Lord Caitanya continued explaining to SanÄtana GosvÄmÄŤ about Lord KášášŁášaâs avatÄras, or incarnations, which are His expansions who come to the material creation. The word avatÄra means âone who descends from the spiritual sky.â In the spiritual sky there are innumerable Vaikuášášha planets, and from these planets the expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead come into this universe.
The first descent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from the expansion of Saáš karᚣaáša, is the first puruᚣa incarnation. It is stated in ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (1.3.1) that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends as the first puruᚣa incarnation of the material creation, He immediately manifests sixteen elementary energies. Known as MahÄ-viᚣášu, He lies within the Causal Ocean, and it is He who is the original incarnation in the material world. ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam 2.6.42 states that He is the Lord of time, nature, cause and effect, mind, ego, the five physical elements, the three modes of nature, the senses and the universal form. He is the independent master of all moving and nonmoving living beings in the material world.
The influence of material nature cannot reach beyond the VirajÄ, or Causal Ocean, as confirmed in ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (2.9.10). Neither the modes of material nature (goodness, passion and ignorance) nor material time have any influence on the Vaikuášášha planets. On those planets the liberated associates of KášášŁáša live eternally, and they are worshiped by both the demigods and the demons.
Material nature acts in two capacities, as mÄyÄ and pradhÄna. MÄyÄ is the direct cause, and pradhÄna refers to the elements of the material manifestation. When the first puruᚣa-avatÄra, MahÄ-viᚣášu, glances over material nature, material nature becomes agitated, and the puruᚣa-avatÄra thus impregnates matter with the living entities. Simply by the glance of MahÄ-viᚣášu, consciousness is created, and this consciousness is known as the mahat-tattva. The predominating Deity of the mahat-tattva is VÄsudeva. This created consciousness is then divided into three departmental activities according to the three guášas, or modes of material nature. Consciousness in the mode of goodness is described in the Eleventh Canto of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam. The predominating Deity of this mode is Aniruddha. Consciousness in the mode of passion produces intelligence, and the predominating Deity in this case is Pradyumna. He is the master of the senses. Consciousness in the mode of ignorance causes the production of ether (the sky) and the ear. The cosmic manifestation is a combination of all these modes, and in this way innumerable universes are created. No one can count the number of universes.
These innumerable universes are produced from the pores of MahÄ-viᚣášuâs body. As innumerable atoms pass through the tiny holes in a screen, innumerable universes similarly emanate from the pores of MahÄ-viᚣášuâs body. As He breathes out, innumerable universes are produced, and as He inhales, they are annihilated. All of the energies of MahÄ-viᚣášu are spiritual: they have nothing to do with the material energy. In the Brahma-saášhitÄ (5.48) it is stated that the predominating deity of each universe, BrahmÄ, lives only during one breath of MahÄ-viᚣášu. Thus MahÄ-viᚣášu is the original Supersoul of all the universes and the master of all universes as well.
The second Viᚣášu incarnation, Garbhodaka-ĹÄyÄŤ Viᚣášu, enters each and every universe, spreads perspiration from His body and lies down on that water. From His navel grows the stem of a lotus flower, and on that lotus flower the first creature, BrahmÄ, is born. Within the stem of that lotus flower are the fourteen divisions of planetary systems, which are created by BrahmÄ. In the form of Garbhodaka-ĹÄyÄŤ Viᚣášu, the Lord maintains each universe and tends to its needs. Although He is within each material universe, the influence of the material energy cannot touch Him. When it is required, this very same Viᚣášu takes the form of Lord Ĺiva and annihilates the cosmic creation. The three secondary incarnations – BrahmÄ, Viᚣášu and Ĺiva – are the predominating deities of the three modes of material nature. The master of the universe, however, is Garbhodaka-ĹÄyÄŤ Viᚣášu, who is worshiped as the Hiraášyagarbha Supersoul. The Vedic hymns describe Him as having thousands of heads.
The third incarnation of Viᚣášu, Kᚣčrodaka-ĹÄyÄŤ Viᚣášu, is the incarnation of the mode of goodness. He is also the Supersoul of all living entities, and He resides on the ocean of milk within the universe. Thus Caitanya MahÄprabhu described the puruᚣa-avatÄras.
Lord Caitanya next described the lÄŤlÄ-avatÄras, or pastime incarnations, and of these the Lord pointed out that there is no limit. Still, He described some of them – for example, Matsya, KĹŤrma, RaghunÄtha, Nášsiášha, VÄmana and VarÄha.
As far as the guáša-avatÄras, or qualitative incarnations of Viᚣášu, are concerned, they are three – BrahmÄ, Viᚣášu and Ĺiva. BrahmÄ is one of the living entities, but due to his devotional service he is very powerful. This primal living entity, master of the mode of material passion, is directly empowered by Garbhodaka-ĹÄyÄŤ Viᚣášu to create innumerable living organisms. In the Brahma-saášhitÄ (5.49) BrahmÄ is likened to a valuable jewel influenced by the rays of the sun, and the Supreme Lord, Garbhodaka-ĹÄyÄŤ Viᚣášu, is likened to the sun. If in some kalpa there is no suitable living entity who can act in BrahmÄâs capacity, Garbhodaka-ĹÄyÄŤ Viᚣášu Himself becomes BrahmÄ and acts accordingly.
Similarly, by expanding Himself as Lord Ĺiva, the Supreme Lord is engaged when there is a need to annihilate the universe. Lord Ĺiva, in association with mÄyÄ, has many forms, which are generally numbered at eleven. Lord Ĺiva is not one of the living entities; he is more or less KášášŁáša Himself. The example of milk and yogurt is often given in this regard: Yogurt is a preparation of milk, but still yogurt cannot be used as milk. Similarly, Lord Ĺiva is an expansion of KášášŁáša, but he cannot act like KášášŁáša, nor can we derive the spiritual restoration from Lord Ĺiva that we derive from KášášŁáša. The essential difference is that Lord Ĺiva has a connection with material nature but Viᚣášu, or Lord KášášŁáša, has nothing to do with material nature. In ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (10.88.3) it is stated that Lord Ĺiva is a combination of three kinds of transformed consciousness known as vaikÄrika, taijasa and tÄmasa.
The Viᚣášu incarnation, although master of the modes of goodness within each universe, is in no way in touch with the influence of material nature. Although Viᚣášu is equal to KášášŁáša, KášášŁáša is the original source. Viᚣášu is a part, but KášášŁáša is the whole. This is the verdict of the Vedic literature. The Brahma-saášhitÄ (5.46) gives the example of an original candle which lights a second candle. Although the candles are of equal power, one is still accepted as the original and the other is said to be kindled from the original. The Viᚣášu expansion is like the second candle. He is as powerful as KášášŁáša, but the original Viᚣášu is KášášŁáša. BrahmÄ and Lord Ĺiva are obedient servants of the Supreme Lord, and the Supreme Lord as Viᚣášu is an expansion of KášášŁáša.
After describing the lÄŤlÄ- and guáša-avatÄras to SanÄtana GosvÄmÄŤ, Lord Caitanya explained the manvantara-avatÄras, incarnations associated with the Manus. He first stated that there is no possibility of counting the manvantara-avatÄras. Fourteen Manus appear in one kalpa, or day of BrahmÄ, and for each Manu there is a manvantara-avatÄra. It is calculated that each day of BrahmÄ lasts 4,320,000,000 earth years, and BrahmÄ lives for one hundred years on this scale. Thus if fourteen Manus appear in one day of BrahmÄ, there are 420 Manus during one month of BrahmÄ, and during one year of BrahmÄ there are 5,040 Manus. Since BrahmÄ lives for one hundred of his years, it is calculated that there are 504,000 Manus manifested during the lifetime of one BrahmÄ. Since there are innumerable universes, no one can imagine the totality of the manvantara incarnations. Countless universes are produced by the exhalation of MahÄ-viᚣášu, and thus no one can begin to calculate how many Manus are existing at one time.
Each Manu is known by a different name. The first Manu is SvÄyambhuva, and he is a direct son of BrahmÄ. The second Manu, SvÄrociᚣa, is the son of the predominating deity of fire. The third Manu is Uttama, and he is the son of King Priyavrata. The fourth Manu, TÄmasa, is the brother of Uttama, as is the fifth Manu, Raivata. The sixth Manu, CÄkᚣuᚣa, is the son of Cakᚣus. The seventh Manu is Vaivasvata, and he is the son of the sun god. The eighth Manu is SÄvaráši, and he is also a son of the sun god, born of a wife named ChÄyÄ. The ninth Manu, Dakᚣa-sÄvaráši, is the son of Varuáša. The tenth Manu, Brahma-sÄvaráši, is the son of UpaĹloka. The four other Manus are Rudra-sÄvaráši, Dharma-sÄvaráši, Deva-sÄvaráši and Indra-sÄvaráši.
After describing the Manu incarnations, Lord Caitanya described the yuga-avatÄras to SanÄtana GosvÄmÄŤ. There are four yugas, or millenniums – Satya, TretÄ, DvÄpara and Kali – and in each millennium the Supreme Lord appears in an incarnation of a different color. In the Satya-yuga the color of the principal incarnation is white, in the TretÄ-yuga the color is red, in the DvÄpara-yuga blackish (KášášŁáša), and in the Kali-yuga yellow (Caitanya MahÄprabhu). This is confirmed in ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (10.8.13) by the astrologer Garga Muni, who calculated KášášŁášaâs horoscope in the house of Nanda MahÄrÄja.
In the Satya-yuga the process of self-realization was meditation, and this process was taught by the white incarnation of God. This incarnation gave a benediction to the sage Kardama by which he obtained an incarnation of the Personality of Godhead as his son. In the Satya-yuga everyone meditated on KášášŁáša, and each and every living entity was in full knowledge. In the present age, the Kali-yuga, people who are not in full knowledge are still attempting various meditative processes not recommended for this age.
In the TretÄ millennium the process for self-realization was the performance of various sacrifices, and this process was taught by the red incarnation of God.
In the DvÄpara millennium KášášŁáša was personally present, and the process of self-realization for everyone in that age was worshiping Him. He was blackish in color, He was the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, and He induced people to worship Him, as stated in the Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ. ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (11.5.29) states that in the DvÄpara millennium people generally worshiped the Supreme Lord KášášŁáša by chanting the following hymn:
namas te vÄsudevÄya
namaḼ saáš karᚣaášÄya
pradyumnÄyÄniruddhÄya
tubhyaᚠbhagavate namaḼ
âLet me offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the forms of VÄsudeva, Saáš karᚣaáša, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.â
In the next millennium – the present age, Kali-yuga – the Lord is yellow, and He teaches people the process of attaining love of God by chanting the names of KášášŁáša. This process is shown personally by KášášŁáša in the form of Caitanya MahÄprabhu, and He exhibits love of Godhead by chanting, singing and dancing with thousands of people following Him. This particular incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is foretold in ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (11.5.32):
kášášŁáša-varášaáš tviᚣÄkášášŁášaáš
sÄáš gopÄáš gÄstra-pÄrᚣadam
yajĂąaiḼ saáš kÄŤrtana-prÄyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḼ
âIn the Age of Kali the Lord incarnates as a devotee and is always chanting Hare KášášŁáša, Hare KášášŁáša, KášášŁáša KášášŁáša, Hare Hare/ Hare RÄma, Hare RÄma, RÄma RÄma, Hare Hare. Although He is KášášŁáša, His complexion is not blackish like KášášŁášaâs in DvÄpara-yuga but is golden. He always engages in preaching love of Godhead through the saáš kÄŤrtana movement, and those who are intelligent adopt this process of self-realization.â ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (12.3.52) also states:
kášte yad dhyÄyato viᚣášuáš
tretÄyÄáš yajato makhaiḼ
dvÄpare paricaryÄyÄáš
kalau tad dhari-kÄŤrtanÄt
âThe self-realization achieved in the Satya millennium by meditation, in the TretÄ millennium by the performance of different sacrifices, and in the DvÄpara millennium by worship of Lord KášášŁáša can be achieved in the Age of Kali simply by chanting the holy names, Hare KášášŁáša.â This is confirmed in the Viᚣášu PurÄáša (6.2.17):
dhyÄyan kášte yajan yajĂąais
tretÄyÄáš dvÄpare ârcayan
yad Äpnoti tad Äpnoti
kalau saáš kÄŤrtya keĹavam
âIn this age there is no use in meditation, performance of sacrifices or temple worship. Simply by chanting the holy name of KášášŁáša – Hare KášášŁáša, Hare KášášŁáša, KášášŁáša KášášŁáša, Hare Hare/ Hare RÄma, Hare RÄma, RÄma RÄma, Hare Hare – one can achieve perfect self-realization.â
When Lord Caitanya described the incarnation for this Age of Kali, SanÄtana GosvÄmÄŤ, who had been a government minister and was perfectly capable of drawing conclusions, asked the Lord, âHow can one understand the advent of an incarnation?â From the description of the incarnation for the Kali millennium, SanÄtana GosvÄmÄŤ could understand that Lord Caitanya Himself was that incarnation of KášášŁáša, and he could also understand that in the future many people would try to imitate Lord Caitanya because the Lord had played as an ordinary brÄhmaáša though His devotees accepted Him as an incarnation. Since SanÄtana knew that there would be many pretenders, he asked the Lord, âHow can one understand the symptoms of an incarnation?â
âAs one can understand the different incarnations for previous millenniums by referring to the Vedic literature,â the Lord replied, âone can similarly understand who is actually the incarnation of Godhead in this Age of Kali.â In this way the Lord especially stressed reference to authoritative scriptures. In other words, one should not whimsically accept a person as an incarnation but should try to understand the characteristics of an incarnation by referring to the scriptures. An incarnation of the Supreme Lord never declares Himself to be an incarnation, but His followers must ascertain who is an incarnation and who is a pretender by referring to authoritative scriptures.
Any intelligent person can understand the characteristics of a real incarnation by understanding two kinds of features – the principal features, called personal characteristics, and the marginal features, comprising His activities. The scriptures describe both kinds of features. For example, in the beginning of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (1.1.1), the features of an incarnation are nicely described. In that verse, the two terms param (supreme) and satyam (truth) are used, and Lord Caitanya indicated that these words reveal KášášŁášaâs principal feature. The other, marginal features are that He taught Vedic knowledge to BrahmÄ and incarnated as the puruᚣa-avatÄra to create the cosmic manifestation. These are occasional features manifested for some special purposes. One should be able to understand and distinguish the principal and marginal features of an avatÄra. No one can declare himself an incarnation without referring to these two features. An intelligent man will not accept anyone as an avatÄra without studying the principal and marginal features. When SanÄtana GosvÄmÄŤ tried to confirm Lord Caitanyaâs personal characteristics as being those of the incarnation for this age, Lord Caitanya Himself indirectly confirmed SanÄtanaâs conclusion by simply saying, âLet us leave aside all these discussions and continue with a description of the ĹaktyÄveĹa-avatÄras.â
The Lord then pointed out that there is no limit to the ĹaktyÄveĹa-avatÄras but that some can be mentioned as examples. The ĹaktyÄveĹa incarnations are of two kinds – direct and indirect. When the Lord Himself comes, He is called a sÄkᚣÄt, or direct, ĹaktyÄveĹa-avatÄra, and when He empowers a living entity to represent Him, that living entity is called an indirect, or ÄveĹa, incarnation. Examples of indirect avatÄras are the four KumÄras, NÄrada, Pášthu and ParaĹurÄma. These are actually living entities who are given some specific power by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When a specific opulence of the Supreme Lord is invested in specific entities, they are called ÄveĹa-avatÄras. The four KumÄras represent the Supreme Lordâs opulence of knowledge. NÄrada represents devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Devotional service is also represented by Lord Caitanya, who is considered the full representation of devotional service. In BrahmÄ the opulence of creative power is invested, and King Pášthu is invested with the power for maintaining the living entities. Similarly, in ParaĹurÄma the power for killing evil elements is invested. As for vibhĹŤti, or the special favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ Lord KášášŁáša says that a living entity who is especially powerful or beautiful should be known to be especially favored by the Supreme Lord.
Examples of direct, or sÄkᚣÄt, ĹaktyÄveĹa-avatÄras are the Ĺeᚣa incarnation and the Ananta incarnation. In Ananta the power for sustaining all the planets is invested, and the Ĺeᚣa incarnation is invested with the power for serving the Supreme Lord.
After describing the ĹaktyÄveĹa incarnations, Caitanya MahÄprabhu began to speak about the age of the Supreme Lord. He said that the Supreme Lord KášášŁáša is always like a sixteen-year-old boy, and when He desires to descend to this universe He first sends His father and mother, who are His devotees, and then He Himself appears. All His activities – beginning with the killing of the PĹŤtanÄ demon – are displayed in innumerable universes, and there is no limit to them. Indeed, at every moment, at every second, His manifestations and various pastimes are seen in different universes (brahmÄášá¸as). Thus His activities are just like the waves of the Ganges River. Just as there is no limit to the flowing of the waves of the Ganges, there is no cessation of various features of Lord KášášŁášaâs pastimes in different universes. From childhood He displays many pastimes, and ultimately He exhibits the rÄsa dance.
It is said that all the pastimes of KášášŁáša are eternal, and this is confirmed in every scripture. Generally people cannot understand how KášášŁáša performs His pastimes, but Lord Caitanya clarified this by comparing the performance of His pastimes to the orbit of the sun. According to Vedic astrological calculations, the twenty-four hours of a day are divided into sixty daášá¸as. The days are again divided into 3,600 palas. The sun disc can be perceived crossing the sky in steps of sixty palas each, and that time constitutes a daášá¸a. Eight daášá¸as make one prahara, and the sun rises and sets within four praharas. Similarly, four praharas constitute one night, and after that the sun rises. And just as the sun can be seen in its movement through 3,600 palas, all the pastimes of KášášŁáša can be seen in any of the universes.
Lord KášášŁáša remains in this universe for only 125 years, but all the pastimes of that period are exhibited in each and every universe. These pastimes include His appearance, the activities of His boyhood and youth, and His later pastimes, including those at DvÄrakÄ. Since all these pastimes are present in one or another of the myriad universes at any given time, they are called eternal. Just as the sun is eternally existing, although we see it rise and set, appear and disappear, according to our position on the earth, so KášášŁášaâs pastimes are eternally going on, although we can see them in this particular universe only at certain intervals. As stated earlier, KášášŁášaâs abode is the supreme planet, known as Goloka VášndÄvana, and by His will this Goloka VášndÄvana is manifested in this universe and in other universes as well. Like KášášŁášaâs name, fame and everything else directly connected to Him, Goloka VášndÄvana is absolute and is therefore equal to Him.
Thus the Lord is always in His supreme abode, Goloka VášndÄvana, and by His supreme will His activities there are also manifested at particular places in innumerable universes. And whenever and wherever KášášŁáša appears, He displays His six opulences.