considering this, Shri Vajra submitted a question in Shri Vishnudharmottara Purana:

“O brahmana, do the same fourteen Manus you have described appear in succession
every day of Brahma, or do different Manus appear? Please destroy my doubt, O
knower of religious principles.”

Text 32

Shri Markandeya answered: “O great king, please understand that the same fourteen
Manus appear in each day of Brahma. You need not speculate further about this.

Text 33

“Understand that these Manus to whom you refer appear repeatedly in the same
forms. Sometimes, however, by the Supreme Lord’s creative potency, some of them
appear with somewhat different forms.”

Text 34

Incarnations are of four kinds: avesha, prabhava, vaibhava-avastha, and para-avastha.

Text 35

The avesha incarnations can be known according to the characteristics specified

earlier [1.18-19]. Examples are the Kumaras, Devarishi Narada, and Prithu, who was
born from the body of Vena.

Commentary

Avesha incarnations are imbued with portions of the Supreme Lord’s various potencies: the
four Kumaras with transcendental knowledge, Narada with the power of devotion, and Prithu
with the power to rule.

Text 36

As the Padma Purana states: “The almighty Lord Hari imparted His potencies to the
Avesha incarnations Narada and the Kumaras.”
Text 37

Also in the Padma Purana: “The four-armed Lord, who holds a conch and wields a
disc, entered King Prithu with His potencies.”

Text 38

Also in that Purana: “The Supreme Lord empowered Bhargava [Parashurama].”

Text 39

And also: “Thus have I told you, dear goddess, about the activities of Jamadagni’s son,
that great soul who was a Shakty-avesha incarnation of Lord Sharngi.” [Padma
Purana, Uttara 241.76, 244.65]

Text 40

It is seen in the Vishnu-dharma Purana that Lord Kalki is also an Avesha incarnation.

Text 41

“The Supreme Lord Hari manifests His own form in the three ages beginning with
Satya-yuga, but not in Kali-yuga. Thus He is called Tri-yuga.

Commentary

This statement of the Vishnu-dharma Purana does not indicate that Lord Krishna Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu does not manifest His own form in Kali-yuga. The avatara for Kali-yuga is
usually a specially appointed jiva who, according to smriti-shastra, generally has a blackish
complexion. Lord Chaitanya, however, appears in just one specific Kali-yuga out of the
thousand in each day of Brahma. He is the pita-varna form of the original Supreme Lord
mentioned by Garga Muni (Bhagavatam 10.8.13). When He descends, the krishna-varna
avesha incarnation for Kali-yuga unites with Him.

In Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 6.94-104) Gopinatha Acharya explained to

Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya why shastra says that the Supreme Lord incarnates in only three
of the four ages.

Text 42
“At the end of Kali-yuga Lord Vasudeva enters Kalki, a devotee of the Absolute Truth,
to maintain universal order.

Text 43

“During Kali-yuga the Supreme Lord fulfills His purposes by entering various living
beings who have already been born.”

Text 44

To conclude, the aveshas are considered surrogate avataras.

The dvesha incarnations this statement refers to are the Kumaras, Narada, Prithu,
Parashurama, and Kalki.

Text 45

Next, the prabhava and vaibhava incarnations: The vaibhava and prabhava forms of
Lord Hari exhibit progressively less potency than the para-avastha forms.

Commentary

Both the prabhava and vaibhava forms of the Personality of Godhead reveal less of the Lord's
glory than His para forms. The vaibhava incarnations appear with more potency than the
prabhava incarnations.

Text 46

The prabhava incarnations are divided into two categories, as revealed by the
scriptures. One kind does not remain manifest for very long and does not gain much
renown. This kind includes Mohini and Hamsa, as well as Shukla and the other yuga
incarnations.

Commentary

This category of less famous, short-term incarnations includes the other three yuga-avataras,
whom Garga Muni described as Rakta, Pita, and Krishna.

Text 47

The other kind of prabhava incarnation compiles scriptures and acts in the role of a
sage. This kind includes Dhanvantari, Rishabha, Vyasa, Dattatreya, and Kapila.
Commentary

Like other sages, these prabhava incarnations live long lives.

These five plus the six in the previous subcategory make a total of eleven prabhava-avataras.

Texts 48-49

The following twenty-one incarnations are considered vaibhava-avastha: Kurma; the

Fish Lord [Matsya]; Narayana the friend of Nara; Varaha; Hayashirsha; Prishnigarbha;
the killer of Pralamba; and the fourteen incarnations beginning with Yajna.

Commentary

Lords Nara and Narayana are two individuals, one a jiva and the other vishnu-tattva, but they
are always counted as a single incarnation. The fourteen manvantara-avataras beginning with
Yajna are also in the vaibhava category.

Texts 50-51

Among the vaibhava-avastha incarnations, the following six are considered almost
equal to the Lord in His para-avastha forms: Lord Boar and Hayagriva, who are
mentioned among the nine vyuhas, plus the four greatest manvantara-avataras,
namely Shri Hari, Vaikuntha, Ajita, and Vamana.

Commentary

These six of the twenty-one vaibhava-avataras are especially potent and ylorious. The nine
vyuha expansions are listed here:

catvaro vasudevadya
narayana-nrisimhakau
hayagrivo maha-krodo
brahma ceti navoditah

“The nine personalities mentioned are the four beginning with Vasudeva, and also Narayana,
Nrisimha, Hayagriva, the great boar, and Brahma.”

In His instructions to Sanatana Gosvami, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu described the

prabhava and vaibhava divisions of His original svayam-rupa (prabhava-prakasha and
vaibhava-prakasha) and His vilasa expansions (prabhava-vilasa and vaibhava-vilasa). The
explanation of Krishna svayamrupa and vilasa forms is recorded in Shri Chaitanya-
charitamrita (Madhya 20.167-243).

Text 52
According to the vision of the revealed scriptures, we will write about some of the
residential places manifested by some of these incarnations in the material universe.
This evidence comes from statements of the Vishnu-dharmottara and other Puranas.

Commentary

That the vaibhava-avastha incarnations have permanent abodes in this world is evidence that
They are more prominent than the prabhava-avastha incarnations.

Text 53

For example: “Above that region is another region of the same size, with reddish
ground. This is Mahatala, the fifth Patala region. There, in a wonderful lake one
hundred thousand yojanas across, lives Lord Hari in His Kurma form.

Commentary

“That region” mentioned at the beginning of this verse is the subterranean heaven Talatala.

Text 54

“Above that is another region of the same size, where there is a divine lake three
hundred yojanas across. In that lake lives the Supreme Lord Hari in His Matsya form.”
[Vishnu-dharmottara Purana 1.4.30-33]

Text 55

“Narayana the friend of Nara lives in the place called Badarinatha.”

Text 56

“Nri-varaha’s residence, three million yojanas in circumference, is said to be on

Maharloka.

Commentary

Nri-varaha is the form of Lord Varaha as half-man, half-boar.

Text 57

“The next abode, charming like Lord Shesha’s, is five hundred thousand yojanas in
circumference.
Commentary

‘This verse begins the Vishnu-dharmottara’ description of the abode of Lord Varaha in His
four-legged form. Lord Varaha’s abode is not literally the same as Lord Shesha’s, but the
resemblance is so close that it is described as “another home of Shesha.”

Text 58

“Known as Varaha-loka, this self-effulgent, attractive world sits below all the other
planets and touches the shell of the universe. Here the Supreme Lord has taken up
residence in His white Varaha form.” [Vishnudharmottara Purana 1.5.23, 1.4.5-6]

Commentary

According to Shri Vishnu-dharmottara, this abode of the four-legged Lord Varaha lies below
the seven Patala regions and the planet of Kalagni-rudra.

Text 59

“Above that [Patala] region is another of the same size. Called Gabhastitala, this
fourth region has ground of a yellow color. There Lord Vishnu lives in His
Hayashirsha form, as effulgent as hundreds of moons and adorned with gold
ornaments.” [Vishnu-dharmottara Purana 1.4.27-28]

Text 60

“Prishnigarbha’s residence is above Lord Brahma’s planet.”

Text 61

“The enemy of Pralamba resides in the same place as the enemy of Agha.”

Commentary

Shri Krishna resides in Gokula and the surrounding areas, and there also resides Lord
Balarama. Indeed, the two of Them are inseparable.

Text 62

“A partial expansion of Lord Balarama always resides on Patala-loka.

Decorated with garlands of forest flowers and always bearing excellent jewels atop
His many hoods, He carries a plow, a club, and a sword, wears blue garments, and has
a flag marked with a palm tree. He is an eloquent speaker.” [Vishnu-dharmottara
Purana 1.4.15-16]

Commentary

The Shesha who holds the earth on one of his hoods is an avesha expansion of Lord Balarama.
He shows his eloquence when he speaks ShrimadBhagavatam to Sanaka-kumara and his
brothers.

Text 63

“Above Brahmaloka shines the planet of Lord Hari.”

Commentary

This verse begins a description of the abodes of the four most eminent manvantara-avataras –
Hari, Vaikuntha, Ajita, and Vamana.

Text 64

“Lord Vishnu, the great ruler of Vaikuntha, also lives in Svargaloka, on the Vaikuntha
planet He personally revealed within the material world.” [Vishnu-dharmottara
Purana 1.5.23]

Text 65

“Lord Ajita has established his residence on Dhruvaloka, and the exalted Lord
Vamana lives on Bhuvarloka.” [Vishnu-dharmottara Purana 1.5.22]

Text 66

“Lord Trivikrama is said to reside on Tapoloka, as well as in the divine Narayana-

ashrama on Brahmaloka and in the abode He has constructed for Himself above
Brahmaloka.” [Vishnu-dharmottara Purana 1.5.24]

Text 67

In the Hari-vamsha [2.70.37] the king of the demigods speaks the following to the sage
among the demigods:

Text 68
“O powerful sage, Lord Vishnu destroyed my planet and then created a better one
above all the other planets.”

Commentary

Lord Trivikrama destroyed Indra’ Svargaloka when His foot hit it. The planets of the sages —
Mahar, Janas, Tapas, and Satya – are above Svarga, but Lord Trivikrama created several new
Svarga planets above all of them.

Text 69

The scriptures inform us that all the Lord’s avataras possess supremely wonderful
abodes in the spiritual sky.

Text 70

Thus, in the Padma Purana: “All of the Lord’s brilliantly effulgent avataras – Matsya,
Kurma, and the others – dwell always in the eternal world of Vaikuntha.”

This ends the discussion of the avataras and their abodes.

***

Chapter Five

Para-avasthas and Svayam-bhagavan

Text 1

Now we will discuss how less expert thinkers sometimes consider Krishna an
incarnation of Nara’s brother, and sometimes an incarnation of Lord Upendra.

Commentary

The analysis of the divisions of Godhead that Shrila Rupa Gosvami has presented establishes
that Krishna is the original form of the Supreme, and that the husband of Goddess Shri and
all other forms of God are His vilasa, svamsha, and avesha expansions. Some less expert
thinkers, such as the followers of a teacher named Vishvaksena, say either that Krishna
expands from Nara-Narayana or that He expands from Vamana-deva.

Text 2

We find in the Skanda Purana: “When Krishna and Arjuna took birth in the dynasty of
the moon god, the expansions of Lord Hari known as Nara and Narayana, the sons of
Dharma, joined with them.”

Commentary

A follower of Vishvaksena might mistakenly think that this verse supports the conclusion
that Krishna expands from Nara-Narayana. But a closer study reveals a more accurate
translation.

Krishna and Arjuna are the subjects of the sentence, and Nara and Narayana are the objects.
Since the dual forms ending in -au can be either subject or object, we must consider logical
and contextual factors to distinguish the subject from the object. In light of the unassailable
presentation by Shrimad-Bhagavatam that Krishna is svayam bhagavan, prapya can be taken
to mean “accepting within themselves.” The verse indicates, then, that Krishna and Arjuna
took birth in the chandra-vamsha and that their partial expansions, Narayana and Nara
Rishis, entered within them to take part in their pastimes.

Text 3

And in the Fourth Canto [4.1.59]: “Those two expansions of Hari [Nara and Narayana]
have now appeared in the forms of the two Krishnas, the best of the dynasties of Yadu
and Kuru, to mitigate the burden of the world.”

Commentary

This verse might seem to say that Narayana and Nara, the expansions of Lord Kshirodaka-
shayi Vishnu, appeared as Vasudeva and Arjuna to relieve the earth from the burden of
demonic kings. The accurate reading, however, is that Nara and Narayana had now entered
the bodies of Arjuna and Krishna.

Text 4

This evidence is found in the Tenth Canto [10.69.16]: “After fully worshiping Narada,
the best of sages, according to Vedic injunctions, Lord Krishna (who is the original
sage, who is Narayana, and who is the friend of Nara) conversed with Narada in
thoughtful words as sweet as nectar. Finally the Lord asked Narada, ‘What may We do
for you, Our lord and master?”
Commentary

Even by definition Shri Krishna is Narayana because He is the source and shelter of
everything that exists. He is the original sage because at the beginning of the kalpa He
imparted knowledge to Lord Brahma (Gopala-tapani Upanishad, 1.23). He is nara-sakha, the
friend of human beings, because He is eager to reveal His pleasure pastimes in His humanlike
form. He is deva, a greatly effulgent Lord, especially in His lila as a kshatriya.

Text 5

Indra speaks of Krishna as an incarnation of Upendra in the Hari-vamsha [2.70.34]: “O

sage, in the Aindra sacrifice I gave Krishna the portion of oblations meant for Lord
Vishnu. I love Krishna, O Narada, because I see Him as my younger brother.”

Commentary

Since Krishna is Indra’s younger brother as Vamanadeva, Indra is affectionate toward Him
even when there is cause for quarrel. The above statement was made during the incident
when Krishna took the heavenly parijata tree from Svarga-loka to Dvaraka. It is forbidden to
bring the parijata flower to earth. Therefore Indra felt obliged to refuse Krishnas request and
oppose any attempt to take the tree by force.

The Vedic sacrifice known as Aindra was first performed by Indra. During this sacrifice, the
portion of oblations that Indra previously offered to Lord Vishnu he now offers to Vamana,
whom he identifies with Krishna. Less intelligent persons may speculate that this indicates
that Krishna expands from Lord Vamana, but Indra does not make clear which of the two he
considers the original.

Text 6

Krishna’s identification with both these avataras is not at all contradictory. The two
are said to be expansions of Krishna, the para-avastha (complete) form of the
Supreme Lord.

Text 7

That the brother of Nara is a partial expansion of Krishna can be understood from the
verse beginning “ete camsha-kalah.” [Bhagavatam 1.3.28] That Lord Upendra is a
partial expansion can be seen in the Hari-vamsha.

Text 8
There [in the Hari-vamsha] we find a statement by Devarishi Narada: “Long Satisfied
with her effort, the Lord delighted Aditi by offering her a benediction of her choice.
She told Him, ‘O leader of the demigods, I want a son just like You.

Text 9

“He replied, “There is no other person equal to Me in the universe. However, I will
personally become your son through My partial expansion.” [Hari-vamsha 2.71.21-23]

Commentary

Since Narada Muni is more enlightened in spiritual knowledge than the king of heaven, his
statement about Lord Vamana should be considered more accurate than Indras.

Text 10

Later on we will clearly show that Krishna is a para-avastha form of the Supreme
Lord. According to shastra the para-avasthas are the most complete forms of God. In
light of this it would obviously be contradictory to call Krishna a partial expansion.

Commentary

After hearing from scripture that Vamana-deva is a svamsha expansion of the Supreme Lord,
someone might still think that Krishna could be an amsha of that anga. To counter this,
Shrila Rupa Gosvami will present his main thesis: Krishna is the principal para-avastha, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Once this thesis is proven, all proposals that He is only an
amsha will be silenced.

Text 11

We can discover other explanations for the above-quoted statements.

Commentary

Since there is so much evidence in Shrimad-Bhagavatam and other devotional scriptures that
Krishna is the supreme form of God, the statements that seem to call Krishna an anga need to
be reexamined. Shrila Rupa Gosvami will now decipher the precise understanding of each of
these verses.

Text 12

Thus here is a karika [an explanatory verse] for the verse beginning “dharma-putrau”:
The two of them, Krishna and Arjuna, “attained” Nara and Narayana in the sense of
accepting them within themselves. Krishna and Arjuna then manifested themselves
in the dynasty of the moon god.

Commentary

The Puranas do not use words in vain. Every word has a precise meaning, which one can
discover through careful study under the guidance of the Vaishnava acharyas. If the principal
meaning of the word prapya (‘obtaining’) is not suitable in a given context, then one must
find another acceptable meaning.

Text 13

A karika on the verse beginning “tau imau”: In this verse Nara and Narayana are the
subjects of the sentence, who are acting. At the end of the Dvapara age, they enter
Krishna and Arjuna, the objects of the sentence, who are receiving the action.

Text 14

Karikas on the verse beginning “sampujya”: Krishna is called the “most ancient of
sages” because He gave spiritual instruction at the very beginning of the creation. He
is called Narayana because He is the shelter of the three Naras, the Purusha
incarnations. He is called “the friend of nara” because He joined with the human
beings on the earth and executed dharma as if one of them, and thus He offered
worship to the sage Narada. Although Krishna is Narada’s guru in His partial
expansion as Narayana Rishi, during His kshatriya-lila He worshiped Narada.

Commentary

According to Shri Gopala-tapani Upanishad (1.23) Krishna gave instructions to Brahma at the
beginning of Brahmas day. Thus, at the beginning of a new phase of creation Krishna is the
first spiritual authority, the purana-rishi.

Nara is a synonym for the word purusha, so the three Purusha incarnations who create the
material world are sometimes called the Naras. Because Krishna is the shelter of the three
Naras, as Shri Brahma-samhita describes, He is Narayana. He is, moreover, the friend of all
naras, or human beings. Therefore, to set an example while playing the part of a human
being, Krishna offers worship to the great sage Narada, even though Krishna’ partial
expansion Badari-narayana is Narada’s instructing spiritual master.

Text 15

And a karika on the verse beginning “aindram”: Being not very wise, Indra spoke like
this out of envy.
Thus the assertion that Krishna is an expansion of either of these forms is
unreasonable.

Commentary

In the Kena Upanishad Indra, Agni, and Vayu are said to be knowers of the Absolute Truth.
How then can Indra be called less intelligent? Shrila Rupa Gosvami answers that to facilitate
Krishnas pastime Indras wisdom became temporarily covered, and therefore he felt envious
of Krishna’ superiority.

Text 16

Now the para-avastha forms. According to the Padma Purana [Uttara 226.42],
“Nrisimha, Ramachandra, and Krishna are complete in all six qualities. They are para-
avastha forms of the Supreme Lord, like lamps lit from another lamp.”

Commentary

The perfections of Godhead are exhibited to different degrees by the various expansions of
Krishna, who alone fully exhibits all six categories of perfection. The three most glorious
forms of the Supreme Person are designated in Vedic Texts as para-avastha, most perfect. The
Lord exhibits His perfections in progressively greater completeness as Nrisimha, as
Ramachandra, and finally in His ultimate form as Krishna.

Text 17

Of these three, Shri Nrisimha is praised as follows: “I offer my homage to Lord Hari
who has the face of a lion. He delights Prahlada’s heart and tears apart His devotees’
ignorance. His luster is like that of the autumn moon.”

Text 18

“The goddess of speech resides in His mouth, and goddess Lakshmi on His chest.
Complete knowledge resides in His heart. I worship that Lord Nrisimha.”

Commentary

The power of having complete knowledge of everything that exists resides in the heart of
Lord Nrisimha. This and the previous verse are from Shridhara Svami's commentary on
Shrimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.1.

Text 19
“As soon as Lord Nrisimha began His deep roar, lotus-born Brahma became stunned.
Thus the sage disclosed to the king the fury of the Lord who was born from the pillar.”

Commentary

The sage describing Lord Nrisimha’s appearance was Narada, and he was speaking to King
Yudhisthira. All three of these verses (Texts 17-19) were composed by Shrila Shridhara Svami.

Text 20

As described in the Seventh Canto, “The hair on Nrisimhadeva’s head shook the
clouds and scattered them here and there, His glaring eyes stole the effulgence of the
luminaries in the sky, and His breathing agitated the oceans. Because of His roaring,
the elephants guarding the directions abandoned their posts. [Bhagavatam 7.8.32]

Text 21

“Airplanes were thrown into outer space and the upper planetary system by the hair
on Nrisimhadeva’s head. Because of the pressure of the Lord’s lotus feet, the earth
appeared to slip from its position, while hills and mountains sprang up due to His
intolerable force. Because of the Lord’s bodily effulgence, both the sky and all
directions diminished in their natural illumination.” [Bhagavatam 7.8.33]

Commentary

Such were the effects of Lord Nrisimha’s fury when He was intent on killing the demon
Hiranyakashipu.

Text 22

“Although Lord Nrikeshari is very ferocious, He is not at all fearsome to His devotees.
With them He behaves like a female lion with her cubs, but for others His form is very
terrible.” [Shridhara Svami’s commentary on Shrimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.1]

Commentary

It might seem impossible to approach the fearsome form of Lord Nrisimha to offer personal
service. As stated above, however, His otherwise scorching presence is like cool, soothing
moonshine for His devotees.

Text 23

The all-blissful glories of this divine lion incarnation are revealed in the venerable
Nrisimha-tapani Upanishad.
Commentary

Those who want to know more about the glories of Shri Nrisimha that quality Him as one of
the three para-avastha forms of the Supreme Lord can consult the Nrisimha-tapani
Upanishad.

Text 24

The Supreme Soul Nrisimha-deva is said to reside on Janaloka and on Vishnuloka,

beyond the material universe.

Text 25

Now Shri Raghavendra: The exalted hero of the Raghus displays all excellent qualities
even more fully than Lord Nrisimha. He is the moon of enchanting nectar.

Commentary

Lord Nrisimha is prabhava-bhuma, infinitely powerful, and Lord Ramachandra is madhurya-

bhuma, infinitely attractive.

Text 26

From the Padma Purana: “I glorify the Supreme Lord who broke Lord Shiva’s bow. He
is the sandal paste of joy decorating the heart of Janaki, and the delight of the Raghu
dynasty.”

Text 27

The book Shri Ramarchana-chandrika [5] describes the festive occasion of His birth:

Text 28

“On the ninth lunar day, with five planets in exalted positions, with the moon and
Jupiter conjoined on the horizon in Cancer and in the nakshatra Punarvasu, and with
the sun in Aries, a certain greatly effulgent person with unprecedented opulences
appeared like a sacrificial fire from the pure arani wood of Ayodhya to burn to ashes
all the palasha fuel-wood of the flesh-eating demons.”

Commentary

The auspicious circumstances surrounding Lord Ramachandra’ birth tell much about His
divinity. Outlining the astrological configuration of the heavens at the moment of His advent,
the guidebook on His worship, Shri Ramarchana-chandrika, states that Lord Rama appeared
from His blessed abode Ayodhya like a sacrificial fire ignited from sacred kindling wood. As
the fire of sacrifice burns to ashes all the fuel-wood placed into it, so Lord Ramachandra
destroyed the entire race of man-eaters. The word palasha means “meat-eater” but also refers
to one of the seven kinds of wood used for fuel in Vedic yajnas.

Lord Ramachandra was born on the ninth lunar day of the bright half of the month of
Chaitra. At that time the sun, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn were each in the
constellations of their exaltation – respectively Aries, Capricorn, Cancer, Pisces, and Libra.
The sun was in the tenth degree of Aries, Mars in the third degree of Capricorn, Jupiter in the
twenty-eighth degree of Cancer, Venus in the twenty-seventh degree of Pisces, and Saturn in
the twentieth degree of Libra. Cancer ascending contained Jupiter conjunct with the moon.

Text 29

From the Eleventh Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam [11.5.34]: “O Mahapurusha, I

worship Your lotus feet. As the most faithful follower of religious principles, You
honored the words of Your respected father and went to the forest, abandoning royal
splendor so opulent that the demigods desired it. In the forest You chased after the
illusory deer desired by Your beloved consort.”

Commentary

Karabhajana Muni offered this homage to the Supreme Person who appeared as the son of
Dasharatha, and who chased after the golden deer His beloved wife wanted Him to catch.

The verse can alternatively be taken as Karabhajana’s description of the Lord rather than an
homage directed to Him, in which case the word dharmistha (“O virtuous one”) is directed to
Nimi Maharaja.

Text 30

And in the Ninth Canto: “The factual glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Lord Ramachandra, who at the demigods’ request descended in a spiritual form to
perform various transcendental pastimes, is not represented by His killing Ravana
with showers of arrows or building a bridge over the ocean, because His essential
potency cannot be surpassed or even equalled. Indeed, He did not need the monkeys’
help to gain victory over Ravana. [Bhagavatam 9.11.20]

Commentary

This verse and the next were spoken by Shukadeva Gosvami. Lord Ramacandra, the
Personality of Godhead, descended from the spiritual world at the request of Brahma and the
other demigods to remove the burden created by demons threatening the earth. His fame has
endured for millions of years, but not because He managed to perform such feats as bridging
the ocean. He accepted help from Sugriva and his monkey army only because it suited His
pleasure.

Text 31

“Lord Ramachandra’s spotless name and fame, which vanquish sinful reactions,
spread out in all directions like the ornamental cloths of the elephants who support
the earth from the eight directions. Up till today great saintly persons glorify His
characteristics in the assemblies of great emperors. All saintly kings and demigods
worship the Lord by bowing down with their helmets. Let me offer my obeisances
unto His lotus feet.” [Bhagavatam 9.11.21]

Commentary

These verses in praise of the ancient avatara Lord Ramachandra were sung by Shukadeva only
five thousand years ago, even though the Lord appeared millions of years ago.

Just as the decorative cloths on the backs of the elephants who hold up the earth spread to
the limits of the directions, the fame of Lord Rama extends to the limits of time and space.
The rulers of heaven and earth offer themselves at His lotus feet.

Text 32

Some karikas explaining these verses: The word “atta” does not mean that He has
assumed His form but means that He has revealed it. “Lilatanu” indicates that His
transcendental body engages in many enjoyable pastimes. In the word “samya” the
suffix “-ya” preserves the meaning of the original word “sama,” and the word “dhama”
in this context means “essential nature.” His essential potency is without superior or
equal, and His glories are beyond those of all others. Certainly in this world no one is
greater than or equal to Him.

Text 33

“The rulers of heaven” are King Indra and the other demigods, and “the rulers of
vasu” are the earthly kings.

Commentary

These karikas (Texts 32-33) elucidate the two verses quoted from the Ninth Canto. The word
atta, which comes at the end of the first line of the first of these Ninth Canto verses, often
means “assumed,” but this cannot be the intended meaning here. The Supreme did not
assume the form of Lord Ramachandra, because that form is eternal. Therefore, in this
context atta means “revealed.”
Text 34

According to the Vishnu-dharmottara Purana, Rama, Lakshmana, and Their brothers

are avataras of the four forms of the Supreme Lord beginning with Vasudeva.

Commentary

Lord Rama is Vasudeva, Lakshmana is Sankarshana, Bharata is Pradyumna, and Shatrughna is

Aniruddha.

Text 35

According to the Padma Purana, however, Rama is the Supreme Lord Narayana, while
Lakshmana and His other brothers [Bharata and Shatrughna] are Shesha and
Narayana’s disc and conch, respectively.

Commentary

The different accounts found in the Vishnu-dharmottara Purana and the Padma Purana are
not incompatible because they describe different avataras of Ramachandra who appeared
during two different days of Brahma.

Text 36

The scriptures say that Lord Raghavendra’s residence is in the city of Ayodhya,
located in central India. He is also said to reside in the supreme Vaikuntha-loka.

Commentary

Lord Ramachandra and His brothers reside eternally in Ayodhya, both on earth as well as in
the topmost region of the spiritual world.

Although the Bhagavatam’s statement beginning ete chamsha-kalah pumsah (1.3.28) may
seem to indicate that Ramachandra and Nrisimha are typical amsha-avataras, the above
descriptions of Them imply that They are not.

Text 37

Bilvamangala Thakura describes Shri Krishna as follows: “Certainly the lotus-naveled

Personality of Godhead has many all-auspicious incarnations, but among Them, who
other than Krishna gives love of God even to the creepers?”

Commentary

With this statement Shri Bilvamangala reveals Shri Krishna’s supreme position. The
Ramayana does describe how even the trees and plants of Ayodhya wept at the time of
Rama's departure for exile. That, however, was only on that particular occasion, and only due
to the intense pain of impending separation from Him. The descriptions of Krishna’s
pastimes reveal that the trees and creepers of Vraja display symptoms of ecstasy every single
day, even when Krishna is near them:

trailokya-saubhagam idam ca niriksya riupati

yad go-dvija-druma-mrgah pulakany abibhran

“Your beauty makes all three worlds auspicious. Indeed, even the cows, birds, trees, and deer
manifest the ecstatic symptom of bodily hair standing on end when they see Your beautiful
form.” (Bhagavatam 10.29.40)

pranata-bhara-vitapa madhu-dharah
prema-hrsta-tanavo vavrsuh sma

“As the branches of the trees and creepers bend low with the weight [of abundant fruits and
flowers], they rain down tears of sweet sap while the shoots on their trunks and vines stand
erect due to the ecstasy of love of God.’ (Bhagavatam 10.35.9)

And when Krishna left Vraja to live in Mathura, the hearts of His intimate associates in Vraja
were sustained only by the indelible image of His beauty, which is an even greater excellence.

gopyas tapah kim acharan yad amusya rupam

lavanya-sdram asamordhvam ananya-siddham
drgbhih pibanty anusavabhinavam durapam
ekanta-dhama yasasah sriya aishvarasya

“What austerities must the gopis have performed! With their eyes they always drink the
nectar of Lord Krishna’ form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or
surpassed. That form is the only abode of beauty, fame, and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever
fresh, and extremely rare.” (Bhagavatam 10.44.14)

In this verse Shrila Bilvamangala Thakura speaks of Krishna’s lotus navel because he
remembers his own personal experience with Krishna, who kindly revealed to him His
unmanifest Vrindavana pastimes.

Text 38

This darling son of Devaki is an unprecedented ocean of nectar filled with supreme
opulence and sweetness. Later we will focus on His characteristics in detail.

Commentary

Shrila Rupa Gosvami will later explain that Devaki is also a name of Yashoda, and that
therefore Devaki-nandana is a name for Krishna both as the son of Nanda and as the son of
Vasudeva. As Vasudeva-suta, Krishna performs pastimes that, for the most part, prominently
reveal His power and opulence, while as Nanda-suta He performs only humanlike pastimes
that prominently reveal His sweetness.
Vasudeva-suta’s lila is clothed in opulence while decorated with sweetness, like an opulent
mirror decorated with an attractive picture. By contrast, Nanda-suta’s lila is clothed in
sweetness while decorated with opulence, like a beautifully painted stage curtain decorated at
the bottom with a row of opulent mirrors. Both these forms of Krishna are oceans of nectar,
but the form of Krishna in Vraja is the most absolutely perfect.

Text 39

From the Puranas and other scriptures we learn that He resides in four places: Vraja,
Mathura, Dvaraka, and Goloka.

Text 40

At this point someone may ask whether Lord Nrisimha and Lord Ramachandra are on
an equal level with Krishna. To answer this question, let us review how the Vishnu
Purana addresses this issue.

Commentary

Someone may infer from Shrila Rupa Gosvamis initial description of the para-avastha forms
that the three incarnations in this topmost category are equally full manifestations of the
Supreme. Has our venerable author forgotten his thesis that Shri Krishna alone is original and
supreme? No. The description of the excellences of Lord Nrisimha and Lord Ramachandra
leads the way, step by step, to the correct understanding of Krishna. It is only natural to enter
a palace by walking up the staircase that leads to its entrance.

Texts 41-42

In Part Four of the Vishnu Purana [4.15.1-2] Maitreya asks this question: “After Vishnu
killed Hiranyakashipu, and later Ravana, the jiva who had taken birth as those
demons achieved facilities for material enjoyment even the demigods cannot attain.
Why, in those circumstances, did he not achieve the liberation of merging into the
eternal Lord Hari, as he did after he took birth as Shishupala, who was killed by the
Lord?”

Commentary

The sayujya in this verse refers not to the imaginary obliteration of individual existence and
merging into the Supreme but rather to saha-yoga, a union of intimate cooperation. Even the
shrutis sometimes use the word sayujya to mean close connection rather than complete
merging, for example in the Maha-narayana Upanishad (25.1): yo daksine pramiyate pitrnam
eva mahimanam gatva chandramasah sdyujyam sva-lokam apnoti. “One who dies during the
sun's movement toward the south achieves only the greatness of the Pitas and enters into the
moon as his destination.”
Maitreya is curious to know why Hiranyakashipu and Ravana did not achieve liberation when
they were killed by the Supreme Lord, whereas Shishupala achieved it at once.
Hiranyakashipu, Ravana, and Shishupala are three appearances of the same Vaikuntha
gatekeeper, Jaya, while Nrisimhadeva, Ramachandra, and Krishna are three appearances of
the same Personality of Godhead. Does this occurrence provide evidence of a measurable
hierarchy of essential identity and personal qualities among these three para-avastharupas of
the Supreme Person?

Text 43

Shri Parashara answered: “To kill the king of the demons, He who is the creator,
maintainer, and destroyer of all the worlds revealed His unparalleled form of
Nrisimha. At that time Hiranyakashipu did not realize that Nrisimha was Vishnu.
Thinking that this powerful being had accumulated heaps of extremely pious credits,
Hiranyakashipu focused his attention on Him under the strong impulsion of the
mode of passion. By concentrating his mind on the Lord in this way while the Lord
killed him, in his next life as ten-headed Ravana Hiranyakashipu was only given
facilities for material enjoyment that are unequaled in the three worlds.

Commentary

Lord Nrisimha is essentially the same person as Shri Krishna. They are not different in
svarupa, or identity, but rather in guna, or manifest qualities. When a vaidurya stone changes
color, it manifests a quality it already contains within itself. In a similar way, when the
Personality of Godhead wanted to free the universe from the threat of Hiranyakashipu, He
manifested His form as Nrisimha.

But if Lord Nrisimha is none other than Krishna Himself, why was Hiranyakashipu not
liberated when killed by Him? Parashara Muni will explain that when Lord Krishna kills a
demon He insinuates Himself into the heart of that particular soul by the charm of His
personality, names, and other attractive qualities. Lord Nrisimha, however, does not exert
this liberating, all-attracting influence on the fallen jivas who encounter Him.

Then what was Hiranyakashipu's awareness regarding the Lord in His form as Nrisimha? He
saw Him as a powerful living being like himself, endowed with extraordinary qualities. Why?
Because the strong influence of the mode of passion always distorts understanding.
Nevertheless, in spite of his bewildered condition, by intensely focusing his attention on this
amazing man-lion who would kill him with His own hands, Hiranyakashipu gained, in his
next life, wealth and power beyond the reach of the demigods.

Text 44

“Because of Hiranyakashipu’s bewilderment, his mind did not actually take shelter of
and unite with the Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Absolute Truth, without
beginning or end.
Commentary

Before one’s mind can fully enter the transcendental shelter, one must become convinced
that He is the Absolute Truth. Or, the mind may enter a similar state if one becomes
extremely hateful toward Him. Hiranyakashipu, king of the demons, had neither of these
prerequisites and so did not merge His mind fully in Lord Nrisimha. Thus, without accepting
the Personality of Godhead as the exclusive resort of his mind, he could not attain liberation.

Text 45

“Then in his next life as Ravana, under the sway of Cupid he became obsessed with
Janaki. Thus, although he saw the Lord in His form as the son of Dasharatha, he failed
to become spiritually attracted to Him or to realize, ‘Here is the infallible Lord?
Instead, he conceived of Him as an ordinary human, and again he obtained
diminished results from dying at Lord Achyuta’s hands. He next took birth as
Shishupala in the glorious, world-renowned family of the kings of Cedi and enjoyed
unimpeded power.

Commentary

Why was this demonic individual not given liberation when he was killed a second time by
the Lord, as Rama, who is also Krishna Himself? Because again, the specific relationship with
the Lord that results in liberation did not become manifest. Ten-headed Ravana was
enchanted by the divine goddess of fortune, but unfortunately he could see her only as an
extremely attractive woman without knowing that she was the wife of the Supreme Lord.
Ravana had the rare opportunity to see Lord Krishna in His form as Shri Dasharathi, but,
thinking the Lord's birth in a royal family a result of good karma, he again considered Him a
finite creature.

Ravana failed to recognize infallible Vishnu, the greatest of lords, personally endowed with all
eternal excellences. Therefore he could not develop sufficient attraction to qualify for
liberation. When Ravana’s wife scolded Him for insisting on opposing Lord Rama, Ravana
disclosed that he theoretically understood the Lord's glories. This superficial knowledge,
however, could not gain him liberation absent the ingredient of intense attraction. Therefore,
when Ravana died from the arrow shot by Lord Rama, he again only attained great material
opulence in his next life. From being killed personally by the Supreme Lord, Ravana took his
next birth in the most powerful royal family of the Chedis.

The reward for seeing the Personality of Godhead, even with clouded vision, while dying at
His hands is wealth and power greater than that of the demigods in heaven, as is confirmed
in the Vedanta-sutras (3.3.53): na samanyad apy upalabdher mrtyu-van na hi lokapattih.

Liberation does not come from seeing the Supreme with ordinary vision, just as it does not
come simply from dying. The result of seeing the Supreme with ordinary vision is elevation to
higher worlds. This sutra sheds light on why some unenlightened persons can see the
Supreme Lord when He incarnates and why many who see Him do not get liberation.
Paraphrasing the sutra, the Narayana-tantra states, samanya-darsanal loka muktir yogyatma-
darsanat. “By seeing the Supreme with ordinary vision one attains higher planets, but by
seeing Him in the proper way one attains liberation.’

Text 46

“As Shishupala he found cause to chant all the Supreme Lord’s names. With his mind
absorbed incessantly in the Lord after several lifetimes of hatred, he uttered all His
names to criticize, scold, and otherwise abuse Him. Whether Shishupala was walking,
eating, bathing, sitting, sleeping, or doing anything else, his deep-seated envy caused
his heart and mind to be inescapably absorbed in the image of the Lord’s form. He
saw that the Lord had eyes as perfectly beautiful as fully blossomed lotus petals, that
He wore a brilliantly effulgent yellow garment, that a spotlessly beautiful helmet
decorated His head, and that ornaments graced His four glorious, stout arms, with
which He held a conch, disc, club, and lotus.

Commentary

When He appears, Shri Krishna, the svayari-rupa, constantly manifests the specific potency of
enchantment that leads to liberation. Thus Shishupala fully absorbed His mind in Krishna,
and when Krishna killed him with His Sudarshana disc he finally obtained liberation.
Krishna’s enchantment potency becomes manifest primarily in two ways – through the charm
of His names and the beauty of His transcendental body. Shishupala chanted Krishnas names
many times, describing Him as Daityari (the killer of His enemies), as Pundarikaksha (the
lotus-eyed attractor), as Sharngi (the wielder of the bow Sarnga), as Garuda-vahana (the
master of His carrier Garuda), and as Vasudeva (the son of Vasudeva). By the potency of these
names, Sigsupala became aware that Krishna was Lord Vishnu, his ancient enemy. His mind
was fixed in the hatred he had harbored for three lifetimes, and thus Krishnas names flowed
continuously through his heart, and often from his tongue, with condemnation and scorn.
Thus he became totally absorbed in this meditation. Attracted by the charm of Krishna’s
names and bodily form, Shishupala could not remove the image of His beauty from his mind
for a moment.

Text 47

“Thus as Shishupala called out Krishna’s names in anger and fixed his attention upon
Him, from the halo of rays emanating from the disc the Lord hurled to kill him
Shishupala could finally see that the Personality of Godhead and the infallible
brilliance of His personal form were the Supreme Absolute Truth. This sight rid
Shishupala of the contamination of his enmity toward the Lord.

Text 48
“At that moment the Supreme Lord’s disc quickly dispatched him, and all his
accumulated sins were burned away by his remembering the Lord. The Lord finished
Shishupala’s material existence, and Shishupala merged into the Lord.

Commentary

All of Shishupala’s sins were burned away by his chanting of Krishna’s names and meditating
intensely on Krishna’s form, even in hatred. Shishupala obtained prema and realized Krishnas
actual position by virtue of the auspicious influence of Krishnas Sudarshana chakra rushing
toward him. In that moment Shishupala acquired all the assets of spiritual practice, and so
Krishna personally brought him close to His transcendental body. The liberation Shishupala
attained was not impersonal merging but connection with the Lord in personal service. The
word Jaya means not only “dissolution” (merging with the Lord is considered to be a kind of
dissolution) but also “closeness”, according to the Haima-kosha dictionary.

Text 49

“Now I have explained the whole situation to you. Certainly He is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Upon those who describe and remember Him, even in a
mood of hatred, He bestows a fruit rarely obtained by demigods, asuras, and other
superhuman beings. What to speak, then, of His reciprocation with those who have
true devotion for Him?” [Vishnu Purana 4.15.4-17]

Commentary

Thus, although the three para-avastha forms of the Supreme Lord are essentially equal, only
the svayam-rupa, Krishna, always manifests the specific potency required for liberation.
Demons killed by Lord Nrisimha and Lord Ramachandra do not generally obtain liberation.
Therefore Shri Krishna, more than any other form of God, is Bhagavan. He alone intrinsically
possesses all perfections (bhagas), completely fulfilling the significance of the suffix -van.
Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam: He is the ultimate reservoir of everything. He rewards even
demons with liberation, but the liberated state attained by those devotees who love Him
purely is infinitely greater, for He becomes their sold-out servant.

In this passage the sage Parashara recommends devotion to the Supreme Lord rather than
hatred for Him. Hatred is an undesirable emotion that demons express toward the Lord.

The Padma Purana (Uttara-khanda) states,

yogibhir drsyate bhaktya

nabhaktya drsyate kvacit
drastum na Sakyo rosac ca
matsarac ca jandrdanah

“Yogis are able to see Lord Janardana with devotion, but never without devotion. One cannot
see Him when anger or envy remains.”
Shishupala attained liberation only because he absorbed his mind fully in Krishna
consciousness. Devarishi Narada recommends tasmat kenapy upadyena manah krishne
nivesayet (Bhagavatam 7.1.32): “Therefore by whatever means possible one should absorb his
mind in Krishna.”

Text 50

In this passage from the Vishnu Purana, Parashara Rishi does not mention the two
associates of Vishnu who each took three births as demons.

Text 51

Therefore we cannot consider these demons, who appear every day of Brahma,
incarnations of Vishnu’s two associates, who would not realistically fall down every
kalpa.

Commentary

Someone may object, “How does this discourse between Parashara and Maitreya show that
Krishna is the original Godhead? We know from the ‘Third Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam
about the fall of Jaya and Vijaya from Vaikuntha due to the curse of the four Kumaras. We
also know about their release from the curse and their return to service in Vaikuntha when
Krishna killed them in their third incarnations. Their liberation after three births as demons
was the realization of the terms of their curse. Where is the evidence of Krishna’s unique
power to liberate?”

This objection is countered by verses fifty and fifty-one. Parashara deliberately did not
mention the two fallen associates of Vaikuntha because he understood they could not fall
from Vaikuntha every day of Brahma. That would contradict the promises that Lord Hari is
always kind to His devotees and that one who attains Vaikuntha never returns to this world.
The Lord fights with demons in each kalpa, but not necessarily with Vaikuntha associates.
The fall of Jaya and Vijaya from Vaikuntha related in the Third Canto is a special, rare event
caused by the Lord's own desire.

The Lord of Vaikuntha expresses this desire in the Third Canto (3.16.29) as follows:

bhagavan anugav aha

yatam ma bhaistam astu sam
brahma-tejah samartho pi
hantum necche matam tu me

“The Lord then said to His attendants, Jaya and Vijaya: ‘Depart this place, but fear not. All
glories unto you. Though I am able to nullify the brahmanas’ curse, I will not do so. On the
contrary, it has My approval.” Commentaries on this verse explain that Jaya and Vijaya fell by
their own desire. When they had heard bards in Lord Narayana’ court singing about their
master's prowess in fighting with demons, they wanted to see how He enjoyed this combat,
and the Lord responded to the desires of His devotees. Krishna is thus glorified with the
phrases sveccha-mayasya (Bhagavatam 10.14.2), “You appear according to the desires of Your
dear devotees,’ and bhaktecchopatta-dehaya (Bhagavatam 10.59.25), You assume Your various
forms to fulfill Your devotees’ desires.”

Someone may then object, “Don't these glorifications contradict the declaration that no one
returns from Vaikuntha?” Certainly no one ever returns from Vaikuntha impelled by karma,
but someone can return if he wants to. If it were considered improper to come down from
Vaikuntha by one’s own desire, then Lord Hari Himself would be guilty of that impropriety.

On the other hand, we also learn from the Bhagavatam (10.88.25-26) that one does not even
have to return from the region of Vaikuntha present within Satyaloka in the material world:

tato vaikuntham agamad

bhasvaram tamasah param
yatra narayanah saksan
nyasinam paramo gatih
santanam nyasta-dandanam
yato navartate gatah

“Then Lord Shiva reached the luminous realm of Vaikuntha, beyond all darkness, where the
Supreme Lord Narayana resides. That realm is the destination of renunciants who have
attained peace and given up all violence against other creatures. Going there, one never
returns.”

Text 52

What Parashara spoke in prose in answer to Maitreya, I will now summarize in verse
form.

Text 53

When Lord Hari revealed His amazing form as Nrisimha, Hiranyakashipu could not
understand He was Vishnu.

Text 54

Instead he thought, “This person is endowed with great pious credits.” His mind
agitated by an excess of the mode of passion, he fixed his attention in this conception
of the Lord.

Text 55
Then, merely by virtue of his being killed by the Lord, in his next life as Ravana he
achieved extremely rare, superexcellent facilities for material enjoyment.

Text 56

Because he was unable to ascertain Lord Vishnu’s identity and because his hatred was
not very intense, Hiranyakashipu was not absorbed in thought of Him. Without such
absorption to accompany his hatred, he certainly deserved to be sent to hell, like
Vena.

Commentary

King Vena hated the Supreme Lord and His devotees, but, unlike more fortunate demons like
Kamsa, he did not deeply meditate on the Lord, and therefore he attained hell instead of
liberation.

As Shri Narada told Yudhisthira:

gopyah kamad bhayat kamso

dveshac caidydadayo nrpah
sambandhdad vrsnayah snehad
yuyam bhaktya vayam vibho

katamo ‘pi na venah syat

panchanam purusham pratt
tasmat kenapy updyena
manah krishne nivesayet

“The gopis obtained the mercy of Krishna by their lusty desires, Kamsa by his fear, Shishupala
and other kings by envy, the Yadus by their familial relationship with Him, you Pandavas by
your great affection for Him, and we, the general devotees, by our devotional service to Him.

“Somehow or other one must consider the form of Krishna very seriously. Then, by one of the
five different processes mentioned earlier (lust, fear, enmity, affection, and devotion], one can
return home, back to Godhead. Atheists like King Vena, however, unable to think of Krishna’s
form in any of these five ways, cannot attain salvation. Therefore, one must somehow think of
Krishna, whether in a friendly way or inimically.’ (Bhagavatam 7.1.31-32)

Texts 57-58

Hiranyakashipu, however, only obtained great opulence when the Lord killed him
with His own hand. The word “eva,” “only” [in Text 43], indicates that although
Hiranyakashipu meditated repeatedly on the Lord’s transcendental qualities, since
his contamination was not eliminated he could not recognize the Lord’s pure
identity. Thus although he died in the presence of the Supreme Truth, he did not
merge into Him.
Commentary

Although Hiranyakashipu met death at the hands of Lord Nrisimha, he obtained only the
opulent position of Ravana. Text 43 indicated this with the word eva, “only, in the statement
niratisayam evakhila-trailokyadhikyadharinim dasananatve bhoga-sampadam avapa. “Thus he
was only given, in his next life as ten-headed Ravana, facilities for enjoyment that are
unequaled in the three worlds.”

Texts 59-60

As Ravana, his heart came under the sway of intense lust, and so, as before, he could
consider Shri Ramachandra only a human being. Thus after again being killed, he
again achieved extreme opulence as the King of Cedi.

Commentary

As Hiranyakashipu saw Lord Nrisimha as an extraordinary but mortal creature, Ravana saw
Lord Rama as a mortal human. In both of these demoniac births he was not sufficiently aware
of the Lord’s transcendental qualities to gain liberation.

Text 61

This time, because of his relationship with Krishna, he had opportunities and
motivation for speaking all the names of the Lord of the goddess of fortune.

Text 62

This helped him realize Krishna as the same Vishnu who had killed him twice before.
To criticize, scold, and otherwise abuse Krishna, he recited His names in all
situations with extreme hatred. Thus he remained rapt in thought of Him.

Commentary

The King of Cedi finally achieved redemption when killed by Krishna because Krishna always
manifests the special power of attraction that leads to liberation. The excellence of Krishna’s
names and beauty combined to enchant Shishupala’s mind. He found innumerable occasions
to speak Krishna‘s names, addressing Him as Pundarikaksha (the lotus-eyed supreme
attractor), Lakshmisha (the Lord of the goddess of fortune), and so on. ‘This helped
Shishupala realize beyond any doubt, “This is my enemy Vishnu.” He thus constantly chanted
Krishna’s names contemptuously in the intense, hateful mood of an avowed enemy of the
Lord.

Text 63
Whenever he saw the form of Krishna he understood, “Here is Vishnu.” As he always
remembered Krishna’s names, he also always remembered His form. All of
Shishupala’s accumulated sinfulness, born from his hatred of the Lord, was thus
burned away. When Krishna finally threw His disc at him, its effulgence caused his
demonic attitude to vanish. His vision purified, he saw Krishna’s radiant form as the
supreme reality in human form.

Text 64

At that moment, his demon’s body annihilated by the stroke of Krishna’s chakra, he
achieved union with the Absolute Truth.

Commentary

Along with uttering Krishna’s names, such as Pundarikaksha, Shishupala also directly noticed
Krishna’ faultlessly beautiful lotus-petal eyes and His other uniquely exquisite features. The
attractive power of Krishnas names and bodily beauty burned up Shishupala’s hatred and the
accumulated sinfulness that his hatred had caused. At the final moment, as his demonic body
was killed by the sharp edge of Krishnas Sudarshana disc, he could realize Krishna as the
Supreme Truth. Endowed then with pure love for Krishna, Shishupala attained the sayujya of
entering into his eternal intimate relation with Him.

Here is the evidence that Krishna is the svayam-ripa, the original Supreme Personality of
Godhead. He alone manifests to the fullest extent the power to attract fallen souls back to His
loving service.

Text 65

Reaching this point in his narration, the sage Parashara recalled how Krishna
awarded liberation to Putana and others during His early childhood pastimes, and
how He withheld liberation from persons like Kalanemi when He dispatched them
during His pastimes as the powerful Supreme Lord in other forms. Thinking thus, the
sage spoke the words beginning “ayam hi bhagavan,” “Certainly He is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.” [Text 49]

Commentary

To answer Maitreya’s inquiry, Parashara cited evidence to show that Krishna alone exhibits
the potency of attraction that results in liberation for an enemy who meets death at His
hands. This evidence included the negative examples of Hiranyakashipu and Ravana, and the
positive example of Shishupala. Parashara concludes that Krishna is the svayam-rupa, the
original Godhead. Krishna liberated many demons even in his infancy, beginning with
Bakasura’s sister Putana, but His other incarnations did not liberate the demons They killed,
as for example when Lord Ajita killed Kalanemi.
Text 66

In this phrase “hi” means “certainly.” Krishna is certainly the original Personality of
Godhead because He powerfully attracts the minds not only of those who love Him
but even of those who hate Him. Therefore it is not surprising that Parashara spoke
the phrase beginning “kirtitah” as evidence to show Krishna’s supremacy.

Commentary

Sage Parashara concludes that Krishna is svayam bhagavan, the source of all other forms of
God, because not only those who love Him but even those who hate Him are helplessly
attracted by His charm.

Text 67

The intrinsic meaning of these statements can be understood clearly when there is
affection. Thus the words “what to speak, then,” indicate that Krishna merits our
adoration.

Commentary

Parashara’s final words [in text 49] were kim uta samyag-bhakti-matam, “What to speak,
then, of His reciprocation with those who have true devotion for Him?” If Krishna bestows
liberation on enemies whose minds are fixed on Him, how can there be any doubt that He
will liberate those who are attached to Him in pure devotion? More than that, He places
under His devotees’ control whatever they want, even Himself.

Text 68

Now hear how Shishupala could use “all of the Supreme Lord’s names” [Text 46] to
refer to Krishna.

Text 69

The names of the Lord of Lakshmi apply also to the hero of the Yadus, sometimes for
the same reasons and sometimes for different reasons.

Commentary

Devotees of the Lord of Vaikuntha call Him by many names that describe His supremacy, and
devotees of Krishna use these same names when referring to their Lord. Some of these names
of Narayana have the same meanings when applied to Krishna, and some have different
meanings.
Text 70

Names like Daityari [“demon killer”], Pundarikaksha [“lotus-eyed one”], Sharngi

[“wielder of Sarnga”), Garuda-vahana [“He whose carrier is Garuda”], Pitambara [“He
whose garment is yellow’], Chakra-pani (“He whose hand holds a disc”], Shrivatsanka
(“He who is marked with Shrivatsa”] and Chatur-bhuja [“four-armed one”] apply to
Krishna for the same reasons they apply to Narayana.

Text 71

On the other hand, Krishna is called Vasudeva because He is the son of Vasudeva, and
He is called Madhava because He is born in the dynasty of Madhu.

Commentary

This verse begins an explanation of some of the different meanings Narayana’s names have
when they refer to Krishna.

Text 72

Shri Hari-vamsha [2.7.36] says: “Because Krishna was bound with ropes, the gopis call
Him Damodara when they sing about Him in their cowherd village.”

Commentary

The gopis call Krishna Damodara because Mother Yashoda punished Him by binding His
belly with ropes. Lord Narayana is also known as Damodara, but for a different reason – He
does not enjoy the same pastime.

Text 73

Shri Hari-vamsha [1.58.30-32] also says: “While lying down and moving about beneath
a cart, He killed a fearsome cannibalistic witch who was in disguise. That huge,
frightening, powerful Putana had wickedly offered her poison-smeared breast to Lord
Janardana.

Text 74

“Seeing the slain Rakshasi there, the forest folk said, ‘This boy has been born again.
Because of this incident He is called Adhokshaja.”
Text 75

Because He was, so to speak, reborn under the axle of a cart, the cowherds called Him
Adhokshaja. This explanation comes from “the commentator.”

Commentary

Putana disguised herself as a beautiful gopi so she could approach Krishna and offer to nurse
Him. When she arrived, Yashoda and the other simple cowherd women did not stop her. At
that time baby Krishna was lying in a crib under the axle (aksha) of a cart. Because He
seemed reborn (punar-jata) after the attack of this poison-bearing witch, the village women
gave Him the name Adhokshaja. Adhokshaja, of course, is one of Krishna’s eternal names,
and, for other reasons, one of Lord Narayanas names as well.

Shrila Shridhara Svami wrote a commentary on Shrimad-Bhagavatam before the time of

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Chaitanya accepted his authority as impeccable, and His
followers often respectfully referred to him simply as “the commentator” (tika-kara).

Text 76

Also from Shri Hari-vamsha [2.16.54]: “I am Indra of the demigods, and now You have
become the Indra of the cows. Therefore throughout the world You will always be
glorified by the name Govinda.”

Commentary

Indra rules the demigods who control the forces of nature in this universe, but the name
Indra, “the chief, better suits Krishna, who rules the kama-dhenus, the mystical cows of
Goloka, who supply Krishnas devotees whatever they desire.

Text 77

And also: “Since these cows have ordained You as the Supreme Lord, as the Indra
above even me, O Krishna, the demigods in heaven will glorify You by the name
Upendra.” [Hari-vamhsha 2.16.46]

Commentary

Lord Narayana is commonly known as Upendra because in His Vamana incarnation He is

Indras younger brother. Krishna is also known as Upendra because He proved Himself to be
superior (upa) to Indra when He lifted Giriraja Govardhana to thwart Indra’s attempt to flood
Vraja-dhama.

Text 78
Shri Vishnu Purana [5.16.23] says: “O Janardana, because You have killed the evil-
hearted Keshi, everyone will know You by the name Keshava.”

Commentary

Narada Muni spoke this verse.

Text 79

Names such as these apply to Krishna for various reasons, and they also apply to the
Lord of Rama, but for other reasons.

Commentary

Lord Narayana of Vaikuntha is called Vasudeva because He resides in the hearts of all living
beings, He is called Madhava because He is the husband of the goddess of fortune, and He is
called Damodara because His waist is adorned with a handsome belt. He takes the name
Adhokshaja because He makes material pleasure seem very insignificant, and He's known as
Keshava because He keeps Ka (Brahma) and Isha (Shiva) under His control (vayate). He is
Govinda because the demigods are able to know (vid) Him with their senses (go), and He is
Upendra because He is Indras younger brother.

Text 80

Moreover, [in the Bhagavad-gita] Krishna uses the word eva (“certainly”) twice to
emphasize that the envious demons fail to attain Him and have no other means for
liberation.

Text 81

Thus in Shri Bhagavad-gita [16.19-20]: “Those who are envious and mischievous, who
are the lowest among men, I perpetually cast into the ocean of material existence,
into various demoniac species of life. This is certain.

Text 82

“Attaining repeated birth among the species of demoniac life, O son of Kunti, such
persons can certainly never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most
abominable type of existence.”

Text 83
“As long as those who are envious of Me do not attain My form of Krishna, they must
certainly accept only the lowest births.”

Commentary

We have seen the evidence from Shri Vishnu Purana that Krishna is the original form of God
because He alone gives spiritual perfection to the demons He kills. Krishna Himself
corroborates this in the Bhagavad-gita. Envious demons cannot be saved from birth and
death without His help; not even His avataras such as Shri Nrisimha will deliver them. In text
82 Krishna’s words mam aprapya (“without achieving Me”) can be understood to mean
“without achieving death at My hands.”

Text 84

Therefore, of these three para-avastha forms, Krishna is certainly the greatest. Why
should this be astonishing? Indeed, His essential nature is not seen in anyone else.

Commentary

Of the three para-avastha avataras of God – Nrisimha, Ramachandra, and Krishna – Krishna
exhibits the energies of the Supreme most completely. Only He has the compassion and
attractive power to give spiritual perfection to His enemies. Lord Nrisimha and Lord
Ramachandra are, like Krishna, Personalities of Godhead, but They do not exhibit His unique
Shakti.

Shrila Rupa Gosvami was not the first to point out that among all the forms of God only
Krishna awards liberation to demons. Rupa’s older brother Sanatana Gosvami presented the
same conclusion in Shri Brihad-bhagavatamrita (1.5.15-21). That Krishna is the supreme form
of Godhead is also confirmed elsewhere in Brihad-bhagavatamrita (2.4.185-87) and in
Chaitanya-charitamrita (Adi 2.8 and 104-115).

Text 85

Thus when prescribing the chanting of Krishna’s fourteen-syllable mantra, the

Svayambhuva Agama recommends worshiping other forms of the Lord, including
Rama and Nrisimha, as members of His entourage.

Commentary

The word manu refers to the fourteen progenitors of the human race, and by extension, also
denotes the number fourteen. Manu also means mantra. Thus manv-akshara-manu means
“fourteen-syllable mantra.’

Because Krishna is the original Godhead, one can meditate on the other forms of God as His
expansions. Many scriptures give evidence of this, including the Pancharatra agamas. In the
Svayambhuva Agama the meditation for worshiping Krishna with His fourteen-syllable
mantra is specified:

catvaro vasudevadyah
pujyante saha-saktikah
purvadi-diksu kramaso
vidiksu parameshvarah
sri-rama-sirha-vadana-
kurmopendra mahadbhutah

“In the four primary directions one should worship the four Lords along with Their energies.
The worship should start from the east, with Vasudeva. In the secondary directions one
should worship the extremely amazing supreme controllers Shri Rama, Nrisimha, Kurma, and
Upendra.”

Text 86(a)

But someone may counter with what they have heard from scripture, such as the
words of the Maha-varaha Purana.

Text 86(b)

The Maha-varaha Purana says: “All the bodily forms of the Supreme Soul are eternal
and unchanging. They never increase or decrease or take birth from material nature.
All of Them are full of supreme bliss, fully aware of everything, complete in all
transcendental qualities, and devoid of any faults.”

Commentary

The Gopala-tapani Upanishad (Purva 19) tells us that the Supreme Lord Krishna chooses to
expand Himself into many forms: eko ‘pi san bahudha yo vibhati. “Although one, He appears
as many.” The Vedas also establish that in all conditions the Supreme Lord is always complete
and perfect. He never becomes incomplete, nor does He splinter into fragments like a stone.

The Maha-varaha Purana is here cited as evidence that in all His expanded forms the
Supreme is complete. All the incarnations of God are eternal, but They periodically appear
and disappear in the material realm. They are called “His bodies” even though in essence
They are nondifferent from Him. It is an accepted practice in the philosophical use of
Sanskrit to employ the possessive case even when there is no real distinction between
possessor and possessed. For example, one may say caitanyam atmanah svarupam, “Pure
consciousness is identical to the self”

Thus because all the expanded forms of God are identical with the original, none of them ever
undergo increase or loss.
Text 86(c)

Moreover, Shri Narada Pancharatra says: “As a jewel appears blue, yellow, or some
other color when viewed from different sides, so Lord Achyuta takes on different
forms according to how one meditates on Him.”

Text 86(d)

Therefore someone may ask, “Why do you say the forms of the Lord have gradations?”

Commentary

The vaidurya jewel can display many different colors, but these visible changes do not
diminish the gems substance. Similarly, the source of all existence can display countless
expanded forms without any decrease. “All of God's expanded forms are complete,’ says our
objector, “and therefore how can there be a hierarchy among Nrisimha, Rama, Krishna, and
other forms of the Supreme?”

Text 87

Our response to this question is that although all these forms are complete because
of their being the Supreme Lord, they do not completely exhibit His potencies.

Commentary

The expanded forms of God, both vilasa and svamsha, are all as complete as the svayam-rupa.
These expansions, however, do not exhibit all His potencies completely. The scriptural
statements describing all these forms of God as eternal and perfect are augmented by other
statements attesting to the difference between amshi and amshas. For example, ete chamsha-
kalah pumsah: “These incarnations are plenary and partial expansions, amshas and kalas, of
the Purusha.” (Bhagavatam 1.3.28)

The objectors argument establishes that each form of Godhead possesses all the perfections
of His essential identity. The counter-argument establishes that some of His forms reveal
more of these perfections than others. These arguments do not contradict one another, but
overemphasis on the first obscures the truth of the second.

Text 88

An expanded form of the Lord is called an amsha when it always exhibits only a small
part of His potencies; by contrast, a form is called purna, “complete,” when by His
sweet will it exhibits the full range of His potencies.

Commentary
Someone might again object, “If the Supreme's vilasa and svamsha expansions possess all the
qualities of the svayam-rupa, then at some time or other all of these qualities will be manifest.
‘This will cancel out the difference between amshi and amshas” To counter this argument,
this verse clarifies the definition of the term amsha. The implication is that the amshas of the
svayam-rupa Krishna are His tad-ekatma-rupa expansions, both vilasa and svarsa. When Shri
Krishna assumes the identities and moods of Narayana and other expansions, He exhibits not
all of His qualities but only appropriate ones, which the scriptures have described. This fact
upholds the conclusion of differentiation between amshi and amshas. Shri Nrisimha and the
Lord’s other expansions do not display Krishna’s qualities of enchanting His enemies and
granting liberation to those He kills.

To propose that all the Supreme’s self-same expansions exhibit every one of His powers, one
must disregard scriptural authority. If Lord Narayana exhibited all of Krishna’s qualities,
Shrimad-Bhagavatam would not describe how Narayana’s consorts long for the dust of
Krishna’s feet. If Raghupati Rama manifested the same qualities as Krishna, the Padma
Purana would not inform us about the sages who, despite seeing Lord Ramachandra in
person, prayed for Krishnas association. If the three Purushas showed the same qualities as
Krishna, the Brahma-samhita would not depict Them as Krishna’s amshas.

Various scriptures describe how Lord Sankarshana honors Lord Vasudeva as the source of His
existence and the object of His reverence. We also learn from the scriptures that Lord
Ramachandra’s brothers considered Him their master and served Him with humble devotion.
These descriptions would be senseless if there were no hierarchy among the expansions of the
Lord.

The amshas are always subordinate to the amshi. Thus Lord Balarama, even though Krishna’s
elder brother, thinks Himself Krishna’s servant and speaks accordingly:

kim etad adbhutam iva

vasudeve ‘khilatmani
vrajasya satmanas tokesv
apurvam prema vardhate

keyam va kuta ayata

daivi va nary utdsuri
prayo mayastu me bhartur
nanya me pi vimohini

“What is this wonderful phenomenon? The affection of all the inhabitants of Vraja, including
Me, toward these boys and calves is increasing as never before, just like our affection for Lord
Krishna, the Supersoul of all living entities. Who is this mystic power and where has she
come from? Is she a demigod or a demoness? Who can bewilder Me other than the illusory
energy of My master, Lord Krishna?” (Bhagavatam 10.13.36-37)

Complete exhibition of all perfections is the essential characteristic of the amshi, who, by His
sweet will, unfolds the unlimited aspects of His personality. Krishna also partially expands
His personality into the amshas, but none of Them expands into Him. He is not an
emanation of anyone else.

Text 89

The Lord’s potency consists of His qualities, led by sovereignty, sweetness, mercy, and
strength.

Commentary

Aishvarya means lordship over all others. Madhurya means attractiveness in all conditions.
Kripa means causeless desire to relieve others’ distress. And tejas means the strength to
prevail over time, illusion, and all other natural forces. The word mukhah (“led by”) implies
that the Personality of Godhead has many other transcendental qualities, including
omniscience and concern for and submission to His devotees.

Text 90

The manifestation or non-manifestation of this potency is the basis of gradation.

Commentary

This verse describes the essence of the difference between amshi and amshas.

Text 91

A lamp’s small flame and a large fire are equally able to result in an entire city
burning down. Still, we gain satisfaction only from a sizable fire that can dispel our
cold and other discomfort.

Text 92

In a similar way, according to how extensively the Lord reveals His qualities and
powers, devotees and others are freed from material entanglement and become
happy.

Commentary

One can attain the highest happiness only from the complete manifestation of ‘Truth, not
from partial manifestations, although They may be His plenary expansions. We can
understand this by comparing the power of a small lamp’s flame with that of a large fire. Both
the flame and the large fire can set a city ablaze, but only the large fire can provide enough
heat to warm a person suffering from cold. Similarly, although amshas such as Nrisimha are
equally as powerful as the amshi Krishna when it comes to annihilating Their demonic
antagonists and eradicating Their devotees’ ignorance, only Krishna, the “large fire,’ always
manifests the unique powers of liberating those He kills and filling His devotees with bliss.
Lord Nrisimha and other amshas give the materialistic demons They kill great opportunities
for material enjoyment, but They do not deliver them from material existence. As fully as the
Supreme Lord reveals His personal potencies in any incarnation, to that extent His devotees
and the mystic yogis derive pleasure from hearing about His exploits.

Text 93

Moreover, it is not unreasonable that the Supreme can be both the one source of
expansions and the many expansions as well. His inconceivable energies make this
possible.

Commentary

Someone may suggest, “The reason you claim that Krishna is the original Godhead is because
you are especially attracted to Him. Why do you say that Nrisimha and other avataras are
only amshas? Is it not just because you are less attracted to Them?” It would be fair to
propose this only if Shrila Rupa Gosvami was contending that Krishnas essential identity is
different from those of His vilasa and svamsha incarnations. In truth, however, as explained
in this verse, the one Personality of Godhead can appear in various forms by His achintya-
shakti.

Text 94

Thus despite His oneness, He appears as many. As stated in the Tenth Canto [10.69.2]:
“It is quite amazing that with a single body Lord Krishna simultaneously married
sixteen thousand women, each in a separate palace.”

Text 95

And although He appears as many, He still remains one. As the Padma Purana states:
“Even as Lord Hari, the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, becomes
many, that faultless, original creator still remains one.”

Text 96

The Tenth Canto describes the one Lord as both expansion and source of expansions
and as the possessor of contradictory potencies [10.40.7]: “Absorbing their minds in
thought of You, they worship You as the one Supreme Lord manifesting in multiple
forms.”

Commentary
The one original Supreme, or amshi, expands Himself into innumerable amshas.

Text 97

And in the Kurma Purana it is said “The Supreme Lord is neither large nor small, yet
He is both large and small. He is said to be always colorless, yet He is dark blue with a
tinge of red at the corners of His eyes. Exercising His various potencies, He becomes
known in contradictory ways.

Text 98

“Nonetheless, no one should ever ascribe any faults to the transcendental Lord. All
kinds of contradictory qualities like these are completely reconciled in Him.”

Commentary

After hearing that the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Absolute Truth, full of
knowledge and bliss, one might presume that He is without qualities such as largeness and
minuteness. But the revealed scriptures describe Him as both large and small and claim that
He possesses these qualities as aspects of His eternal self. The Vedas glorify Him as the
gigantic Purusha with thousands of heads, as Trivikrama, who spanned the universe with
three steps, and also as the minute witness in the hearts of the atomic living beings.

One might propose that as pure spirit He should not have any color, but the scriptures say
meghabham vaidyutambaram: “He has the complexion of a rain cloud and wears a yellow
garment. (Gopala-tapani Upanishad 1.10) And also sa mam rishabho lohitaksah: “That most
eminent person has reddish eyes.” The resolution is that Krishnas colors are purely spiritual.

Since we find so many contradictory qualities in the Supreme Lord, one might ask whether
He is also non-eternal as well as eternal, and imperfect as well as perfect. No. According to
the Kurma Purana, undesirable qualities such as birth, change, decay, and death are never
present in Him.

Text 99

Prose statements in the Sixth Canto [6.9.34-37] describe His possessing inconceivable,
mutually contradictory qualities: “O Lord, You need no support, and although You
have no material body, You do not need cooperation from us. Since You are the cause
of the cosmic manifestation and You supply its material ingredients without being
transformed, You create, maintain, and annihilate this cosmic manifestation by
Yourself. Nevertheless, although You appear to be engaged in material activity, You
are transcendental to all material qualities. Consequently these transcendental
activities of Yours are extremely difficult to understand.
Commentary

Terrified of Vritrasura, the demigods offered these prayers to Lord Vishnu for protection.
They told Him they could not understand His playful connection (vihara-yoga) with the
material creation. He seemed impossible to comprehend. ‘Those who have been blessed with
insight into His mysterious potencies can understand Him, but those who acquire knowledge
only through direct perception and logic cannot.

Because the modes of nature cannot touch the Personality of Godhead, He has no material
body or support, He takes no help from anyone, and He performs no activity that generates
reactions. Simply on His own He creates this world with all its varieties by mixing the modes
of nature (sattva, rajas, and tamas).

Usually only a person with material qualities can create something material. A potter, for
example, has a body made by the three modes and needs the support of the earth as a place
to stand. To manufacture the products of his trade he must take help not only from his stock
of clay but from his potters wheel, modeling stick, and other tools. By contrast, the Supreme
Lord enacts His pastime of creating the universe in a different and mysterious way. He
manifests the three modes, the material elements, and the living beings and thus evolves
from Himself the entire cosmos. Yet even while effecting this drastic transformation of His
energies, He maintains His absolute, unchangeable position. Simply by His limitless free will
His transcendental potencies undergo the changes necessary for creation.

Text 100

“These are our inquiries. The ordinary conditioned soul is subject to the material
laws, and he thus receives the fruits of his actions. Does Your Lordship, like an
ordinary human being, exist within this material world in a body produced by the
material modes? Do You enjoy or suffer the good or bad results of actions under the
influence of time, past work, and so forth? Or, on the contrary, are You present here
only as a neutral witness who is self-sufficient, free from all material desires, and
always full of spiritual potency? We certainly cannot understand Your actual position.

Commentary

The demigods mentioned that Lord Vishnu maintains the cosmic manifestation. His
maintenance is also inconceivable, as they are now describing.

An ordinary person (the “Devadatta” of numerous examples in textbooks of Vedic logic)

builds a house and cultivates a field for himself. He resides in a district populated by friends,
enemies, and indifferent parties, where he enjoys and suffers the fruits of his lawful and
illegal activities. Is Lord Vishnu just another such person? Has He fallen under the influence
of the material modes when He participates in the wars between the demigods and demons?
Has He lost His independence when He appears to be partial and shows compassion for the
demigods? Does He also enjoy and suffer the results of auspicious and inauspicious acts?
Does He accrue reactions for His work? Or does He remain always impartial and
undiminished in His potency, a neutral and self-satisfied witness taking no part in the
happiness and misery of this world? The demigods cannot determine the truth of the matter.

Text 101

“O Supreme Personality of Godhead, all contradictions can be reconciled in You. O

Lord, since You are the Supreme Person, the reservoir of immeasurable spiritual
qualities, and the supreme controller, Your unlimited glories are inconceivable to the
conditioned souls. Many argue about right and wrong without knowing the truth.
Their arguments are false and their judgments inconclusive. They have no authorized
means by which to gain knowledge of You. Because their minds are agitated by
scriptures containing ambiguous conclusions, they are unable to understand the
truth concerning You. Furthermore, because of polluted ambition to present the
right conclusion, their theories are incapable of revealing You, who are
transcendental to their material conceptions.

“You are one without a second, and therefore apparent contradictions in You, such as
doing and not doing and being one and being many, are not contradictory. Your
potency is so great that You can do and undo anything, as You like. With the help of
that potency, what is impossible for You? Since there is no duality in Your
constitutional position, You can do everything by the influence of Your energy.

“A rope may frighten a bewildered person who considers it a snake, but it will not
frighten a person who correctly perceives it as only a rope. Similarly, You, as the
Supersoul in everyone's heart, inspire fear or fearlessness according to one’s
intelligence, but in You there is no duality.”

Commentary

If the Personality of Godhead is a silent witness and protector of everyone, then why in many
instances does He take sides to curb the influence of demonic persons? From the mundane
viewpoint this behavior seems contradictory, but we can reconcile everything by taking into
account His achintya-shakti. Through this divine shakti He can create (producing everything
from His own substance), subdue evildoers, and protect the pious, all while remaining
impartial and satisfied within Himself. The limitations of ordinary persons should not be
applied to the Supreme Lord, whose infinite glories are beyond comprehension.

To reconcile the apparent contradictions, the demigods use several adjectives to describe the
Lord: bhagavati – He eternally possesses the six praiseworthy assets, beginning with
sovereign authority; apariganita-gunagane — He has innumerable good qualities, such as
always fulfilling His intentions and always looking after the welfare of His devotees; ishvare –
He rules over all living beings; anavagahya-mahatmye – His glories perplex those who lack
devotion.

Because whatever He wills automatically comes to pass, He does not have to exert Himself
even in the formidable project of creating universes. Out of concern for His devotees, He
understandably puts down those who are inimical to them. As the supreme ruler, He wields
the rod of punishment over unruly elements. The word bhagavati indicates that He is the
eternal master of Lakshmi, the source of all opulence, and thus He always remains detached,
free of all material aspirations. He creates and maintains this world for the benefit of others,
not for Himself.

Lord Vishnu might ask the demigods, “But why do learned scholars avoid acknowledging
these facts about Me?”

In reply, the demigods describe such scholars as arvacina, unqualified to approach essential
truth. They use guesswork and hypothetical logic, citing scriptures of questionable authority
to support their opinions. Because such scholars are always in the embrace of illusion, their
minds remain asleep on the bed of ignorance. Proudly arguing among one another, they can
never understand the Supreme Person. These philosophers use speculative methods such as
vikalpa, weighing alternatives (“Is it this way or that?”); vitarka, indecision (“What is actually
going on here?”); and vichara, presumption (“It must be like this”). All these are considered
dubious methods of reasoning, pramanabhasa.

Lord Vishnu might then object, “But I have a deluding power, maya, that enchants people.
This maya conjures these contradictory appearances, but they have no reality.”

The demigods reply with the statement: uparata-samasta-mdayda-maye, “You are above
indulging in any kind of illusion.”

The Supreme Lord's energies are real, not illusory, and everything they produce is real. The
shruti authority (Ishopanishad 8) confirms this: yathathyato rthan vyadadhat. “The products
of His creation are factual.” No delusion of cosmic hallucination plays within Him; rather, He
displays the real creative force of His atma-maya. The Shabda-mahodadhi dictionary
identifies this atma-maya with His own personal desire (atma-maya tad-iccha syat). There is
nothing that this a4tma-mayda cannot do on His behalf.

Lord Vishnu may object, “But my dear demigods, are you suggesting that I have two different
identities, one derived from the mode of goodness (santodita), and the other eternal and
unchanging (nityodita)?” The demigods answer, “No, You have only one identity, but You are
understood differently by different observers. To those who can see Your personal qualities
You are known as the Personality of Godhead, and to those who cannot see them You are
known as one without a second.” As Badarayana Vyasa, the author of the Vedanta-sutras,
states: gati-samanyat. “The various conceptions derive equally from Him.” (VS 1.1.10) Shrila
Baladeva Vidyabhushana, recognized as the foremost Gaudiya Vaishnava commentator on
Vedanta, takes this sutra as evidence that the Supreme Truth is one, not many, because it
confirms that all the different ideas about Him presented in the Upanishads are equivalent to
one another. Even Narada, as he was approaching from a distance, was perceived by Krishna
in different ways:

cayas tvisam ity avadharitam pura

tatah Saririti vibhavitakritim
 vibhur vibhaktavayavam puman iti
kramad amum narada ity avabodhi sah

“The all-powerful one first saw a brilliant mass of light. He then discerned that some
embodied person approached. Gradually He began to distinguish the person's bodily features,
and finally He saw that Narada had arrived.” (Shishupala-vadha 13) As the sage of the
demigods was seen differently from various distances, so the one Absolute is seen differently
from the viewpoints of jnana and bhakti. Through jnana He is seen as the formless One, and
through bhakti as the Supreme Person, but there is no duality in the transcendental reality.

Lord Vishnu may challenge, “But if the various conceptions derive equally from Me, why do
people put forward so many conflicting theories about what I am?”

The devas respond, “All these theories actually come from You. Just as in the dark a rope
might cause people think of a snake, a stick, a stream of water, or a necklace, so You cause
faithless persons to imagine You in various ways. The Supreme Lord inspires those who
cannot see Him to devise various hypotheses about Him, some more and some less accurate.
In His own words,

bhavanti bhava bhitanam

matta eva prthag-vidhah

“All the different conceptions of the living beings come from Me alone.” (Bhagavad-gita 10.5)

Text 102

“You have no bodily activity, You need no support from earth and the other material
elements, and You do not take help from anyone. It is very difficult to understand
how You act without undergoing transformation.

Commentary

In a series of karika verses (texts 102 through 120) Shrila Rupa Gosvami now explains the Sixth
Canto passage quoted in Texts 99 through 101.

In Text 99 the demigods called Lord Narayana asharana, “without shelter,’ and Text 102
defines this word as meaning “not needing support from the earth and other material
elements.’ (The word sharana means “shelter” not only in the sense of “residence” but also
“support”.)

Anaveksitasmat-samavayah (“not looking to us for assistance’) is defined as “not taking help

from anyone else”.

Vihara-yogah (“engagement in pastimes’) refers to the Supreme Lord's activities.

Text 103
“Some say that, impelled by the modes of material nature, You participate in
activities like battles between demigods and demons. But that would make You a
fallen, conditioned soul attached to matter and controlled by higher powers. When
You submit to the control of the demigods, Your surrendered devotees, You do so out
of compassion.

Commentary

This verse explains that the phrase guna-visarga-patitah from text 100 means “fallen into a
material body impelled by the modes of material nature. Although it might seem that the
modes of nature impel the Supreme Lord to take part in the quarrels between the demigods
and their enemies, the demigods reject this idea.

Text 104

“Thus You perform auspicious and inauspicious acts, or, more precisely, You perform
these acts through Your devotees. Do You then take upon Yourself the fruits of
happiness, distress, and so on?

Commentary

This verse indicates that the words sva-krita in text 100 mean “done by those who belong to
You,’ namely the demigods. The demigods earn good and bad reactions by performing
material activities, and they wonder if perhaps the Supreme Lord, because of His partiality
toward them, implicates Himself in these reactions. In other words, they wonder if out of
compassion He accepts the karma of His devotees as His own.

Text 105

“Or do You remain altogether indifferent, satisfied within Yourself? We cannot

understand which is true, but in any case both these natures can exist in You without
contradiction.”

Commentary

Surmising that the Personality of Godhead cannot be affected by material reactions, the
demigods present the likely alternative with the words beginning atmaramah in text 100.
Then, understanding the key to resolving their doubt, the demigods suggest (in the
beginning of text 101) that contradictions like being both involved and uninvolved can coexist
in the Supreme Person.

Text 106
The demigods give evidence for this in text 101, in the pair of phrases that starts with
the word bhagavati, and in the series of five subsequent phrases that starts with the
word ishvara.

Commentary

The demigods describe Lord Narayana in seven ways to explain how He can encompass
seemingly contradictory natures: bhagavati – He is the omnipotent Godhead; apariganita-
guna-gane – He has innumerable transcendental qualities; isvare – He is the supreme
controller; anavagahya-mahatmye — He is greater than anyones intelligence can
comprehend; arvacina-...vadinam vivadanavasare – mundane thinkers cannot understand
Him by their speculative arguments; uparata-samasta-maya-maye — nothing about Him and
His creation is illusory; and kevala – He is the only reality.

Text 107

Calling Him Bhagavan establishes His omniscience, while describing Him with the
next five phrases establishes that He possesses all transcendental qualities. That He
is Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is understood from His being kevala, one without a
second.

Commentary

The first of the seven descriptions of Lord Narayana listed by the demigods the description of
Him as Bhagavan – establishes that He knows everything. The next five descriptive phrases,
depicting His possession of innumerable excellences, establish that He feels compassion for
His devotees, that He relieves them of all distress, that He destroys those who are wicked,
and so on. The seventh description – as one without a second — establishes Him as the
Supreme Truth, conceived of as impersonal by those unaware of His personal qualities of
omniscience and so on.

Text 108

Although as the Absolute Truth He always remains impartial, still, because of the first
two characteristics, He favors His devotees.

Commentary

The changeless, undivided, always impartial Supreme remains aloof from the personal
interests of the demigods and His other devotees; nonetheless, He favors His devotees
because He is bhagavan and apariganita-guna-gana. These two characteristics are as essential
as His being kevala.

Text 109
But how can someone with one essential identity simultaneously have two different
natures? This question is answered by the phrase beginning with the word arvachina.
He is inaccessible to the arguments of recent thinkers, and so to them He remains
unknown.

Commentary

If the Supreme Person is the possessor of essential qualities, then how can He be kevala? Is
He different from Brahman, the Absolute Truth? Are Brahman and Bhagavan two separate
entities? No. This reasoning shows limited intelligence, which cannot comprehend the
sublime nonduality of the Supreme. Mediocre thinkers try to discover the Supreme by
speculative logic. Since they are limited by the bounds of material time and space, however,
their best endeavors are all in vain. The Supreme chooses not to reveal Himself to them.

Text 110

Therefore, when He employs His inconceivable intermediate energy, what objectives,

even if contradictory, can He not achieve? His energy is considered inconceivable
because she is furnished with various contradictory functions.

Commentary

Because of His achintya-shakti, the Supreme Person can be simultaneously the doer of
everything and aloof from all activity. The inconceivability of the Lord’s potencies is deduced
(mata) from their producing contradictory effects.

Text 111

The author of the Vedanta-sutras has said, “This [inconceivability of the Supreme] is
understood on the authority of scripture, which is based on transcendental sound.”
(2.1.27) And the Skanda Purana states, “Things that are inconceivable cannot be
known by speculative reasoning.” We can even see examples of inconceivability in
gems and other objects.

Commentary

That the energies of the Supreme are inconceivable can be known by deduction (as indicated
in the previous verse), and also by the evidence of authoritative scripture, shabda-pramana.

A sutra of Vedanta (2.1.27) answers the following question: “In this world performers of
activities, like potters and carpenters, are subject to such imperfections as bodily
transformation and distress. If the Supreme is also such a performer, isn’t He subject to the
same imperfections?” This stra rejects this idea with the word srutes, “because of what the
revealed scripture tells us.” The implication is that even while engaged in all kinds of
activities the Supreme Soul remains unchanged and untouched by imperfection.
The Shvetashvatara Upanishad makes the following two statements, one closely following the
other (6.16 and 19): sa vishva-krid vishva-vid atma-yonih. “He is the producer of the universe
and the knower of the universe, but He is His own source.” And niskalam niskriyam santam
niravadyam niranjanam. “He has no parts and no activity. He is at peace, irreproachable, and
faultless”

It may be asked why scriptures contradict themselves like this. The reply is that these are not
actually contradictions but rather inconceivable truths. Shabda-milatvat: inconceivable truths
can be understood only through the authority of transcendental sound. This declaration is
further confirmed by smriti scriptures and by the occurrence of inconceivable potencies in
gems, mantras, and medicinal herbs. Since even familiar objects of this world have achintya-
shakti, how can we deny the Supreme His inconceivable powers?

Text 112

Without such energy, He cannot actually be the supreme controller. Because of this
inconceivable energy, His greatness is said to exceed the scope of thought.

Text 113

Someone may object, “But if illusion created by ignorance or magic tricks is seen
somewhere, that cannot be evidence of the supreme controller.”

Text 114

This objection is answered clearly [in text 101 by the phrase] beginning with the word
uparata, [a phrase stating that all traces of illusion withdraw from Him]. If the
objection were valid, then the six descriptions of Him beginning with the word
bhagavati would be pointless.

Commentary

A confused person may perceive a length of rope as a snake or something else. And in a magic
show the magician makes his audience see things that dont exist. But neither the rope nor
the magician is similar to God. Nor does God have any use for illusions like those associated
with the rope or the magician. Thus it is unreasonable to ascribe ignorance or deception to
the Personality of Godhead.

According to the demigods in their prayer to Lord Narayana (text 101), na hi virodha ubhayam
bhagavati, the dual natures of participation and neutrality are not contradictory in Him, the
Supreme Lord; He is uparatasamasta-maya-maye, never associated with illusions. If He were
to produce illusions like those of a misperceived rope or a magician, the perfections the
demigods ascribed to Him would be invalidated. The demigods would certainly not ascribe
these qualities to Him if one could so easily invalidate them.
Text 115

Thus, neither of the Lord’s apparently contradictory natures are refuted by scripture
or logic. “All the same,” say the demigods, “like the rope, You appear differently to
different observers. According to their high or low intelligence, those who do not
properly understand You in truth form differing opinions about You.”

Commentary

Far from denying that the Supreme Lord can both act and not act, scripture and reason join
in asserting that His achintya-shakti makes this possible. He maintains the creation and yet
remains detached from it. ‘Those who cannot understand this most profound philosophy
resort to alternative theories.

Text 116

Someone may object, “But, dear sir, the Absolute Truth must be pure knowledge, one
without a second, yet you say He is the Personality of Godhead, possessing many
qualities. In this we see a duality of identities.”

Therefore the demigods use the word svarupa to indicate that He does not have two
different identities. His single identity never divides into two, but He does indeed
have dual qualities.

Commentary

Our impersonalist tries vainly to rephrase his objection. That the Supreme has the two
different qualities of personality and impersonality, however, is irrefutable. The
understanding of the Kevaladvaita-vadis – that the Supremes true identity is impersonal and
that any personal conception is illusory – is mistaken. A correct explanation of His dual
characteristics is given in the commentary to text 101. There the example is given of Narada
being seen first as a mass of light and then gradually more and more completely as a person.

Text 117

Therefore the apparently contradictory play of His energies is certainly due to His
inconceivable supreme power. It is an ornament rather than a fault.

Commentary

There is a concurrence of opposites in the Supreme Person, such as His noninvolvement in

creation simultaneous with His production and sustenance of all the worlds. This
concurrence is made possible by His achintyashakti and is evidence of His absolute
supremacy. This contradictory play of energies is one of His all-attractive ornaments that
cannot be stained by impersonal misinterpretations and is perfectly in line with the opinions
of ancient authorities.

Text 118

We find similar contradictory language in the Third Canto [3.4.16]: “My Lord, even the
most learned sages in the world become disturbed in their intelligence when they see
that Your Greatness engages in fruitive work although You are free from all desires,
that You take birth although You are unborn, that You flee out of fear of the enemy
and take shelter in a fort although You are the controller of invincible time, and that
You enjoy householder life surrounded by many women although You enjoy in Your
Self.”

Text 119

If these contrary behaviors were not genuine, then wise men would not become
bewildered by them; nor would they become bewildered unless the Lord’s pastimes
were caused by His inconceivable energy. She manifests herself in response to His
various desires.

Commentary

Here is more proof that the Lord's achintya-shakti reconciles otherwise incompatible
opposites. As Shri Uddhava states in the Third Canto of Shrimad Bhagavatam, the Supreme
Lord's contrary behavior bewilders even the wisest sages. If these contrary behaviors were not
genuine, the sages would not become confused. ‘There must be a real force that creates these
real effects.

Text 120

Having thus discussed this side issue we now return to elucidating the main topic.

Someone might object that it is incorrect to consider the killer of Kamsa superior to
the Lord of material nature or to the indwelling regulator of creation.

Commentary

The main course of discussion up to text 92 was establishing Krishna as the original form of
God. Text 93 began a secondary discussion of His incorporating contradictory qualities such
as being one and being many. Now the author resumes giving evidence that Krishna is the
svayam-rupa.

The prakriti-svami, master of material nature, is the first Purusha, who lies on the Causal
Ocean. The antar-yami, or Supersoul of the universe, is the second Purusha resting on the
Garbha Ocean. In texts 120 through 140 the purva-paksha, or opposing view, will be
presented, arguing that Krishna is inferior to both Karanodaka-shayi Vishnu and
Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu.

Text 121

Thus the First Canto [1.3.1] states: “In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first
expanded Himself as the universal form of the Purusha incarnation and manifested
all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation
of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the
material universe.

Commentary

This verse glorifies Karanodaka-shayi Vishnu. In the beginning of creation, before the
appearance of anyone else, the Lord of the spiritual sky manifested this form of the Purusha
for the purpose of creating the worlds from the mahat and the other elements of matter. All
sixteen primary material elements existed first in Him.

Text 122

“A part of the Purusha lies down within the water of the universe, from the navel lake
of His body sprouts a lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem Brahma,
the master of all engineers in the universe, becomes manifest.

Commentary

This and the next three verses, cited from Shrimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.2-5), describe the second
Purusha. Assuming this form, the Lord of the spiritual sky lies down within the egglike shell
of each universe on the “Fetal Ocean,” or Garbhodaka. He is the expansion of Lord Narayana
called Pradyumna.

Text 123

“It is believed that all the universal planetary systems are situated on the extensive
body of the Purusha, but He has nothing to do with the created material ingredients.
His body is eternally in spiritual existence par excellence.

Commentary

The various material planetary systems expand from Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu and then
assume their proper places, arranging themselves to resemble the limbs of His body. Thus it
is stated, patalam etasya hi pada-milam (Bhagavatam 2.1.26), “Patala-loka constitutes the
soles of His feet” and so on.
However, the scriptures describe these worlds as the Purusha’s limbs only to help purify the
minds of materialistic persons. In truth the Supreme Lord's transcendental body is always
pure, untouched by matter. It is composed of suddha-sattva, the self-manifested living
substance of the spiritual realm. Therefore the Purusha’s actual body eludes all of Mayas
influence. It is a critical mistake to assume that the suddha-sattva composing Lord Vishnus
body is simply the sattva of the material creation unmixed with the lower modes of rajas and
tamas. Actually, we never find the material sattva completely unmixed with the other modes,
as we hear from the Pancharatra agama:

anyonya-mithunah sarve
sarve sarvatra-gaminah

“Each of the modes is always in intimate combination with the others. Each can always be
found everywhere.’

Text 124

“The devotees, with their perfect eyes, see the transcendental form of the Purusha,
who has thousands of legs, thighs, arms, and faces — all extraordinary. In that body
there are thousands of heads, ears, eyes, and noses. They are decorated with
thousands of helmets and glowing earrings and are adorned with garlands.

Commentary

Materialistic thinkers have their various conceptions of the Supreme, but those with refined
intelligence free from misconceptions meditate on the expansive form of the Purusha.
Adabhra-chakshusha, “with unrestricted eyes,’ means with the vision of spiritual knowledge.
The description of Lord Garbhodaka-shayi having “thousands” of hands and heads indicates
that He has these limbs in infinite number. This is also implied by such scriptural statements
as:

vishvatas-caksur uta vishvato-mukho

vishvato-bahur uta vishvatas-pat

“His eyes, mouths, arms, and feet are everywhere.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.3 and Maha-
narayana Upanishad 2.2)

Text 125

“This form is the source and indestructible seed of multifarious incarnations within
the universe. From the particles and portions of this form are created different living
entities – demigods, men, and others.”

Commentary
The presenter of the purva-paksha takes this verse to mean that Garbhodakasayi Vishnu is
the avatari, the original Godhead from whom all incarnations and living beings expand. He is
the nidhana, or source of everyone else. His amsha is Brahma, and Brahma’ amshas are his
sons, the Prajapatis headed by Marichi, who send forth within the creation the eternal jivas’
temporary identities as demigods, human beings, and animals.

Text 126

Some karikas: In the beginning, before all other incarnations became manifest, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead desired to create the worlds out of the mahat-tattva
and the other material elements. Thus He accepted the role of, or rather manifested
Himself as, the Paurusha incarnation, having the form of the Purusha or the name
Purusha. That form was comprised of pure bliss and awareness.

Commentary

Texts 126 through 134 will explain the previous five verses, cited from Shrimad-Bhagavatam,
Canto One, chapter three. The Personality of Godhead who is the subject of the first karika
(bhagavan purushottamah) is Narayana, the Lord of the spiritual sky.

Text 127

The word “sambhuta” [in text 121] can refer to “the complete truth,” or it can mean
“combined,” i.e., combined for the purpose of creating the worlds. His form is called
“shodasha-kala” because in it there are sixteen components.

Commentary

The word bhuta has many different meanings, as we see in its definition in the Medini
dictionary:

bhutam ksmadau pisdcadau

jantau klibam trisucite
prapte vrtte same satye
deva-yony-antare tu na
kumare pi...

“Bhata can mean ‘earth and the other elements, ‘Pishachas and other ghostly spirits, or ‘any
creature. In these definitions the word has a neuter gender. Bhuta can also mean ‘suitable,
‘obtained, ‘occurring, ‘equal, ‘true, or ‘child’ (if not of divine origin). In these cases the word is
used in all three genders.”

An instance of bhuta meaning “combined” is found in an example from the play Shishupala-
vadha (2.100), where the poet Magha uses the word as follows:
 sambhuyambhodhim abhyeti
mahda-nadya nagapaga

“The great rivers, flowing away from the mountains, reach the ocean and combine with him.”

Text 128

Vaishnavas describe these sixteen “kalas” according to scriptural indications. Texts

like the Bhakti-viveka confirm that these sixteen components are personal energies
of the Supreme Lord.

Text 129

“His sixteen principal energies consist of the seven known as Shri, Bhu, Kirti, Ila, Lila,
Kanti, and Vidya, plus nine others led by Vimala”

Commentary

Lord Vishnu's additional shaktis will be mentioned later in this chapter, in the description of
Maha-vaikuntha (texts 280-81). Their names are as follows:

vimalotkarsini jnana
kriya yoga tathaiva ca
prahvi satya tathesana-
nugraheti nava smrtah

“Scripture lists the nine as Vimala, Utkarshini, Jnana, Kriya, Yoga, Prahvi, Satya, Ishana, and
Anugraha.”

Text 130

As stated previously, this Purusha incarnation has three forms. This passage first
describes the form who creates the mahat-tattva, and then the form present inside
the universal egg.

Commentary

The three Purushas were introduced in chapter two, text 9, of the Laghubhagavatamrita, with
a quotation from the Satvata-tantra (1.30):

visnos tu trint rupani

purushakhyany atho viduh
ekam tu mahatah srastr
dvitiyam tv anda-samsthitam
 trtiyam sarva-bhuta-stham
tani jnatva vimucyate

“Vishnu has three forms called Purusha. The first, Maha-vishnu, creates the total material
energy [mahat], the second, Garbhoda-shayi, is situated within each universe, and the third,
Kshiroda-Shayi, lives in the heart of every living being. He who knows these three becomes
liberated from the clutches of maya,’

Text 131

That He entered the universal egg is obvious from the Bhagavatam statement [1.3.2]
describing how He lay on the water inside the egg and how Brahma appeared from
the lotus growing out of His navel.

Text 132

The pericarp and other parts of this lotus growing from the Purusha’s navel are the
“locations” determining how the planets are arranged within each of the universes.

“Vistara” means “expansion.”

Commentary

Here Shrila Rupa interprets the pronoun yasya (“of which”) in the phrase yasyavayava-
samsthanaih (text 123) as referring to the lotus sprouting from Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu’s
navel. The earlier commentator, Shridhara Svami, however, understood it to refer to the
Lord’s entire body. In either case, the purpose of the statement is clear, with no substantial
difference in meaning.

Text 133

The form in which the Purusha lies down is “spiritual existence par excellence.”

Text 134

This truth is underscored by the verse beginning “pashyanti” [Text 124]. This form,
moreover, is the origin of numerous avataras.

Text 135

As stated in the Eleventh Canto [11.4.3]: “When the primeval Lord Narayana created
the vast domain of the universe out of the five elements produced from Himself and
then entered within that universe by His own plenary portion, He thus became
known as the Purusha.”

Commentary

This verse is cited on behalf of the purva-paksha as evidence that Lord Garbhodaka-shayi
Vishnu is the avatari, the source of all God’s incarnations, including Krishna. The original
Personality of Godhead, who rules over the spiritual sky, expands Himself in the form of the
first Purusha, who manifests the material elements and fashions the universe from them. He
then enters the universe in His further expansion as the second Purusha. In this form He is
known as the Purusha incarnation, who is glorified in the Purusha-sukta of the Rig Veda.
Thus the proponents of the purva-paksha might say that the Vedic literatures describe the
Purusha as the first expansion of Lord Narayana and the source of all His other incarnations.

Text 136

One and a half karikas about this: Here “Narayana” means the Supreme Lord of the
spiritual sky. By Himself, in His personal form, He creates the universe with the
elements He has manifested. Entering this universe as a partial expansion, He
obtains the title Purusha.

Text 137

A skeptic may ask, “How is this information relevant to the topic at hand?”

Commentary

It is said that from Lord Garbhoda-shayi comes a vilasa expansion with four arms named
Vishnu who enters the universal lotus and lies down on the Milk Ocean there.

Text 138

As if He had many different forms, He assumes the role of inner controller in the
hearts of all embodied beings, from the demigods down to the nonmoving entities.

Text 139

He is the Vishnu referred to in these words of the Satvata-tantra: “The third Purusha
is present in all created beings.” This statement confirms that this form is a vilasa
expansion of Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu.

Text 140
This discussion is relevant, therefore, because when the demigods prayed to Him on
the shore of the Milk Ocean, He descended to earth with the name Krishna.

Commentary

The purva-pakshas main contention is that the killer of Kamsa is not superior to the first two
Purushas. He wants to prove this point by applying the Bhagavatams description of the
Purushas, which portrays Them as the source of other incarnations.

He argues thus: “The Vishnu on the Milk Ocean, called Aniruddha, is an amsha of
Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu. He, the third Purusha, responded to the appeal of the beleaguered
demigods by appearing as Krishna. This means, then, that Krishna is an incarnation of
Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu, who is an expansion of Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu, who is an
expansion of Karanodaka-shayi Vishnu. Thus Krishna is far from the original form of
Godhead.”

Text 141

Now we can supply the definitive resolution to your objection by citing from the
Tenth Canto [10.1.23] an unembodied message for the demigods.

Text 142

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna, who has full potency, will
personally appear as the son of Vasudeva. Therefore all the wives of the demigods
should also appear in order to satisfy Him.”

Commentary

The purva-pakshas idea that the Lord of the Milk Ocean appeared as Krishna in response to
the demigods’ prayer must have been conceived in haste because it fails to recognize the clear
meaning of the Bhagavatam’s text. Brahma spoke this verse to the demigods, repeating what
he had heard from Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu through mental communication. We know this
from the preceding statement:

giram samadhau gagane samiritam

nisamya vedhas tridasan uvaca ha
gam paurusim me srnutamarah punar
vidhiyatam asu tathaiva ma ciram

“While in trance, Lord Brahma heard the words of Lord Vishnu vibrating in the sky. Thus he
told the demigods: O demigods, hear from me the order of the Supreme Person, and execute
it attentively without delay.’ (Bhagavatam 10.1.21)

Brahma is relaying Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu's message to the demigods:

“Not I but the Purusha will take birth in Vasudeva's house.”

“Do you mean Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu?”

“No, the Supreme Purusha.’

“Then do you mean Karanodaka-shayi Vishnu?”

“No, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’

“Oh, you mean the Lord of Vaikuntha?”

“No, the original Supreme Personality.”

In other words, the person who will appear in Vasudevas house is sakshad bhagavan, whose
status as God is not dependent on anyone else. A similar status is expressed by the words
svayam-dashas tapasvinah, “Great ascetics are their own servants.”

The demigods’ wives who are members of Lord Vamana’s entourage should descend to the
earth for the Lord’s pleasure, to become the maidservants of His beloved consorts.

Text 143

The following karikas explain this: Thus by calling this Purusha “supreme” and “the
original Personality of Godhead,” scriptural authority clearly establishes that the
creator of the mahat-tattva is a partial expansion of Krishna.

Commentary

By distinguishing purusha as para and bhagavan as sakshat, ShrimadBhagavatam establishes

beyond doubt that it was the svayam-rupa who took birth in Vasudeva's house. This means,
then, that Karanodaka-shayi Vishnu is Krishnas amsha. Those who say that Karanodaka-
shayi’s amshas amsha produced Krishna are surely mistaken.

Text 144

We see that Shrila Shridhara Svami concurs with this opinion when he comments that
the phrase “amsha-bhagena” means “by whom, in His partial expansion, Maya is
accepted.” Thus since “bhaga” here means “bhajanam” (“accepting”), the Purusha is
an amsha of Krishna, and this fact makes it evident that Krishna is the complete form
of God.

Commentary

Shridhara Svami is the most respected and learned authority on ShrimadBhagavatam. His
opinions should be taken very seriously. The explanation cited here is from his commentary
on the Tenth Canto verse in which Krishna addresses Yogamaya (10.2.9):

athaham amsa-bhagena
devakyah putratam subhe
 prapsyami tvam yasodayam
nanda-patnyam bhavisyasi

“O all-auspicious Yogamaya, I will then become the son of Devaki along with My partial
expansion who accepts material nature, and you will appear as the daughter of Mother
Yashoda, the queen of Maharaja Nanda.”

Text 145

This is explained elsewhere in the same canto, in a prayer offered by Devaki:

Text 146

“O Soul of all that be, the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe are
all carried out by a fraction of an expansion of an expansion of Your expansion. Today
I have come to take shelter of You, the Supreme Lord.” (Bhagavatam 10.85.31]

Text 147

A karika explains this as follows: Krishna’s amsha is the Purusha, whose amsha is
material nature. Her amshas are the modes of matter. The creation, maintenance,
and annihilation of the universe are effected by the partial manifestation (bhaga] of
these modes.

Commentary

That the Purusha is Krishna’s amsha means that He does not exhibit all of Krishna’s qualities.
That prakriti is the Purusha’s amsha means that she is only one aspect of the Purusha, who
possesses her as His energy. Or, it can mean that she is completely subordinate to Him.

Text 148

Again, in the same canto: “Are You not the original Narayana, O supreme controller,
since You are the Soul of every embodied being and the eternal witness of all created
realms? Indeed, Lord Narayana is Your expansion, and He is called Narayana because
He is the generating source of the primeval water of the universe. He is real, not a
product of Your illusory Maya.” [Bhagavatam 10.14.14]

Commentary

In this verse Lord Brahma tells Krishna that he realizes that Karanodaka-shayi Vishnu and
Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu are His amshas.

Just before this, Brahma had said:

 jagat-trayantodadhi-samplavode
narayanasyodara-nabhi-nalat
vinirgato jas tv iti van na vai mrsa
kintv ishvara tvan na vinirgato smi

“My dear Lord, it is said that when the three planetary systems are merged into the water at
the time of dissolution, Lord Narayana lies down on the water, gradually a lotus flower grows
from His navel, and Brahma takes birth upon that lotus flower. Certainly, these words are not
false. Thus am I not born from You?” (Bhagavatam 10.14.13)

In effect Brahma is saying, “Dear Lord, You are my father, Narayana. Therefore, please excuse
my offenses.”

However, having just seen Krishnas unequaled power, Brahma now understands that Krishna
is not only His father, Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu; He is something more. Afraid of committing
further offense, he carefully qualifies this connection by addressing Krishna as adhisha, the
ultimate Lord. The Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu’s who serve as Supersouls of each universe are
Supreme Lords, and Brahmas father is one of Them. But Krishna is superior to Them.

Krishna gives life and the power to act not only to all embodied beings who inhabit every
universe, but also to the inhabitants of Vaikuntha, including Garuda, Vishvaksena, and all the
other eternally liberated souls. He is the direct witness of every realm of existence, material
and spiritual. He is Maha-narayana, greater than all other Personalities of Godhead, and the
first and second Purushas are His partial expansions. It is thus neither myth nor poetic
exaggeration but eternal truth that Krishna is Narayana, the Purusha who creates this
universe.

Krishna can still be expected to excuse Brahma, because He is indeed Brahmas father, even if
a few generations removed.

Text 149

Karikas explaining this: In the verse beginning “jagat-traya” [10.14.13], Brahma

identified Krishna with Shri Narayana. But then, having seen for himself Krishna’s
supreme power, comprising the opulences of millions of universes, Brahma became
frightened and, considering himself an offender, spoke the verse beginning
“narayanas tvam na.”

Commentary

Lord Brahma came down to the earth to see for Himself whether Krishna was really His
father, the Supreme Lord. Surprised to find Krishna eating lunch with His friends and
behaving not very much like God — eating off the other boys’ plates and smearing food on
Himself – Brahma decided to test Him. Krishna, however, proved to be a better manipulator
of appearances than Brahma.
Brahma was bewildered to see that Krishna had expanded from Himself replacements for all
the boys and calves. Brahma then saw them all become Vishnu forms surrounded by Their
infinite opulences. Seeing the glories of countless Vaikunthas within the forty-mile diameter
of Vrindavana forest shocked Brahma into realizing Krishna’ supremacy.

Text 150

“O supreme controller, the Supersoul Purushas who are situated in countless

universes are controllers, but You are superior to them because You are the supreme
controller of all embodied beings. It is You who Manifests the entire aggregate of
living beings, including those who live in Vaikuntha. And You are witness, the seer, of
all the worlds.

Text 151

“Therefore He whom the scriptures call Narayana because He is the generating source
of the primeval water of the universe is an anga, or an amsha, of You, the complete
whole. Your opulences expand in both the spiritual and material dimensions,
occupying all four quadrants, whereas His occupy only one quadrant.

Why the Purusha is called Narayana is explained by Parashara Rishi in Shri Vishnu Purana
(1.4.6):

apo nara iti prokta

apo vai nara-sunavah
ayanam tasya tah purvam
tena narayanah smrtah

“The water from which the material creation evolves is called nara because it is born from the
Supreme Person, Nara. Because that Supreme Person, prior to Brahma’s creation, makes His
residence in that water, the scriptures remember Him as Narayana.”

The original Personality of Godhead is complete in all respects. He possesses all the assets of
both the spiritual and material worlds, and therefore His domain is called the chatuh-pada-
vibhuti. The Purusha incarnations are also full in Themselves, but They exhibit only a fraction
of His assets, namely the powers of creation in relation to material nature. It is a symptom of
ignorance to think that the boundless opulence of the Supreme Person is limited to the finite
quadrant of material creation.

Text 152

“You have said, ‘I uphold this entire creation with but a single partial expansion of
Myself’ The form of this partial expansion is real, not illusory like the virat-rupa.”
Text 153

Shri Brahma-samhita [5.48] states, “Brahma and other lords of the mundane worlds
appear from the pores of Maha-vishnu and remain alive for the duration of one of His
exhalations. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, of whose personality Maha-vishnu is
the portion of a portion.”

Commentary

The guna-avataras — Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva – remain in their designated positions of
universal administration only during the Purusha’s exhalation. When He breathes in, the
material creation is annihilated and the gunaavataras become unemployed. That Purusha,
Brahma states, is a svamsha of Govinda, the svayarm-rupa.

Text 154

If the Purusha is thus an amsha of Krishna, certainly the Purusha’s expansion, the
Lord who lies on the Milk Ocean, must be as well.

Commentary

This is the algebra of transcendence: if B is an amsha of A, and C is an amsha of B, then C is

also an amsha of A. Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu, therefore, through whom avataras generally
appear in this world, is undoubtedly a partial expansion of Krishna.

Text 155

“But,” our objector says, “doesn’t Lord Brahma say in the Second Canto that He who
descended into the Yadu family was generated from white and black hairs?”

Commentary

Even after being soundly defeated, our shameless purva-pakshi cannot admit Krishna’s
unrivaled supremacy. Now he resorts to juggling words: “If Krishna were not an amsha of the
Lord of the Milk Ocean, then why does Brahma say this to Narada about Krishna’s
appearance?”

Text 156

Thus: “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 in His
plenary portion, appearing from a white and a black hair. And just to expand His
transcendental glories, He acts extraordinarily. No one can properly estimate how
great He is.” [Bhagavatam 2.7.26]

Commentary

The suras are the demigods and others who obey the laws of God. The suretaras are the
demons and atheists who become prominent from time to time. At the end of Dvapara-yuga,
five thousand years ago, the earth was overburdened by suretara kings, whose armies
disturbed the peaceful life of the suras.

This Second Canto verse summarizes an event more elaborately described in the
Mahabharata, Adi-parva (189.31):

sa capi kesau harir udbabarhe

suklam ekam aparam capi krishnam
sa capi kesav avisatam yadunam
kule striyau rohinir devakim ca

tayor eko balabhadro babhuva

yo sau svetas tasya devasya kesah
krishno dvitiyah kesavah sambabhuva
keso yo sau varnatah krishna uktah

These verses our objector interprets as: “Lord Hari [Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu] then pulled
two hairs from His head, one white and the other black. These hairs descended into the
dynasty of the Yadus, entering the two good women Rohini and Devaki. Of the two hairs of
the Supreme Lord, the white one became Balabhadra and the other, said to be black, became
Krishna Keshava.”

Thus our objector concludes that Krishna must be an amsha of Kshirodakasayl Vishnu.

Text 157

No, my dear sir, not like this. Please hear my explanation. Using His special artistic
skill, the Lord ties His very black hair. This is the proper analysis of the compound
word sita-krishna-keshah. It is a description of the Lord’s exceptional ingenuity.

Commentary

Kala can mean not only “plenary expansion,’ but also “art!” And sifa can mean not only
“white,” but also “tied.” The speaker of this verse fittingly alludes to Krishna’s all-attractive
charm by describing how He wears His beautiful black hair.

Text 158

Or an alternative explanation: That same Lord who has white and black hair in His
partial expansion, has now descended as Shri Lila-purushottama.
Commentary

“But,” the purva-pakshi persists, “you have not shed light on the Mahabharata’s description of
Lord Vishnu creating Krishna and Balarama from His black and white hairs.”

Here is the explanation: The Hari mentioned in the verses from Mahabharata is Kshirodaka-
shayi Vishnu, who, according to Shrimad-Bhagavatam (Canto Two, chapter seven), appears as
a kala, an expansion of an expansion of the svayam-rupa Lord. The svayam-rupa whose kala is
Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu appears on the earth as Krishna and exhibits His incomparable
pastimes.

“But how do you explain the statement that Lord Vishnu pulled out two of His hairs, which
entered women of the Yadu dynasty?” asks the purva-pakshi.

There is a simple explanation: In this context the word kesha can be understood in its less
common sense as “ray of light.” The Mahabharata also supports this idea in the Narayaniya
section, where Krishna tells Arjuna,

amsavo ye prakashante
mama te kesa-samjitah
sarva-jnah kesavam tasmat
mam ahur muni-sattamah

“The rays of effulgence that emanate from Me are called keshas, and for this reason I am
called Keshava by the all-knowing best of sages.” (Mahabharata, Shanti-parva 328.43).

The purva-paksha is thus finally revealed as a mistaken interpretation when we understand

what Lord Brahma says in the Second Canto: two rays of Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu, one white
and one black, entered into Balarama and Krishna while They were present in Their mother's
wombs.

The Mahabharata consistently uses the word kesha in the sense of “ray.” Two examples are its
description of Krishna-Balarama’s descent, and its account of Narada Muni’s seeing
multicolored rays of light entering the two Lords. And Shrimad-Bhagavatam (3.2.15) states
unequivocally, using the phrase mahad-amsha-yuktah, that Krishna’s Purusha amshas enter
Him when He comes down to this world:

sva-santa-rupesv itarath sva-rupair

abhyardyamanesv anukampitatma
paravareso mahad-amsa-yukto
hy ajo ‘pi jato bhagavan yathagnih

“The Personality of Godhead, the all-compassionate controller of both the spiritual and
material creations, is unborn, but when His peaceful devotees are abused by antagonists, He
takes birth just like fire, accompanied by His mighty amshas.”

Text 159
Furthermore, Markandeya declares explicitly to Vajra in the Vishnudharmottara
Purana: “This Lord, Aniruddha, who remains in the ocean of annihilation, is your
father.”

Text 160

There we find this question from Vajra: “During your experiences of annihilation,
again and again you saw a person with a small child’s form whom you could not
recognize. Who was that? I am very curious about this.”

Text 161

Markandeya’s answer: “It was the Supreme Lord, the master of the universe, whom I
saw again and again at the end of the kalpa. But being bewildered, I couldn't
recognize Him.

Text 162

“When the annihilation was over, however, from Grandfather Brahma I learned that it
had been your father Lord Aniruddha, the Lord of the universe.”

Commentary

Lord Brahma is considered the grandfather of everyone in the universe because He is the
father of the first Prajapatis. Literally speaking, Markandeya’s grandfather was Dhata, a son of
Bhrigu’s, and Bhrigu is one of the Prajapatis born from Brahma.

Vajra, or Vajranabha, was a son of Shri Krishna’s grandson Aniruddha. Yudhisthira placed
him on the throne of Mathura just after Krishna’s disappearance. Maharaja Vajra revived the
depopulated district of Mathura by establishing many new villages named after Krishna’s
pastimes.

Text 163

A karika: Had it been the other way [had Krishna been an expansion of Kshirodaka-
shayi Vishnu], this best of sages would have had to say, “I learned that it had been
your great-grandfather, Shri Krishna.”

Text 164

Thus, the erroneous notion that Krishna incarnated from a strand of hair is cast far
away.
Text 165

Someone may say, “We can grant that the enemy of Agha precedes the Purusha and
other expanded forms of God, but this is because He is actually Shri Vasudeva.
Possessing all the powers of Godhead, that Lord Vasudeva is present in many forms in
both the triple-quadrant and single-quadrant realms. He has an attractive effulgence
equal to that of countless newly risen suns. Sometimes He has a complexion like a
new dark-blue cloud, and sometimes He has a radiant golden complexion. On the
authority of scripture He is well known to be a personal expansion of the Supreme
Lord of Vaikuntha. He is the Supersoul, endowed with all strength, knowledge,
potency, and brilliance.

Commentary

There are many Vaishnavas who are exclusively devoted to Lord Narayana of Vaikuntha. It is
not difficult for them to accept that Krishna is superior to the three Vishnu’s who create the
material world, or even that He is superior to Lord Nrisimha and Lord Ramachandra. But
they cannot agree that Krishna is the original Godhead because they identify Krishna with
Narayanas Vasudeva expansion. For these Vaishnavas, the svayam-rupa is Narayana, not
Krishna.

The presentation of this purva-paksha continues up to text 178.

Text 166

“Lord Vasudeva is the first member of the quadruple expansion of Godhead known as
the mahavastha or chatur-vyuha. He is worshiped as the ruling Deity of
consciousness, situated in the heart. He is also said to be the foundation of pure
spiritual substance.

Commentary

Among the four vyuha expansions from Narayana, Vasudeva is the chief and the others
originate from Him.

Text 167

“Vasudeva’s personal expansion is the Supreme Lord known as Shri Sankarshana.

Sankarshana is considered the second member of the quadruple vyuha. He is also
called Jiva because He is the source from whom all jivas appear in this world.

Commentary
Lord Sankarshana is a vilasa expansion of Vasudeva. Advaita-vadis misunderstand His name
Jiva, impudently taking Him to be a finite, conditioned soul. The Lord from whom all jivas
expand is not a jiva Himself.

Text 168

“Lord Sankarshana’s attractive effulgence surpasses the soothing rays of countless

full autumn moons. He is worshiped as present within the false ego and is the
indwelling controller of irreligion, serpents, death, Cupid’s enemy (Shiva), and the
opponents of the demigods. He is the destroyer of the universe, and He empowers
Sega with a part of His potency.

Commentary

Because the power to destroy resides in Lord Sankarshana, His expansion Shesha acts as the
universe's destroyer:

patala-talam darabhya
sankarshana-mukhanalah
dahann urdhva-sikho vishvag
vardhate vayuneritali

“From the mouth of Lord Sankarshana comes a fire, its flames shooting upward by the force
of great winds. Beginning from Patala-loka, it scorches everything in all directions.” The
Sankarshana mentioned in this verse of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.10) refers to His amsha,
Shesha.

The epithet antaka used here refers to Yamaraja, the lord of death.

Text 169

“From scripture it is known that Lord Pradyumna, the third member of the chatur-
vyuha, expands from Sankarshana. Intelligent persons worship Him as present within
the principle of intelligence. In Ilavrita-varsha the goddess of fortune serves Him and
prays to Him. He has a complexion like pure gold, or sometimes like a dark blue
cloud. He is the basis of universal creation, and He empowers Cupid with a part of His
potency. Becoming the inner controller of Brahma, of the universal progenitors, of all
persons affected by lust, and of Cupid himself, He carries out the process of creation.

Commentary

The personality Kama is the demigod Kandarpa, an dvesha expansion of Lord Pradyumna.

Generally all materialistic persons are ragis, slaves of lust, including most human beings and
demigods.
Text 170

“The scripture reveres Aniruddha, the fourth member of the chatur-vyuha, as

Pradyumna’s expansion. The wise worship Lord Aniruddha as present within the
principle of mind. His complexion resembles the color of a blue cloud. He is
dedicated to protecting the universe. Acting as the inner controller of the principles
of religion, the Manus, the demigods, and earthly kings, He sustains the creation.

Text 171

“The Moksha-dharma, however, describes Pradyumna as the mind’s presiding Deity

and Aniruddha as the Deity of false ego.

Text 172

“All the Pancharatras concur.

Commentary

Concerning which vyuha expansion rules which subtle principle of material life, the opinion
of the Mahabharata’s Moksha-dharma section and the Pancharatra agamas differs from the
Puranas.

Text 173

“By contrast, the Padma Purana says that the four members of the vyuha - Vasudeva
and the others – preside respectively over the four directions of the spiritual sky,
beginning from the east.

Text 174

“They also reside, respectively, in the following regions of the single-quadrant realm:
in the Vaikuntha region called Vedavati-pura, located within the watery covering of
the universe; on the planet of Vishnu above Satyaloka; in the eternal Dvaraka-pura;
and on Shvetadvipa, to the north of the ocean of pure water, in a place called Airavati-
pura, on the bed of Ananta Shesha’s body, in the spiritual abode within the Milk
Ocean.

Commentary

The four vyuha expansions are also present in the material world, the finite and imperfect
part of God’s domain (here called “the single-quadrant realm”), each in His own
transcendental metropolis (pura). Vasudeva lives in Vedavati, in the watery realm that is one
of the coverings of this universe. The Narayaniya section of the Mahabharata states that
Vasudeva also lives inside the universe proper. These accounts do not contradict each other
because they refer to two different forms of Vasudeva. Sankarshana lives in the Vishnuloka
above Brahma’ planet, Pradyumna lives in the Dvaraka known as Nitya, and Aniruddha lives
on Shvetadvipa.

Text 175

“In one place the Satvata-tantra talks about a vyaha of nine members. Four of these
are Vasudeva and the other members of the chatur-vyuha, who are joined by
Narayana, Nrisimha, Hayagriva, Varaha, and Brahma to make nine. In accordance
with our earlier elucidation, one should understand the Brahma in this group to be
the Supreme Lord Hari.

Commentary

As described in chapter 2, texts 20 and 21, the Supreme Lord sometimes takes the role of
Brahma.

Text 176

“However, it is the members of the quadruple vyuha, all with four splendid arms, who
are decorated with the ultimate limit of all eternal godly opulences.

Text 177

“Among them, moreover, Vasudeva is the brimming reservoir of total ecstasy,

nondifferent from the Lord of the supreme sky in power and other assets. He is the
first of all primeval Deities.

Commentary

The Vaishnava making this presentation does not want us to feel disappointed about
Krishnas inferiority to Lord Narayana. ‘Therefore he is assuring us that Vasudeva-Krishna is
the most potent of Narayana's expansions. He is the first of Narayana’s associates, closer than
all the other forms of God and closer than all the demigods.

For all his good intentions, this Vaishnava is less than one hundred percent straightforward
in his attitude toward Krishna, disrespecting Him by offering faint praise.

Text 178
“Thus I conclude that He, Vasudeva, incarnated as Krishna. Indeed, Krishna is known
everywhere by the name Vasudeva.”

Commentary

Throughout the Puranas and epic histories, Krishna is often called Vasudeva.

Text 179

No, this conclusion is not right. Please hear my explanation. The son of Devaki is said
to be superior even to the first vyuha.

Text 180

The First Canto [1.3.28] thus states: “All of the above-mentioned incarnations are
either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Shri
Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead.”

Commentary

To refute the narayana-bhaktas argument, Shrila Rupa cites evidence from Shrimad-
Bhagavatam. If Krishna were only an amsha of Narayana, Suta Gosvami’s claim that Krishna is
svayam bhagavan would be meaningless.

Text 181

Two karikas on this verse:

Incarnations in this world like Shri Varaha and Shri Matsya are amshas of the
Purusha, who is also called Puman. The Kumaras and others are His kalas.

Using the word “tu” to indicate a change in the discussion, this verse reveals Krishna
to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word “svayam” rules out the
possibility of accepting Him as an avatara of Vasudeva.

Commentary

The Amara-kosha gives two meanings of the word tu (“but”): tuh syad bhede vadharane. “Tu
signifies either a change or a distinction.”

Text 182

There is also this statement in the Tenth Canto [10.14.2], “My dear Lord who have
shown great mercy to me, You appear just to fulfill the desires of Your pure devotees,
not to contain the conditioned souls. Although I directly see You, with my mind
completely withdrawn from material affairs, I cannot understand the greatness of
Your form as Krishna, which is greater than the form of Vasudeva. Then what to speak
of the extent to which realizing You is superior to the happiness of impersonal self-
realization?”

Commentary

This is more evidence from Shrimad-Bhagavatam of Krishna’s superiority to Vasudeva.

Brahma has come down to the earth and seen with his own eyes the original Personality of
Godhead in the role of the young son of the king of the cowherds. He has seen that Krishna is
greater than even Lord Vasudeva, who holds the title Deva, Supreme Lord. He asserts that
even with his strictly disciplined mind he cannot understand Krishna’s glories.

He then mentions Krishna’ great compassion for him. According to Shri Gopala-tapani
Upanishad, Krishna very kindly gave Brahma His own eighteen-syllable mantra, and by
chanting this mantra Brahma was empowered to create the universe. Krishna showed
kindness to Brahma again recently when He revealed His amazing mystic power by
expanding Himself into duplicates of all the cowherd boys and calves.

Brahma also states that Krishna appears by sveccha, the desire of His devotees. He comes to
this world when and how His devotees want Him to.

Text 183

Karikas explaining this: “Deva-vapur” is understood to mean “the Lord who appears
in the form known by the name Deva.” In other words, He appears as Vasudeva, the
first of the four vyuha expansions.

[Brahma says] “Who in this world can ascertain Your exalted greatness, which
surpasses that of Lord Vasudeva? Even I, the creator, cannot understand it after
experiencing it directly. Then what to speak of the extent to which Your personal
greatness surpasses that of Your impersonal Brahman form, which enables one to
taste the happiness of the self?”

Commentary

The name Vasudeva includes within it the title Deva. It is common to mention a person with
the second part of his name, just as the poet Bhartrihari is sometimes simply called Hari.

The words ko ‘pi are normally understood to mean “anyone, but Ka is also a name for
Brahma. Thus Shrila Rupa explains ko ’pi in this verse as meaning “even me, Brahma.’

Text 184

The meaning of this verse is thus brought together by the logic of “what to speak of.”
Text 185

“What to speak of” logic compares something to lesser or greater things.

An example of this logic used to compare something to lesser things: “Since even
billions of suns are outshone by the brilliantly effulgent Kaustubha, then what to
speak of an ordinary lamp?”

Text 186

And the following is an example of “what to speak of” logic by comparison to

something greater: “Since even a lamp cannot be obstructed by shadows, then what to
speak of the Kaustubha gem, which is equal to tens of millions of suns?”

Text 187

Thus, in the verse under discussion, the “what to speak of” logic is used to compare
one thing to something inferior and then to something even more inferior.

Text 188

“Who have shown great mercy to Me” means that “the full measure of Your mercy has
been bestowed on me due to my seeing these unprecedented wonders.”

Commentary

In Vrindavana Brahma saw that Krishna had expanded Himself into many cowherd boys and
calves. He then saw them change into four-handed Vishnu forms, each worshiped by all the
demigods and the twenty-four elements of creation. Brahma had never seen such a display of
infinite opulence.

Text 189

“Which appears by the desire of Your own” means that all His activities are performed
to fulfill the desires of His devotees. “Whose body does not contain the conditioned
souls,” defeats the idea that He is the Purusha, since the Purusha is the supreme
shelter of all conditioned jivas.

Commentary

In Brahmas prayer the word bhata refers to the living entities who take birth in the material
world. The Medini-kosha states, bhutam ksmadau pisdcadau jantau klibam: “Bhita can mean
‘earth and the other elements, ‘Pishachas and other ghostly spirits; or any ‘creature’ In these
definitions the word has a neuter gender.’
Brahma refers to the Purusha resting on the Causal Ocean as bhata-maya because the jivas
who have fallen into material existence repose in His body prior to the creation and are
maintained by His potencies during their active life in this world. Krishna delegates to His
amsha the pastime of supervising the creation, so that Krishna Himself can remain
uninvolved.

Text 190

“Even with my mind subdued and completely withdrawn from material affairs”
indicates exclusive concentration. Although it is possible to know something of His
greatness by these qualifications, Brahma nonetheless says, “I am not able to know
it.” In this way Brahma implies that Krishna possesses inconceivable powers.

Commentary

Brahmas wisdom is not only book knowledge. He is a great master of self-control. He can
keenly focus his mind for understanding any subject, as this karika expresses with the word
ekatanata (“one-pointedness’ ). According to the Amara-kosha, ekatano nanya-vrttih:
“Ekatana means ‘exclusively engaged without deviation.” One might think, therefore, that
Brahma’s mind should be fit for understanding Krishnas glories, but Brahma says that he
cannot comprehend them. Thus Brahma recognizes Krishnas glories to be acintya – beyond
the minds grasp.

Text 191

Becoming thus aware, Brahma concludes that Shri Krishnachandra’s greatness far
exceeds that of both Lord Vasudeva and the impersonal Brahman.

Commentary

Krishna is superior to Brahman and to Vasudeva. He is svayam bhagavan.

Text 192

Therefore the Svayambhuva Agama, in prescribing meditation on the fourteen-

syllable mantra, depicts the members of the quadruple vyaha, beginning with
Vasudeva, among Krishna’s entourage of expansions.

Text 193

The Krama-dipika’s injunctions for chanting the eight-syllable mantra also consider
Vasudeva and the others among the entourage of the Lord of Gokula.
This ends the refutation of wrong ideas about Vasudeva and other expansions.

Commentary

There are fourteen Manus in each day of Brahma, and eight Vasus among the principal
demigods. Thus the words manu and vasu poetically represent the numbers fourteen and
eight.

The Pancharatra agamas are respected as authoritative scripture by Vaishnavas of the four
orthodox sampradayas. The Vaishnavas of the Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya also accept the
authority of the Krama-dipika textbook on worship of Krishna, written by Keshava Bhatta of
the Nimbarka sampradaya. Shrila Rupa Gosvami reasons that we should not entertain a view
that goes against the statements of these texts.

Text 194

“But,” someone may question, “how can Mukunda be superior to Brahman? Everyone
knows that Brahman and the divine Personality of Godhead are one and the same?

Commentary

How can someone hope to swim across an ocean if he cannot even cross a small lake?
Similarly, how can someone accept Krishna as superior to Lord Narayana if he cannot even
tolerate the impersonal Brahman as subordinate to Krishna.

The impersonalist presenting this purva-paksha argues that Brahman and Bhagavan are the
same. How can someone correctly be called superior to himself?

Text 195

“The same one God is referred to variously in the scriptures — as the Purusha, the
Supersoul, Brahman, and consciousness.

Text 196

“Thus the Skanda Purana states: ‘The Personality of Godhead is called Supersoul by
the yogis of the eightfold system, Brahman by the followers of the Upanishads, and
consciousness by the jnana-yogis.

Commentary

Just as one might refer to the same object with the terms “pot,” “vessel, and “container,” the
purva-pakshi reads this statement as indicating that the terms brahman, paramatma, and
bhagavan refer to one and the same entity.
Text 197

“And the First Canto [1.2.11] states, ‘Learned transcendentalists who know the
Absolute Truth call this nondual consciousness Brahman, Paramatma, or Bhagavan.”

Commentary

The impersonal students of Vedanta call the Supreme by the name Brahman, yogis call Him
Paramatma, and devotees call Him Bhagavan.

The purva-pakshi presents these two verses from the Skanda and Bhagavata Puranas to
conclude his argument. One of them states that the Truth known as Bhagavan and so on is
pure consciousness, and the other one states, conversely, that pure consciousness is
Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. With this presentation he wants to establish the
complete equivalence of consciousness with the Absolute Truth in His impersonal, localized,
and fully personal features. He wants to rule out any differentiation in the Supreme.

Text 198

Yes, what you say is true, but now listen to Lord Kapila’s words in the Third Canto
[3.32.33]:

Commentary

The first part of the response to the purva-paksha is that it is half correct. Brahman and
Bhagavan are indeed different ways of looking at the same Truth.

Why then talk about degrees of superiority among these aspects? Because there are
authoritative statements of scripture to that effect; for example Lord Kapila speaks the
following in Shrimad-Bhagavatam.

Text 199

“A single object is appreciated differently by different senses due to its having

different qualities. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is one, but
according to different scriptural explanations He appears to be different.”

Text 200

Some karikas explaining this: The essential character of the Personality of Godhead
has many facets, and thus He appears differently to various seekers of the Truth
according to their individual methods of realization.

Text 201
This phenomenon is similar to the way an object such as milk, which possesses
qualities of form, taste, and so on, remains always one although perceived in various
ways by the senses.

Text 202

By the sense of sight one perceives milk as white, and by the sense of taste one
perceives it as sweet. Similarly, although the Personality of Godhead is one, a person
perceives Him in manifold forms by means of various methods of realization.

Text 203

One discerns sweetness by the tongue alone and none of the other senses. Each of the
other senses, such as sight, has access to only its own appropriate object.

Text 204

Similarly, all other methods of meditation on the Supreme are like the external
senses. Bhakti, however, is like the mind, which receives the sensory input of all the
senses.

Commentary

In ordinary experience we find that objects like milk possess various qualities perceivable by
different senses. The same object evokes one perception in one sense and a different
perception in another sense. Similarly, the Supreme Lord's complex personality, although
one, has many aspects. Spiritual disciplines taught in the Vedas enable one to approach Him
in various ways. Thus those seekers of the Truth who cannot comprehend His personal
qualities say that He has no qualities. This natural limitation of the impersonal viewpoint is
similar to how the eyes are naturally limited to perceiving only the whiteness of milk but not
its sweetness, and the tongue is limited to perceiving only its sweetness but not its whiteness.

The mind, however, is considered the ruler of all the senses. It can perceive all of milk’s
qualities — color, taste, smell, and so on. Analogously, pure devotion has the power to reveal
all the aspects of the Absolute Truth, including both His personal and impersonal features.
Other sadhanas can deliver only various partial realizations.

Text 205

Thus the most venerable scriptures describe Krishna as superior to His own form of
impersonal Brahman because He possesses sweetness and an abundance of other
qualities.
Commentary

Even though formless, undifferentiated Brahman is Krishna Himself and nothing other than
Him, we must conclude that because Krishna’s personal feature possesses qualities He is
superior to His qualityless impersonal feature. In Shrila Baladeva’s commentary to text 101 of
this chapter, he cited the verse beginning cayas tvisam to compare bhakti to other sadhanas
in terms of how closely they approach the supreme goal. Now bhakti has been compared to
other sadhanas in terms of how much of the supreme goal they reveal, using the analogy of
the relative powers of the internal and external senses.

Text 206

The Tenth Canto thus states: “O limitless one, it is possible, however, to realize the
glory of Your impersonal aspect simply by applying one’s purified mind in the
practice of spiritual perception that transcends the scope of material activity and
forms, and by focusing on one’s true Self. One can realize the impersonal Supreme
only by employing these means and by understanding It as the Soul of everything,
and not otherwise.

Commentary

Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana explains in his commentary that this verse and the following
one, from Brahmas prayers to Krishna (Bhagavatam 10.14.6-7), further clarify Lord Kapila’
statement cited above. Brahma is saying to Krishna, “O limitless one, You have aspects with
qualities and aspects without qualities (aguna), but it is easier to understand the greatness of
Your qualityless Brahman aspect than to understand the qualities of your absolute
personality.’

In this statement the phrase viboddhum arhati (“can understand” or “can be understood”) is a
type of verbal expression midway between active and passive usage wherein the subject of the
action is its own object. For example, in the statement “the rice is cooking,’ rice is both the
subject and the object of the action, cooking.

Why is it easier to understand the Supreme Lord's impersonal feature? Because one must
only apply the purified mind and perceive the real Self. But since perception is a mental
function, requiring a change to the mind's state, how can changeless Brahman become its
object? Lord Brahma answers this with the word avikriyat. Realization of the impersonal
Supreme is a special kind of perception in which nothing changes. Then again, only things
that have form can become objects of the mind's perception, but Brahman has no form.
Therefore Lord Brahma uses the word arupatah. One in Brahman realization perceives
formless Truth, much as the ordinary eye can perceive even colorless objects.

In conclusion, Lord Brahma says ananya-bodhyatmataya: “One can realize Brahman by the
self-revealing nature of Brahman itself”? And he says na canyatha: “There is no other way to
understand the impersonal Supreme.” In other words, when one’s mind is correctly disposed,
Brahman reveals Itself. No practices or mental exercises can capture It.
Text 207

“In time, learned philosophers or scientists might be able to count all the atoms of
the earth, the particles of snow, or perhaps even the shining rays of the sun, the stars,
and other luminaries. But among these learned men, who could possibly count the
unlimited transcendental qualities possessed by You, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who have descended onto the surface of the earth for the benefit of all
living entities?”

Commentary

Just as it is far easier to look at the rays of the sun than to stare directly at the sun itself, so it
is far easier to realize the Supreme as changeless, formless, pure consciousness than as the
Supreme Person with His innumerable qualities.

Shri Vishnu Purana (6.5.84) tells us, ananta-kalyana-gunatmako ‘sau: “He possesses unlimited
auspicious qualities.” The Personality of Godhead has more transcendental qualities than
anyone can ever count. Among His qualities, just to name a few general categories, are His
omniscience, omnipotence, friendliness, and compassion, and His all-attractive beauty,
charm, and youthful luster. Not even great demigods like Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma can
estimate the qualities of the Supreme Lord. He greatly benefits this world by appearing as His
avataras to display those qualities.

Text 208

“But what is surprising about this? Because His form is material, like a mirage, there
is no way to count His qualities.”

Commentary

This is another attempt by the impersonal Brahma-vadi to deny the excellence of the
Personality of Godhead. Assuming that the unique qualities of the Supreme cannot be real,
he imagines that they must be superimposed on Brahman, like the blueness imposed on
colorless ether.

Text 209

No, this is not correct. Krishna’s qualities are not material. As features of His
essential being, they are simply blissful.

Commentary

One can disregard material qualities as imaginary, but an eternal entity like Krishna possesses
only real qualities. Such spiritual qualities are nondifferent from the perfect spiritual being
who possesses them. They belong to his svarupa.
Text 210

Thus the Brahma-tarka says: “The Supreme Lord Hari is said to have qualities because
those qualities belong to His essential being. It is understood that neither Vishnu nor
His liberated devotees are ever separate from their qualities.”

Text 211

Shri Vishnu Purana [1.9.44] says: “The material qualities of goodness and so On are
never present in the Lord. May that original Supreme Person, the purest of the pure,
be satisfied.”

Commentary

The Supreme Person is absolutely pure, which means not that He is devoid of transcendental
qualities but that He possesses all of them in full.

Text 212

The same Vishnu Purana [6.5.79] also says: “The term “‘bhagavan’ indicates complete
knowledge, sensory strength, physical strength, controlling power, supernatural
influence, and radiant beauty, to the exclusion of all inferior qualities and
characteristics.”

Commentary

Material qualities like wickedness and old age can never find a place in the personality of the
Supreme. This does not mean, however, that He is devoid of qualities. The major categories
of His countless qualities are indicated by the title Bhagavan.

Text 213

And the Padma Purana [Uttara 255.39-40] says: “When scriptures describe the Lord of
the universe as devoid of qualities, they mean He has no material qualities like those
belonging to inferior objects.”

Text 214

And the First Canto [1.16.29] says: “O great soul, these and other exalted, eternal
qualities, sought by persons who desire greatness, are never separated from Him.”

Commentary
The Supreme Lord’s personal qualities are described here as both nitya (eternal) and mahan
(great). They therefore cannot be material, which confirms that they belong to His svarupa.

Text 215

Thus Krishna is endowed with countless millions of transcendental qualities. He

possesses supreme potencies and fully embodies perfect ecstasy.

Text 216

Brahman is an entity lacking qualities. It is undifferentiated and formless. If we

compare Krishna to the sun, Brahman is like His effulgence.

Commentary

Someone may object, “But we read in scripture that the svarupa of Brahman is pure
consciousness. Does Shri Hari-vamsha not recount that when Arjuna and Krishna traveled
outside the universe to retrieve the sons of a brahmana, Arjuna saw Brahman as pure light?”

Shrila Rupa Gosvami replies to this objection by specifying the nature of Brahman. Brahman
is nirdharmaka, without perceivable qualities like taste and color. Unlike matter, it is
nirvishesha, not separated into distinct elements like earth and water. And it is amurtika,
formless. As such, the relationship of Brahman to the original Supreme resembles the
relationship of sunrays to the sun.

As from a distance one might see sage Narada as a mass of light, in general everyone sees the
sun as a fiery globe. Only a few of the sun’s worshipers sec him as a god mounted on a
wonderful chariot. Those who are motivated by the pursuit of knowledge are like ordinary
people observing the sun: they see the Supreme Soul as a mass of pure consciousness. But
those who strive for pure devotion are like the few successful sun worshipers, for they realize
the personal form behind the mass of pure consciousness.

Brahman and Bhagavan are certainly not two separate realities, but the Bhagavan conception
is far superior to that of Brahman because through His personality the Supreme reveals His
all-attractive sweetness and other qualities. Krishna consciousness is undoubtedly more
complete than Brahman consciousness.

Text 217

As Shri Krishna states in Bhagavad-gita: “One who engages in full devotional service
to Me, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material
nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

Commentary
This and the following verse appear as verses 26 and 27 in chapter 14 of Shri Bhagavad-gita.

Texts 200-204 above compared the relationship between Brahman realization and Bhagavan
realization to the relationship between perception by the senses and perception by the mind.
Just as the mind amalgamates the partial input of each sense into a complete image of
perception, so bhakti-yoga includes Brahman realization and all other partial ways of
understanding.

In this verse and the next Shri Krishna explains that one who faithfully worships Him earns
promotion to the level of Brahman. Although impersonalists may presume that this Brahman
status is undifferentiated oneness with the formless infinity of divine light, the Vedas and
Krishna Himself have a different idea. They consider it the state of becoming qualitatively
one with the Supreme. Niranjanah paramam samyam upaiti: “One who has washed off all
contamination attains complete equality [with the Supreme].” (Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.3)

Achieving the Brahman status does not include loss of one’s individual identity.

paramatmatmanor yogah
paramartha itisyate
mithyaitad anya-dravyam hi
naity anya-dravyatam yatah

“Some may take the union of soul and Supersoul literally, but their understanding is wrong.
After all, one distinct thing never changes into another, separate thing. (Vishnu Purana
2.14.27) The infinitesimal soul can never attain the identity of the infinite Supreme Soul.

Text 218

“And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal and imperishable.
I am also the basis of the soul’s eternal constitutional duty and his ultimate
happiness.”

Commentary

How can devotion to the son of Vasudeva lead to the state of equality with Brahman? This is
possible because Krishna is the foundation and ultimate shelter of the eternally perfect
Brahman. Moreover, Krishna is the source of the soul's eternal occupation, bhakti-yoga, and
of the most sublime happiness of serving Him in pure love.

Text 219

Here Krishna’s idea is as follows: “After attaining the nature of Brahman, a person
should take shelter of My personal pastime form, the resevoir of all ecstasy, and
worship Me with pure love.”

Commentary
On the strength of having practiced bhakti-yoga without deviation, a devotee of the Supreme
Lord attains the pure nature of Brahman existence. Then, situated in transcendence, the
devotee can proceed to take shelter of Krishna in His lila-vigraha. One thus progresses from
the level of Brahman to pure love of God.

Text 220

The fruit of undeviating bhakti is elevation to service in pure love. On the other hand,
one can obtain mere Brahman realization even by hating the Lord.

Commentary

“But when the particle of pure spirit merges back into the totality of spirit, isnt that his
ultimate perfection? How can the soul emerge out of that happy perfection to again engage in
an external activity like serving Krishna?”

This doubt arises from the failure to accept the superiority of krishnabhakti over the mukti of
merging into Brahman, which even enemies killed by Krishna obtain. Bhakti-yoga gives far
greater benefits than mere merging into the impersonal existence of Brahman.

According to Shri Brahmanda Purana:

siddha-lokas tu tamasah-
pare yatra vasanti hi
siddha brahma-sukhe magna
daityas ca harina hatah

“Siddhaloka lies beyond material darkness. Accomplished mystics live there, absorbed in the
bliss of the Supreme, and demons killed by Lord Hari also reside there.”

Siddhaloka, also called Brahmaloka, is the place where one experiences the formless mass of
spiritual radiance called brahma-jyotir. It is beyond the realm of darkness, outside the eighth
covering shell of the universe, the shell of prakriti. Although this brahma-jyotir is nothing but
the effulgence of the Supreme Person’s transcendental form, those who don’t know this think
that it is just formless light, as in the example of Narada looking like a mass of light from a
distance.

Sincere seekers of the truth who meditate on this impersonal Brahman, but who do not know
of the nectar found at the Supreme Lord’s feet, find relief from all material designations,
gaining residence in the brahma-jyotir. Demons killed by Shri Krishna are also given this
favor. Those who disrespect the Lord’s feet, however, lose every trace of knowledge they have
and fall again into darkness. The demigods who prayed to Krishna while He stayed in
Devaki’s womb maintain:

ye nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-mdninas

tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
 druhya krcchrena param padam tatah
patanty adho ‘nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah

“O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to
achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure.
They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for
Your lotus feet.’ (Bhagavatam 10.2.32)

Text 221

“But how can one achieve Brahman realization just by worshiping this chief of the
Yadavas?”

Krishna answers, “Because I who stand before you am the basis of Brahman. Fully
embodying all the manifold varieties of ecstasy, I am the foundation and ultimate
shelter of Brahman’s pure spiritual identity, just as the sun, embodying concentrated
light, is the source of a multitude of rays.”

Commentary

Hearing Shri Krishna’s statement about liberation and devotion, Arjuna might question Him,
“How can anyone become one with the Supreme by worshiping You?” Playing devil's
advocate, Arjuna might insinuate that Krishna, having taken birth in Devaki’s womb, is just a
human being. Like any other fortunate son of a royal family, He is enjoying the results of His
past good karma. Krishna unequivocally refutes this idea in the second of the two verses just
cited, where He explains that He causes and maintains impersonal Brahman.

When Krishna takes birth from Devaki, by His sweet will the unchanging Absolute appears
from a pure devotee, herself qualitatively one with the Absolute. As Shri Vishnu Purana
(5.2.7) says, tvam para prakritih suksma: “You, Devaki, are of the sublime spiritual nature”
The birth of Krishna, the unchanging Absolute, is thus likened to the sun’s appearing from
the eastern horizon.

Krishna says about Himself,

ajo pi sann avyayatma

bhitanam isvaro ‘pi san
prakritim svam adhisthaya
sambhavamy atma-mayaya

“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am

the Lord of all living entities, by My internal energy I still appear in every millennium in My
original transcendental form.” (Bhagavad-gita 4.6)

The Supreme Lord does not take a new body as a king’s son might, having lost all His
learning and other assets from His previous life. Krishna is eternal and unchanging, and
therefore by worshiping Him one can at least achieve His impersonal aspect. This is no more
surprising than it would be for a space vehicle approaching the sun to come in contact with
its effulgence.

Text 222

[In Bhagavad-gita 14.27] Krishna uses the words “imperishable” and “immortal” to
indicate the eternally liberated condition of Brahman. “Eternal constitutional duty”
points to the principles of service to the Personality of Godhead.

Text 223

By “ultimate happiness” Krishna indicates the celebration of blissful exchanges in

loving devotional service. The bliss of these exchanges eclipses even the happiness of
liberation.

Text 224

Furthermore, the Brahma-samhita [5.40] says: “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord,
who is endowed with great power. The glowing effulgence of His transcendental form
is the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete, and unlimited and which
displays the varieties of countless planets, with their different opulences, in millions
and millions of universes.”

Text 225

Karikas explaining this:

That which is characterized as essentially without parts, and so on, becomes

differentiated into varieties of opulent expansions, like earthly planets, in millions
and billions of universes.

“I worship Govinda, always endowed with great power, of whom Brahman is the
effulgence.”

Such is the essential meaning of the verse.

Commentary

The divine light of the brahma-jyotir is properly described as the amorphous radiance of Shri
Krishna’s humanlike body, which is the concentrated source of all light. Brahman is
conceived as formless, but it becomes differentiated with infinite varieties of form in
countless universes. As the cause it is one, but its effects are unlimitedly many.
Someone may raise this doubt: “But we hear from shruti that the Supreme Lord Himself, not
His effulgence, created the universe. The Taittiriya Upanishad (2.6) thus states, so ‘kamayata
bahu syam. ‘He desired, “Let Me become many.”

According to Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana, the verses of the Brahmasamhita resolve this
doubt by indicating that the Supreme Lord's effulgence serves as His creative agent. The
brahma-jyotir agitates dormant prakriti, who then gives birth to the material universes.

The Kevaladvaita-vadis’ concept of Brahman as devoid of qualities, inexpressible in words,

and one without a second is incompatible with the Brahma-samhita’s description, which is
altogether different from this conception. First of all, Brahman has qualities since it is a
radiant emanation of the Supreme Person. Secondly, it is expressible since the Vedic
scriptures describe it elaborately. And thirdly, it has “a second,’ since the material creation
arises from it.

The Kevaladvaita-vadis’ version of Brahman is altogether untenable, with no support from

any reliable means of acquiring knowledge. Empirical knowledge from the senses does not
help in knowing their Brahman, which has no form or qualities to sense. Logic cannot
discover it because it has no characteristics to serve as elements of premises. Verbal
testimony of authority cannot prove this version of Brahman because as inexpressible truth it
belongs to no categories and has no name. Metaphorical descriptions (lakshana) cannot
comprehend it because words cannot designate it, and so cannot refer to it even indirectly.

Nor can this Kevaladvaita version of Brahman be the cause of universal creation, because it
lacks will, which must be exercised before any act of creation. Nor can it be the subject of
spiritual instruction, since in this impersonal view of existence there is no real person to
instruct, no real person to be instructed, and no real instructions to give.

The Kevaladvaita-vadis say, “All these apparent phenomena arise from delusion.” But this is
also not feasible. Whose delusion would this be? Brahman’? Or the individual soul's? Neither
case is possible. Perfect Brahman cannot become deluded. Nor can the jiva be deluded,
because there was no jiva before the delusion started.

Thus, without much reflection, one can understand the flimsiness of the Kevaladvaita theory
of Brahman.

Text 226

“But, dear friend,” someone else may say, “I do understand the idea behind what you
say. You mean that Krishna is an incarnation of the Lord of the spiritual sky.

Commentary

This purva-paksha is put forward by the Shri Vaishnavas, followers of the sampradaya
established by Goddess Lakshmi and directed in the modern age by the teachings of Acharya
Ramanuja. In their opinion, the Supreme Soul assumes five kinds of forms – para, vyuha,
vibhava, antar-yami, and arca. The para is the original Personality of Godhead, Narayana. His
vyha consists of His four expansions Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. His
vibhava forms are Matsya, Kurma, and His other avataras. The antar-yami is the Supersoul in
every living being’s heart, assuming the size of the living being’s thumb. And His archa is the
Deity who appears for His devotees’ worship, like Shri Ranganatha and Jagannatha.

In the Shri Vaishnavas’ view the personal forms of all the vibhavas are eternal, but three of
Them are superior – Nrisimha, Raghunatha, and Krishna. Among the three, Krishna displays
the opulences of God most completely, placing Him right after Lord Narayana in rank of
importance.

This purva-paksha will continue up to text 299, after which Shrila Rupa Gosvami will
respond. The Shri Vaishnava spokesman begins by acknowledging the claim regarding
Krishna’s supremacy and proceeds to interpret it according to his own understanding.

Text 227

“Krishna is generally called an avatara because He displays pastimes of birth and so

on, but actually He is the direct expansion of Narayana, fully possessing all supreme
excellences.

Commentary

If Krishna is Narayana’ expansion, is He just like Lord Matsya and Lord Kurma? “No,” says the
Shri Vaishnava. “Although Krishna can be called an avatara because He performs the pastime
of taking birth and does other things avataras do, factually He is Narayana Himself. Although
He does not exhibit some of Narayana’s unique excellences, He is greater than even Lord
Nrisimha and Lord Ramachandra.”

Text 228

“That Lord of the spiritual sky has unequaled and unsurpassed opulences and
unrivaled supremacy, as described by the shrutis, smritis, and major tantras. During
the Brahma-kalpa, before the creation of the worlds, He showed Himself and His
supreme world, Vaikuntha, to Brahma.

Text 229

“This incident is described in the Second Canto: ‘The Personality of Godhead, being
thus very much satisfied with the penance of Lord Brahma, was pleased to reveal His
personal abode, Vaikuntha, the supreme region above all others. This transcendental
abode of the Lord is freed from all kinds of miseries, illusion, and fear and is adored
by all self-realized persons.

Commentary
This verse and the subsequent five appear as verses 9-17 of chapter nine of the Second Canto
of Shrimad Bhagavatam.

At the beginning of his life, before the creation, Brahma had no clue how to create the
universe. At that time he heard a voice articulate the two syllables ta-pa, which he
understood as guidance to practice serious spiritual discipline to gain the intelligence he
needed for his work of creation. After he meditated carefully for one thousand celestial years,
Lord Narayana showed His pleasure by allowing Brahma a vision of His personal abode,
Vaikuntha.

Na yat param: “There is no higher world” than Vaikuntha, the kingdom of God. In that place
there are no miseries, such as those caused by ignorance, egoism, attachment, hatred, and
addictive obsessions. The residents of Vaikuntha never fail in correct discrimination and have
no fear of ever having to leave. It is populated by the exalted, self-realized persons who are its
worshipers.

Text 230

“In the spiritual world there is neither the mode of passion nor the mode of
ignorance, nor any mixture of the two. Nor is there adulterated goodness, the
influence of time, or Maya herself, what to speak of others. Only the pure devotees of
the Lord, who are worshiped by both demigods and demons, reside in the spiritual
world as the Lord’s associates.

Commentary

In Vaikuntha the modes of matter are absent, including goodness, which is always mixed
with passion and ignorance. There is also no influence of time and no illusion created by
Maya. Certainly, therefore, the elements that expanded from Maya – the mahat, false ego, and
so on – are also absent. Without time and illusion, the Vaikuntha world is perpetually
illumined by perfect bliss, and all its inhabitants are auspicious, cultured, and gentle.

Text 231

“The inhabitants of the Vaikuntha planets have radiant, sky-blue complexions, and
their eyes resemble lotus flowers. Their dress is a yellowish color, and their bodily
features are very attractive. Just the age of growing youths, they are effulgent,
endowed with four hands, and nicely decorated with pearl-studded ornamental
medallions. They wear earrings, headdresses, and garlands. Some Vaikuntha
residents have effulgent complexions resembling coral, vaidurya, and celestial
lotuses.

Commentary
Su-peshasah means “endowed with the gentleness of youth.” Mani-praveka means “the best
of jewels,’ which the Vaikuntha-vasis wear mounted on medallions (nishkas) that adorn their
chests and on other ornaments. Each of those who worship a form of Lord Narayana that has
a complexion other than blue has a body of the same color as the form he worships.

Text 232

“The Vaikuntha sky is filled with various airplanes, all glowing brilliantly. These
airplanes belong to the great mahatmas, devotees of the Lord. Their consorts are as
beautiful as lightning because of their celestial complexions. Thus Vaikuntha appears
like the sky decorated with both clouds and lightning.

Commentary

In this analogy, the sky represents the blue saris worn by many of the Vaikuntha women.

Text 233

“There the goddess of fortune in her transcendental form engages in the loving
service of the Lord’s lotus feet, pleasing Him with her potent expansions. As she sits
on a swing, glorified by personified spring and his followers, she sings of her beloved
Lord’s glorious deeds.

Commentary

Shri Lakshmi's expanded opulences attend her as maidservants and paraphernalia, yet with
all the powers of control and enjoyment at her disposal she constantly attends to the service
of her husband.

Text 234 (a)

“Lord Brahma saw in the Vaikuntha planets the Personality of Godhead, who is the
Lord of the entire devotee community, the Lord of the goddess of fortune, the Lord of
all sacrifices, and the Lord of the universe. He was being served by the foremost
servitors like Nanda, Sunanda, Prabala, and Arhana, His immediate associates.

Commentary

In the course of his tour of the amazing Vaikuntha world, Brahma eventually entered the
presence of Vaikunthas master, the Lord of the Satvatas. The Supreme Lord is called Sat, “the
reservoir of pleasure, and His devotees are called Satvatas.

Text 234 (b)

“The Personality of Godhead, intoxicating and attractive to behold, leaned favorably
toward His loving servitors, appearing very satisfied. His smiling face was beautified
by His enchanting red-tinged eyes. He was dressed in a yellow garment and wore
earrings and a helmet on his head. He had four hands, and His chest bore the mark of
the goddess of fortune.

Commentary

The Lord’s beauty delivers nectar to the eyes, and Goddess Shri resides on His chest in the
form of a golden line.

Text 234 (c)

“Enjoying His own abode, the Lord sat on His greatly worshipable throne, surrounded
by His personified energies like the four, the sixteen, and the five. Also present were
His natural opulences, which when seen in others are inferior and temporary.

Commentary

Lord Narayana’s four energies are named Hladini, Kirti, Karuna, and Tushti. His sixteen
energies (mentioned also in text 129 of this chapter) are Shri, Bhu, Kirti, Ila, Lila, Kanti, Vidya,
Vimala, Utkarshini, Jnana, Kriya, Yoga, Prahvi, Satya, Ishana, and Anugraha. And His five
energies are Sankhya, Yoga, Vairagya, Tapas, and Bhakti. These potencies surrounded
Narayana’s throne. The special opulences of the Supreme Lord are Dharma, Jana, Aishvarya,
and Vairagya; only He possesses these in full. The portions of Lord Narayana’ energies found
in Brahma, other demigods, and ordinary mortals are impermanent reflections of the
originals.

Text 235

“Karikas explaining these verses: There is no place superior to this abode. Here there
are no miseries caused by the five kinds of ignorance and so on, there is no illusion
that may cause failure of discrimination, and there is no fear of having to leave. This
place is worshiped by persons who have achieved direct realization of their own
selves.

Commentary

The five causes of misery were listed by Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana in his comment to
text 229.

Text 236

“In that abode there is no manifestation of the modes born from material nature –
passion, ignorance, or goodness mixed with the other two. There is no influence of
time, causing the destruction of all things. Nor is there Maya, the root of everything
inferior. Then what to speak of her transformations, such as the mahat-tattva? Thus
the world of Vaikuntha is described as eternally existent.

Commentary

Saying that in Vaikuntha there is no mixed sattva-guna implies that spiritual substance is
pure goodness. As Lord Indra said in his prayers to Shri Krishna:

visuddha-sattvam tava dhama santam

tapo-mayam dhvasta-rajas-tamaskam

“Your transcendental form, a manifestation of pure goodness, is undisturbed by change,

shining with knowledge, and devoid of passion and ignorance.” (Bhagavatam 10.27.4) The
vishuddha-sattva of Vaikuntha cannot be a type of matter; otherwise Shukadeva Gosvami
would not specifically say na yatra maya: “There is no material nature in Vaikuntha.”

Vaishnava theologians explain vishuddha-sattva in various ways. For example, some describe
it as a self-manifesting, conscious, nonmaterial substance. Others describe it as a
manifestation of the threefold transcendental energies of the Lord – hladini, sandhini, and
samvit (the potencies of pleasure, existence, and consciousness) – which are nondifferent
from Him. (Vishnu Purana 1.12.69)

Text 237

“There the followers of Lord Hari have complexions that are blue, reddish, green, or
white. Each of His followers, having worshiped a form of the Supreme Lord with one
of these complexions, has attained a form resembling His. Or, in the case of the nitya-
siddhas, since their complexions are eternal, they have always been like this.

Text 238

“Personally present there is Goddess Shri, a partial expansion of Padma embodying

all opulence. With her various potent expansions she honors the Lord by serving
Him. The word kusumakara is understood to refer to the leader of the seasons,
personified spring. He is present with his followers – summer, the monsoon, and the
other seasons – singing of Goddess Shri in a special way. She, however, sings of her
beloved’s activities. Although her ‘singing’ is expressed as a present participle, the
action of a regular verb is implied.

Commentary

In the verse under discussion , the second clause, beginning prenkhasrita ya, has no regular
verb, only three present participles: prenkhasrita (sitting on a swing”), givamana (“being sung
about”), and gayati (“singing”). Each of them can serve as an adjective to describe Goddess
Shri, but one of them must serve as the verb of the clause. Shrila Rupa here describes gayati,
“she sings,’ as the verb, expressing the main action of the clause.

Text 239

“There Brahma saw the Supreme Lord. What was He like? He was an intoxicating
beverage for the eyes. Seeing Him enlivened the eyes to the point of madness, filling
them with intense ecstasy.

Text 240

“The phrase ‘yellow garment’ subtly implies His dark-blue complexion.

Commentary

Lord Narayanas yellow garment elegantly complements the color of His body.

Text 241

“The word ‘greatly worshipable’ refers to His throne named Mahayoga. Later we will
give a description of it from Shri Padma Purana’s Uttara-khanda.

Text 242

“Scripture identifies His four energies as Hladini, Kirti, Karuna, and Tushti. We have
already discussed the sixteen energies.

Text 243

“The five energies mentioned here are the five aspects of knowledge Sankhya and so
on.

Text 244

“These are mentioned in the Pancharatra: ‘Spiritual education has five aspects,
namely analytic study of material creation, yoga practice, renunciation, austerity, and
devotion for Lord Keshava. By such education one can enter into the existence of
Lord Hari.
Text 245

“The Lord is always surrounded by these twenty-five energies. He is also attended by

His own unique opulences of controlling power, religion, and so on. These opulences
appear impermanent and insignificant when reflected in Brahma and other
demigods.

“He always enjoys His own abode, Vaikuntha. Or if we take the word dhama to mean
‘body, it indicates that He always enjoys Goddess Shri because she belongs to the
essence of His being.

Commentary

Lord Narayana always enjoys varieties of pleasure in His eternal kingdom, Vaikuntha. On the
other hand, if we understand dhama to refer to His consort Shri, He always enjoys her
company.

Text 246

“Also, the Bhargava-tantra states, ‘There is never any difference between the energy
and the possessor of the energy. But even though the Lord’s energy is not different
from Him, she is described as if she were different, with terms such as sva-iccha, “His
own desire.”

Commentary

Someone who thinks that the Supreme has no individual body might object to the expression
“Lord Hari’s dhama” on the grounds that dhama means “personal form.’ According to the
Medini dictionary, dhama dehe grihe rasmau: “dhama means ‘body, ‘house, or ‘ray.” We can
answer this objection by citing the Bhargava-tantra’s hint about the simultaneous difference
and nondifference of the Personality of Godhead and His potencies.

Goddess Shri is the Lord’s hladini-shakti, His pleasure potency. Since she is nondifferent from
Him, it is appropriate to think of her as His dhama, not only in the sense of His “radiance”
but also in the sense of His “body.” By the transcendental principle of vishesha,
acknowledging variety in the changeless Supreme, the shakti that is identical with shaktiman
can also be said to be “His own.”

Text 247

“There is also the following description given in the Uttara-khanda of the Padma
Purana.

“Between the material creation and the supreme sky is the Viraja River. In this
auspicious river flows sacred water born from the perspiration of the Vedic
corollaries.
Commentary

The short description of Vaikuntha in Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Canto ‘Two, chapter nine, is

supplemented here by an elaborate account from the Padma Purana, which Lord Shiva spoke
to his wife Gauri. This and the subsequent texts, up to text 250, appear as verses 58-65 of
chapter 228 of the Uttara-khanda of the Padma Purana.

Text 248 (a)

“Beyond the Viraja River in the spiritual sky is the eternal existence of the three
quadrants. This is the supreme abode – immortal, ever-fresh, unchanging, unlimited.
Comprised of the substance of pure goodness, that abode of the Supreme Truth is
radiant and infallible. It possesses a brilliant effulgence equal to the ever-blazing fire
of many millions of suns.

Commentary

The word sanatana expresses the general sense of “eternal,” whereas shashvata means, more
specifically, “eternal and constantly newer and newer.”

Text 248 (b)

“That supreme abode contains all the Vedas. It is completely pure and free from any
kind of dissolution. It cannot be measured and is the never-decaying eternal truth,
where there are no changing phases of consciousness (wakefulness, sleep, and so on).
It is the golden abode of liberation, identified with the blissful pleasure of Brahman
realization. No place equals or surpasses it. It is completely auspicious and without
beginning or end. Most wonderfully effulgent and attractive, it is an eternal ocean of
bliss. These transcendental qualities and many more are to be found there. It is the
supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.

Commentary

Shubhra means “spotlessly clean,” and hiran-maya, which literally means “golden, in this
context refers to pure spiritual substance.

Text 249

“That place is not illumined by the sun, by the moon, or by fire. One who goes there
never returns. That is the supreme abode of Hari.

Text 250
“That supreme abode of Vishnu is eternal, changeless, and infallible. One could not
completely describe it even in billions of Brahma’s days.

Text 251

“Later on in the same part of the Padma Purana: ‘Greatly fortunate saintly persons
who serve the Supreme Lord’s feet go to that supreme abode of Vishnu, which
bestows the joy of pure love. These great souls are invigorated by relishing the
exclusive taste of devotional service to the feet of the husband of the goddess of
fortune.

“That abode of Lord Hari, Vaikuntha, teems with various residential communities
boasting great walls, celestial airplanes, and palaces built of gems.

Commentary

These verses define who is fit to enter Vaikuntha.

This and the subsequent texts, up to text 258, appear as verses 9-21 of chapter 228 of the
Uttara-khanda of the Padma Purana.

Text 252

“Within that abode lies a radiant city renowned as Ayodhya. Surrounding the city are
walls festooned with garlands of leaves and four entrances surmounted by gateway
towers richly decorated with jewels and gold.

Commentary

The name Ayodhya indicates a place that cannot be attacked, or that can never be touched by
the illusory power of material nature.

As mentioned here, toranas are garlands made from the auspicious leaves of mango and other
trees. They decorate the city walls, especially for greeting honored guests.

Gopuras are city gates according to the Amara-kosha: pura-dvaram tu gopuram.

Text 253

“Chanda and others guard the gates, and Kumuda and others protect the city. Chanda
and Prachanda guard the eastern gate, Bhadra and Subhadra the southern gate, Jaya
and Vijaya the western gate, and Dhata and Vidhata the northern gate.

Text 254
“The guardians of the quarters in this divine city, O lovely-faced lady, are Kumuda
and Kumudaksha, Pundarika and Vamana, Sankukarna and Sarvanetra, and Sumukha
and Supratishthita.

Text 255

“The city is filled with rows of brilliant houses resembling millions of fire gods. Its
inhabitants are divine, eternal men and women in the prime of youth.

Text 256

“In the center of the city is the Supreme Lord’s charming private precinct, which is
enclosed by gem-studded walls embellished by excellent gateway towers. This
precinct abounds with celestial airplanes and many first-class residences and palaces.
It is beautified everywhere by groups of transcendental Apsaras.

Text 257

“In the center of the precinct is a divine pavilion, a place for great royal festivals. Built
of jewels and boasting thousands of ruby pillars, it is all-auspicious and crowded with
many eternally liberated persons. The songs of the Sama Veda enhance its beauty.

Commentary

The residents of Vaikuntha are all nitya-mukta, never influenced by the darkness of
ignorance.

Text 258

“In the center of this pavilion sits an enchanting, auspicious royal throne made of the
combined Vedas. Surrounding the throne are the eternal deities of Duty and so on,
who are directly expanded from the Vedas. The personified legs of the throne are
Duty, Knowledge, Supreme Power, and Renunciation”.

Commentary

Everything in the spiritual world is alive, including the Supreme Lord's furniture.

Text 259

“In the same Padma Purana: ‘Within that throne reside the deities of fire, the sun,
and the moon, as well as Kurma, Nagaraja, and Garuda, the lord of the three Vedas.
The Vedic meters and all the Vedic mantras serve as the platform supporting this
effulgent, holiest of thrones, which scripture says contains all the sounds of the
alphabet.

Commentary

Lord Narayana’s carrier, Garuda, is the master of the three principal Vedas. In particular, the
movement of his wings produces the songs of the Sama Veda.

This and the subsequent texts, up to text 283, appear as verses 23-54 of chapter 228 of the
Uttara-khanda of the Padma Purana.

Text 260

“In the middle of the throne is an eight-petaled lotus flower as brilliant as the rising
sun. O lovely-faced one, in the middle of that lotus, on its pericarp comprised of the
Gayatri mantra, sits the Supreme Person, the Lord of all lords, with His supreme
consort by His side.

Text 261

“His complexion is dark blue like the petal of an indivara lotus, and His effulgence is
equal to millions of suns. He is a fresh youth with charming limbs, and all the parts of
His body are delicate.

Commentary

Lord Narayana is playful like a youth.

Text 262

“The soles of His soft lotus feet and the palms of His hands resemble blooming red
lotus flowers. His wide-open lotus eyes are crowned by His two beautiful creeperlike
eyebrows.

Text 263

“He has a lovely nose, a fine, broad forehead, and a splendid lotus mouth. His teeth
are lustrous like pearls, and His smiling lips are the color of coral.

Text 264
“His wonderfully smiling lotus face resembles the full moon. On that face shine a pair
of brilliant earrings the color of the rising sun.

Text 265

“Enhancing His beauty are locks of deep blue, very soft curly hair, some of which has
been tied into a topknot and decorated with mandara and parijata flowers.

Text 266

“He is decorated with the Kaustubha gem, which resembles the thousand-rayed rising
sun. Pearl necklaces and gold chains embrace his beautiful conch shell neck.

Commentary

Halayudhas dictionary explains the metaphor of a conch-shell neck: rekha-trayancita griva

kambu-griveti kathyate. “A neck marked with three lines is called kambu-griva?

Text 267

“His handsome, high broad shoulders resemble those of a lion. He has four powerful
and finely-shaped long arms decorated with armlets, bracelets, and rings.

Commentary

On each of His arms Lord Narayana wears a gold armlet above the elbow and a gold bracelet
near the wrist.

Text 268

“His mighty chest is splendidly decorated with flower garlands and with the
Kaustubha gem and other beautiful ornaments shining like millions of rising suns.

Text 269

“His beauty is further enhanced by His lotus navel, the birthplace of the creator
Brahma. He wears a garment of fine yellow cloth glistening like the morning sun.

Commentary

Brahma takes birth not in Vaikuntha but in the Garbha Ocean. Still, since Garbhodaka-shayi
is nondifferent from Narayana, Lord Narayana is certainly Brahmas father.
Text 270

“On His legs are beautiful anklets inlaid with various kinds of colorful jewels. His feet
are adorned with rows of toenails effulgent like the moon.

Text 271

“His limbs anointed with heavenly sandal paste and bedecked with flower garlands,
that infallible Supreme Lord is an ocean of beauty more charming than millions of
Cupids. In His two beautiful upper hands He holds a conch and disc, and with His
other two hands He shows the gesture of benediction, bestowing fearlessness.

Commentary

The four arms of a Vaikuntha body are distinguished as two pairs – the udbahu, or upper
arms, and the itara, or lower arms.

Text 272

“At His left sits His supreme consort, Goddess Maha-lakshmi. The counterpart of Lord
Hari, she has a golden complexion and wears necklaces made of gold and silver.

Commentary

The name Hari can mean “all-attractive.’ But since goddess Maha-laksmi attracts even Hari,
she deserves the feminine form of the same name, “Harini.’

The word harini also alludes to the exceptional beauty of a deity made of gold. The Medini
dictionary explains: harini haritayam ca naribhid-vritta-bhedayoh / suvarna-pratimayam ca.
“Harini can refer to ‘the color yellow, ‘a beautiful woman of a certain kind of character, ‘a
particular verse meter, or ‘a golden statue.”

Text 273

“Endowed with all signs of auspiciousness, her body is on the threshold of youth. She
wears gem-studded earrings and has deep blue curly hair.

Text 274

“Her limbs are anointed with heavenly sandal paste, and she is decorated with
heavenly flowers. She wears mandara, ketaki, and jati flowers in Her beautiful locks
of curly hair.
Text 275

“She has beautiful eyebrows, a beautiful nose, beautiful hips, and high, swollen
breasts. Her smiling lotus face resembles the full moon.

Text 276

“She is decorated with a pair of earrings the color of the rising sun, and her
complexion and ornaments are the color of molten gold.

Text 277

“She has four arms and wears decorations of golden lotus flowers on her body.
Around her neck she wears a garland of golden lotus flowers strung together with
various colorful gems. She is also adorned with necklaces, armlets, bracelets, and
rings for her fingers and toes.

Text 278

“Two of her hands hold a pair of beautiful long-petaled lotus flowers. In another hand
she holds a golden matulunga fruit.

Commentary

Goddess Lakshmi playfully carries a gold-colored fruit. This fruit has four names according to
the Amara-kosa: phalapura, bijapura, rucaka, and matulunga. In English this fruit is called a
citron.

Text 279

“Thus, with His constant companion Maha-lakshmi, the Supreme Lord, the master of
all, forever enjoys in the eternal spiritual sky.

Text 280

“Sitting on either side of Him are Bhu and Lila, O sweet-faced lady, and in the eight
directions surrounding Him, at the points of the lotus’s petals, are His potencies
headed by Vimala.

Commentary
Bhu and Lila are Goddess Lakshmi’s close companions. Lakshmi sits right at Narayana’s side,
and Bhu and Lila sit a little further away.

Text 281

“These are Vimala, Utkarshini, Jnana, Kriya, Yoga, Prahvi, Satya, and Ishana, queens
of the Supreme Soul. Holding celestial chamara fans as radiant as the moon and
possessing all good qualities, these consorts serve their husband, the infallible Lord,
for His pleasure.

Text 282

“Also present were five hundred women, transcendental Apsaras who reside in the
Lord’s private precinct. Each of them, decorated with all kinds of ornaments and
holding a lotus in her hand, radiates an eftulgence equal to millions of fires. These
women possess all good qualities, and their faces resemble the moon with its cooling
rays. They surround their king, the resplendent Supreme Person.

Text 283

“Also in attendance are Ananta Shesha; Garuda, the chief of birds; Vishvaksena, the
Lord’s army commander; the principal demigods; and other eternal servants and
liberated persons. The Supreme Person thus enjoys His opulent facilities in the
company of Goddess Rama’.

Text 284

“Karikas explaining this: Some repetition of meanings and words has occurred here.
The author has done this to help skeptics understand the inconceivable subject
matter.

Commentary

It is a matter of practical psychology that difficult-to-understand ideas can be impressed on

the mind if one hears them repeatedly.

Text 285

“There [in the Viraja River] the Vedas, who are composed of the breathing of the Lord
of Goddess Shri, are present in their personal forms. Their bodies generate supremely
purifying perspiration.
Text 286

“That abode is called ‘the three-quadrant manifestation’ because it is an expansion of

three quarters of the Lord’s opulence. The entire opulent expansion of Maya is said to
comprise only one quarter.

Commentary

The world of Vaikuntha is complete, but it is not the whole of God’s domain. One fraction of
His potencies is absent there, namely, the inferior, material portion, the creation of Maya.

Text 287

“The supreme abode is called amrita, ‘nectarean, because it is perfectly full of

sweetness, it is called Shashvata, ‘eternal, because it is constantly new, and it is called
Shuddha-sattva, ‘pure goodness, because it is the nonmaterial form of goodness. The
terms nitya, ‘perpetual’; akshara, ‘infallible’; and so on indicate the absence of the six
kinds of material change.

Text 288

“Some karikas on additional verses not cited: The first surrounding shell is
understood to include Vasudeva and Lakshmi and the other three vyuha expansions,
each with His consort, situated in the eight directions, beginning with the east.

Text 289

“The residences of Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Rati, and Kanti are described as being in the
intermediate corners of the spiritual sky, beginning with Lakshmi's in the southeast
[and moving clockwise].

Commentary

Texts 288 through 294 summarize another lengthy passage of the Padma Purana, Uttara-
khanda, which describes the expansions of Narayana who surround His central abode in
seven concentric shells. Here is a description of the first shell. Vasudeva has His abode in the
east, and His consort Lakshmi-devi stays on His right, in the southeast. Sankarshana stays in
the south, and His consort Sarasvati resides in the southwest. Pradyumna stays in the west,
His consort Rati in the northwest. And Aniruddha stays in the north, His consort Kanti in the
northeast.
Text 290

“The second surrounding shell contains the abodes of the twenty-four expansions
beginning with Keshava. Three expansions are understood to be present in each of
the eight directions.

Commentary

The abodes of these expansions within the second shell are situated as follows: in the east are
Keshava, Narayana, and Madhava, in the southeast are Govinda, Vishnu, and Madhusudana,
in the south are ‘Trivikrama, Vamana, and Shridhara, in the southwest are Hrishikesha,
Padmanabha, and Damodara, in the west are the second expansions of Vasudeva,
Sankarshana, and Pradyumna, in the northwest are Aniruddha, Purushottama, and
Adhokshaja, in the north are Nrisimha, Achyuta, and Janardana, and in the northeast are
Upendra, Hari, and Krishna. This Krishna is one of the twenty-four second-level vyuha
expansions that come originally from the son of Yashoda.

Text 291

“The third shell includes ten expansions, beginning with Matsya and Kurma, in the
ten directions.

Commentary

In the ten directions — the eight directions already mentioned plus above and below – are
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrisimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki.
Among these, Krishna has His abode in the region above, indicating His supremacy.

Text 292

“Satya, Achyuta, Ananta, Durga, Vishvaksena, elephant-faced Ganesha, and the

treasured Shankha and Padma are situated in the eight directions of the fourth shell.

Commentary

This Durga and Ganesha are not the deities of the material world but their prototypes,
transcendental associates of the Lord of Vaikuntha. Since Shukadeva Gosvami has declared
na yatra maya (“Maya is absent there”), this Durga and Ganesha must have purely spiritual
bodies.

Text 293

“The four Vedas, beginning with the Rig Veda; the Gayatri mantra; Garuda; and the
presiding deities of religious principles and sacrifice are similarly situated in the fifth
shell.
Commentary

The Vedas are present in their personal forms in the fifth avarana, as are Dharma and Makha,
the presiding deities of religious principles and sacrifice.

Text 294

“The Lord’s personified conch, disc, club, lotus, sword, Sarnga bow, plow, and
churning rod are situated in the sixth shell. Indra and the other demigods inhabit the
seventh.

Commentary

The Supreme Lord's weapons occupy the sixth avarana. The personages inhabiting the
seventh shell are not like the conditioned souls serving the Lord as demigods in the material
universe, but are perfectly liberated planetary rulers. They are the transcendental Indra, Agni,
Yama, Nirriti, Varuna, Vayu, Kuvera, and Ishana.

Text 295

“The Sadhyas, Maruts, and Vishvedevas in the transcendental abode are all eternal.
The different lords in this material firmament are not eternal. (Padma Purana, Uttara
256.64-65)

Commentary

The demigods living in the avaranas of Narayana are worshiped by their counterparts in the
material world.

Text 296

“These seventy-four persons, beginning with Vasudeva, have their own seventy-four
planets that shine in the spiritual sky.

Text 297

“Among the triple avataras of the Purusha, Vishnu is far greater than both Rudra and
lotus-born Brahma. Bhrigu and others have ascertained this. Certainly the Purusha is
even greater. Lord Vasudeva is greater than the Purusha, and the Lord of Maha-
vaikuntha is greater still.

Commentary
In the opinion of some, the three lords Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are equal. They cite
statements from smriti to support this opinion. For example, eko murtis trayo deva brahma-
vishnu-sivatmakah: “From the original singular form of the Supreme come the three gods
Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.”

Someone with this view will question the wisdom of considering Vishnu supreme. The purva-
pakshi explains that these Lords are avataras of the Garbhodaka-shayi Purusha, and that
Vishnu is greater than Rudra and Padmabhava Brahma. As proof of this he cites Bhrigu
Muni’s testing each of the three deities, recorded in Shrimad-Bhagavatam (Canto Ten,
chapter 89).

Vishnu is superior among the three guna-avataras, and certainly the Purushas |[Garbhodaka-
shayi and Karanodaka-shayi] are greater than He. Since Vasudeva of the chatur-vyuha is the
origin of the Purushas, He is superior to Them. And since this vyuha originates from the Lord
of Maha-vaikuntha, He is supreme. The Vaishnava presenting this purva-paksha concludes,
“Narayana of Maha-vaikuntha is the amshi from whom all forms of God originate. He is the
svayam-rupa.’

Text 298

“The Shambhu called Sadashiva is also considered a member of Lord Narayana’s

entourage. He resides in the northeast.

Commentary

A group of Shaivites calling themselves the Maha-shaivas refer to the Linga Purana as
authority for their conviction about Lord Sadashiva. He is described there as the source of the
many incarnations of Shiva and the root cause of all existence: sada-shivah karana-karanam
param tasmac ca sarve prabhavanti devah. “Sadashiva is the supreme cause of all causes. All
gods arise from Him.” Considering this, how can Narayana be called the svayam-rupa?

To answer this challenge, our purva-pakshi cites the Padma Purana’ unequivocal statement
describing Sadashiva as a member of Lord Narayana's entourage. The original Sadashiva,
mentioned in Shri Brahma-samhita, is Lord Narayana, a vilasa of Krishna, whereas the
Sadashiva described in the Linga Purana is a subsequent expansion, an amsha of Narayana.
This second Sadashiva is the one who has a place among the avaranas of Maha-narayana.

Text 299

“Therefore I contend that the original Lord Narayana and His expansion, Krishna, do
not differ essentially from one another. After all, when one lamp is lit from another,
the two are equally powerful.”

Commentary
The purva-paksha concludes with these words. Having demonstrated Lord Narayanas glories,
His worshiper makes a final statement about Krishna’s essential equality with Narayana. His
basic argument is that there is no evidence that Krishna is svayam bhagavan, whereas there is
an abundance of evidence that Shri Narayana’s divine personality is complete with all eternal
transcendental perfections. Therefore, the subtle distinction of original and expansion must
be recognized between the two. Sharing almost all the qualities of the Lord of Vaikuntha,
Krishna is practically equal to Narayana, like a second lamp lit from the first. Still, the second
lamp owes its existence to the first. Therefore, Krishna is a vilasa expansion of Lord Narayana.

Text 300

No, you should not speak like this. You have presented a formidable argument, but
you have revealed your lack of expertise in understanding the Lord’s unfathomable
opulences and in appreciating the tastes of spiritual relationships.

Commentary

Shrila Rupa begins his reply to the parva-paksha. Maha-vadi indicates someone who has
much to say but has not thought out his argument with perfect clarity. Our Narayana bhakta
is a sincere Vaishnava, faithful to the authority of the Vedic scriptures, but he is not privy to
the confidential understanding of Shri Krishna’s glories and the rare taste of His pure
devotional service. In this context, apeshala means “not expert.”

But what evidence do we have to prove the supremacy of Krishna and service to Him? Shrila
Rupa answers this question in the next verse.

Text 301

The best authority in this matter is Shrimad-Bhagavatam, the distilled essence of the
entire Vedanta and the fruit of the Vedic desire tree.

Commentary

Badarayana Veda-vyasa was dissatisfied even after editing the entire Vedic corpus and
making his personal contributions, the Vedanta-sutras and the Mahabharata. He felt
something wanting because he had not explicitly revealed the Personality of Godhead, His
wonderful pastimes, and the methods of approaching Him through pure devotion. Only
when Shrila Vyasa compiled the Bhagavatam on the order of his guru, Narada, did the pain in
his heart subside.

Shrimad-Bhagavatam is the most reliable authority on the identity of the Supreme and on
how to realize Him, and it is especially intended for the confused persons of the modern age.

sarva-vedanta-saram hi
sri-bhagavatam isyate
 tad-rasamrita-trptasya
nanyatra syad ratih kvacit

“Shrimad-Bhagavatam is declared to be the essence of all Vedanta philosophy. One who has
become satisfied from its nectarean mellow will never be attracted to any other literature.”
(Bhagavatam 12.13.15)

Text 302

There in the Third Canto [3.2.21]: “Lord Shri Krishna has no equal or superior. He is
the Lord of all kinds of threes. With His supreme and independent opulence He
fulfills all His desires. He is worshiped by the long-lived rulers of the planets, who
offer Him tribute by touching His shoes with their millions of helmets.”

Commentary

To answer the narayana-bhakta’s purva-paksha, Shrila Rupa is going to demonstrate by two

main arguments that Krishna is superior even to the husband of Goddess Shri. His first
argument, given with the authority of the independent voice of shruti, is that Goddess Shri
hankered to obtain Krishna’s association. His second argument uses inference based on the
evidence that Krishnas name is supremely potent.

Shrila Rupa begins by citing this statement of Uddhava’s from ShrimadBhagavatam. The
Bhagavatam is as authoritative as the shrutis, and whatever Shri Uddhava says should be
regarded as extremely reliable, because he is the best of learned scholars.

Krishna Himself said about him,

noddhavo ‘nv api man-nyuno

yad gunair narditah prabhuh
ato mad-vayunami lokarii
grahayann tha tisthatu

“Uddhava is not inferior to Me in any way, because he is never affected by the modes of
material nature. Therefore he may remain in this world to disseminate specific knowledge of
the Personality of Godhead.” (Bhagavatam 3.4.31).

The words tu (“but”) and svayam (“Himself”) at the beginning of Uddhavas statement
indicate that Krishna alone is supreme. Tu expresses exclusion, and svayam implies that
Krishna has innate opulences that do not depend on anyone else. Because Krishna’s position
is unique and absolutely independent, no one can be greater than or equal to Him, including
the Lord of Vaikuntha.

Krishna is the master of Gokula and His other two personal abodes, Mathura and Dvaraka,
located in the highest region of the Vaikuntha sky. Uddhava calls Krishna's personal opulence
svarajya, which means that He rules by means of His internal energy, or by His supreme and
innate qualifications. Krishna thus gratifies His desires without restriction, enjoying
wonderful tastes, fragrances, and other pleasures. His opulences are thus supreme and
independent.

Uddhava mentions the chira-loka-palas, the rulers of distant universes, who come to Krishna
bearing gifts of tribute, indicating their obedience to His rule. These are the Brahmas and
other demigods who manage these other universes more expansive and opulent than our
own. Who but the original Personality of Godhead would have the helmets of many Brahmas
from far-off universes offered at His feet?

Text 303

Karikas explaining this verse: This form of Krishna has no equal or superior among
all other forms of Godhead. This shows His superiority to even the Lord of Vaikuntha.

Commentary

Allowing the word anya (“other”) to extend to the full scope of its meaning, we must
conclude that even Lord Narayana does not equal or excel Krishna. This is confirmed by Shri
Brahma-samhita (5.43):

goloka-namni nija-dhamuni tale ca tasya

devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

“Below the planet named Goloka Vrindavana are the planets known as Devi-dhama,
Mahesha-dhama, and Hari-dhama. These are opulent in different ways. I adore the primeval
Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities to the rulers of those graded
realms.”

Text 304

The word “svayam” indicates that He does not depend on anyone else.

Text 305

It is said that “Lord Ramachandra’s essential potency cannot be surpassed or even

equaled.” Considering the absence of the word “svayam,’ this must refer to His
similarities with Krishna. Sharing similar personal qualities, They both have human
pastimes. Ramachandra is a most favorite form of Krishna’s.

Commentary

In the Ninth Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (9.11.20), Shukadeva Gosvami glorifies Shri Rama
as follows:
 nedam yaso raghupateh sura-yacnayatta-
lila-tanor adhika-samya-vimukta-dhamnah
rakso-vadho jaladhi-bandhanam astra-pugaih
kim tasya satru-hanane kapayah sahayah

“Assuming His transcendental form at the request of the demigods, killing Ravana with
showers of arrows, and building a bridge over the ocean do not represent the actual glory of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Ramachandra, whose spiritual body always
engages in various transcendental pastimes. Lord Ramachandra’s essential potency cannot be
surpassed or even equaled, and therefore He is not in need of help from the monkeys to gain
victory over Ravana.”

This statement might seem to indicate that the son of Dasharatha is the svayam-rupa
Supreme Godhead. Shrila Rupa rejects this interpretation, however, on the grounds that
Shukadeva has not used the word svayam in describing Lord Ramachandra’s supremacy.

Why, then, are Shri Rama's glories described as unexcelled and unequaled? Because
Ramachandra is considered nondifferent from Krishna. They both behave like human beings
and have very similar bodily appearances and personalities. Therefore Krishna’s personal
perfections are also found in Ramachandra. For this reason also Brahma addresses Shri Rama
in Valmiki’s Ramayana as adi-karta svayam-prabhuh, “the first creator and original Supreme
Lord.” ( Yuddha-kanda 119.7)

Text 306

Thus Shri Krishna states in the Brahmanda Purana: “My closest expansions are those
like Matsya and Kurma, but among Them, in every way the closest is the blessed son
of Dasharatha.”

Commentary

Sarvatmana refers to the characteristics mentioned in the previous verse that make Shri Rama
and Shri Krishna similar.

Text 307

In the Bhagavatam’s specific descriptions of Krishna’s supremacy – “who has no equal

or superior” and “but Lord Shri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead” – the
use of the word “svayam’ in both verses indicates that Krishna’s exalted position is
not due to His being identified with some other form of God.

Commentary

The Bhagavatam drives home the conclusion that Krishna is the svayam-rupa by repeating
the word svayam several times. This repetition accords with the standard methods of
Mimamsa by which scriptural texts are interpreted. The repetition of a word is one of the
conclusive signs of a composition’s main idea.

upakramopasamharav
abhyaso purvata phalam
arthavadopapatti ca
lingam tatparya-nirnaye

“To distinguish the purport of a composition, one can look at the beginning and the end and
check for repetition, novelty, an indicated consequence, glorification, and logical reasoning.’
(Brihat-samhita)

We find the word svayam used in reference to Krishna a number of times in Shrimad-
Bhagavatam. The First Canto (1.3.28) contains the famous words krishnas tu bhagavan
svayam (cited in text 180). The ‘Third Canto (3.2.21) contains the verse beginning svayar tv
asdmyatisayah (cited in text 302). And the Ninth Canto (9.24.55) contains the verse beginning
astamas tu tayor asit svayam eva harih kila. “The eighth son [of Vasudeva and Devaki]| was
the original Lord Hari Himself.”

Thus dvir uktih (“being mentioned twice”) here really means “being mentioned more than
once.” The clear emphasis on Krishnas uniqueness precludes the possibility that scriptures
refer to Krishna as svayam-rupa merely because He resembles Lord Narayana. Krishna’s
supremacy is altogether independent.

Text 308

“The Lord of the threes” means that as the supreme controller He presides over His
three abodes, namely Goloka, Mathura, and Dvaraka. Scriptures also call Him the
Lord of the threes because He presides over the three Vishnu’s – the Lord of material
nature, the Supersoul of the universal form, and the Lord who lies on the Milk Ocean.

Text 309

Moreover, by svarajya-lakshmya, “His supreme and independent opulence,” all His

ambitions are fulfilled. Or, svarajya can refer to His ability to rule by Himself through
the agency of His own supreme, internal energy. That svarajya is the same as His
Lakshmi, His superexcellent opulence. By her potency He obtains the fulfillment of
all His desires, which means that He can achieve the most magnificent objectives.

Text 310

The word chira, “long,” refers to the long-lived rulers of planets lotus-born Brahma
and others. Krishna’s shoes are worshiped by the crowns of billions of these planetary
rulers. Such is the correct analysis of the compound expression idita-pada-pithah.
Commentary

The compound word idita-pada-pithah means “whose shoes are worshiped.” Pada-pitha
commonly means “footstool,” but Shrila Rupa Gosvami analyzes the compound as samstute
pada-pithe yasya, taking the noun pada-pithe in the dual form, which indicates exactly two
items. In his commentary Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana explains that this implies Krishna’s
two shoes.

Text 311

Studded with diamonds and other gems, these crowns struck Krishna’s Shoes,
creating a resounding noise that aptly suggests the offering of prayers.

Text 312

The expression “offering of tribute” describes how Brahma and the other rulers of the
planets obey Krishna’s commands. They do this by remaining fixed in their specific
prescribed duties.

Text 313

In this connection I will now recount a well-known Puranic narration.

Text 314

By the potency of the Personality of Godhead there exist virtually innumerable

universes of many different kinds, each full of variety.

Commentary

Some philosophers insist that there is only one material universe, but they are easily refuted
by the evidence of authoritative Puranas:

... andanam tu
sahasrany ayutani ca
idrsanam tatha tatra
koti-koti-satani ca

“There are thousands, tens of thousands, tens of millions, and billions of universes like this
one.” (Vishnu Purana 2.7.27)

dyu-pataya eva te na yayur antam anantataya

tvam api yad-antaradnda-nicayaé nanu savaranah
 kha iva rajamsi vanti vayasa saha yac chrutayas
tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanah

“Because You have no limits, neither the lords of heaven nor even You Yourself can ever find
the end of Your glories. The countless universes enveloped in their shells are compelled by
the wheel of time to wander within You like particles of dust blowing about in the sky. The
shrutis, following their method of eliminating whatever is not Supreme, become successful by
revealing You as their final conclusion” (Bhagavatam 10.87.41)

sankhyanam paramanianam
kalena kriyate maya
na tatha me vibhutinam
srjato ndani kotisah

“Even though I [Krishna] can easily count all the atoms in the innumerable universes, I could
not count all the opulences I manifest while creating them.’ (Bhagavatam 11.16.39)

Text 315

By the manifold potencies of Lord Hari, some of these universes extend one billion
yojanas in width.

Text 316

Others are ten billion, ten trillion, or ten quadrillion yojanas across.

Text 317

Inside some of these universes, twenty planetary systems have been created. Inside
others there are fifty, seventy, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, or even a
hundred thousand planetary systems.

Commentary

Our four-headed Brahma’s universe has fourteen worlds, but other, larger universes have
many more.

Text 318

Brahma and the other planetary rulers appear in various forms in these different
universes. They are served by thousands of the most excellent opulences. In some of
these universes the demigods led by Indra live for a hundred maha-kalpas, and
demigods like Brahma live for a hundred trillion maha-kalpas.
Text 319

It is these Brahmas, Indras, and so on who are called “the long-lived rulers of the
planets.” They offer homage to Krishna’s shoes with their millions of crowns.

Text 320

One day, as the killer of Mura was presiding in the Sudharma Hall in Dvaraka City,
the doorkeeper came to Him and announced, “My Lord, Brahma is waiting at the
door, wishing to see Your lotus feet.”

Commentary

The purpose of telling this history here is to give evidence that the above statements about
many universal rulers worshiping Krishna are not empty claims without reference, as in the
expression esa vandhya-suto bhati: “Here is the barren woman’s son.” (Alankara-kaustubha
1.7)

Text 321

“Doorman, which Brahma has come? Ask him.” Hearing Lord Achyuta’s words, the
doorkeeper went out again and inquired from Brahma. Then he returned to Krishna
and told Him, “It is four-headed Brahma who has come, the father of Sanaka and his
brothers.”

Text 322

“Show him in,” said Krishna to the doorkeeper, who then brought Brahma inside. As
Brahma bowed down, offering prostrate obeisances, Krishna asked him, “Why have
you come?”

Brahma answered, “Lord, I will tell you presently why I have come, but first I would
like to know, O master, why You asked ‘Which Brahma?’ Certainly there is no other
Brahma than me.”

Text 323 (a)

Lord Mukunda then smiled. As He remembered the planetary rulers from millions of
universes, they all arrived in Dvaraka at once. There were Brahmas with eight faces,
with sixty-four faces, with a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand, and ten
million. There were Rudras with twenty, fifty, a hundred, and a thousand faces, and
others with hundreds of thousands of arms and heads.

Text 323 (b)

There were Indras with a thousand eyes and others with a million. Planetary rulers of
other planets with various forms also arrived, wearing diverse kinds of ornaments.
Coming before Krishna, they bowed down at His feet. Four-headed Brahma was
amazed to see all of them and became enlivened.

Text 324

By contrast, the Vishnu-dharmottara Purana says that all the universal spheres are of
equal size and have similar living beings.

Commentary

The phrase kim ca usually means “moreover, indicating a continuation of the same idea, but
here it means the opposite – “by contrast.” According to Shridhara’s dictionary this usage is
also valid: kirit carambhe ‘pi sakalye. “Kim ca can mark the beginning of a new topic as well as
express inclusion.”

The Vishnu-dharmottara asserts that all universes are of a uniform size and that all Brahmas
have equal lifespans.

Text 325

Thus: “O king, all the universal eggs are equal in form. They each contain the same
volume of space and are inhabited by comparable creatures.”

Text 326

We will reconcile this contradiction.

Text 327

According to Shri Kurma Purana, “When two scriptural statements conflict, one
should not assume that one or the other lacks authority. Rather, one should seek an
elucidation that reconciles the two statements.”

Commentary
In the Brahmana section of the Vedas we find two injunctions: one says that a certain fire
sacrifice should be performed after sunrise, and the other says that the same sacrifice should
be performed before sunrise. Since both injunctions are spoken by shruti, the authority of
neither can be denied. Some way has to be found to reconcile them.

The apparently contradictory statements found in various Puranas, which sometimes

describe the universes as different and sometimes as similar, are all equally authoritative
testimony from omniscient sages. The truth of both points of view needs to be respected.

Some Vaishnava scholars, even if they accept that these two contradictory descriptions can
somehow be harmonized satisfactorily, might not accept that in some universes the Brahmas
and other demigods live for many maha-kalpas. They might cite scriptures saying that when
the worlds are annihilated at the end of each maha-kalpa all created beings are destroyed.
Those who maintain this view will say that “long-lived” simply refers to the fantastic
durations of the demigods’ lives and serves to highlight the Supreme Lords glories.

Text 328

Indeed, Lord Hari sometimes annihilates all the universes simultaneously.

Text 329

This is stated in Shri Vishnu-dharmottara Purana: “These unlimited universes I have

described to you are all destroyed simultaneously by the Lord of universe. He then
remains situated in His own nature during a period of time called His night.”

Commentary

In this context prakriti does not mean “material nature” but rather “His own nature, and the
word especially refers to His perpetual self-satisfaction. According to Dhananjaya’s
dictionary, the three words svabhava, prakriti, and sila can be used as synonyms.

Text 330

After thus destroying all the universes, He once again creates new ones. Sometimes
He makes them dissimilar, and sometimes He makes them similar.

Commentary

Thus there is no disagreement between the Vishnu-dharmottara and other Puranas on

whether the many universes are similar or different.

Text 331
Having dealt with this side topic, we can now return to our main discussion.

Commentary

The main topic is Krishnas supremacy as the original Personality of Godhead. To support the
main premise the author digressed, discussing Krishna’s relationship with the multitude of
universes and their rulers.

The logician Jagadisha defines upodghata as follows: cintam prakritisiddhy-artham /

upodghatam vidur budhah. “The wise understand a ‘side topic’ to be a consideration
presented to help establish the main idea”

Text 332

Also in the same chapter we find: “The Lord decided to appear to show the power of
His internal potency, Yogamaya. He came in His original form, just suitable for His
pastimes among the human beings. That form amazed even the Lord Himself in His
form as the Lord of Vaikuntha. Thus His [Shri Krishna’s] transcendental body is the
treasure of good fortune and the ornament of all ornaments.” [Shrimad-Bhagavatam
3.2.12]

Commentary

Shri Uddhava begins this verse with the word yat, referring to Krishna’s form (bimbam), of
which he had spoken in the previous verse.

pradarsyatapta-tapasam
avitrpta-drsam nrnam
adayantaradhdd yas tu
sva-bimbam loka-locanam

“Lord Shri Krishna, who manifested His original form before the vision of all on the earth,
performed His disappearance by removing that form from the sight of those who could not
actually see Him due to not having executed the required penance.’ (Bhagavatam 3.2.11)

In this verse the word grihitam (“accepted”) indicates that Krishna decided to exhibit for
some time His original form on earth. By doing this He revealed the influence of His divine
enchanting potency, Yogamaya.

The form of Krishna is exactly suitable for His pastimes among human beings. If He did not
appear human, His loving reciprocations with human beings, which attracted all who
witnessed them, could not have come to light. When Krishna restrains His omnipotence and
behaves like an ordinary mortal, His activities are supremely enchanting. His omnipotence
becomes like a row of attractive mirrors attached to the beautifully painted curtain of His
humanlike pastimes.
Although Krishna is aware of everything that exists and sees all beautiful things, He is still
amazed by Himself. His form is the prime repository of all opulences. His handsome limbs,
rather than being decorated by their ornaments, decorate the ornaments.

Text 333

Some karikas.

That this form is just suitable for His human pastimes is understood from the word
bimbam (“form”), which is carried over from the previous verse [SB 3.2.11] by the word
yat (“which”).

Text 334

Because His human pastimes are manifest with all varieties of wonderful sweetness,
potency, opulence, and other such treasures, they are more charming than the
pastimes He performs among the demigods and other beings.

Commentary

Krishna performs the pastimes of Narayana, one of His vilasa expansions, but His original
humanlike pastimes are more pleasing to His devotees and Himself. Only when the
Personality of Godhead covers His supreme power with the simple charm of His sweetness
can one experience the most exquisite tastes of devotional exchange.

Text 335

The word bimba (“original form”) implies that He is, in all respects, the prime root of
every one of His personal identities, who are each endowed with countless
transcendental qualities.

Commentary

When an object is reflected, the original form is called bimba and its reflected image is called
pratibimba. Krishna is the original bimba of all other forms of God, including the Lord of
Vaikuntha.

Text 336

Therefore, being the reservoir of all His excellences and forms, only this form of the
Lord is said to be completely suitable for His wonderful human pastimes.
Text 337

“His own internal potency, Yogamaya” is His spiritual energy, and her “power” is her
ability to facilitate His directly revealing His original form.

“Oh, just see the wonderful power of My spiritual energy! Not even a trace of a
comparison can be found even on the most heavenly of planets.”

It is by her power that such a universally enchanting form as His has become
manifest. We can infer from the phrase “His own Yogamaya” that this is the
appearance of the original Supreme.

Commentary

Krishna reveals the fullness of His original personality with the help of His Yogamaya. The
word grihitam, from the Third Canto verse being explained here, is glossed as prakati-kritam
(“made visible”). The Supreme Lord’s personal forms are not guises that He dons for
temporary occasions; they are eternal, for any form of the Lord is His svarupa (essential
identity) and is never assumed. Yet they are occasionally made visible in the material world.
According to the words of the Brahmanda Purana, which Shrila Rupa Gosvami will cite in text
396, anddeyam aheyam ca: “The Personality of Godhead never assumes or gives up His bodily
form.”

Text 338

This form is a “cause of wonder” – a source of immense, novel, sheer astonishment

even “for Himself; that is, for the Lord of Vaikuntha and Krishna’s other personal
expansions who are witnessing.

Text 339

“The treasure of good fortune” means the extreme limit of splendor and beauty.
Krishna’s form is the supreme abode of that treasure, the reservoir of the most
excellent eternal opulences.

Text 340

Krishna wears ornaments such as His Kaustubha gem and His earrings shaped like
the king of fish. His limbs, however, ornament even such ornaments as these, thus
affirming that the beauty of Krishna’s personal form has no equal or superior.

Commentary
Throughout Shrimad-Bhagavatam, reliable authorities on the science of Godhead give ample
testimony about the relative excellences of the various incarnations of Godhead and of Shri
Krishna’s supreme excellence.

“The king of fish” is the shark.

Text 341

Because both Krishna’s body and He who possesses it are equally full in eternity,
knowledge, and bliss, it is only a figure of speech to make any distinction between
them.

Text 342

As Shri Kurma Purana states, “In the Supreme Lord there is never any difference
between the body and the possessor of the body.”

Commentary

Because of the inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and variety within the Lord, despite the
oneness of His body and self we can speak of them as separate. We can even describe Him as
struck with wonder at contemplating His body's beauty. In the realm of transcendence such
conceptions do not violate the laws of nature and logic.

In the same way that philosophers make statements such as “existence is’ without
contradicting themselves, by the principle of vishesha, or spiritual variety, we can talk about
the Absolute Truths having a body, qualities, and activities.

Text 343

In the Tenth Canto [10.44.14] we find this statement of the women of the divine city:
“What austerities must the gopis have performed! With their eyes they always drink
the nectar of Lord Krishna’s self-manifest form, which is the essence of loveliness and
cannot be equaled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame,
and opulence. It is ever fresh and extremely rare.”

Commentary

The women of Mathura are sometimes considered rivals of the Vrindavana gopis. But the
Mathura ladies know very well that Krishna has favored the gopis with a kind of intimate
reciprocation that they themselves can never enjoy. The same Krishna lived first in
Vrindavana and then in Mathura, but Vrindavana’s special environment and the gopis’ loving
service made Krishna appear uniquely attractive there.
Text 344

There are also these words spoken by Shri Krishna to Shri Baladeva: “This earth has
now become most fortunate because You have touched her grass and bushes with
Your feet and her trees and creepers with Your fingernails, and because You have
graced her rivers, mountains, birds, and animals with Your merciful glances. But
above all, You have embraced the young cowherd women between Your two arms – a
favor hankered after by the goddess of fortune herself.” [Bhagavatam 10.15.8]

Commentary

Out of respect for His elder brother Balarama, Krishna describes Him as having Krishnas own
unparalleled and unsurpassable qualities. The land of Vrindavana is most fortunate because
her grass and bushes have touched Krishnas feet, and because her trees and creepers have
touched His hands when He picked their flowers, and because the rivers (like Shri Yamuna)
and mountains (like Shri Govardhana) have received His glances. The shyama-lata creepers,
also known as the gopi plants, have felt His arms’ embrace. Alternatively, Krishnas cowherd
girlfriends have felt His embraces. Even the Queen of Vaikuntha aspires to be embraced to
Krishna’s chest.

It is said that prayo vira-ratah striyah: “Women generally become attracted to heroes.” Based
on this dictum, we can understand from Krishna’s statement the magnitude of Shri
Baladeva’s heroism in having killed such mighty demons as Pralamba.

This verse depicts the symptoms of purva-raga. When He spoke this verse to His elder
brother in the company of Their cowherd friends, Krishna had not yet passed His pauganda
age and had not yet begun His intimate dealings with the young gopis.

Text 345

Karikas explaining this verse: His mind aroused by the charm of Shri Vrindavana and
its residents, Lord Hari wanted to say something in praise of Vrindavana. But seeing
that this praise would imply His own supremacy, He spoke in such a way as to shift
the glorification to Balarama.

Commentary

The phrase ullola-cetasa means “with one’s mind greatly aroused by desire.” According to the
Amara-kosha, lolas cala-satrishnayoh: “Lola means ‘moving’ or ‘full of desire.”

Text 346

Therefore with these statements Krishna does not exactly intend to describe the
glories of Balarama. Rather, He addresses Balarama humorously out of friendly
feelings.
Commentary

Krishna considered it in bad taste to speak what would amount to self-praise, so He made
Shri Baladeva, walking beside Him, the focus of His enthusiasm. The Queen of Vaikuntha
certainly dreamed of being embraced by Krishna's arms, not by Baladeva’s.

Why did Krishna divulge such private matters to Lord Baladeva? Because the two brothers
are always completely open with one another, related eternally in the transcendental mood of
sakhya.

Text 347

“Between His arms” also means on His chest. Thus the young women of Vraja are
most fortunate. “Yat-spriha” indicates that even Goddess Shri expresses a desire to
attain His chest.

Text 348

She can only desire this; she does not have the qualification to achieve it.

Text 349

Goddess Indira is always situated on the chest of the Lord of Vaikuntha. Therefore
her hankering to attain Krishna’s chest underscores the superiority of Krishna’s form.

Text 350

A brief Puranic account describes this.

Commentary

The following incident is taken from the Padma Purana.

Text 351

Seeing Krishna’s beauty, Goddess Shri became greedy. When she then undertook
austerities, Krishna asked her, “What is the reason for your austerities?”

She said, “I want to enjoy with You as a gopi in the land of the cowherds.”

He answered, “But that is too difficult to achieve.”

She responded, “Then, my master, I want to reside on Your chest as a golden line.”
He agreed, “So be it.” Thus she became situated on His chest in that form.

Commentary

Goddess Shri performed her austerities in the famous Shrivana, also known as Bilvavana.

Text 352

As the wives of the serpent Kaliya say in the Tenth Canto [10.16.36]: “Thus the goddess
of fortune performed austerities for centuries, giving up all other desires and
observing austere vows.”

Commentary

To gain Krishna’s association, Goddess Shri abandoned the wonderful tastes, fragrances, and
other enjoyable opulences of Vaikuntha and took to severe penances. However, the holy
goddess Shri cannot be accused of unfaithfulness to her husband or of breaking her sthayi-
bhava of monogamous love, because Lord Shrisha and Lord Krishna are not two different
men.

As Shrila Rupa Gosvami explains elsewhere:

siddhantatas tv abhede ‘pi

Shrisa-krishna-svarupayoh
rasenotkrsyate krishna-
rupam esa rasa-sthitih

“According to transcendental realization, Shrisha and Krishna are one and the same. Still,
Krishna’s form excels that of Shrisha due to the special tastes of loving exchange with His
devotees. Such are the arrangements of rasa.” (Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, Purva-vibhaga 32).

Text 353

The glory of Krishna’s name is also described as superior to all.

Text 354

Thus in Shri Brahmanda Purana: “The fruit attained by chanting the thousand holy
names of Vishnu three times is bestowed by one recitation of a single name of
Krishna.”

Commentary

Shrila Veda-vyasas disciple Vaishampayana recited the thousand names of Vishnu, and these
are recorded in the Mahabharata. Vaishnavas consider the chanting of this Vishnu-sahasra-
nama a potent form of devotional service, and many repeat the thousand names daily.
A list of 108 names of Krishna found in the Brahmanda Purana is accompanied by the
statement that any of these 108 names chanted just once will bestow the same good results as
three recitations of the thousand names of Vishnu. The names in Vaishampayana’s recitation
describe many of the Supreme Lord's incarnations, but the Brahmanda Purana specifically
lists names of the svayam-rupa. Thus Krishnas names are much more potent than Vishnu’s.
Similarly, the Bhagavad-gita is more valuable than words spoken by other forms of the
Supreme Lord.

Text 355

And in the Skanda Purana: “This name of Krishna is the sweetest of all sweet things. It
is the most auspicious of everything auspicious. It is the perfect fruit of the creeper of
all the Vedas. Its identity is purely spiritual. O best of the Bhrigus, if sung even once,
with faith or neglect, it will deliver any human being.”

Commentary

From this statement we can conclude that the person named Krishna is supreme.

The “best of the Bhrigus” refers to the sage Shaunaka, Bhrigu’s disciplic descendant.

Text 356

Thus from the word “svayam” and the other evidence given, it is established that
Krishna alone is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Shrimad-Bhagavatam and
other scriptures prove His position as the svayam-rupa form of Godhead.

Commentary

As stated in text 307 and its commentary, Krishna is explicitly characterized by the word
svayam at least three times in Shrimad-Bhagavatam.

Text 357

Thus Shri Brahma-samhita [5.1] states: “Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the
Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all,
He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes.”

Text 358

And further: “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself
personally as Krishna and as the different avataras in the world, in the forms of
Rama, Nrisimha, Vamana, and so on, His subjective portions.” [Brahma-samhita 5.39]
Commentary

Lord Ramachandra and other incarnations, although nondifferent from Krishna, do not
display the potencies of Godhead in full. As stated here, kala-niyamena tishthan. The other
incarnations (even the more complete appearances like Rama, Nrisimha, and Vamana) are
restricted to exhibiting only portions of Krishna’s glories.

Text 359

Therefore the supreme master of Vaikuntha is also one of Krishna’s pastime

expansions.

Commentary

The logical conclusion of all this evidence is that the Lord of Vaikuntha is a vilasa of Shri
Krishna, not the other way around.

Text 360

Thus, after hearing the prayer that the assembled Vedic shrutis had offered as the
essence of their message, Devarishi Narada extracted the quintessence of that with
obeisances to Krishna.

Text 361

“I offer My obeisances to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna.”

[Bhagavatam 10.87.46]

Commentary

After hearing the prayers of the personified Vedas from Shri Narayana Rsi, Shri Narada
responded by offering homage to Krishna. If the Vedas did not consider Krishna superior to
Narayana, Narada would have paid his respects to Narayana instead.

Text 362

“But this hero of the Yadus appeared at the end of the Dvapara Age. How can the
eternal Lord of Vaikuntha be His pastime expansion?”

Commentary

Frustrated with the defeat of his arguments, the proponent of the supremacy of Lord Shrisha
makes one more attempt at an objection. According to this purva-paksha, Krishna is
shantodita, a temporarily exhibited form of God, whereas Lord Narayana is nityodita,
eternally manifest as He is without change.

Text 363

No, it is not like this. This Supreme Lord has no beginning, and similarly His pastimes
of taking birth have no beginning. By His own sweet will Lord Mukunda manifests
these pastimes repeatedly.

Commentary

The Gopala-tapani Upanishad describes how at the beginning of creation newly born Brahma
turned to Krishna as his worshipable Lord. The smriti scriptures speak of other ancient
personalities like Prahlada and Priyavrata also worshiping Krishna. This is evidence that there
is no time before which Krishna was not yet born. He accepts and enjoys pastimes of taking
birth, and these pastimes also go on eternally. He appears wherever and whenever He and
His devotees desire.

In the excitement of narrating Krishna’s janma-lila, sages may become careless and use such
expressions as dvaparavasane (“at the end of the Dvapara Age’), as if Krishna didn’t exist
before His apparent birth.

Text 364

The Third Canto [3.2.15] also states: “The Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna is all-
compassionate. He controls both the spiritual and material creations. Although He is
unborn, when antagonists abuse His peaceful devotees, He arises like fire,
accompanied by His mighty amshas.”

Commentary

Shri Krishna is bhagavan, the Supreme Person, full in the six kinds of perfections.

Because of His heartfelt concern for His devotees, He appears in this world. As fire appears to
arise from wood, He seems to take birth, but He does not require a new body and set of
senses, as the finite souls do when they take birth in this world.

Krishna is the controller of all worlds in both the superior realm of pure spirit and the inferior
realm of matter. When He appears in the material world, He brings with Him all other forms
of God, His expansions. When an emperor goes out for conquest, he is accompanied by the
lesser kings who are his vassals; similarly, when the original Personality of Godhead, Krishna,
displays His avatara, He is accompanied by His vilasas and amshas.

Residing eternally in His abode beyond Vaikuntha, Shri Krishna only appears to take birth,
just as fire, already dormant in kindling wood, only appears to arise from it.
With all the evidence presented, only an envious person will still say that Krishnas existence
has a beginning.

Text 365

Karikas explaining this verse: Krishna’s devotees are His own, and their forms are
peaceful; such is the correct analysis of the compound word “sva-shanta-rupa.”
“Peaceful” means having one’s intelligence fixed on Him. Thus, the peaceful must be
those who have their intelligence fixed on Him.

Commentary

The definition of the word shanti given here is borrowed from Shri Krishna’s definition of the
related word sama in His instructions to Uddhava: samo man-nisthata buddheh:
“Peacefulness comes from fixing one’s intelligence on Me. (Bhagavatam 11.19.36)

Text 366

The meaning of “itaraih svartpaih” can thus be analyzed: Saintly persons like Nanda
and Sara’s son Vasudeva are abused by “others,” who are adversaries such as the
demon Kamsa. These adversaries are “sv-arupa,’ or “extremely hideous.” In this case
“arupa” means to have a perverted form a fearsome, monstrous appearance.

Text 367

“Being abused” means “being terribly troubled from all sides.”

Lord Krishna’s heart is “filled with compassion.”

He is “the topmost ruler” of the superior and inferior realms. The superior realms are
those free from contact with illusion. Goloka is the foremost example of such a realm.
Inferior realms are the universes created by Maya.

Commentary

This text explains the words abhyardyamanesu, anukampitatma, and paravaresah.

Text 368

The “mighty ones,’ whom the scriptures consider supremely great, include the
spiritual sky’s Lord and the eightfold vyuha expansions.

Commentary
Texts 368 and 369 explain the phrase mahad-amsha-yuktah. The eight expansions include
both chatur-vyuhas of Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, the first of which
appears in Mathura and Dvaraka from Krishna and Balarama, and the second of which
appears in Vaikuntha from Lord Narayana.

Text 369

Saintly authorities consider Krishna’s vyuha expansions greater than Vasudeva and
the other vyuhas who expand from the Lord of Vaikuntha. When Krishna’s direct
vyuha expansions appear in this world, Their vilasas, the vyuhas of the Lord of
Vaikuntha, merge with Them.

Text 370

Krishna’s amshas include His famous incarnations like the Purushas; the husband of
Shri Janaki; Nrisimha; Varaha; Vamana; Narayana, the friend of Nara; Hayashirsha;
and Ajita.

Text 371

“Yuktah” indicates that when Krishna appears all these expansions always join with
Him.

Text 372

Thus in Vrindavana we see these expansions display various pastimes.

Commentary

Lord Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha each exhibited Their own pastimes
in Vrindavana as part of Krishna’s sports with His friends.

Text 373

The amazing pastime of the Lord of Vaikuntha here in Vrindavana – when He shows
Brahma millions of universes and their controlling lords – is understandable because
it is exhibited by Him as Krishna’s amsha.

Commentary
The pastime referred to here is the famous brahma-vimohana-lila, in which Brahma tried to
hide Krishna’s friends and calves from Him. Brahma became thoroughly bewildered when
Krishna created duplicate boys and calves from Himself.

Text 374

Pastimes of Vasudeva and the other vyuha expansions from Mathura, Dvaraka, and
other abodes were displayed in Vraja in various ways during Krishna’s childhood
activities. For example, when Shridama assumed the form of Garuda, Krishna
assumed four arms, and when Krishna encountered several sun gods, He appeared to
them with twelve arms.

Commentary

Shridama, the son of King Vrishabhanu, is one of Krishna’s closest companions.

Once all twelve forms of the sun god, each representing one month, came to offer Krishna
their obeisances. He appeared to them with twelve arms so He could place a hand on each of
their heads.

Text 375

Lord Sankarshana contributes by performing the pastimes of killing demons. We also

hear from Shri Gopala-tapani Upanishad, and from the Varaha Purana and other
Puranas, that Shri Pradyumna and Shri Aniruddha personally appear in Mathura.

Text 376

Here in Mathura there are also manifestations of the Purusha’s pastimes. Sometimes
Krishna assumes the forms that lie on Ananta Shesha and acts accordingly.

Text 377

Well known Puranic accounts describe the various occasions when Krishna exhibited
such pastimes.

Text 378

These forms of Rama and other expansions that Krishna exhibited during His sports
can be seen even today as Deities in the district of Mathura.
Text 379

The flood of milk coming from trillions of cows created an ocean. In the form of Lord
Ajita, Krishna churned this ocean with the cowherds, who acted as demigods and
demons.

Text 380

Thus the Brahmanda Purana states, “He who is the four-armed Supreme Personality
of Godhead in Vaikuntha, who is the Lord of Shvetadvipa, and who is also Nara and
Narayana is playing in Vrindavana on earth as the darling son of Nanda.

Text 381

“This Krishna has an infinite number of other enchanting incarnations, which

resemble hundreds of thousands of sparks coming from a large fire. They all merged
into Krishna and united with Him.”

Text 382

Thus it is established that this Supreme Lord is joined by His mighty partial
expansions.

Text 383

Therefore in the Puranas and other scriptures sages sometimes call Krishna the
friend of Nara, sometimes the Lord who lies on the Ocean of Milk, sometimes the
thousand-headed Lord, and sometimes the master of Vaikuntha. In each case the
sages are thinking in terms of Krishna’s identity with these forms of God.

Commentary

Since Lord Badari-narayana and other incarnations exhibited their pastimes from within Shri
Krishna, a sage who had focused his attention on one of these particular avataras might
assume that Krishna had expanded from Him. But those who understand the essence of
devotional philosophy explain that Shrila Veda-vyasa simply recorded these sages’ opinions in
his compilations. His doing so is similar to his recording, in the Karna-parva of the
Mahabharata, Karna’s opinion that Shalya was superior to Krishna and that he, Karna, was
superior to Arjuna.

Text 384
Having completed this digression, we now return to the main point.

Commentary

In text 364 Shrila Rupa Gosvami cited a verse spoken by Uddhava in Shrimad-Bhagavatam as
evidence for his claim that Shri Krishna manifests His janma-lila as an eternal pastime. Texts
365 to 383 have been used to explain other points from that verse, and now Shrila Rupa will
return to its main point.

Text 385

He is Aja, or He who is never born. Nonetheless, for His appearance He acts out a
display of His birth.

Commentary

Both the shruti and smriti scriptures describe this transcendental mystery:

ajayamano bahudha vijayate

tasya dhirah parijananti yonim

“Without taking birth, He is born in many forms. The wise understand the source of His
appearance.’ (Purusha-sukta 21)

ajo pi sann avyayatma

bhutanam isvaro ‘pi san
prakritim svam adhisthaya
sambhavamy atma-mayaya

“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am

the Lord of all living entities, by My internal energy I still appear in every millennium in My
original transcendental form.” (Bhagavad-gita 4.6)

Text 386

One may question, “But is it not contradictory for one who is unborn to take birth?”

In reply, “The Personality of Godhead has inconceivable power and opulence.”

Commentary

Someone might argue, “When the unborn makes His appearance, He does not take birth but
appears as Vishnu does before Gajendra and Dhruva, without any connection with a mother
and father. Why then are some of His incarnations said to have parents?”

Text 387
Fire’s luminous essence is present in various objects, such as flintstones and the
kindling wood used to ignite sacrificial fires, but the fire becomes manifest only with
the application of appropriate agents. Similarly, Krishna’s amazing birth and other
pastimes are beginningless, but they are revealed only at certain times when there is
a suitable cause.

Commentary

Because the Supreme Lord and His identity, qualities, powers, and personality are absolutely
indestructible, He is never compelled to take birth by coming into contact with the elements
of a created body. Nonetheless, by His inconceivable energies He appears in this world, as the
moon appears on the eastern horizon.

Fire is present in its potential form in many objects, but it becomes manifest only under
certain circumstances, such as when one stone is struck by another to produce sparks that
then come in contact with something flammable, or when sacrificial kindling wood is ignited
by friction. Similarly, the Personality of Godhead’s pastime of taking birth is eternal, but it is
manifest in the material cosmos only on certain occasions, such as at the completion of the
twenty-eighth Dvapara-yuga of the Vaivasvata manvantara. Thus the shantodita theory and
other similar theories about Krishnas appearing temporarily have no basis in fact.

Text 388

The most important cause of Krishna’s revealing His birth and other activities is His
desire to be merciful to the people of the world by spreading the fame of His
pastimes.

Text 389

It is also said that when horrible demons oppress those dear to Him, His compassion
for His devotees causes Him to appear.

Commentary

Why did Krishna descend to the earth? He came first of all to reclaim the aspiring devotees
who are awaiting His mercy. Removing the earth's burden of unruly kings was not the main
purpose of Krishna’s avatara. He easily could have accomplished that through empowered
jivas, as shown, for example, in the Puranic descriptions of Parashara and Dhruva killing
many Rakshasas.

Rather, Krishna was motivated by His compassionate desire to relieve the anxiety of His
sadhaka devotees like Shrutadeva and Bahulashva, who were incessantly thinking about His
beautiful form and divine qualities, and who were extremely anxious to see Him in person.
Furthermore, Krishna had sent many of His most beloved devotees to the earth before Him,
including His parents Vasudeva and Devaki. They were being harassed by Kamsa and other
enemies. Krishna wanted to show His affection for these devotees and destroy the demons
disturbing them.

Text 390

The entreaty from Brahma and other chief demigods for the Lord to relieve the
earth’s burden is only a circumstantial cause of His appearance.

Text 391

Even now, if Krishna’s beloved devotees develop sufficient eagerness, that ocean of
mercy reveals His various pastimes to them.

Text 392

Some exalted devotees, overcome by the power of pure love, can see Krishna playing
in Vrindavana even today.

Commentary

Pure Vaishnavas could not witness Krishnas pastimes unless those pastimes were actual and
ongoing. Here is more evidence that Krishna’s lila is eternal. Shrila Rupa Gosvami will now
explain this directly.

Text 393

The forms of Krishna’s companions and other associates are also said to be eternal.
What wonder, then, if the personal form of Him who is the Supreme Lord of all lords
is eternal?

Commentary

Reason tells us that Krishnas pastimes can continue eternally only if He who displays those
pastimes lives eternally. The Personality of Godhead is described in more than one
Upanishad as “the one eternal conscious being among many eternal conscious beings who
supplies the needs of all of them.” (Katha Upanishad 5.3 and Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.13)
These words are also found in the Gopala-tapani Upanishad (Parva 20-21), where they are
elaborated upon with special reference to Shri Krishna:

eko vasi sarva-gah krishna idya

eko pi san bahudha yo vibhati
tam pitha-stham ye nubhajanti dhirds
tesam sukham sasvatam netaresam
 nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman
tam pitha-gam ye nuyajanti vipras
tesam siddhih sasvati netaresam

“Krishna alone is the supreme controller, the all-pervading worshipable Lord. Although one,
He appears as many. The wise who worship Him properly on His royal throne achieve eternal
happiness, but not others. That one eternal conscious being among many eternal conscious
beings supplies the needs of all others. Again, the wise who worship Him properly on His
royal throne achieve eternal perfection, but not others.”

In a previous verse (Purva 12) the Gopala-tapani describes Krishna as gopa-gopi-gavavitam,

“surrounded by cowherd boys, cowherd girls, and cows. These associates are the “many
eternal conscious beings” whose needs He supplies, fulfilling all their desires.

Text 394

Nonetheless, to silence the skeptics attached to dry theories I will record here some
statements from the Puranas and other scriptures.

Text 395

For example, in Shrimad-Bhagavatam, in the prayers offered by Lord Brahma: “This

universe appears independent because it is manifested from the illusory potency that
emanates from You, who have unlimited transcendental forms full of eternal
happiness and knowledge.” [Bhagavatam 10.14.22]

Commentary

Everything the Supreme Lord creates, including this limited world, can be called sat in the
sense of “real,” but not sat in the sense of “independent.” As stated in the Mahabharata,

sattvam svatantryam uddistam

tac ca krishne na capare
asvatantryat tad-anyesam
asattvam viddhi bharata

“Sat means ‘independence. This is found in Krishna and no one else. You should understand
everything else as asat, O Bharata, simply because it has no independence.”

Text 396

And in Shri Brahmanda Purana: “Although we may refer to His appearance and
disappearance as ‘accepting’ and ‘giving up’ a body, the Personality of Godhead Hari
never assumes or abandons His bodily form.”
Text 397

In the Brihad-vishnu Purana: “The Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the universe,
has eternal incarnations, eternal forms, eternal beauty, eternal fragrance, eternal
power, and an eternal experience of bliss.”

Commentary

One might ask that if Lord Hari is eternal why do the scriptures describe Him as accepting
and giving up particular bodies? For example, jagrhe paurusam rupam: “He accepted the form
of the Purusha.’ (Bhagavatam 1.3.1) And harir api tatyaja akritim try-adhisah: “Hari, Lord of
the three worlds, gave up that form.” (Bhagavatam 3.4.28) This doubt is resolved when we
understand that His avataras are also eternal. The Lord exhibits and hides His various
personal forms as His pastime.

Text 398

In the Padma Purana [Patala 73.13-14] Shri Vyasa recounts to Ambarisha words Vyasa
had spoken during a dialogue with Shri Krishna: “I wish to see You, O Madhusudana.
May that Supreme Absolute Truth, whom the Upanishads describe as the origin and
master of the universe, be visible to my eyes.

Text 399

“Shri Krishna replied, ‘Watch and I will show you My true form, which the Vedas keep
secret.

“I then saw a boy, O king, whose luster was like that of a dark cloud. He was a
cowherd sitting at the base of a kadamba tree surrounded by cowherd maidens and
joking with other cowherd boys. Dressed in yellow, He was the infallible Lord.”
[Padma Purana, Patala 73.18-19]

Text 400

Further on in the same passage: “Then that Personality of Godhead who moves about
the Vrindavana forest smiled and addressed me: ‘This divine form of Mine you now
see is eternal, indivisible, without material activities, and peaceful. It is the perfectly
complete personal form of eternity, knowledge, and bliss with lotus-petal eyes. I have
no form greater than this.

Text 401
“It is this form that the Vedas describe as the cause of all causes, as the all-pervasive
truth, as the supreme bliss, as the embodiment of pure spirit, and as perpetual and
all-auspicious.” [Padma Purana, Patala 73-23-26]

Text 402

And in Shri Vasudeva Upanishad [3.5]: “My form is the Absolute Truth, beyond
duality. It has no beginning, middle, or end. Self-effulgent and incorruptible, it is
made of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. One understands this form through
devotional service.”

Commentary

As these and other scriptural statements explicitly establish, the personal forms of Krishna
and His companions are all eternal. Krishna’s essential self is perfect and complete, and His
attire, entourage, and sporting activities are also perfect and complete. Krishna’s
transcendental body is the Absolute Truth, Brahman, because there is never any trace of
duality between Him and His body.

Text 403

Someone may propose, “But Krishna is innately formless. He conjures a form when
He wants to become visible.

Commentary

Using the rhetorical principle sthuna-nikhata, “planting the pillar deeper,” Shrila Rupa
establishes the eternality of Krishna’s personality even more solidly by considering another
argument of the Mayavadis. The impersonalists argue that Krishna, as pure consciousness
and bliss, has no visible form. They say that He comes into view by assuming bodies made
from vishuddhasattva, which they consider the unmixed material mode of goodness. A
number of statements from the Puranas and epics seem to corroborate this theory.

Text 404

“Thus the Lord makes this statement in the Moksha-dharma: ‘Although you see Me
like this, you should not assume that I inhabit a form. If I desired, I could dissolve in
a single moment. After all, I am the Supreme Lord and the spiritual master of all the
worlds.

Commentary

The impersonalists foolishly interpret these words to mean “Please do not think that I, the
Supreme Lord, am visible because I am restrictively embodied like others. If I want, I can
easily abandon this physical form, reverting again to invisibility. I can easily assume and
withdraw forms as I like, even though no one else enjoys this same liberty.”

Text 405

“What you see is the maya I have created, Narada. You should not think that I am
really connected to the elements of creation. (Mahabharata, Shanti-parva 326.42-43)

Commentary

A person might ask the Lord, “If You are essentially formless, how do You assume forms?”

In the Mayavadis’ view, Krishna answers, “My forms are products of maya. Do not think that
I, the formless essence of knowledge and bliss, mix with the five material qualities that begin
with sound.”

Text 406

“And in the Padma Purana: “The Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari, has no name or
form. The Vedas and smritis designate Him as inactive.”

Text 407

These points are resolved as follows in Shri Vasudeva Adhyatma: “Because Lord Hari’s
qualities are not completely known, He is called nameless. Because His form is not
material, He is called formless. And because He is not connected with material
nature, that ancient Lord is called inactive by the wise ancients who know Him.”

Commentary

The scriptural evidence cited above is authoritative, but one is obliged to understand it
correctly. The Supreme Lord is “nameless” in the sense that no one is able to describe
everything about Him. Kartsnyena najo ‘py abhidhatum isah: “Even unborn Brahma is unable
to name all His qualities. (Bhagavatam 12.4.39)

“Formless” should be understood to mean “without material form.” And “inactive” means
that, unlike the conditioned souls, the Lord does not have to act under the sway of material
nature. He is active, but on His own initiative.

Tad aikshata: “He glanced.” (Chandogya Upanishad 6.2.3) So *kamayata: “He desired.”
(Taittirtya Upanishad 2.6) Lord Vishnu’s glancing and His desiring to create are actions
undertaken before He awakened His prakriti. Whether in creating the material world or in
His loving dealings with His pure devotees, the Personality of Godhead always acts with
absolute freedom. This has already been illustrated in the passage cited from the
Bhagavatams Second Canto describing Lord Brahmas vision of Vaikuntha (texts 229-34 of this
chapter).

Text 408

Thus the statement of the Moksha-dharma is appropriately understood as follows:

Commentary

The reason the Supreme Lord has denied that He possesses a form is that He does not have to
accept a body made of anything material.

Text 409

You should not think that as an ordinary person is visible because he has a form, the
Supreme Lord becomes visible because He also inhabits the same kind of form.

Text 410

Thus, to disclose that His essential identity is not material, He describes Himself as
invisible even though He has His own form.

Text 411

By the half-verse beginning “If I desired, in a moment ...” [text 404] the Lord clarifies
that “The cause of this form’s being seen is My desire, which is never frustrated.”

The verb “nas,” “I could dissolve,’ in this context means “I could become invisible.”

Commentary

How can someone see the Supreme Persons transcendental form? By His merciful desire His
devotee can see Him; but unless the Lord desires, no one can see Him. Only when He
chooses to smear the ointment of devotion on someone’s eyes does His form become visible.

Text 412

“If you still see My body as made of the qualities of material nature, that is an illusion
I have created. You should not think of that perception as reality.”

Commentary
The word maya can be applied in this verse as indicating the power of delusion. Maya
dambhe kripayam ca: “Maya means ‘deceit’ and also ‘mercy.” (Vishva-kosha) Maya syad
chambari-buddhyoh: “Maya is used to indicate ‘sorcery and ‘intelligence.” (Trikanda-shesha-
kosha)

Taking the word mayas alternate meaning, “mercy, the Lord is saying, “You see My personal
form by the transcendental power of My compassion.”

Text 413

In some contexts the word maya indicates the Lord's spiritual energy.

Text 414

In the Chatur-veda-shikha: “The primeval Lord Vishnu is connected with the eternal
energy of His essential being, called Maya. Therefore He is called Maya-maya.”
Madhvacharya has cited this Shruti text in his Vedanta commentary.

Commentary

The Supreme Lord can be said to be connected with maya in still another sense. “Maya” is a
name of His internal creative energy in the spiritual realm. The Maha-samhita uses this sense:
atma-maya tad-iccha syat. “His personal maya is His desire.” In other words, taking this
meaning, the Lord wants us to understand that He possesses a purely spiritual body, not a
body produced of material elements.

Text 415

In this regard, the Moksha-dharma explains how the Lord becomes manifest only by
His own desire: “When the Personality of Godhead was pleased with him, that eternal
Lord of lords showed Himself, although no one else could see Him.”

Commentary

This narration from the Moksha-dharma section of the Mahabharata’s Shantiparva describes
what happened at a sacrifice performed by Uparichara Vasu, with the sage Brihaspati serving
as the adhvaryu priest. Satisfied with Uparicara Vasu’s devotion, Lord Vishnu showed
Himself, but only to him.

Text 416

“At that time, enraged Brihaspati impetuously raised the sruk ladle and struck at the
air, shedding tears of anger.
Text 417

“The sacrificial offerings have been made and the demigods have directly received
their portions. Why then has the almighty Hari not made Himself visible to us?’

Commentary

Brihaspati had seen the demigods accept their offerings in person, but Lord Vishnu did not
reveal Himself to him. Frustrated, he struck at the air with the sacred ladle used for pouring
ghee into the fire.

Text 418

“The great King Vasu then attempted to pacify the aroused sage: “The Lord is indeed
in our sacrificial assembly, just as He is present everywhere.

Text 419

“The Supreme Lord, to whom you have presented His portion of the offerings, has no
inclination toward anger. O Brihaspati, as you cannot see Him, we also cannot see
Him. Only that person to whom He grants His favor can see Him.” [Mahabharata,
Shanti-parva 323.11, 13, 15-16, 18]

Text 420

Also, there we find this statement by Ekata, Dvita, and Trita: “Then, as we took the
avabhrita bath to complete our vow, a disembodied voice spoke in a sweet, grave
voice, giving delight to the Supreme Lord. The voice said, ‘O inquisitive devotees, how
can you expect to see Him, the almighty Lord?” (Mahabharata, Shanti-parva 323.23]

Commentary

The voice heard in the sky was that of Sarasvati, the goddess of speech.

Text 421

Thus the Lord becomes visible to our eyes through His potency of selfmanifestation,
by which He reveals Himself according to His desire. He is never within the range of
our eyes’ perceptive power.

Commentary
By the potency of the Personality of Godhead’s special mercy, He can choose to be seen by
those who focus their attention on Him. If He does not choose to bestow His kripa-shakti, no
one’s eyes have the power to perceive Him.

Thus Shrila Rupa Gosvami provides further evidence that the Lord’s personal form is purely
spiritual and self-manifested.

Text 422

As stated in Shri Narayana Adhyatma, “Although the Personality of Godhead is always

imperceptible, one can see Him by the agency of His personal potencies. Without the
assistance of these potencies, who can see the Supreme Soul, the unlimited Lord?”

Commentary

This confirms that the Supreme Lord reveals Himself by His personal potency of compassion.

Text 423

And in the Padma Purana: “Because His form is composed of eternity, knowledge, and
bliss, Krishna is adhokshaja, beyond the purview of the senses. But by the influence
of His own potency He reveals Himself to His devotees.”

Commentary

In relation to Krishna, the power of the eyes and other senses to perceive (akshaja-jnana)
becomes insignificant (adhah-krita). He can be seen only by those with pure devotion.

Text 424

His personal form is simultaneously all-pervading and limited in size. The one Lord
appears in both these ways.

Commentary

Lord Hari’s pastimes are said to have no beginning or end. But a faithless person, thinking
that only someone limited by space and time can perform actions, may doubt whether the
all-pervading Supreme can have pastimes at all. And if we say that the Supreme is limited,
wouldn’t that mean He has a beginning and His activities also have a beginning?

To resolve this doubt, one must understand that the Supreme Lord's acts are inconceivable.
In one place He can act as a small child for His mother’s pleasure, and simultaneously He can
make Himself accessible to the meditation of countless mystics throughout the universe.
Text 425

As the Tenth Canto [10.9.13-14] describes, “The Supreme Personality of Godhead has
no beginning and no end, no exterior and no interior, no front and no rear. In other
words, He is all-pervading. Because He is not under the influence of the element of
time, for Him there is no difference between past, present, and future; He exists in
His own transcendental form at all times. Being absolute, beyond relativity, He is free
from distinctions between cause and effect, although He is the cause and effect of
everything. That unmanifested person, who is beyond the perception of the senses,
had now appeared as a human child, and Mother Yashoda, considering Him her own
ordinary child, bound Him to the wooden mortar with a rope.”

Commentary

Krishna has no spatial limits that could define His inside and outside. He is simultaneously
present in each and every corner of the cosmos. He resides within the living beings, within
material nature, and within the universe as a whole. But one unpretentious cowherd woman
of Vraja, Yashoda, thinks of Him as her son and punishes Him for being naughty.

As Queen Kunti remembers,

gopy adade tvayi kritagasi dama tavad

ya te dasasru-kalilanjana-sambhramaksam
vaktram niniya bhaya-bhavanayéa sthitasya
sa mam vimohayati bhir api yad bibheti

“My dear Krishna, the gopi took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and
Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears that washed the mascara from Your eyes. And
You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.”
(Bhagavatam 1.8.31)

This verse from the Tenth Canto describes Krishna, whom Mother Yashoda saw as her child,
as martya-linga, “in the form of a human being.” The Gopala-tapani Upanishad (Purva 10)
also describes Him in human form: dvi-bhujam mauna-mudradhyam. “He has two arms,
beautifully held in a gesture of quiet contemplation.”

He is adhoksaja, uninterested in ordinary sense pleasure because He perpetually enjoys the

pastimes that comprise His essential being.

Text 426

From these two verses we see that the son of the King of Vraja displayed this dual
nature on the occasion of His being tied by ropes.

Text 427
Moreover, we hear unequivocal statements in Shrimad-Bhagavatam and other
Puranas that describe the eternal nature of Krishna’s pastimes.

Commentary

Someone might reason that the Lord's pastimes are just like any other activities. They can
occur only if each action or movement in sequence has a start and a completion. Thus
Krishna’s pastimes must come to an end and cannot be eternal.

This objection is answered by considering the unique powers of the supreme controller. For
one thing, He has unlimited forms, as many statements of the scripture attest. Eko pi san
bahudha yo vibhati: “Although one, He appears as many.’ (Gopala-tapani Upanishad, Purva
20) Ekanekasvarupaya: “His real self is one and many.’ (Vishnu Purana 1.2.3) He also has
unlimited associates, as the Chandogya Upanishad (7.26.2) states: sa ekadha bhavati dvidha.
“He appears alone and in the company of many.’ And He lives in countless transcendental
abodes: paramam padam avabhati bhuri. “His supreme residence manifests itself in unlimited
forms.” (Rig Veda 1.154.6)

Considering these points, we must conclude that His activities have no beginning. Each of
His pastimes, in the association of particular devotees, appears in multiple places, and
although each lila appears to have a beginning and an end, as it ends in one location it begins
in another. ‘Therefore there is no cessation of any of His pastimes and no impediment to
calling them eternal.

One might still object, “We can grant that the pastimes continue without break, but when
one of them repeats in another place that must be considered a different activity.”

No. We can even find examples of quite ordinary events in this world that repeat but are still
the same action. For example, someone may shout, “Look, a cow, a cow!” He speaks the same
word twice, not two different words with the same sound. Similarly, although the Supreme
Lord may conclude the exhibition of a pastime in one place and commence it in another, it is
still the same ongoing pastime. His forms, pastimes, devotees, and places of residence each
have their own unified persistence.

The Purusha-bodhini Upanishad confirms the eternal nature of His pastimes: eko devo nitya-
lilanurakto / bhakta-vyapi bhakta-hrdy antar-atma. “The one Supreme Lord is immersed in
His eternal pleasure pastimes. He always stays with His devotees, seated in their hearts as
their inner Self?’

Text 428

For example, the residents of Shri Dvaraka state in the First Canto [1.10.26], “Oh how
supremely glorified is the dynasty of King Yadu, and how virtuous is the land of
Mathura, which the chief of the Purushas, the beloved of the goddess of fortune, is
honoring with His birth and His wanderings.”

Commentary
Ladies on the roofs of Hastinapura spoke this verse. They can be considered residents of
Dvaraka since they are members of Krishna’s eternal Dvaraka entourage. Even after Krishna
moved from Mathura to Dvaraka in the view of mundane eyes, the Hastinapura-vasis
continued to see His presence in His original abode.

Both of Krishnas fathers, Nanda and Vasudeva, appeared in Yadu’s revered family.

The statement that Krishna is “the chief of the Purushas” (pumsam rishabhah) means that He
is the chief of the three Purusha creators because He is the amsi from whom They expand.

He is the beloved consort of the goddess Lakshmi of Vaikuntha, of Shri Radha of Vrindavana,
and of Shri Rukmini of Dvaraka.

Text 429

The word “wandering” expresses present action. Therefore, this statement of the
Dvaraka residents indicates that Krishna’s pastimes are eternal.

Text 430

In the words of Shri Shuka in the Tenth Canto [10.90.48]: “Lord Shri Krishna, the
ultimate resort of all living entities, is also known as Devakinandana or Yashoda-
nandana, the son of Devaki and Yashoda. He is the guide of the Yadu dynasty. With
His mighty arms He kills everything inauspicious and every impious man. By His
presence He destroys all misfortune for all living entities, moving and inert. His
blissful smiling face always increases the lusty desires of the gopis of Vrindavana. May
He be all glorious and happy!”

Commentary

When Shukadeva Gosvami was about to describe to Maharaja Parikshit the pastime of
Krishnas disappearance, he first spoke this verse to encourage the king, who had no interest
in life other than Krishna. That Krishna, who is glorified by Shukadeva, is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. As He was during His visible pastimes on earth, so He remains today.
Shukadeva does not want Parikshit to become confused by the narration of the mausala-lila.
People who have only the power of external sight may not see Him, but He always enjoys
with His devotees in Vraja and His royal cities of Mathura and Dvaraka.

He always inspires amorous thoughts in the hearts of the women who love Him.

He is glorified here as devaki-janma-vada, “known for taking birth as the son of Devaki” and
“as the son of Yashoda.” The Adi Purana explains that dve namni nanda-bharyaya yasoda
devakiti ca: “Nanda wife has two names, Yashoda and Devaki.’
Vada, “known,” is used here to indicate the impartial discussions of serious philosophers who
want to discover the truth without promoting their own agenda. Even today the wisest
philosophers conclude that Krishna took birth from both Yashoda and Devaki.

Krishna eternally reciprocates with His associates led by Shri Nanda in Vraja and Shri
Vasudeva in the capital city of the Vrishnis. He unceasingly defeats the forces of irreligion
through the agency of Shridama and His other friends in Vraja, and through the agency of
Satyaki and the other Yadus in Dvaraka, all of whom He considers like His own mighty arms.

Krishna’s pastimes are described by Shukadeva to Parikshit in the present tense, even though
by the time Shukadeva narrated the Bhagavatam Krishna’s manifest form had already been
gone from this planet for some time. If Krishna’s pastimes were not eternal, Shukadeva would
not be justified in using the present tense.

Text 431

From the Mathura-khanda of Shri Skanda Purana, a statement by Shri Narada to Shri
Yudhisthira: “Having entered the Vrindavana forest surrounded by the cowherd boys,
Madhava plays with His calves and young cows in the company of Balarama.”

Text 432

When the two of them were having this discussion Krishna was living in Dvaraka, but
Narada uses the present tense. Thus, this statement indicates eternality.

Text 433

In the Patala-khanda of the Padma Purana, Shri Rudra says to Shri Parvati, “Oh how
fortunate is the district of Mathura, where the killer of Kamsa stays! All the demigods
and sages would like to live there always.”

Commentary

The Madhupuri Lord Shiva refers to includes not only Mathura city but the entire district of
Mathura.

Text 434

The cowherds and the Yadavas are associates of the Lord in His pastimes. Other
associates include demigods like Brahma, Indra, and the sons of Kuvera, sages like
Narada, and others such as demons, Nagas, and Yakshas.

Commentary
Pastimes are not exciting without companions with whom to share them. Therefore Krishna’s
eternal parshadas, who are as intimately connected with Him as the limbs of His body, are
eternally involved in His lilas. In His eternal abode, even the demons and others who interact
with Krishna are purely spiritual persons, as are Durga and the other demigods of Vaikuntha.
As stated earlier, na yatra maya: “In the spiritual world there is no illusion created by Maya.”
(Bhagavatam 2.9.10) It is solely for His pleasure that devotees in Krishnas transcendental
abode act in the roles of demigods and demons.

Jambhari is a name of Indra, the enemy of demon Jambha. Prominent among the minor
associates of Krishna’s pastimes are the demon Keshi, the serpent Kaliya, and the Yaksha
Shankhachuda.

Text 435

Krishna’s pastimes are also said to have two forms – manifest and unmanifest.

Text 436

Krishna perpetually enjoys pastimes in unlimited expanded personal forms. At

various times He reveals one or another of these forms within the material world.
Accompanied by personal associates, He enacts His birth and other pastimes.

Text 437

Following Krishna’s moods, His energy named Lila inspires appropriate moods in the
members of His entourage.

Commentary

Why do Brahma and other elevated jivas who are associates of the Supreme Lord sometimes
act antagonistically toward Him? Because sometimes He wants that. The devotee thinks, “If
my contrary behavior will help my master enjoy His pastimes, then I will act accordingly,’ and
the Lord’s pastime potency makes the necessary arrangements.

Text 438

When His pastimes are visible to material eyes they are considered prakata
[manifest]. Other, similar but unmanifest pastimes occur, invisible to material eyes.

Text 439
Only during the manifest pastimes, however, does Lord Sharngi come and go between
Gokula, Mathura, and Dvaraka.

Commentary

In Mathura and Dvaraka Shri Krishna carries His bow, Sarnga (commonly known as Lord
Vishnu’s bow). There He is thus called Sharngi. In Gokula, however, Krishna carries a buffalo
horn for calling His cows. Because such a horn is called a shringa, there also Krishna is called
Sharngi, carrier of His shringa. Venu-shringa-dharas tu va: Krishnas flute and buffalo horn are
always with Him in Gokula Vrindavana.

Text 440

His unmanifest pastimes certainly occur continuously in each of their respective

locations. Thus we regularly hear statements like the verse beginning jayati jana-
nivasah [Bhagavatam 10.90.48].

Commentary

Even when the annihilation of the material universe occurs, Krishnas aprakata-lila continue
uninterrupted. His pastimes are not finished just because they are invisible. A peacock hiding
in the forest does not cease to exist when no one sees it.

Text 441

When, on the order of lotus-born Brahma, the demigods and others take birth on the
earth as partial expansions, Kashyapa, who is an expansion of Vasudeva, along with
other, similar expansions residing in heaven, join with their originals who eternally
take part in Krishna’s pastimes. To accomplish this they take birth from Shurasena
and others.

Commentary

This is how Krishna arranges to make visible His pastimes with His eternal devotees. When
the time came for Krishna to descend to the earth to relieve her burden, Lord Brahma
ordered the demigods to join Krishna:

giram samadhau gagane samiritam

nisamya vedhas tridasan uvaca ha
gam paurusim me srnutamarah punar
vidhiyatam asu tathaiva ma ciram

puraiva pumsavadhrto dhara-jvaro

bhavadbhir amsair yadusupajanyatam
sa yavad urvya bharam isvareshvarah
sva-kala-saktya ksapayams cared bhuvi
“While in trance, Lord Brahma heard the words of Lord Vishnu vibrating in the sky. Thus he
told the demigods: ‘O demigods, hear from me the order of Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu, the
Supreme Person, and execute it attentively without delay. Before we submitted our petition
to the Lord, He was already aware of the distress on earth. Consequently, for as long as the
Lord moves on earth to diminish its burden by His own potency in the form of time, all of
you demigods should appear through plenary portions as sons and grandsons in the family of
the Yadus.” (Bhagavatam 10.1.21-22)

Some expansions of Krishna’s eternal associates reside in heaven. Responding to Brahma’s

order, these expansions – such as Vasudeva’ amsha Kashyapa and Nanda Maharaja’s amsha
Drona – merged back into the originals from whom they expanded and took birth from
fathers on the earth like Shurasena and Parjanya Gopa.

In the Padma Purana Shri Krishna tells His wife Satyabhama,

atha brahmadi-devanam
tatha prarthanaya bhuvah
agato ‘ham ganah sarve
jatas te pi maya saha

ete hi yadavah sarve

mad-gana eva bhamini
sarvada mat-priyd devi
mat-tulya-guna-sdlinah

“Entreated by Mother Earth and the demigods led by Brahma, I have come here with all the
members of my entourage, who have also taken birth. Thus, O radiant one, all these Yadavas
are my personal associates. They are always very dear to Me, dear goddess, and their virtues
are equal to Mine.”

Also in the Padma Purana (Patala 73.18-19) Shri Vyasadeva says to Ambarisha Maharaja,

pasya tvam darsayisyami

svarupam veda-gopitam
tato pasyam aham bhupa
balam kalambuda-prabham
gopa-kanyavrtam gopam
hasantam gopa-balakaih

“The Lord told me, “Watch and | will show You My true form, which the Vedas keep secret.

“I then saw a boy, O King, whose luster was like that of a black lotus flower. He was a
cowherd boy surrounded by cowherd maidens and joking with other cowherd boys.”

In this vision, Vyasadeva saw the original Personality of Godhead in the company of the
young cowherds. Certainly Nanda Maharaja and the other elder gopas were not far away.
Text 442

The Lord of the supreme goddess of fortune is a partial expansion of this playful
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Desiring to make His appearance in this world, He
arranges for Sankarshana to appear first. Then, carrying within Himself His other two
vyuha expansions, who will also participate in His pastimes, the Supreme Lord
reveals Himself in Vasudeva’s heart.

Commentary

Once Krishnas parents and other elders have come to earth in Gokula and Mathura, Krishna
also comes.

Krishna is Lila-purushottama, the playful Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Lord

Narayana of Vaikuntha is one of His vilasa expansions. Vasudeva is His first vyuha expansion.
The second, Sankarshana, appears as His older brother Balarama. The other two, Pradyumna
and Aniruddha, become Krishnas son and grandson.

Shukadeva Gosvami describes Krishna’s appearing in Vasudeva's heart:

bhagavan api vishvatma

bhaktanam abhayan-karah
avivesamsa-bhagena
mana anakadundubheh

sa bibhrat paurusam dhama

bhrajamano yatha ravih
durasado ‘ti-durdharso
bhutanam sambabhuva ha

“Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul of all living entities, who
vanquishes all fear for His devotees, entered the mind of Vasudeva in full opulence. While
carrying the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the core of his heart,
Vasudeva bore the Lord’s transcendentally illuminating effulgence, and thus he looked as
bright as the sun. He was therefore very difficult to see or approach for all living entities, even
for such formidable men as Kamsa.” (Bhagavatam 10.2.16-17)

Text 443

To relieve the earth of her burden and to respond to the entreaty of the demigods,
Krishna appeared at the end of the Dvapara Age in this twenty-eighth cycle of four
yugas. The form of the Lord who rests on the Milk Ocean, known as Aniruddha,
merged with the form of Krishna in Vasudeva’s heart. They then transferred
themselves to Devaki’s heart to become manifest there.

Commentary
How is it that in Vraja Krishna exhibited pastimes of Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu? It was
possible because that Purusha had united with Him. The original Aniruddha appeared as
Pradyumna’s son, but before He did, His expansion, the third Purusha, resided in Krishnas
body.

The Matsya Purana specifies the time of Krishna’s descent:

asmad rathantarat kalpat

trayo-vimsatimo yada
varaho bhavita kalpas
tasmin manv-antare subhe

vaivasvatakhye samprapte
saptame sapta-loka-dhrk
dvaparakhyam yugam tasminn
asta-vimsatimam yada

tasyante ca maha-lilo
vasudevo janardanah
bharavataranarthaya
tridha vishnur bhavishyati

dvaipayano munis tadvat

rauhineyo ‘tha kesavah

“After the current Rathantara-kalpa ends, the twenty-third day of Brahma, the Varaha-kalpa,
will begin. During that kalpa, at the end of the twenty-eighth Dvapara Age of the auspicious
seventh manvantara, called Vaivasvata, the maintainer of the seven worlds, Lord Vasudeva
Janardana, the performer of wonderful pastimes, will appear in three forms to relieve the
earth of her burden: as the sage Dvaipayana Vyasa, as Balarama, the son of Rohini, and as
Keshava.”

Shrila Shukadeva also describes Krishna’s transfer from Vasudeva’s heart to Devaki’s, taking
with Him His vyuha Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu and other amshas:

tato jagan-mangalam acyutamsam

samahitam sura-sutena devi
dadhara sarvatmakam atma-bhitam
kastha yathananda-karam manastah

“Thereafter, accompanied by His 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 Devaki. Devaki, 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.” (Bhagavatam 10.2.18)

This verse describes Devaki carrying Krishna in her mind, but we should understand that
Krishna also entered her womb. The demigods affirmed this by saying to Devaki: dishtyamba
te kukshi-gatah parah puman. “O mother, by good fortune the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is now within your womb.” (Bhagavatam 10.2.41)

Text 444

Nurtured by the nectar of Devaki’s ecstatic love, which consists exclusively of

parental affection, Lord Hari grew in her heart like the waxing moon.

Text 445

Then, in the middle of the night on the eighth day of the waning moon in the month
of Bhadrapada, Krishna disappeared from Devaki’s heart and showed Himself on her
bed in the birthing room of the prison.

Text 446

Krishna’s mother and the others believed that her child had taken birth in the
ordinary manner, and that His birth had been an easy one.

Text 447

Krishna remains the same person whether He shows four arms or two according to
His various moods, qualities, and appearances.

Commentary

With the following statement, Shri Vishnu Purana (4.11.2) indicates that the two-armed
human form of Krishna is the original Supreme:

yador vamsham narah srutva

sarva-papaih pramucyate
yatravatirnah krishnakhyam
param brahma narakriti

“Any human being who hears about the Yadu dynasty becomes liberated from all past sins.
The Supreme Truth, known by the name Krishna, descended in His human form as a member
of that family.’

Why then does Shri Shukadeva describe the Krishna who took birth from Devaki as chatur-
bhujam sankha-gadady-udayudham, “four-armed, holding conch, club, and other weapons’?
(Bhagavatam 10.3. 9) Is there some contradiction here?

No. As explained in the verse under discussion, the same Krishna exhibits either two or four
arms on various occasions. He has only two arms when He acts like an ordinary human,
showing innocence despite His omniscience, and showing those capacities that suit His
mood.

Text 448

Still it is said that Krishna originally has two arms. His two-armed form sometimes
may be described as secondary, but that is to keep it confidential. “He is the Absolute
Truth disguised in a human form.”

Commentary

The most sublime secret of the revealed scriptures is that God in His fullest glory acts and
appears like an ordinary person, and therefore that Krishna’s two-armed form is primary. To
keep this confidential, the scriptures sometimes describe His humanlike appearance as
secondary.

To make clear that Krishna in human form is indeed the original Godhead, Narada twice
spoke the same words (cited in this verse) to Yudhisthira:

yuyam nr-loke bata bhuri-bhaga

lokam punana munayo ‘bhiyanti
yesam grhan avasatiti saksad
gudham param brahma manusya-lingam

“You Pandavas are so very fortunate in this world that many, many great saints, who can
purify all the planets in the universe, come to your house just like ordinary visitors. After all,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is living confidentially in your home with you,
appearing like a human being.” (Bhagavatam 7.10.48 and 7.15.75)

Text 449

Vasudeva then went to the house of the queen of Vraja. He entrusted his son to her,
picked up her daughter, and left.

Text 450

This same Krishna is Yashoda’s son eternally, and thus in his visible pastimes he also
took birth from her.

Commentary

The Puranas call Krishna “the son’ to indicate literal birth from both Devaki and Yashoda.
Even accepting this as part of His sequential, visible pastimes, one may still question whether
He acts as a son in His eternal, invisible pastimes. The answer is that Krishna eternally acts as
the son of both Devaki and Yashoda. The word api in this verse indicates that He accepts
both mothers also in His visible pastimes, and tatha indicates that He accepts them “in the
same way, indicating birth through the ordinary process as known in the material world.

Another doubt might be raised: In Krishnas aprakata-lila, He and both pairs of His parents
exist eternally. How, then, do they enter into relationships as mother, father, and son, which
seem dependent on temporal differences of older and younger? We resolve this doubt by
understanding that Krishna accepts particular moods and relationships according to the
various attitudes of His devotees. In the words of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad (5.4), bhava-
grahyam anidakhyam: “He is perceived according to one’s affection for Him. He depends on
no material support.’

Devaki's maternal love is not exactly the same as Yashoda's. Yashoda is not concerned
whether or not Krishna is God. Her surrender as His mother has no conditions or inhibitions
due to respect for His Godhood. Thus her love is described as purer than Devaki's. Still,
Krishna accepts both of them as His mothers. When a lotus flower grows, it produces many
petals simultaneously; some of them may grow larger and more beautiful than others, but all
of them belong to the lotus flower.

Shri Shukadeva does describe Krishna in His prakata-lila as taking birth from both Devaki
and Yashoda. He mentions Krishna’s birth from Devaki explicitly and His birth from Yashoda
implicitly. It was the Lord's desire that Shukadeva present His narration like this.

In his description of Krishna’s birth Shukadeva says,

nisithe tama-udbhite
jayamane janardane
devakyam deva-rupinyam
vishnuh sarva-guha-sayah
avirasid yatha pracyam
disindur iva puskalah

“Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, who is situated in the core of everyone's
heart, appeared from the heart of Devaki in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon
rising on the eastern horizon, because Devaki was of the same category as Shri Krishna.”
(Bhagavatam 10.3.8)

A little later he says,

yasoda nanda-patni ca
jatam param abudhyata
na tal-lingam parisranta
nidrayapagata-smritih

“Exhausted by the labor of childbirth, Yashoda was overwhelmed with sleep. She understood
that the child had taken birth, but didn't know whether it was a boy or a girl.” (Bhagavatam
10.3.53)
The first of these two statements can be understood as follows. The word devakyam connects
with both the phrase that precedes it and the one that follows it. Sitting in the middle of the
two phrases, like a lamp sitting on a patio between two rooms, it shines in both.

The first phrase contains the participle jayamdne (“being born’), which goes with devakyam
meaning “from Yashoda.” “Lord Janardana, Krishna, was being born from Yashoda in the
dense darkness of midnight on the eighth day in the dark half of Bhadrapada.”

The second phrase has its own corresponding verb, avirasit (“He appeared”). This indicates
that Krishna appeared in two simultaneous births.

The second phrase tells us, then, that “Lord Vishnu, the same Krishna, appeared at the same
moment from Devaki, the daughter of King Devaka.”

If this is not clear enough, please consider the words spoken in Shri Hari-vamsha:

garbha-kale tv asampurne
astame masi te striyau
devaki ca yasoda ca
susuvate samam tada

“In their eighth months, before the completion of the normal term of pregnancy, both
women, Devaki and Yashoda, gave birth at the same time.”

Since the daughter, Yogamaya, was born a little later, this must refer to the simultaneous
birth of the same male son.

Shrila Shukadeva helps us understand this in his account:

tatas ca saurir bhagavat-pracoditah

sutam samadaya sa sutika-grhat
yada bahir gantum iyesa tarhy aja
ya yogamayajani nanda-jayaya

“Thereafter, exactly when Vasudeva, being inspired by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
was about to take the newborn child from the delivery room, Yogamaya, the Lords spiritual
energy, took birth as the daughter of the wife of Maharaja Nanda.” (Bhagavatam 10.3.47)

From this verse Yogamaya is known as Krishna’s younger sister. Neither Vasudeva nor
Yashoda, however, noticed that the boy and girl took birth a few hours apart.

Devaki and Yashoda are both deva-rupini, qualitatively one with the Personality of Godhead.
Shri Krishna’s supreme purity was therefore in no way out of place when He resided in their
wombs. A king appears even more regal when sitting in a gem-bedecked palace refreshed by
fragrant breezes. Indeed, Shrila Shukadeva says that Krishna appeared pushkala, in His full
glory.

In Shukadeva’s statement about Yashoda’s being fatigued after giving birth, he directly says
that she recognized the signs of the Godhead in her newborn child and understood that the
Supreme Lord had taken birth from her. Why was she unaware that she had given birth to a
second child, a girl, and that Vasudeva had taken the girl away? Because her fatigue
prevented her from seeing the signs (tal-lingam). According to the Vishva-lochana dictionary,
lingam cihnanumanayoh: “Linga means ‘sign or ‘deduction.”

Narada Muni declares openly in the Adi Purana that Krishna also took birth from Yashoda:

nanda-gopa-grhe putro
yasoda-garbha-sambhavah

“This son took birth from the womb of Yashoda in the house of Nanda Gopa.”

With this in mind, we can take literally Shrimad-Bhagavatams references to Krishna as the
son of Nanda and Yashoda:

nandas tv atmaja utpanne

jatahlado maha-manah
ahuya vipran veda-jnan
snatah sucir alankritah

“Nanda Maharaja was naturally very magnanimous, and when Lord Shri Krishna appeared as
his son, he was overwhelmed by jubilation. Therefore, after bathing and purifying himself and
dressing himself properly, he invited brahmanas who knew how to recite Vedic mantras”.
(Bhagavatam 10.5.1)

nayam sukhapo bhagavan

dehinam gopika-sutah
jnaninam catma-bhutanam
yatha bhaktimatam iha

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the son of the gopi Yashoda, is accessible to
devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to mental
speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and penances, or to
those who consider the body the same as the self?” (Bhagavatam 10.9.21)

When Kamsa rushed into the prison cell intending to kill Devaki's eighth child, Devaki
pretended that her eighth child was a girl, Yogamaya, although she knew very well that
Krishna was her eighth child. Shrila Shukadeva should not be faulted when he supports this
intentional deception meant to protect Krishna by speaking the words upaguhyatmajam,
“embracing her daughter.’ (Bhagavatam 10.4.7)

Why, then, does Shrila Rupa only suggest that Krishna also took birth from Yashoda? Because
the author’s worshipable Lord Krishna wants this. Krishna desires, “I appear in the homes of
both Nanda and Vasudeva, but remain visible in only one of those forms, living with Nanda.
If both forms remain, Kamsa will take note and create distress for My parents, Vasudeva and
Devaki. Therefore, O reciter of My pastimes, please do not divulge this secret when you sing
your narration.” Shrila Rupa nonetheless provides a hint in this text of Laghu-bhagavatamrita
by using the word api (“also”) to indicate that Krishna took birth from Yashoda as well.
Text 451

After Krishna’s appearance, the king of Vraja conducted a great festival. The Lord
then exhibited His various pastimes, one after another, beginning with those of His
early childhood. He manifests millions of such pastimes invisible to this world.

Text 452

This divine Lila-purushottama enjoys His festive pastimes in Vraja, which give great
delight to His beloved devotees and enchant everyone, including Himself.

Text 453

Because of the unparalleled and unsurpassable parental love of the king and queen of
Vraja, the Personality of Godhead always thinks of Himself as their son.

Text 454

Some devotees of ancient times have said that during this appearance of Krishna the
first of the vyuha expansions appeared in Vasudeva’ residence, while Shri Lila-
purushottama appeared with His Maya in the cowherd community.

Commentary

This is an alternative explanation of how Krishna appeared as the son of both Nanda and
Vasudeva. According to this opinion of certain venerable Vaishnavas, the original Krishna
took birth as Nanda’s son, and His expansion Vasudeva became Vasudeva’s son.

Text 455

Vasudeva, the best of the Yadus, went to the cowherd village, where he entered the
birthing room. Seeing only a female child, he took her and returned to the city. At
that time Lord Vasudeva merged into Shri Lila-purushottama.

Text 456

Because this is very confidential, it is not mentioned in the sequential narration of

Krishna’s pastimes. It is, however, hinted at in certain statements by Shri Shukadeva
and others.

Text 457
Thus we hear the following in the Tenth Canto [10.5.1]: “Nanda Maharaja was naturally
very magnanimous, and when Lord Shri Krishna appeared as his son, he was
overwhelmed with jubilation.”

Commentary

Atma-ja literally means “born from one’s own body.’

Text 458

Also in the Tenth Canto [10.6.43]: “Nanda Maharaja was very liberal and simple.
Returning from his journey, he immediately took his son Krishna on his lap.”

Text 459

And again [10.9.21]: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the son of Mother
Yashoda, is not so easily accessible to persons in the bodily concept of life.”

Commentary

Gopika-sutah literally means “born from the womb of the gopi.”

Text 460

And in Shri Brahma’s prayers in the same Tenth Canto [10.14.1]: “O son of the king of
the cowherds! Wearing garlands of various forest flowers and leaves, and equipped
with a herding stick, a buffalo horn, and a flute, You stand beautifully with a morsel
of food in Your hand.”

Commentary

Pashupa-angaja literally means “the son born from the body of the cowherd”.

Text 461

The following words of the Shri Yamala are also sometimes cited: “The Krishna born
among the Yadus is someone other than the complete Krishna. The original Krishna
never leaves Vrindavana to go anywhere else.

Text 462

“In Vrindavana He always has two hands, never four. He plays constantly in the
exclusive company of His cowherd girlfriend.”
Commentary

Shrila Rupa Gosvami is not saying that the Krishna in Vrindavana and the Krishna outside of
Vrindavana are two different people. If Krishna never left Vrindavana, why did the Vraja-vasis
suffer such pain of separation that Uddhava had to go there to console them? And why did
the Vraja-vasis travel the great distance to Kurukshetra to meet Krishna? And why do some
Puranas say that Krishna visited Vrindavana again?

With these questions in mind, someone may propose that Nandas son, with His vyuha
Vasudeva merged within Him, left Vrindavana to go to Mathura and elsewhere and then later
returned from Dvaraka to Vrindavana.

This explanation would contradict the words of the Yamala-tantra. Shrila Rupa, therefore,
answers these questions with reference to Krishna’ prakata and aprakata-lila.

Text 463

In His manifest form Krishna travels to the capital of the Yadus. He then hides His
identity as the son of the king of Vraja and presents Himself instead as Vasudeva. This
Vasudeva appears both with two arms and with four.

Commentary

This is Shrila Rupa Gosvami's explanation of how Krishna leaves Vrindavana in His prakata-
lila. In Mathura, Krishna keeps private His identity as the darling of Vraja to foster the
particular loving relationships the Mathura-vasis have with Him. There He simply shows
Himself as the son of Vasudeva.

Text 464

After displaying various pastimes in Mathura City, the great hero of the Yadus goes to
Dvaraka to exhibit many pastimes there.

Commentary

The word prakashaka indicates the agent of the action of displaying, but according to Panini
grammar, this suffix -aka can also sometimes be used as a substitute for the infinitive form
(prakdsitum). Tumun-nvulau kriyayam kriyarthayam: “When a verb form is used to refer to
the action itself, -aka can be substituted for either of the suffixes -tum or -nvul? (Panini’s
Ashtadhyayi 3.3.10) Thus the meaning of prakashaka in this verse is “in order to exhibit.”

Text 465

In Dvaraka He reveals His third vyuha expansion, known as Pradyumna, from whom
appears His fourth vyuha expansion, Aniruddha.
Text 466

We find descriptions of many different kinds of amazing and supramundane pastimes

of these four expansions of Godhead, including their marriages.

Commentary

All four vyuhas take part in Krishna’ avatara, but Lord Vasudeva does so while remaining
merged in Krishna.

Text 467

During His visible pastimes in Vraja the devotees felt separation from Krishna for
three months. After these three months He again appeared there as if manifest anew,
and the devotees directly enjoyed His company.

Commentary

How did the Vraja-vasis survive Krishna’s absence after He left them to go to Mathura? They
survived because they had to endure the fire of separation for only three months. Or, looking
at this another way, they were able to bear the sweet ecstasy of love in separation for only
three months. When Krishna again showed Himself in Vraja, He attracted the Vraja-vasis so
intensely that they felt as if He had appeared for the first time. Just as dyeing cloth with an
astringent alkali gives it a brilliant color, so the experience of separation from Krishna
intensified the pleasure of the devotees’ contact with Him. For this purpose Krishna made
them remain without Him for some time.

Text 468

His reappearance occurs in two ways: as revelation and as arrival.

Text 469

Of these, Krishna’s reappearance as revelation happens when His beloved devotees

feel overwhelmed by helplessness brought on by the excessive languor of separation.
Krishna, anxious to relieve them, suddenly appears before them.

Commentary

How Krishna appears to His devotees as if from nowhere is not a matter for speculative
analysis. He was already present in Vraja in His invisible form, and by His sweet will He could
easily choose to become visible again.
Text 470

When these devotees heard Uddhava read Krishna’s message, that wearer of forest
garlands reappeared in Vraja.

Text 471

The Brihad-vishnu Purana and other scriptures repeatedly describe the various ways
Lord Muradvit showed Himself in Vraja even while He was present in Dvaraka.

Text 472

When Lord Hari thus appeared in Vraja and enjoyed pastimes there, the Vraja-vasis
remembered His journey to the city as if it were an old dream.

Commentary

When did Krishna show Himself again in Vraja? He reappeared at the time Uddhava read His
message to the Vraja-vasis. Uddhava was sent on his mission to Vrindavana just three months
after Krishna left.

And how did the Vraja-vasis react to Krishna’s unexpected reappearance? They thought, “Of
course Krishna never leaves us to go anywhere else. We just dreamt that He went to
Mathura.”

Text 473

His second type of reappearance, as an arrival, happens when Krishna comes back to
His dear cowherd village by chariot or some other conveyance to demonstrate His
love for His devotees and to keep His promise.

Text 474

Krishna makes this promise in the Tenth Canto [10.39.35]: “As He departed, that best
of the Yadus saw the gopis’ intense suffering, and thus He consoled them by sending a
messenger with this loving promise: ‘I will return.”

Commentary

While trying to leave Vraja on Akritras chariot, Krishna sent a messenger to assure the gopis
He would return very soon.

Text 475
And this one: “Now you should all return to Vraja, dear Father. We will come to see
you, Our dear relatives who suffer in separation from Us, as soon as We have given
some happiness to your well-wishing friends.” [Bhagavatam 10.45.23]

Commentary

Nanda and the other cowherds had accompanied Krishna and Balarama to Mathura to pay
their taxes and honor Kamsa’s invitation to attend a festival. After the festival – during which
Kamsa had hoped to see the end of His two young enemies but instead suffered his own end –
Krishna asked His father to return home to look after His mother and all the other Vraja-
vasis. He Himself would stay in Mathura a little longer to help Ugrasena and others.

Text 476

Krishna’s own words shine brighter because they are supported by the statement of
His dearmost friend Uddhava, the Yadus’ advisor.

Commentary

With confirmation from a person with Uddhava’s integrity, Krishna’s promise becomes
impossible to doubt.

Text 477

And in the same Tenth Canto [10.46.35]: “Now that He has killed Kamsa, the enemy of
all the Yadus, in the wrestling arena, Krishna is surely fulfilling His promise to you
that He will return.”

Commentary

In this statement Uddhava uses the present tense satyam karoti (“He is making it true’). The
present tense is often used in Sanskrit to describe something that will happen in the near
future. Vartamdana-sdmipye vartamana-vad va: “The present tense may also be used when
there is close proximity to the present.” (Ashtadhyayi 3.3.131)

Text 478

This truth is revealed in the following words of the residents of Dvaraka.

Commentary

Krishnas devotees in Dvaraka confirm the veracity of Krishna’ promises to the gopis and
Nanda Maharaja.

Lord Krishna speaks the truth always, as He explains to Shri Narada in the Hari-vamsha
(125.37):
 nanrtam hi vaco vipra
prokta-piirvam maydanagha

“O sinless brahmana, I have never spoken an untrue word.

The Krishna-nama-stotra of the Brahmanda Purana also describes Him as satya-vak satya-
sankalpah, “true to His word and true to His resolve.” How could He who had never spoken a
lie deceive His most beloved devotees?

Text 479

In the First Canto [1.11.9]: “O lotus-eyed Lord, whenever You go away to meet Your
friends and relatives, the Kurus and Madhus, every moment of Your absence seems
like millions of years. O infallible one, at that time our lives seem useless, like eyes
bereft of the sun.”

Commentary

The residents of Dvaraka enjoyed seeing Krishna on a daily basis, but on occasion He had
business elsewhere, sometimes with the Pandavas in Hastinapura and sometimes with Nanda
and the cowherds in Vraja. As in the darkness one’s eyes cannot see anything and thus serve
no useful function, so whenever Krishna went away the devotees in Dvaraka felt their lives to
be useless.

Text 480

Karikas explaining this: “O lotus-eyed one, You leave us and go to the country of the
Madhus to see Your beloved Nanda and others.” The “country of the Madhus” means
Mathura, and Mathura must mean Vraja, because at that time none of Krishna’s
beloved devotees lived in Mathura City.

Commentary

When Krishna established Dvaraka as a safe fortress, far from the threat of Jarasandha, He
resettled the inhabitants of Mathura City there. Tatra yogaprabhavena / nitva sarva-janam
harih: “Lord Hari used His mystic power to bring everyone there.” (Bhagavatam 10.50.57)
Sarva-janam means “every single person.” Mathura was left completely unpopulated.

Text 481

Moreover, the Padma Purana explicitly describes that after going by chariot to
Mathura and killing Dantavakra, Krishna went to Vraja.

Commentary
The word ca (“and”) in this verse indicates that Krishna killed both Dantavakra and his
brother Viduratha.

Text 482

This is narrated in prose and verse: “Krishna killed him and then crossed the Yamuna
and went to Nanda’s cowherd pastures. He offered respects to His anxious parents,
received their embraces, and bathed in their tears. Bowing down to all the elder
cowherds, He consoled them. He satisfied everyone in Vraja, giving them many
presents such as jewels, clothing, and ornaments.

Text 483

“On Kalindi’s charming shore, abundant with pious trees, Keshava played
continuously with the cowherd women. Dressing as a cowherd, the Supreme Lord
remained in Vraja for two months, enjoying the pleasure of His enchanting pastimes
in many different moods of loving exchange.” [Padma Purana, Uttara 252.25-27]

Commentary

On the authority of this statement we know that for two months Krishna again played in
Vrindavana in His prakata form.

Text 484

A karika: Here the word “crossed” indicates that He swam across. After killing the
demon, Krishna appropriately took a bath before going to Vraja.

Text 485

Thus in His visible pastimes as well, separation from Krishna is experienced for only
a short time. The implication is that Krishna enjoys perpetually in His three abodes.

Text 486

The Padma Purana further describes what happened when Krishna arrived in Vraja.

Text 487

“Then Nanda Gopa and all the other men, along with their children, wives, other
household members, and domestic animals, and accompanied by the birds, wild
animals, and other creatures, boarded a divinely beautiful airplane. By the grace of
Lord Vasudeva they then attained the supreme abode, Vaikuntha.” [Padma Purana,
Uttara 252.28]

Commentary

The Vasudeva mentioned here is the son of Nanda, who had just come back from residing
with Vasudeva.

Text 488

Two karikas on this: Krishna thus sent back to Vaikuntha the partial expansions of
the king of Vraja (Drona) and others, who had previously descended to the earth. This
was quite appropriate.

Text 489

But with the residents of Gokula, who are the dearest of those dear to Him, Krishna
eternally enjoys His pastimes in Vrindavana.

Commentary

Someone may doubt whether Krishna’ pastimes in Vraja can be eternal if Nanda and His
other Vraja devotees went back to Vaikuntha. Here is the explanation: they didn't. Krishna
perpetually enjoys His aprakata-lila with His favorite devotees in the most sacred location on
earth, Mathura-mandala.

Text 490

We also hear something from Saumitri in the Ayodhya-mahatmya of the Skanda

Purana.

Text 491

“Then, as everyone looked on, with sweet words Indra addressed Lakshmana, who
always keeps His promises and within whom Ananta Shesha resided at that time.

Commentary

It is not exceptional that demigods like Drona are merged into Nanda and the other Vraja-
vasis, later to be separated again and taken to Vaikuntha. The Skanda Purana describes a
similar occurrence during Lord Ramachandra’s pastimes. As when Krishna appeared on earth
Vasudeva merged within Him, when Lakshmana appeared Ananta Shesha merged within
Him. Lakshmana is the original vyuha Sankarshana, and Ananta Shesha is His expansion who
lives in the subterranean realm.

Text 492

“Indra said, ‘O Lakshmana, please arise and quickly ascend to Your proper place. You
have completed Your work on behalf of the demigods, O hero, O destroyer of Your
enemies. Please enter the supreme abode of Vishnu, Your own eternal place. Your
own form Shesha, with effulgent serpent hoods, has arrived.” [Skanda Purana 2.8.61-
63]

Text 493

And then: “In the company of his heavenly followers, Indra, the king of the demigods,
thus addressed Lakshmana. Indra then sent Ananta Shesha, who can support the
heavy weight of the earth, back to Patala, and then he placed Lakshmana on a vehicle
and, with great respect, sent Him back to heaven.” (Skanda Purana 2.8.81]

Text 494

Similarly, when Krishna wanted to make His Dvaraka pastimes invisible again, He
personally arranged the deception involving the sages’ cursing and so on.

Text 495

In His form as the Lord who lies on the Milk Ocean, He returned to His own abode. At
that time those partial expansions of demigods and others who had descended
among the Vrishnis also returned to their former places.

Text 496

With the best of the Yadus and the others who comprise His entourage in His eternal
pastimes in Dvaraka, the Supreme Lord Krishna always resides there in all His glory.

Commentary

Krishna is eternally present in all three of His abodes. At the time of His descent to earth, His
amsha, Aniruddha, who rests on the Milk Ocean, entered Him. At that time, amshas of the
demigods entered the bodies of the Yadus. Then, when Krishna wanted to wind up His
prakata-lila, Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu and the demigods returned to their respective places.
Krishna remained as always in His aprakata-lila in Dvaraka with His eternal devotees.
Text 497

It is said that Krishna’s abode has two divisions, Mathura and Dvaraka, and that
Mathura also has two parts, Gokula and the city of Mathura.

Text 498

The abode known as Goloka is an opulent expansion of Gokula. We hear about

Goloka in the Brahma-samhita [5.43]:

Commentary

The discussion of Krishna’s eternal abodes is not complete without a description of His
supreme dhama.

Text 499

“Below the planet named Goloka Vrindavana are the planets known as Devi-dhama,
Mahesha-dhama, and Hari-dhama. These are opulent in different ways. I adore the
primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities to the rulers of
those graded realms.”

Commentary

This verse mentions the realms of Vishnu, Shiva, and Durga in reverse order of superiority.
Lord Vishnu rules the spiritual world Vaikuntha, Lord Shiva presides in an intermediate
region between those of spirit and matter, and Shiva’s consort Devi creates and controls the
material world. Above all other worlds lies Krishna’ Goloka.

Texts 500-501

And later in Shri Brahma-samhita (5.56): “I worship that transcendental realm known
as Shvetadvipa, where many loving consorts, Lakshmi’s in their unalloyed spiritual
essence, perform amorous service to the Supreme Lord Krishna, their only lover.
There every tree is wish-fulfilling, the soil is made of purpose gems, and the water is
nectar. Every word is a song and every step a dance, and the flute is the dearmost
friend. Everything in that realm, being of the nature of the supreme, is effulgent with
transcendental bliss and highly relishable. A great ocean of milk flows from the
numberless cows there, and no one experiences the passing away of even half a
moment. That realm of Goloka is known to only a few self-realized souls in this
world.”

Commentary
In Goloka there is only one hero, and there are many heroines, the gopis, the supreme
goddesses of fortune. There the light of the moon and other luminaries shines in its original
form, as the Supreme Person's expanded effulgence, which contains all qualities. The
inhabitants there not only enjoy seeing that effulgence but also enjoy relishing its taste,
smelling its fragrance, and so on.

Time in Goloka does not contain the fixed divisions of days, months, years, and so on found
in every material realm.

Goloka is called Shvetadvipa because it is “white” (shveta) in the sense of spotlessly pure,
untouched by any trace of illusion, and because it is an “island” (dvipa) in the sense of being
above and separate from all other planets. It is not the same Shvetadvipa as the residence of
Lord Aniruddha in the Milk Ocean within this material universe.

Text 502

Goloka is considered a nondifferent and equally opulent expansion of Gokula

because Gokula’s glories are even greater than Goloka’s.

Text 503

As stated in the Patala-khanda of the Padma Purana: “Oh, how fortunate is the city of
Mathura! It is greater than Vaikuntha! By residing there for just a single day one
develops pure devotion for Lord Hari.

Text 504

“These seven holy cities bestow liberation: Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi,
Avanti, and Dvaraka.

Text 505

“But the most excellent of these seven holy cities is Mathura. O goddess, please hear
Mathura’s glories, which exceed those of the Vaikuntha worlds.”

Commentary

Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana confirms in his commentary that in this verse and verse 503
Goloka is included as a Vaikuntha region, the topmost region.

But how can the Mathura district on earth be even greater than Goloka? People go to
Mathura and then return to their regular lives. And the residents suffer from old age and
other miseries.
No, Vraja-bhumi is nonetheless the supreme abode. As by His inconceivable potency Lord
Hari simultaneously stays in everyone's heart and yet remains transcendental, beyond all
material existence, so despite superficial appearances Vraja-bhumi remains absolutely perfect
and transcendental.

Those who reach there by fulfilling the prerequisites of sadhana never return. And, as
materialists saw Krishna in His prakata-lila as a powerless young boy (nara-daraka), due to
our faulty vision we see the residents of Vraja suffering from old age and other material
impediments.

Gokula on the earth is at least as good as Goloka in the spiritual sky, and, as revealed in this
authoritative verse cited by Shrila Rupa Gosvami, it is sometimes considered superior. Shrila
Rupa will explain this point further in the remaining part of this chapter.

Text 506

We have already shown that Mathura is the place of Krishna’s eternal pastimes.
Therefore, as we hear from the Padma Purana [Patala 73.27], Mathura itself is eternal:

Text 507

“Understand that My Mathura and My Vrindavana forest are both eternal. So also are
the Yamuna, the daughters of the cowherds, and the cowherd boys.”

Commentary

One should not think that since Gokula is present within the material world it cannot be
eternal. The Personality of Godhead is also present in the material world, expanding as the
Supersoul in every creature’s heart. That does not deprive Him of His eternality. If we take
shelter of the authority of Vedic scripture and the opinions of pure Vaishnavas, we can enter
these transcendental mysteries.

Text 508

Although Mathura’s area is apparently limited, it amazingly expands and contracts

according to Krishna’s specific pastimes.

Text 509

Many universes can be accommodated within Mathura, as Brahma witnessed in

Vrindavana.

Commentary
These verses explain why Gokula can be considered greater than the infinite worlds of
Vaikuntha, including Goloka. First, Krishna showed Brahma thousands of universes within
the Vrindavana forest. ‘That place is now occupied by the village of Chaturmukha or
Caumuhan.

Text 510

Considering this, why should we wonder how billions of young women could crowd
the shore of the Yamuna during the rasa-lila in the Mathura district?

Commentary

According to the Puranas, billions of gopis participated in Krishna’s rasa-lila in the

Vrindavana forest. Abhid akulito raso / vanita-sata-kotibhih: “The rasa dance was crowded
with billions of young women.”

Texts 511-513

Amazingly, the mountains, pastures, forests, and other parts of Gokula, adorned
everywhere with the pastimes Krishna enjoyed in His childhood and youth, appear in
multiple forms. These malleable features of the land are manifest in a way most
suitable for Krishna’s particular pastimes and are thus seen only by those who
participate in those pastimes. These manifestations sometimes occur concurrently
and convergently, and sometimes they remain completely separate from one another.

Text 514

Although this land is filled with Krishna’s pastimes, at times it looks vacant to some –
even to those fit to see.

Commentary

Certainly to those who do not have the spiritual qualification to see Krishnas abode as it is,
Vraja-bhumi seems like a wilderness.

Text 515

Thus nothing is impossible for the Supreme Lord, His dear devotees, His abode, and
His own course of time. They all possess inconceivable power.

Commentary
Krishnas inconceivable potency is the most powerful force in the spiritual and material
worlds. She can make possible what is otherwise impossible, and Her influence permeates the
transcendental life of Krishnas dhama and the devotees who live there.

Text 516

Learned scholars understand all this to be true of Dvaraka as well.

Text 517

As described in the Eleventh Canto [11.31.23-24]: “As soon as the Supreme Personality
of Godhead abandoned Dvaraka, the ocean flooded it on all sides, O King, sparing
only His palaces. Dvaraka is the most auspicious of all auspicious places. Merely
remembering it destroys all contamination. Lord Madhusudana, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, is eternally present there.”

Commentary

When Krishna built Dvaraka on an island off the coast, He personally asked Mother Earth to
temporarily extend herself and displace a portion of the sea surrounding the island. As soon
as Krishna finished His manifest pastimes in Dvaraka, the sea reclaimed this land, sparing
only His palaces and the residences of the Yadu heroes. These Yadus are also considered
sriman, supremely opulent, like Krishna Himself.

Text 518

Another of Krishna’s powerful opulences was revealed when Shri Narada was able to
observe Him in one place wonderfully displaying many of His forms engaged
simultaneously in activities that generally occur at different times of the day.

Commentary

As described in Shrimad-Bhagavatam (10.69), one day Narada visited Krishna in several of His
Dvaraka palaces. He found Krishna uniquely present in each palace engaged in a variety of
activities – some activities of early morning, some of mid-morning, some of noontime, and so
on. Narada recognized this amazing simultaneous display as a product of Krishna’s
yogamaya.

Text 519

The participants in Krishna’s pastimes perceive planets like the sun and moon that
are different from their material counterparts but seem just like them.
Commentary

In the material world, the sun, moon, and planets measure time, which rules the course of all
events. The sun and moon visible in the Supreme Lord’s abode, however, are purely spiritual
expansions of His internal potency. The movements of such spiritual planets are not dictated
by the strictures of material time. Thus in Dvaraka Narada saw different times of day
occurring simultaneously. But the arrangement for Gokula is special. There Krishna’s lila-
shakti disguises the supernatural powers of the transcendental sun and moon to protect the
simplicity of Krishna’s pastimes. In Gokula time seems to pass in the same order found in the
material world.

Text 520

In conclusion, Krishna always enjoys His three abodes, but He displays the most
excellent sweetness in Gokula.

Commentary

The abodes, associates, and pastimes of Krishna, the original Personality of Godhead, are all
eternal, but they are most special in Gokula.

Text 521

Thus the Sammoha-tantra states, “The Lord has thousands of allauspicious

incarnations, but among all these He rarely reveals His childhood.”

Commentary

The Sammoha-tantra refers here to Krishna’s original “childhood” form as a young boy of the
cowherd community.

Text 522

A karika explaining this: There are three ages – childhood, youth, and adulthood. One
common view sees childhood lasting through the sixteenth year.

Text 523

There is also this statement in the Brahmanda Purana: “I have many forms, all of them full in
the six qualities of God, but none of them equal My form as a cowherd.”

Text 524
Many tantra scriptures speak of great and glorious transcendental mantras for
worshiping the Lord as Gopala, notably the ten-syllable and eighteen-syllable
mantras.

Text 525

The best source of definitive knowledge on this subject is the Gopalatapani

Upanishad, which was spoken to Brahma by Krishna in His cowherd form at the
beginning of creation.

Commentary

The leading Vaishnavas in the line established by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu consider Shri
Gopala-tapani Upanishad the cream of revealed Vedic texts. This Upanishad describes the
glories of Krishna as a young cowherd.

Tad hovaca hairanyo gopa-vesam abhrabham tarunam_ kalpadrumasritam: “He said, ‘Brahma
then saw a young boy with a complexion like a rain cloud. He was dressed as a cowherd and
sat under a desire tree.” (Gopala-tapani Upanishad, Purva 8) It is therefore not possible that
this childhood appearance of the Supreme Godhead occurs only in His visible pastimes in the
material world. Brahma heard the Gopala-tapani long before Krishna’s avatara. Krishna's
form as a young gopala is certainly eternal.

Text 526

Only in Vraja does He manifest His sweetness in four special ways – in His power as a
controller, in His sporting, in His flute playing, and in His divine personal form.

Commentary

These four unique sweetnesses are the main reasons Krishna is most attractive in Gokula.

Text 527

Regarding His controlling power: As Krishna enjoys His pastimes in Vraja, He is

served by an abundance of His opulent power displayed in unprecedentedly sweet
ways.

Commentary

Krishna’s aishvarya, His supreme ruling power, can be defined as His influence. With it He
subdues the pride of Brahma and the other demigods.

Text 528
Thus when Brahma, Rudra, and other demigods reverently praise Keshava in Vraja,
He hardly glances at them.

Text 529

As Shri Naradadeva says in Shri Brahmanda Purana: “O Krishna, for demons difficult
to kill, the disc-wielder Vishnu had to use His Sudarshana disc. You, however, easily
struck down such demons as part of Your innocent childhood pastimes. If You
knitted Your brow while playing with Your friends, O Hari, then Brahma, Rudra, and
others present in the heavens trembled with apprehension.”

Commentary

Narada indirectly implies that Krishna as the Lord of Dvaraka, armed with His Sudarshana
disc, could not kill demons as easily as He did as a child in Vraja. Krishna in Dvaraka also
politely respected the demigods when they visited Him, but in Vraja they could not distract
Him from playing with His friends.

Text 530

Krishna’s sporting is described in the Padma Purana: “All the activities of Shri
Krishnadeva are very wonderful. The most extremely charming of these, however, are
His pastimes as a cowherd.”

Commentary

In His gopala-lila, Krishna the cowherd boy enjoys the company of both cowherd boys and
girls. Sage Panini considers that masculine nouns like gopala can refer to males and females
due to the rule known as eka-shesha, by which one word can represent several. For example,
pitarau literally means “two fathers,’ but as an eka-shesha form it means “father and mother.’
This rule in Panini’s grammar is stated as puman striya (Astadhyayi 1.2.67).

Krishnas gopala-lila is the most excellent of all His pastimes, even more wonderful than His
activities in Mathura City and Dvaraka.

Text 531

And in Shri Brihad-vamana Purana: “Although all My countless pastimes enchant Me,
I do not know what happens to My mind when I recollect My rasa-lila.”

Commentary

Among His many supremely attractive pastimes, Krishna alludes here to the enchanting
episode of His mother punishing Him by tying His abdomen with ropes.
Text 532

His flute playing: Whatever combined sweetness can be found in all the sounds of the
universe disappears into the sweetness of the smallest hint of a vibration from
Krishna’s flute.

Text 533

Krishna’s entrancing flute-playing submerges the moving and nonmoving beings in

the most intense, elevated bliss, causing them to exchange their natures.

Text 534

Hearing the flute, Shiva and others became bewildered and said, “Is this an
entrancing mantra or an amazing beverage meant to be drunk with the ears?”

Texts 535-36

The Tenth Canto [10.35.14-15] states, “O pious Mother Yashoda, your son, who is expert
in all the arts of herding cows, has invented many styles of flute-playing. When He
takes His flute to His bimba-red lips and sends forth the tones of the harmonic scale
in variegated melodies, Brahma, Shiva, Indra, and other chief demigods become
confused upon hearing the sound. Although they are the most learned authorities,
they cannot ascertain the essence of that music, and thus they bow down their heads
and hearts.”

Commentary

This verse was spoken by the young gopis of Vraja. The musical scale contains only seven
simple notes — nishadha, rishabha, and so on – but when Krishna artistically combines them
in the song of His flute, the sound astounds the great demigods. Forgetting everything they
know about the Absolute Truth from Vedanta philosophy, they wonder why the Supreme
they had previously understood as pure sac-cid-ananda has now transformed into the form of
a song. They bow their heads and minds in the direction of the sound. Such special
“sweetness of the flute” (venu-madhurya) is not found in the pastimes of the Lord of Dvaraka.

Text 537

The young goddesses of Vraja have glorified the most amazing sweetness of Krishna’s
flute in the twenty-first and thirty-fifth chapters of the Tenth Canto.
Text 538

Krishna’s divine form: The beauty of the son of the cowherd king delights all moving
and nonmoving creatures. That beauty is an ocean of immortal nectar filled with
waves of unequalled and unexcelled charm.

Text 539

As stated in a tantra, “I will now describe the supreme meditation on the son of
Nanda. The tips of the nails of His lotus feet are worshiped by the splendor of
millions and billions of Cupids. His all-attractive charms have never been seen or
heard of anywhere else.”

Commentary

Gopala Krishnas unique charm is not rivaled even by Krishna Himself in Mathura and
Dvaraka. That is, the same Krishna is not as supremely attractive away from the environment
of Vraja and the company of the Vraja-vasis.

In the words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.6) describing Krishna with the gopis in the rasa
dance, tatrati-susubhe tabhir bhagavan devaki-sutah: “There, together- with those women,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Devaki, appeared in His most glorious
feature.”

Text 540

It is also said in the Tenth Canto [10.29.40]: “Dear Krishna, what woman in all three
worlds wouldn't deviate from religious behavior when bewildered by the nectarean
melody of Your flute? Your beauty makes all three worlds auspicious. Indeed, even
the cows, birds, trees, and deer manifest the ecstatic symptom of bodily hair standing
on end when they see Your beautiful form.”

Commentary

Krishna called the gopis with His flute-song to come dance with Him in the middle of the
night, but when they arrived He pretended that He had no interest in enjoying with them.
They responded with these words.

As mentioned above, even stalwart demigods like Shiva and Indra are confused when they
hear Krishnas flute song. How, then, can simple women who hear it be expected to retain
their composure and remember their duties as respectable wives and mothers? And now that
they actually see Krishna face to face, all hope of following their religious principles is lost
forever. No one can fault them for accepting Krishna as their lover.
 ***

iti shri-laghu-bhagavatamrite sri-krishnamritam nama purva-khandam samaptam.

Thus ends the first part of Shri Laghu-bhagavatamrita, entitled Shrikrishnamrita.

***

Part Two

SHRI-BHAKTAMRITA
The Nectar of
Krishna’s Devotees

om namah sri-krishna-rasa-rasikebhyah

Obeisances to those who relish loving exchanges with Shri Krishna.

Text 1

The worship of Mukunda is obligatory. So also, to avoid intractable blame, is the

worship of His devotees.

Commentary

Having described the essential facts about the Supreme Lord’s identity, qualities, and powers,
Shrila Rupa Gosvami will now explain, in the brief second part of Shri Laghu-bhagavatamrita,
the special nature of the Lord’s pure devotees. He presents the main theme with this
statement, which follows the words atha shri-bhaktamritam. Atha (“and now’) indicates
immediate sequence: After completing one's study of the Supreme Lord, one should at once
proceed to the study of His devotees. The word atha also underscores the undeniable
difference between the Supreme Person and the persons who serve Him.

Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana begins his commentary on the Bhaktamrita section with this
invocation:

nityam nivasatu hrdaye

caitanyakhyo murarir nah
niravadyo nirvrtiman
gaja-patir anukampaya yasya

This verse translates in two ways:

“May Lord Murari, known as the source of all life, always reside in our hearts. By His mercy
Gajendra, the chief of the elephants, became faultless and full of joy.’

And: “May Lord Murari, appearing as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, always reside in our hearts. By
His mercy Gajapati Prataparudra became faultless and full of joy.’

Text 2

As stated in the Padma Purana, “When Vaishnavas serve Lord Hari, they must also
serve personalities such as Markandeya, Ambarisha, Vasu, Vyasa, Vibhishana,
Pundarika, Bali, Shambhu, Prahlada, Vidura, Dhruva, Dalbhya, Parashara, Bhishma,
and Narada. A person who fails to do so will encounter severe sinful reactions.”

Commentary

The Vasu mentioned here is Uparichara Vasu, whose pure devotion to Lord Vishnu was
mentioned in the previous chapter (text 415).

Those who try to approach Lord Vishnu while neglecting His devotees are offenders. They do
not serve the Lord to His satisfaction.

Text 3

And in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya: “Those who worship Govinda but not His devotees
do not receive Lord Vishnu’s mercy. They can only pretend.”

Text 4

In the Uttara-khanda of the Padma Purana: “Of all kinds of worship, the worship of
Vishnu is supreme. But greater than that, dear goddess, is the worship of His
devotees.”
Commentary

This is the opinion of Lord Shiva, spoken to his consort Parvati. Lord Shiva considers worship
of Vaishnavas better than worship of Vishnu because the first automatically includes the
second.

Text 5

Also in the same Purana: “One who worships Govinda without worshiping His
devotees cannot be a devotee. The scriptures call such a person a mere pretender.”

Text 6

In the Adi Purana: “O Partha, those who behave as My direct devotees I do not
consider My devotees. Those who are devoted to My devotees, however, I consider
most devoted to Me.”

Commentary

We may consider as Vaishnavas persons who want to worship the Supreme Lord but who
have no affection for His devotees. They are, however, far from the actual standard of pure
devotion. On the other hand, the Lord considers the devotees of His devotees to be of the
highest standard (bhakta-tamah). Lord Krishna also made this point while instructing the
simple brahmana Shrutadeva in Mithila.

Text 7

And in Shrimad-Bhagavatam [11.19.21]: “It is most important to worship My devotees.”

Commentary

Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana comments that this statement means that the worship of the
Lord's devotees is superior even to the worship of the Lord Himself. One should offer
Vaishnavas honor without prejudice, without scrutinizing their birth and other material
qualifications. Rather, one should happily accept the water that has washed their feet and the
remnants of their food.

Text 8

Among the devotees of the Lord, Prahlada is considered the best. Scriptures like the
Skanda Purana and Shrimad-Bhagavatam describe his glories.

Commentary
The Personality of Godhead’s various forms as svayam-rupa, vilasa, vyuha, and so on can be
graded according to how fully They exhibit the Lord's perfect qualities. Similarly, the
devotees of Godhead can be graded according to the quality of their devotion.

Text 9

Shri Rudra makes this statement in the Skanda Purana: “I cannot understand the
truth about Krishna. Only His devotees can. And of all the devotees of Hari, Prahlada
is by far the greatest.”

Commentary

Lord Shiva rightly says that only pure devotees have the spiritual intelligence required to
correctly understand the Supreme Lord Krishna. Describing himself as unfit to understand
Krishna, however, is his ecstatic humility. He considers that because he falsely identifies with
his own position in the material creation he is not qualified.

Text 10

Shri Prahlada himself says in the Seventh Canto [7.9.26], “O my Lord, O Supreme,
since I have been born in a family full of the hellish material qualities of passion and
ignorance, what is my position? And what is to be said of Your causeless mercy upon
me, which was never offered even to Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, or the goddess of
fortune, Lakshmi? You never put Your lotus hand upon their heads, but You have put
it upon mine.”

Commentary

Here Shri Prahlada shows the trademark Vaishnava quality of utter humility. Reflecting upon
the fact that he was born in a family of godless demons, he is amazed that he can have an
intimate relationship with the Supreme Lord. He also considers Lord Nrisimha unlimitedly
kind to show mercy to a fallen soul like himself. Thus Prahlada is thrilled that Lord Nrisimha
touched his head with His lotus hand.

Text 11

In the same part of the Bhagavatam [7.10.21] Shri Nrisimha says, “Those who follow
your example will naturally become My pure devotees. You are the best example of
My devotee, and others should follow in your footsteps.”

Commentary

The word pratirupa can mean both “example” and “equivalent.” If we take the meaning
“equivalent, then the implication is that if Prahlada is on one side of a scale and all of Lord
Vishnu's other devotees are on the other side, the scale will be perfectly balanced.
Text 12

The Pandavas, however, are greater than everyone else, even the glorious Prahlada.
Shrimad-Bhagavatam gives clear evidence of this.

Text 13

There Shri Narada states in the Seventh Canto [7.15.75-77]: “You Pandavas are so very
fortunate in this world that many, many great saints, who can purify all the planets in
the universe, come to your house just like ordinary visitors. After all, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is living confidentially in your home with you,
appearing like a human being.

Commentary

Narada wanted to encourage Yudhisthira Maharaja, to whom he had just narrated Shri
Prahlada’s glories. Yudhisthira was thinking himself unfortunate in comparison with
Prahlada.

“Actually, Narada tells Yudhisthira, “you and your brothers are more fortunate than
Prahlada.”

“How can that be so?”

“Because the Absolute Truth is a regular guest in your house! And therefore great sages like
Markandeya are pleased to visit this same house.”

It is true that Prahlada remembered the Supreme Person constantly, but externally he was
graced with the Lord's association for only a few hours.

Text 14

“How wonderful that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Parabrahman,

Krishna, who is sought by great sages for the sake of liberation and transcendental
bliss, is acting as your well-wisher, your friend, your cousin, your heart and soul, your
worshipable director, and your spiritual master.

Commentary

Yudhisthira might protest, “Krishna is our mother’s nephew. How can He be the Supreme
Absolute Truth?”

Here Narada replies, “Your cousin, companion, confidant, and ordercarrier is also the
Supreme Brahman, whom yogis and sages seek. From Him they receive their realization of
pure bliss in liberation.”
This statement of Narada’s is not surprising. Even Shishupala and other demons attained this
brahmananda by Krishna’ grace. Krishna is indeed the Supreme Truth revealed in the shrutis
and smritis. Tam eva viditvati mrtyum eti: “Only by knowing Him can one transcend death.”
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.8) Mukti-pradata sarvesam vishnur eva na samsayah: “Without a
doubt, Lord Vishnu is the bestower of liberation for everyone.”

Text 15

“Present here now is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead whose true form
cannot be understood even by such great personalities as Lord Brahma and Lord
Shiva. He is realized by devotees because of their unflinching surrender. May that
same Personality of Godhead, who is the maintainer of His devotees and who is
worshiped by silence, by devotional service, and by cessation of material activities, be
pleased with us.”

Commentary

Yudhisthira may ask, “How can we understand Krishna as the self-satisfied Supreme when we
see His attachment to Satyabhama and His other wives?” Narada replies with the above verse.

It is easy to be confused about Krishna’s identity. In the presence of Krishna even Lord
Brahma and Lord Shiva find it difficult to understand that “here is the Absolute Truth.” Shiva
was confused about Krishna in a dispute concerning Banasura. Brahma was so confused that
He stole Krishna’s cowherd boyfriends. And Indra was thoroughly confused when Krishna
convinced the cowherds to offer Indra’s sacrifice to Govardhana Hill instead.

Only Krishna’s unalloyed devotees can understand why the self-satisfied Supreme Brahman
entangles Himself in loving dealings with Satyabhama and the other vilasa expansions of His
internal pleasure potency. The demigods who imagine themselves lords of the universe
cannot understand.

Text 16

Shri Shridhara Svami-pada comments: “The king was lamenting, ‘Oh, how fortunate is
Prahlada, who thus saw the Supreme Lord! We are very unfortunate in comparison.
Narada responded to the king in the three verses beginning with ‘yuyam’.”

Text 17

Shrila Shridhara Svami writes the following purport to these three verses: “Thus
Narada implies the following: ‘The Supreme Absolute Truth does not reside in
Prahlada’s house, nor do sages visit that house to see him, nor can he claim the
Supreme Truth as his maternal cousin and so on, nor does the Supreme personally act
for his pleasure. Therefore you are more greatly fortunate than Prahlada, and also
than us.”

Commentary

That the Pandavas are greater Vaishnavas than Prahlada is not just an expression of
enthusiasm by their admirers. Sober scholars of the Bhagavatam like Shridhara Svami support
this idea. Even Narada Muni considers himself less of a devotee than the Pandavas.

Text 18

Some Yadus are considered greater than the Pandavas. Staying constantly in Lord
Hari’s intimate company, they identify with Him more confidentially than the
Pandavas.

Commentary

Not all the Yadus were eternal associates of Krishna who descended from the spiritual world
to participate in His pastimes, but those who were His nityaparshadas He favored even more
than the Pandavas.

Text 19

Thus in the Tenth Canto [10.82.28]: “O King of the Bhojas, you alone among men have
achieved a truly exalted birth, for you continually behold Lord Krishna, whom even
great yogis rarely see.”

Commentary

Kings who had assembled at Kurukshetra on the occasion of a solar eclipse spoke this verse
and the next to Krishnas grandfather Ugrasena.

Text 20

“The same Lord Vishnu who makes one forget the goals of heaven and liberation has
now entered into marital and blood relationships with you, who refuse to traverse the
hellish path of family life. Indeed, in these relationships you see and touch Him
directly, walk beside Him, converse with Him, and together with Him lie down to
rest, sit at ease, and take your meals.” [Bhagavatam 10.82.30]

Commentary

Baladeva Vidyabhushana interprets the word svayam in two ways. Svayam vishnuh indicates
that it was the original Personality of Godhead who lived constantly with the Yadus in
Dvaraka. Second, svayam asa indicates that the Lord stayed with the Yadus by His own will,
which means that it wasn’t due to their spiritual disciplines that He stayed with them. It
implies that the Yadus mentioned here are eternally liberated, not practicing devotees. This is
supported by Baladeva’s interpretation of the compound niraya-vartmanivartatam. Lord
Krishna does not burden His exclusively devoted associates with inferior benefits such as
elevation to heaven and impersonal liberation.

Text 21

Furthermore: “The Vrishnis were so absorbed in Krishna consciousness that they

forgot their own bodies while sleeping, sitting, walking, conversing, playing, bathing,
eating, and so on.” [Bhagavatam 10.90.46]

Text 22

Certainly the most excellent among the Yadus is Shriman Uddhava, whose amazing
glories we hear from Shrimad-Bhagavatam.

Text 23

The Supreme Personality of Godhead says in the Eleventh Canto [11.14.15], “My dear
Uddhava, neither Brahma nor Shiva nor Sankarshana nor the goddess of fortune nor
indeed My own self is as dear to Me as you are.”

Text 24

And again: “Indeed, Uddhava, among My devotees I am you.” [Bhagavatam 11.16.29]

Text 25

Even from childhood Uddhava’s devotion for Govinda was superexcellent.

Commentary

Uddhava’s exceptional dedication to Krishna makes him especially dear to Him.

Text 26

As the Third Canto [3.2.2] describes, “Even in his childhood play at the age of five, he
was so absorbed in serving Lord Krishna that when his mother called him for
morning breakfast he did not wish to have it.”
Text 27

And thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead says in the same Canto [3.4.31],
“Uddhava is not inferior to Me in any way, because he is fully capable and never
affected by the modes of material nature.”

Commentary

In a previous comment Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana mentioned that a scale will balance
with Prahlada on one side and all other Vaishnavas on the other. In his comment on this
verse Shrila Baladeva says that the scale will balance with Uddhava on one side and Krishna
on the other.

Text 28

Finding meaning in this verse: “Yad-gunaih” can refer to Uddhava’s qualities;

“prabhu” then refers to Krishna Himself, and “na arditah” means “not requested.” In
other words the Lord says, “Uddhava’s qualities have no need to beg from Me, his
master.”

Alternatively, “yat” means “because,” “gunaih” indicates the modes of goodness and
so on, and “na arditah” means “not troubled.” Why is Uddhava not troubled by the
gunas? Because he is prabhu, fully capable of tasting the rasas of devotional service.

Text 29

Despite all of Uddhava's good qualities, however, the young goddesses of Vraja are
even superior to him. Indeed, Uddhava prays for the sweetness of the gopis’ pure
love.

Text 30

Thus Uddhava says in the Tenth Canto [10.47.58], “Among all persons on earth, these
cowherd women alone have actually perfected their embodied lives, for they have
achieved the perfection of unalloyed love for Lord Govinda, the soul of all existence.
Their pure love is hankered after by those who fear material existence, by great sages,
and by ourselves as well. For one who has tasted the narrations of the infinite Lord,
what is the use of taking birth as a high-class brahmana, or even as Lord Brahma
himself?”

Commentary
Uddhava understands perfectly well that Shri Krishna is akhilatma, the soul of everything.
Only the gopis, however, have attained the greatest possible intimacy with Him. Their love
for the cowherd Krishna, on the ultimate level of maha-bhava, can only be dreamt of by
seekers of liberation like Saunaka and even by already liberated sages like Narada.

Uddhava submits that, despite being Krishnas constant friend and advisor, he can only aspire
with a faint hope to someday bring Krishna under the control of his love as fully as the gopis
have. If he cannot achieve the gopis’ level of perfection and pure love for Krishna, he sees no
use in taking birth as Brahma in his own universe.

One symptom of a persons being a less intimate devotee than the Vraja gopis and their
faithful followers is that one is not spontaneously attracted to hearing about these infinitely
sweet pastimes of Krishna.

Text 31

In the Brihad-vamana Purana, Shri Brahma tells Bhrigu and other sages, “Long ago I
underwent austerities for sixty thousand years just to obtain dust from the feet of the
women of Nanda Gopa’s cowherd village. Despite my best efforts, I could not get that
foot dust.”

Text 32

The sages headed by Bhrigu then ask Brahma, “This creates doubt in us. There are
many great Vaishnavas in this world, such as Narada, the dust of whose feet someone
like you can certainly accept. Why did you ignore all these Vaishnavas and instead
want to take dust from the gopis’ feet? Please, master, tell us.”

Text 33

Shri Brahma replies, “The beautiful young girls of Vraja are not just women, my son.
They are superior to Goddess Shri herself. Neither I nor Shiva nor Shesha nor Shri can
ever equal them.”

Text 34

Shriman Arjuna inquires from Krishna in Shri Adi Purana, “Of all devotees of the
Supreme Lord in the three worlds, who knows Your essence? With whom are You
always satisfied? Whose love for You is beyond compare?”

Text 35
The Personality of Godhead answered, “O ruler of the earth, neither Brahma nor
Rudra nor Lakshmi nor My own self is as beloved to Me as My gopis.

Text 36

“I have many, many devoted servants on the face of the earth. The gopis, however, are
more dear to Me than My very life.

Text 37

“The sages and the yogis do not understand Me, O tormenter of your enemies. Not
even Rudra or any of the other demigods know Me as well as the gopis do.

Text 38

“I am not brought under control by austerities, by study of the Vedas, by civilized

behavior, or by wisdom. As shown by the gopis, only love controls Me.

Text 39

“O Partha, no one but the gopis understands the essence of My greatness, My

worship, My beliefs, or My thoughts.

Text 40

“These gopis worship their own bodies as My possessions. Other than the gopis, O
Partha, no one is entitled to this most confidential love for Me.”

Text 41

It is not surprising that Uddhava hankers for the sweetness of the gopis’ love and thus
prays for birth as a blade of grass so that he can be sprinkled with dust from their
feet.

Text 42

We read this in the Tenth Canto [10.47.61]: “To take shelter of Mukunda’s lotus feet,
which one should search for by Vedic knowledge, the gopis of Vrindavana abandoned
husbands, sons, other relatives, and the path of chastity, all of which are very difficult
to give up. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to become one of Vrindavana’s bushes,
creepers, or herbs, which the gopis trample and bless with the dust of their lotus
feet!”

Commentary

Uddhava sees a faint hope in his praying for the possibility of taking birth as a blade of grass
in Vrindavana. He prays thus, considering himself far from the standard of the gopis’ pure
love for Krishna.

Text 43

Thus persons engaged in the worship of Krishna must serve the beautiful young
women of Vraja with presentations of prasada, flowers, and so on before offering
service to Krishna Himself.

Commentary

For those who know the sublime essence of the Vedic scriptures, worshiping the gopis of
Vrindavana is necessary.

Text 44

Among all the gopis, Shri Radhika is the greatest. The Puranas, Pancharatras, and
other scriptures describe Her as the most excellent.

Commentary

Among the agama scriptures that glorify Shri Radha is the Brihad-gautamiyatantra, which
states:

devi krishna-mayi prokta

radhika para-devata
sarva-laksmi-mayi sarva-
kantih sammohini para

“The transcendental goddess Shrimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Shri
Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the
attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal
potency of the Lord.”

The Purusha-bodhini Upanishad contains a passage that begins with the words gokulakhye
mathura-mandale and includes the following statements: govindo ‘pi syamah, dve parsve
chandravali radhika ca, and yasya amse laksmir durgadika saktih. That is: “In the place known
as Gokula in Mathura district ... [we find] dark-blue Govinda ... [with] two [gopis] standing at
His side, Chandravali and Radhika. ... [Of the two,] She, Radha, is Krishnas original potency.
Lakshmi, Durga, and so on are Her partial expansions.’
Text 45

For example, in the Padma Purana: “Just as Shrimati Radharani is most dear to Shri
Krishna, Her bathing place [Radha-kunda] is also dear to Him. Among all the gopis,
Shrimati Radharani is supermost and very dear to Lord Krishna.”

Commentary

Shrila Rupa Gosvami, in his Shri Upadeshamrita, discloses that Radha-kunda is the most
sacred place in the universe. He tells us that only the most fortunate souls can approach
Radha-kunda and take bath there. Lord Narayana’s consort may not enter. Narada and
Uddhava also do not set foot there, but remain in their places of worship just outside the
border of Shri Radhakunda. And Lord Shiva stands guard at the edge of the holy pond.

Text 46

And in Shri Adi Purana: “O Partha, among all three planetary systems this earth is
especially fortunate, for on earth is the town of Vrindavana. And there the gopis are
especially glorious because among them is My Shrimati Radharani”.

Commentary

These scriptural testimonies establish conclusively that Shri Radha is the principal jewel in
the diadem of Shri Krishna’s devotees.

Concluding his Sharanga-rangada commentary, Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana prays,

yad-vakyat sadhavah krishnam

samvidanti sa-parsadam
Shri-rupas tattva-vid-bhupah
sa me krpayatu prabhuh

shri-vidyabhushaneneyam
laghu-bhagavatamrite
tippani racita bhuyat
tustaye rama-varninah

“May my master, Shri Rupa, the king of those who know the Absolute Truth, show me his
mercy. By the power of his words, pious devotees can understand Krishna and His associates.
Thus I, Shri Vidyabhushana, have composed this brief commentary on the Laghu-
bhagavatamrita. May Rama Varni be satisfied with it.”

***
 iti sri-sri-laghu-bhagavatamrite sri-bhaktamritam namottara-khandam samaptam

Thus ends the second part of Shri Shri Laghu-bhagavatamrita, entitled Shri-bhaktamrita.

***

iti shri-shri-laghu-bhagavatamritam sampurnam

Thus Shri Shri Laghu-bhagavatamrita is complete.

***
 Appendices

Variant Readings of the Text of Shri Laghu-bhagavatamrita

Sources for the text and for alternate readings in this edition of Shri Laghubhagavatamrita are
identified in this appendix by the following letters:

A Atula Krishna Gosvami's and Balaicanda Gosvamis edition published in Calcutta in 1898
(Gaurabda 412)

B Shri Chaitanya Matha’s edition by Bhakti Vilasa Tirtha Maharaja published in Mayapur in
1974 (Gaurabda 488)

G Gaurasundara Bhagavata-darsanacharyas edition published in Calcutta in 1935 (Gaurabda

449)

H Haribhakta dasa’s edition published in 1989 (Gaurabda 503)

P Puridasa Mahasayas edition published in Dhaka in 1946

R Ramanarayana Vidyaratna’s edition published in Murshidabad in 1830 (Bengali year 1303)

V Venkateshvara press edition by Pandita Baladeva Prasada Misra published in Bombay in

1902 (samvat 1959)

M1 Rajasahi Varendra Anusandhana Samiti Granthagara manuscript 1

1 No manuscript number given in Puridasa’s edition.

M2 Varahanagara Shri Gauranga Grantha Mandira Manuscript Number 619

M3 Varahanagara Shri Gauranga Grantha Mandira Manuscript Number 713

All three manuscripts (M1, M2, M3) are included in Puridasas edition and are separately
mentioned in the variants list when different from Puridasa’s readings.

Below, the first column of the listing gives the chapter-verse number of the variant, followed
by a number (1, 2, 3...) to indicate the line in the roman transliterated verse. Single and
double hyphens are used to mark a variant before and after a verse respectively. The next
column gives the reading chosen for this edition. The last column gives the variant, preceded
by one or more letters indicating its source(s). When the variant is obviously wrong
grammatically or syntactically, it is given in brackets.
The following abbreviations are used in this appendix:

asterisk (*): a variant is corroborated by Baladeva Vidyabhushana’s commentary.

em-dash (—): absence of a chosen word or words in the source(s)

ellipsis (...): omission of a few words or the part of a long word containing no variants

forward slash (/): used to separate more than one variant

Before considering variants, I have first transliterated the Sanskrit into roman characters
according to the following standards used by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust: Panini’ options
for doubling consonants are never applied, the optional conversion of anusvara to nasal stops
is applied always inside words and never at the end of words, avagrahas are indicated only at
the beginning of words and only when they stand for a deleted short a, and hyphens are
added to indicate compounded words. The Bengali tendency to write anusvara for the letter
m at the end of padas is overlooked. After transliteration, any texts that don't match count as
variants.

***
 Select Bibliography

This Bibliography is necessarily incomplete. Gopiparanadhana Dasa’s translations and

writings were always meticulously researched, but after his untimely departure, his
publishers were unable to locate any bibliography for his Laghu-bhagavatamrita edition. It
seems almost certain that he didn't write one. The publishers ultimately chose not to attempt
a full bibliography. However, the author's personal library contained two editions of the
Laghu-bhagavatamrita and a number of works of reference to this work. Only the former are
listed below; all other references pertain to this book's front matter.

Shri Laghu-bhagavatamrita:

edition of Puridasa Mahashaya, Mathura, 1946.

edition of Haribhakta Das, Radha-kunda, 1993.

IN SANSKRIT

Chaitanya-mata-manjusha, by Shrinatha Chakravarti. Edited by Puridasa Mahashaya.

Vrindavan: Haridasa Sharma, 1955.

Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, by Rupa Gosvami. Edited by Haridasa dasa with commentaries by

Jiva Gosvami, Mukunda dasa, and Vishvanatha Chakravarti. Navadvipa, 1984.

IN SANSKRIT AND ENGLISH

Shri Brihad-bhagavatamrita, by Sanatana Gosvami. English translation with paparphrase of

the author's commentary by Gopiparanadhana dasa. Los Angeles: The Bhaktivedanta Book
Trust, 2002 2005.

Shrimad-Bhagavatam (cantos 1-9). English translation and commentary by His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Los Angeles: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1972-
1977.

Shri Tattva Sandarbha, by Jiva Gosvami. Edited with commentary by Gopiparanadhana dasa.
Vrindavan: Giriraja Publishing, 2013.
 IN BENGALI AND ENGLISH

Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita, by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami. English translation and

commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Los Angeles: The
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1973-1975.

IN ENGLISH

Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal from Sanskrit and Bengali
Sources, by Sushil Kumar De. 2™ edition. Calcutta: K. L. Mukhopadhyay, 1961.

A Living Theology of Krishna Bhakti: Essential Teachings of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada, by Tamal Krishna Goswami. Edited with critical introduction and conclusion by
Graham Schweig. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.

The Nectar of Devotion: The Complete Science of Bhakti-yoga, by His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Los Angeles: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1970.

***
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gopiparanadhana Dasa was both a scholar of Sanskrit and a practitioner of devotional service
to Lord Krishna. Under the guidance of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada, he developed an expertise in Sanskrit and served for many years as an editor for
the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. When Shrila Prabhupada passed away, Gopiparanadhana
served on the three-man team that completed Shrila Prabhupada’ edition of Shrimad-
Bhagavatam. In 1998 he and his family moved to Govardhana, the place of Shri Krishna’s
pastimes located in northern India, and an important place of pilgrimage for the followers of
the Vaishnava tradition. There he spent the last twelve years of his life, translating and
training a new generation of devotional scholars at the Shrimad-bhagavata Vidyapitham, a
school he established for this purpose. Among his most significant literary contributions are
the translations of the Tattva-sandarbha, Brihaabhagvatamta, and Krishna-lila-stava.
When Shrila Rupa Gosvami authored this Laghu-Bhagavatamrita in the sixteenth century CE,
even Vaishnavas commonly accepted Lord Vishnu as the original form of the Supreme Lord,
considering Lord Krishna merely as one of His avataras albeit the most beloved of the Lord’s
many forms. The milieu in which Shrila Rupa Gosvami wrote has since changed greatly, but
the need to demonstrate how Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead remains
today, when so few believe in any God at all — much less God as a small, dark, flute-playing
cowherd boy named Krishna. Shrila Rupa Gosvami herein provides a compelling scriptural
exegesis of that assertion. Modern life being permeated by various modes of atheism,
voidism, and impersonalism, this book thus has great relevance for the spiritual lives of all
sincere seekers, especially those aspiring to be devotees of Krishna.
 ALSO BY GOPIPARANADHANA DASA

Shri Brihad-bhagavatamrita of Shrila Sanatana Gosvami

Shri Krishna-lila-stava of Shrila Sanatana Gosvami

Shri Tattva-sandarbha of Shrila Jiva Gosvami

-------

WORKS BEGUN BY SRILA PRABHUPADA

and completed by Gopiparanadhana Dasa with others

Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto,

from Chapter 14 onwards, and Cantos Eleven and Twelve

Mukunda-mala-stotra

(with Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami)

Narada-bhakti-sutra

(with Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami)