Prabhupada:

matsya, kurma, raghunatha, nrsiṁha, vamana
varahadi-lekha yaṅra na yaya gaṇana

Now Lord Caitanya is describing about lilavatara. So they are some of the names of the lilavatara. There are innumerable lilavatara, but these are some of the names: Matsya, Kurma, Raghunatha, Nrsiṁha, Vamana, Varahadi. In Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a verse in which some of the names of the lilavatara is mentioned:

matsyasva-kacchapa-nrsiṁha-varaha-haṁsa-
rajanya-vipra-vibudheṣu krtavataraḥ;
tvaṁ pasi nas tribhuvanaṁ ca tathadhunesa
bharaṁ bhuvo hara yaduttama vandanaṁ te

So all these incarnations, especially this lilavatara, lila incarnation, they come, they descend on this material world, to settle up some disturbances by the demons. There are two classes of men in this world, the deva and the asura. Deva means those who are devotees, those who are conscious, Krṣṇa conscious, they are called deva, gods, demigods. And demigod does not mean that something extraordinary. They are also living entities like us, but they are completely Krṣṇa conscious, and therefore they have got unlimited power, and they are entrusted with some of the management of this material world. They are called deva. And the asuras, demons, atheists, they are not entrusted. They are simply meant for creating disturbances. So when the atheist class, the number of atheist class, increases, at that time it becomes intolerable for the devas and the gods to remain here because the asuras can create much disturbances. So at that time, indrari-vyakulaṁ lokaṁ mrḍayanti yuge yuge [SB 1.3.28]. Indrari. Indra means the head of the demigods. When his enemies are increased and create disturbance, these lilavataras, they come. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, paritraṇaya sadhunaṁ vinasaya ca duṣkrtam: [Bg. 4.8] "Just to deliver the faithful and to annihilate the unfaithful," yuge yuge sambhavami, "I come in every millennium."

lilavatarera kailuṅ dig-darasana
guṇavatarera ebe suna vivaraṇa

Now Lord Caitanya says, "I have mentioned some of the lilavatara. Now, Sanatana, you just hear from Me about guṇavatara." Guṇavatara means the incarnation of the material qualities. There are three qualities in the material world: goodness, passion and ignorance. So each quality is controlled by the Supreme Lord Himself by His expansion of different incarnation. Brahma, viṣṇu, siva—tina guṇa avatara. Now on these three qualities, material modes of nature, the heads are Brahma-Brahma, the first living creature, Brahma—and Viṣṇu—Viṣṇu, God Himself—and Siva, Lord Siva. Siva's position is between Brahma and Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is God, and Brahma is living entity. Gradation. Living entities, they are also parts and parcels of God. Siva is also part and parcel of God. Viṣṇu is also part and parcel of God. But there are degrees of power. That we have already discussed. Krṣṇa is cent percent, Viṣṇu is ninety-four percent, Siva is eighty-four percent, and we living entities, we are seventy-eight percent. So tri-guṇa aṅgikari' kare srṣṭy-adi-vyavahara. They have nothing to do with these material modes of nature. Just like a person in charge of the criminal department or jail department, but we should not think that he is also one of the prisoners because he is in charge of the jail department. No. Similarly, Siva, Lord Siva, he is in charge of the modes of ignorance, but he is not ignorant. He is the most enlightened devotee of Lord. He has got a parampara, disciplic succession, which is called Viṣṇu Svami-sampradaya. There are four sampradayas of great devotees of Lord: one from Brahma, one from Siva, and one from Lakṣmi, and one from the Kumaras. So Lord Siva, although he is in charge of the department of the modes of ignorance, but he is not ignorant. You should not mistake that. Similarly, Brahma is also in charge of this passionate department, creative initiation. This, whatever we are creating, the creative incentive, that is from Brahma, passion. And ignorance, they neither create... They simply destroy. And Viṣṇu, He has taken the charge of maintenance, because without God nobody can maintain us. Eko bahunaṁ vidadhati kaman: "One personality, one eternal personality, He maintains all other plural eternities." We are also eternities, but we are maintained by Viṣṇu. Even Brahma is also maintained by Viṣṇu, and Siva is also maintained by Viṣṇu. So these are three qualitative incarnations: Brahma, Viṣṇu and Siva.

bhakti-misra-krta-puṇye kona jivottama
rajo-guṇe vibhavita kari' taṅra mana

Now, what is the constitution of Brahma? Brahma... Just there are so many innumerable living entities. If some of them, they are devotee, but they want to enjoy this material world... They want to enjoy. So they are devotee for taking some favor for God and want to enjoy this material world. He is called Brahma. Brahma's constitutional position is that.

bhakti-misra-krta-puṇye kona jivottama
rajo-guṇe vibhavita kari' taṅra mana

garbhodakasayi-dvara sakti sañcari'
vyaṣṭi srṣṭi kare krṣṇa brahma-rupa dhari'

Sometimes such pious living entities are not available, so sometimes Krṣṇa Himself becomes Brahma and for maintenance, for creation...

bhasvan yathasma-sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ;
sviyaṁ kiyat prakaṭayaty api tadvad atra
brahma ya eṣa jagad-aṇḍa-vidhana-karta
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami

Now, Brahma's description is given here, that bhasvan yathasma-sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ;. Just like valuable stone... The example is very nice, valuable stone, just like diamond. Diamond has got power to illuminate. And what is this diamond? The diamond is made by the interaction of sunshine. All these valuable stones, they are products of sunshine. So as the diamond has got power of shining power, it is derived from the sun, or diamond, the moon also, it derives power from the sun, similarly, Brahma, although he is very powerful, he is known as creator of this universe, but he is just like diamond. He inherits power from the Supreme Lord, so he becomes powerful. Bhasvan yathasma-sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ;. That is simply a bit of power. Just like a diamond, diamond also illuminating, but it is not original luminous. Original luminous is sun, and the illumination expanded by diamond is not so valuable as the sunshine. Similarly, Brahma, although we see him so powerful, he has little power derived from the Supreme Lord. That is the example given here.

kona kalpe yadi yogya jiva nahi paya
apane isvara tabe aṁse 'brahma' haya

Kona kalpe. Kalpa means the duration of one creation. This material creation, bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19], it is created at a certain interval, and it stays for some time. Again it is annihilated. So again, at the time of creation, if somebody is not available, then the Supreme Lord Krṣṇa, He becomes Brahma Himself.

yasyaṅghri-paṅkaja-rajo 'khila-loka-palair
mauly-uttamair dhrtam upasita-tirtha-tirtham
brahma bhavo 'ham api yasya kalaḥ; kalayaḥ;
sris codavahema ciram asya nrpasanaṁ kva

So,

nijaṁsa-kalaya krṣṇa tamo-guṇa aṅgikari'
saṁhararthe maya-saṅge rudra-rupa dhari

Similarly, sometimes, when Siva is not available... Siva is available. Nijaṁsa-kalaya krṣṇa tamo-guṇa aṅgikari'. Now Krṣṇa, the Lord Himself, when He accepts the management of these modes of ignorance, He is called Siva. So Siva, Siva is God, but because he is in the department of ignorance, therefore his name is Siva. He makes siva. Siva, another meaning of siva is "auspicious." These inauspicious persons who are in ignorance, for them, Siva worship, worship of Lord Siva, is recommended so that gradually they come to the modes of passion and goodness, and then they are liberated. So nijaṁsa-kalaya krṣṇa tamo-guṇa aṅgikari', saṁhararthe. But his business is destruction. When there is some destruction in this material world, you should know that is the action of Siva. Perhaps you have seen one statue that is very popular, sold in antique shops-Naṭaraja, dancing and fire, all round there is fire. When Siva begins to dance, his dance is very serious. As you dance, krṣṇa-kirtana, so similarly Siva also dances for annihilation. There is fire. By his dancing, there will be fire. Saṁhararthe maya-saṅge rudra-rupa dhari. Maya-saṅge. He has got connection with this material energy, and he is meant for destruction. Material energy is under the, I mean to say, control of this Siva-rupa of Krṣṇa. Therefore he is called father. He is called father, and the material energy is called mother. Father and mother, Durga.

maya-saṅga-vikari rudra-bhinnabhinna rupa
jiva-tattva haya, nahe krṣṇera 'svarupa'

And because he has connection with this illusory energy, therefore he is not exactly God. God has nothing to do with this material energy, illusory energy. He is never illusioned. But Siva, Lord Siva, he has connection with Durga, the material energy. Therefore his position is between the living entity and Krṣṇa.

Now Lord Caitanya is quoting one verse from Brahma-saṁhita about the real position of Siva:

dugdha yena amla-yoge dadhi-rupa dhare
dugdhantara vastu nahe, dugdha haite nare

A very nice example. Just like if you mix up with milk something sour and it turns into yogurt or curd, similarly, the difference between Siva and Lord Krṣṇa is like that. He is Krṣṇa, but because he is mixed up with this material energy, therefore he is something like that yogurt. So yogurt, the constitutional position of yogurt is nothing but milk, but it cannot become milk again. Once turned into yogurt, there is no possibility of turning into milk. Neither you can derive the benefit of milk from yogurt. Yogurt is used for some purpose; milk is used for some other purpose. Similarly, those who are worshipers of Siva, they cannot derive the same benefit as persons who are in Krṣṇa consciousness. Just like you cannot derive the same benefit by drinking, by taking yogurt. If you require milk, if I supply you yogurt, it will give another, I mean to say, disturbance. Similarly, the distinction is given here, and He is quoting from Brahma-saṁhita, most authoritative literature in this connection.

kṣiraṁ yatha dadhi vikara-viseṣa-yogat
sañjayate na tu tataḥ; prthag asti hetoḥ;
[Bs. 5.45]

Siva is not different from Krṣṇa, but it is added with this material energy. Therefore Siva has turned into yogurt.

yaḥ; sambhutam api tatha samupaiti karyad
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami

But somebody is required for destruction, so that destruction part is taken by Siva, and he is charge of this tamo-guṇa.

'siva'-maya-sakti-saṅgi, tamo-guṇavesa
mayatita, guṇatita 'viṣṇu'-paramesa

Therefore Viṣṇu and Siva, the difference is that Viṣṇu is never in touch of this illusory energy, or material energy, but Siva is in intimate touch with the material energy. That is the difference between Siva and Viṣṇu.

sivaḥ; sakti-yuktaḥ; sasvat
triliṅgo guṇa-saṁvrtaḥ;
vaikarikas taijasas ca
tamasas cety ahaṁ tridha

harir hi nirguṇaḥ; sakṣat
puruṣaḥ; prakrteḥ; paraḥ;

Now, Hari, Viṣṇu is beyond this material world. That is accepted by Saṅkaracarya. Narayaṇaḥ; paraḥ; avyaktat. Narayaṇa, Hari... Although Saṅkaracarya is impersonalist, but he has accepted Narayaṇa, Hari, the Supreme Lord, as beyond this material infection. Narayaṇaḥ; paraḥ; avyaktat. And he has also agreed to accept Krṣṇa. Sa bhagavan svayaṁ krṣṇaḥ;. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krṣṇa. It is accepted by Saṅkaracarya. Those who are reading the commentary by Saṅkaracarya on the Bhagavad-gita, he will find in the beginning of that narayaṇaḥ; paraḥ;. So it is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam that harir hi nirguṇaḥ; sakṣat: "Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is beyond the touch of this material qualities." Therefore His body is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaḥ; [Bs. 5.1]. His body is not made of this tri-guṇa. Our, this material body is made of these three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Those who have got this body from the modes of goodness, they are called brahmaṇas, or the most intelligent persons. And those who have got their body from the modes of passion, they are called kṣatriyas. They have got creative initiation. And those who are mixed, they are called vaisyas, or the mercantile community. And those who have got purely body from modes of ignorance, they are called sudras. So harir hi... But Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this. He is transcendental. Harir hi nirguṇaḥ; sakṣat puruṣaḥ; prakrteḥ; paraḥ;.

Prakrteḥ; paraḥ; means... Prakrti means nature. This material nature, He is beyond this material nature. Prakrteḥ; paraḥ;.

sa sarva-guṇa upadraṣṭa
taṁ bhajan nirguṇo bhavet

The advantage is that if you want to get release from the infection of these three guṇas, three qualities, then you have to render devotional service to the Lord. That is Krṣṇa consciousness. Nirguṇo bhavet. Nirguṇa, when there is mention of nirguṇa, nirguṇa does not mean quality-less. Nirguṇa means without these contaminous three qualities of material nature. There are transcendental qualities. Those transcendental qualities... You have got the list, twenty-six qualities of the devotee. Those are transcendental qualities. Those transcendental qualities are in God as well as in the living entity. But when the living entity comes in contact with material nature, those transcendental qualities are covered by the material qualities. So they are not manifested. But as soon as one becomes Krṣṇa conscious, those transcendental qualities automatically develop. Because they are already there.

It is stated that... What is that? The idea is that these qualities are already there. Nitya-siddha krṣṇa-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya. These qualities are not acquired. The transcendental qualities are not acquired. Rather, these material qualities are acquired. But transcendental qualities are there in minute particles. As the transcendental qualities are there in God, similarly, transcendental qualities are in living entities also. But when they are covered by these material qualities, the material qualities which we exhibit in the material world, that is acquired. But transcendental qualities are not acquired. So nitya-siddha krṣṇa-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya. They are not acquired. Sravaṇadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. Those transcendental qualities again revive themself by this process: sravaṇadi-suddha-citte. As you purify your heart by this process of hearing transcendental messages from Godhead, as your heart becomes purified, those transcendental qualities automatically develop. And when fully developed, it is called nirguṇa, nirguṇa, without any material quality. That nirguṇa stage can be obtained, can be achieved, in touch with the nirguṇa, Krṣṇa. Therefore it is stated, sa sarva-drg upadraṣṭa taṁ bhajan. Bhajan. Bhajan means by rendering devotional service to Him, that Supreme Lord, you get revived your transcendental qualities. And when you revive your transcendental qualities, that means you are liberated, you are happy, you are transferred to the spiritual world.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

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