Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.172–244

Prabhupāda:

ananta prakāśe kṛṣṅera nāhi mūrti-bheda ākāra-varṅa-astra-bhede nāma-vibheda [Cc Madhya 20.172]

[When the Lord expands Himself in innumerable forms, there is no difference in the forms, but due to different features, bodily colors and weapons, the names are different.]

So Kṛṣṅa has innumerable expansions. So far potency of the Lord is concerned, in those expansions there is no difference of potency, but the different names are due to difference of manifestation. Sometimes the Lord is manifested with two hands, sometimes with four hands. And [in] the four hands there are different symbolic representation. So due to these different kinds of manifestation there are different names, but so far God's six potential opulences are concerned, they are always present in every form and manifestation. There is no difference.

vaibhava-prakāśa kṛṣṅera—śrī-balarāma varṅa-mātra-bheda, saba—kṛṣṅera samāna [Cc Madhya 20.174]

The first manifestation of the vaibhava feature of Kṛṣṅa is Śrī Balarāmajī. Śrī Balarāma and Kṛṣṅa have different bodily colors, but otherwise Śrī Balarāma is equal to Kṛṣṅa in all respects.]

Balarāma. Balarāma is considered to be the elder brother of Kṛṣṅa. When Kṛṣṅa was present, Balarāma became His elder brother. When Rāma was there, this Balarāma represented Himself as His younger brother, Lakṣmaṅa. So Balarāma is the first manifestation of His personal expansion.

vaibhava-prakāśa yaiche devakī-tanuja dvibhuja-svarūpa kabhu, kabhu haya caturbhuja [Cc Madhya 20.175]

[An example of vaibhava-prakāśa is the son of Devakī. He sometimes has two hands and sometimes four hands.]

Vaibhava-prakāśa, vaibhava manifestation... The example is given: just like when Kṛṣṅa was born, He was not exactly born from the womb of His mother. So He appeared first of all with four hands. Then, when the mother prayed... She could know that Kṛṣṅa has come. She prayed for become an ordinary child, and at once He became two-handed. This is called vaibhava-prakāśa manifestation.

Ye-kāle dvibhuja, nāma—vaibhava-prakāśa [Cc Madhya 20.176]

[When the Lord is two-handed He is called vaibhava-prakāśa, and when He is four-handed He is called prābhava-prakāśa.]

When He is two-handed, it is called vaibhava-prakāśa, and when He is four-handed, it is called prābhava-vaibhava.

svarūpera gopa-veśa, gopa-abhimāna vāsudevera kṣatriya-veśa, 'āmi-kṣatriya'-jñāna [Cc Madhya 20.177]

[In His original form, the Lord dresses like a cowherd boy and thinks Himself one. When He appears as Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, His dress and consciousness are those of a kṣatriya, a warrior.]

In His original personality, sometimes He represents Himself as the son of Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherds man, and sometimes He represents Himself as the son of Vasudeva, the kṣatriya king.

saundarya, aiśvarya, mādhurya, vaidagdhya-vilāsa vrajendra-nandane ihā adhika ullāsa [Cc Madhya 20.178]

[When one compares the beauty, opulence, sweetness and intellectual pastimes of Vāsudeva, the warrior, to Kṛṣṅa, the cowherd boy, son of Nanda Mahārāja, one sees that Kṛṣṅa’s attributes are more pleasant.]

Aiśvarya, the opulence, six kinds of opulence of which mādhurya, I mean to say, His relationship with His devotees in conjugal love... That is very much prominent in Vṛndāvana.

govindera mādhurī dekhi' vāsudevera kṣobha se mādhuri āsvādite upajaya lobha [Cc Madhya 20.179]

[Indeed, Vāsudeva is agitated just to see the sweetness of Govinda, and a transcendental greed awakens in Him to enjoy that sweetness.]

The beauty, beauty of Kṛṣṅa, is fully manifested in Vṛndāvana. A sixteen-years boy and playing flute, the beauty was so attractive that even Vāsudeva Himself became attracted by the beauty.

sei vapu bhinnābhāse kichu bhinnākāra bhāvāveśākṛti-bhede 'tad-ekātma' nāma tāṅra [Cc Madhya 20.183]

[When that body is a little differently manifested and its features are a little different in transcendental emotion and form, it is called tad-ekātma.]

Now, that original feature of Lord Kṛṣṅa, when there is a little difference, that is called tad-ekātma.

tad-ekātma-rūpe 'vilāsa', 'svāṁśa'—dui bheda vilāsa, svāṁśera bhede vividha vibheda [Cc Madhya 20.184]

[In the tad-ekātma-rūpa there are pastime expansions [vilāsa] and personal expansions [svāṁśa]. Consequently there are two divisions. According to pastime and personal expansion, there are various differences.]

That tad-ekātma, almost the same, that is also divided into two: svāṁśa and vibhinnāṁśa.

prābhava-vaibhava-bhede vilāsa—dvidhākāra vilāsera vilāsa-bheda—ananta prakāra [Cc Madhya 20.185]

[Again the vilāsa forms are divided into twofold categories—prābhava and vaibhava. Again the pastimes of these forms are of unlimited variety.]

prābhava-vilāsa—vāsudeva, saṅkarṣaṅa pradyumna, aniruddha—mukhya cāri-jana [Cc Madhya 20.186]

[The chief quadruple expansions are named Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṅa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. These are called prābhava-vilāsa.]

Now, the prābhava manifestation, four, They are called Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṅa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna. These four names are there.

vraje gope-bhāva rāmera, pure kṣatriya-bhāvana varṅa-veśa-bheda, tāte 'vilāsa' tāṅra nāma [Cc Madhya 20.187]

[Balarāma, who has the same original form as Kṛṣṅa, is Himself a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana, and He also considers Himself a member of the kṣatriya race in Dvārakā. Thus His color and dress are different, and He is called a pastime form of Kṛṣṅa.]

vaibhava-prakāśe āra prābhava-vilāse eka-i mūrtye baladeva bhāva-bhede bhāse [Cc Madhya 20.188]

[Śrī Balarāma is a vaibhava-prakāśa manifestation of Kṛṣṅa. He is also manifested in the original quadruple expansions of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṅa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. These are prābhava-vilāsa expansions with different emotions.]

These are all technical terms. You just go on hearing. But if you want to have them minutely studied, then you have to take a note from this book. And of course, it is necessary, but gradually, when you are conversant with the features of Lord, these things will come automatically. Just let us hear how many forms are there, prābhava-vilāsa, and their technical names.

Now, these prābhava-vilāsa forms, four-handed, They are also divided into different names according to the different months. Just like your calendar month is called January, February, March, April, May, June, and in India the calendar months are named as Vaiśākha, Jyaiṣṭha, Āṣāḍha, Śrāvaṅa, Bhādra, Āśvina, similarly, according to the Vaiṣṅava smṛti, there are the spiritual... These names, calendar months, they are according to the situation of the sun. Similarly, in the spiritual world the twelve months are named according to the different features of the Lord. And they are described here.

cakrādi-dhāraṅa-bhede nāma-bheda saba vāsudevera mūrti—keśava, nārāyaṅa, mādhava [Cc Madhya 20.195]

[Out of the catur-vyūha, there are three expansions of each and every form, and They are named differently according to the position of the weapons. The Vāsudeva expansions are Keśava, Nārāyaṅa and Mādhava.]

Vāsudeva... According to the symbolic representation of the hands, They are differently named. Vāsudeva is divided into three: Keśava, Nārāyaṅa, Mādhava. Similarly, Saṅkarṣaṅa is divided into three: Govinda, Viṣṅu, Śrī Madhusūdana. Similarly, Pradyumna is divided into three: Trivikrama, Vāmana, Śrīdhara. Similarly, Aniruddha is divided into three: Hṛṣīkeśa, Padmanābha, Dāmodara. So all these, three into four, twelve, They are named in different months.

Mārga-śīrṣe keśava. Mārga-śīrṣe means October. In the month of October He is known as Keśava. Then November—not exactly November—October, November. November, Keśava; and December, Nārāyaṅa. And then January, Mādhava. Then Govinda. Just take twelve names. Govinda, then Viṣṅu, then Madhusūdana, then Trivikrama, then Vāmana, then Śrīdhara, then Hṛṣīkeśa, then Padmanābha, then Dāmodara.

Similarly, we have got dvādaśa tilaka. The same names are there. Lalāṭe keśavaṁ dhyāyet. When dvādaśa tilakas are made, these twelve names are remembered. Lalāṭe keśavaṁ nārāyaṅam athodare [Padma Purāṅa, Uttara Khaṅḍa]:

[When one marks the forehead with tilaka, he must remember Keśava. When one marks the lower abdomen, he must remember Nārāyaṅa. For the chest, one should remember Mādhava, and when marking the hollow of the neck one should remember Govinda. Lord Viṣṅu should be remembered while marking the right side of the belly and Madhusūdana should be remembered when marking the right arm. Trivikrama should be remembered when marking the right shoulder, and Vāmana should be remembered when marking the left side of the belly. Śrīdhara should be remembered while marking the left arm, and Hṛṣīkeśa should be remembered when marking the left shoulder. Padmanābha and Dāmodara should be remembered when marking the back.]

Nārāyaṅa on the belly. Then vakṣaḥ-sthale, then here, then here, then here, then here. In this way, twelve names there are. In this way... Of course, these are very technical. It may be not very interesting, but there are similar names of Kṛṣṅa, in Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṅa—and how they are divided, it is an artistic...

The Vāsudeva name, the four hands... How you can distinguish? The four hands you will find everywhere, and the symbolic representation in the hand, that lotus flower, club, and the wheel and the conchshell. Now, according to the different position of these four symbolic representation, the name are different. Just like Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva, He takes the club in the first right hand and then the conchshell in the second right hand, and then left, the upper left hand, wheel, and the lower left hand, lotus flower. Similarly, Saṅkarṣaṅa, there is change.

So different change... Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṅa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Keśava, Nārāyaṅa, Śrī Mādhava, Govinda, Viṣṅu-mūrti, Madhusūdana, Trivikrama, Śrī Vāmana, Śrīdhara, Hṛṣīkeśa, Padmanābha, Dāmodara, Puruṣottama, Śrī Acyuta. Śrī Acyuta [aside:] Acyutānanda. Śrī Acyuta, Śrī Nṛsiṁha, Śrī Janārdana, Śrī Hari, Śrī Kṛṣṅa, Adhokṣaja, Upendra, Hayaśīrṣa. In this way there are different names. How many names we can remember? He is unlimited. His names are unlimited. His expansions are unlimited.

So if you want to take details of His names and expansion, they are mentioned in the scriptures. You can have it. But it is very difficult to remember them. But let us understand that His expansions are unlimited, and unlimited expansions of God, particular names, they are mentioned in the scriptures.

'svayam bhagavān', āra 'līlā-purusottama' ei dui nāma dhare vrajendra-nandana [Cc Madhya 20.240]

[Kṛṣṅa, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, indicated as the son of Mahārāja Nanda, has two names. One is svayaṁ bhagavān, and the other is līlā-puruṣottama.]

Now Kṛṣṅa's two particular names are Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Puruṣottama. In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Eighth Chapter, you will understand what is Puruṣottama. Puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer; uttama means the highest. So Paramātmā and Puruṣottama are discussions are in the Eighth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā.

purīra āvaraṅa-rūpe purīra nava-deśe nava-vyūha-rūpe nava-mūrti parakāśe [Cc Madhya 20.241]

[Lord Kṛṣṅa personally surrounds Dvārakā-purī as its protector. In different parts of the city, in nine places, He expands in nine different forms.]

prakāśa-vilāsera ei kailuṅ vivaraṅa svāṁśera bheda ebe śuna, sanātana [Cc Madhya 20.243]

[I have already described the pastime and prakāśa forms. Now please hear about the different personal expansions.]

Now the description of prakāśa manifestation and vilāsa manifestation are described in this way; now, His plenary portions, how they are named.

saṅkarṣaṅa, matsyādika—dui bheda tāṅra saṅkarṣaṅa—puruṣāvatāra līlāvatāra āra [Cc Madhya 20.244]

[The first personal expansion is Saṅkarṣaṅa, and the others are incarnations like the fish incarnation. Saṅkarṣaṅa expands as the Puruṣa, or Viṣṅu. The incarnations such as Matsya, the fish incarnation, appear in different yugas for specific pastimes.]

Saṅkarṣaṅa and in incarnation... Saṅkarṣaṅa, from Saṅkarṣaṅa, there are three expansion. They are called Viṣṅu—Mahā-Viṣṅu..., Mahā-Viṣṅu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu and Kṣirodakaśāyī Viṣṅu—from Saṅkarṣaṅa. Mahā-Viṣṅu... When the material world is created, the Mahā-Viṣṅu expansion is there. From Mahā-Viṣṅu, all these universes are generated. And from Mahā-Viṣṅu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu is expanded. This Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu enters into each universe, and then, in each universe, from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu is expanded.

That Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu has a planet within this universe near the polestar. And from that Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu, the expansion Paramātmā is distributed in everyone's heart.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

That Viṣṅu-mūrti is expanded from the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu within this material world. The Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu is also within this material universe. And both, all these Viṣṅu-mūrti... One Viṣṅu-mūrti is the Mahā-Viṣṅu.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ [Bs 5.48]

[Brahmā and other lords of the mundane worlds, appearing from the pores of hair of Mahā-Viṣṅu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the latter [Mahā-Viṣṅu]. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective personality Mahā-Viṣṅu is the portion of portion.]

From Maha-Viṣṅu, all these universes are being generated, niśyaika-kāla, when He, Mahā-Viṣṅu, is lying in the Causal Ocean, and from His breathing all these universes are being generated. Then they expand, and then Mahā-Viṣṅu enters in each universe as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu.

And Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu... These pictures are there. You have seen. And from Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu... From Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu there is expansion of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu. From Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu the Paramātmā, or the expansion of Supersoul in every living entity, that is expanded.

Then His incarnation. The incarnation, that is also innumerable. Principally the incarnations are avatāra haya kṛṣṅa ṣaḍ-vidha prakāra. Generally, the incarnations are divided into six divisions. What are they? Puruṣāvatāra eka, first puruṣāvatāra; second, līlāvatāra; third, guṅāvatāra; and fourth, manvantarāvatāra; and fifth, yugāvatāra; and sixth, śaktyāveśāvatāra. This is very important. This is very important. There are incarnations, six kinds of incarnations. This may be noted.

First, puruṣāvatāra. Purusāvatāra, these Viṣṅus, three Viṣṅu—Mahā-Viṣṅu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu—They are called puruṣāvatāra. Then līlāvatāra. God sometimes manifests Himself as incarnation of fish, incarnation of hog, incarnation of lion, incarnation of Rāma. Rāma is also puruṣāvatāra, yes, I mean to say, līlāvatāra, Rāma. So līlāvatāra, then guṅāvatāra. Gunāvatāra is according to the modes of this material nature there are three guṅāvatāras. So first, Himself, Viṣṅu; and the second, Brahmā. Brahmā is also guṅāvatāra, incarnation of the quality.

There are three qualities in the material world. Brahmā is the incarnation of the passion, mode of passion, and Viṣṅu is the incarnation of the mode of goodness, and Śiva, Lord Śiva, is the incarnation of the mode of ignorance. So all these three avatāras, although they are different manifestation of God, still, in the scriptures this is recommended that if anyone wants to get out of this material entanglement, then he has to worship these incarnation in the modes of goodness, Viṣṅu-avatāra. That is... These things are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So one may say that "If three of them are incarnation of the Supreme, why particularly to Viṣṅu? Why not Lord Śiva and why not Brahmā?" That is described in the Bhāgavata. Just like I require fire. So fire, the fire, there is. Just like wood is produced from the earth, and fire is produced from the wood, similarly, although it, production, the source of production, is the same, but still, I require fire. I cannot have fire from the earth or from the, just tree. I have to take the wood, fuel. This example is there. Although the source is one, still, unless I get fire, my purpose will not be served.

Similarly, this Viṣṅu and Śiva and Brahmā... From, I mean to say, gross earth the wood is produced like tree, and from tree we take wood, and from wood there is fire. So when we get fire, then we can serve our purpose. Similarly, although these three avatāras are there in the material world, we have to take shelter of the viṣṅu-avatāra, goodness. So far spiritual progress, one has to be situated on the modes of goodness first. Therefore we require to be brāhmaṅas, qualified brāhmaṅas, then Vaiṣṅava. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṅaḥ. Brāhmaṅa does not mean caste. Brāhmaṅa means one who knows the Supreme Brahman. He is brāhmaṅa. And then, after being brāhmaṅa, then you have to transcend that position and put yourself in the pure goodness.

This material goodness is contaminated. Sometimes goodness is affected by ignorance and passion in the material... So when you are transcendental to this material goodness, that stage is called Vāsudeva stage. And Vāsudeva stage, that means God realization.

So there are three incarnation of guṅāvatāra, then manvantarāvatāra. Manvantarāvatāra means... There is seventy-one yugas. One yuga means about 4,300,000's of years. Four million and 300,000's of years, that makes a complete yuga. Such seventy-one yuga is the duration of a Manu. That is called Man... And each Manu is also an incarnation, manvantarāvatāra. And such Manu takes place, fourteen Manus take place, during one day of Brahma. So manvantarāvatāra.

Then yuga avatāra. Yuga avatāra... In each yuga, during that 4,300,000's of years, there are yuga avatāra. They are the incarnation. They come. They are called yugāvatāras. And then there is śaktyāveśa-avatāra. Śaktyāveśa-avatāra, they are counted just like Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ. They are counted amongst the śaktyāveśāvatāras. They are also incarnation of śaktyāveśāvatāra, powerful. In this way the Supreme Lord manifests all over the universes. There are innumerable universes, and some of His incarnation are working always.

So God's kingdom is not vacant. Just like we are thinking that except this earthly planet, all planets are vacant. Somebody is suggesting it is a lump of ashes. Just like they are thinking of this moon planet—a lump of dust. I cannot, of course, think like that. How dust can remain in a lump and how so much illumination come out from the dust? But they are putting the theory that the moon planet is a lump of dust. So let them do. But from the scripture we understand that there are innumerable universes, and each and every universe is full with innumerable planets, and each planet is full with innumerable living entities, and God's incarnation is working somewhere, other, to reclaim these conditioned souls.

Thank you very much. [end]