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Avatara (BG Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"avatara" |"avatara's" |"avataras" |"avatari"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

At the present moment, still a few men are interested, what is God. Arto arthārtī jijñāsu jñānī (CC Madhya 24.95). But time is coming ahead when there will be no sense to understand God. That is the last stage of Kali-yuga, and at that time Kalkī avatāra, Kalkī avatāra will come. At that time there is no preaching of God consciousness, simply killing, simply killing. Kalkī avatāra with His sword will simply massacre. Then again Satya-yuga will come. Again golden age will come.

Lecture on BG 2.21-22 -- London, August 26, 1973:

Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you diligently study and try to understand, you remain fully Kṛṣṇa conscious always. Everything is there. What is my position, how I am working, how I am dying, how I am getting body, how I am wandering. Everything is detail is there. Simply one has to become little intelligent. But we remain unintelligent, rascal, because we are associating with rascals. These rascal philosopher, religionists, avatāra, bhagavān, swami, yogis, and karmīs. Therefore we have become rascals. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu asate vilāsa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore regrets that "I gave up the association of the devotees. I simply associate with these all rascals." Asat, asat-saṅga.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

The Kali-yuga has begun only five thousand years. Within this five thousand years, we have so much degraded, illusioned by the māyā as advancement of civilization. This is māyā. So the more days go, we shall be more illusioned. So there will be no capacity to understand about God. At that time, God will come to destroy all this population by cutting their throat. That is kalki-avatāra.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

Brahmā is the first deva in the first creation. (aside:) What is that? So aham ādir hi devānām. The Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. So He's the origin of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. From Kṛṣṇa, for material creation, there are three Puruṣas. First of all, three puruṣas. Not directly from Kṛṣṇa. From Kṛṣṇa, Baladeva. From Baladeva, catur-vyūha: Saṅkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. Then from Saṅkarṣaṇa, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Nārāyaṇa. Then second catur-vyūha. From the second catur-vyūha, Saṅkarṣaṇa, the puruṣa-avatāras. Three puruṣa-avatāras, three Viṣṇus: Kāraṇodakaśāyī, Garbhodakaśāyī, and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. So the, in the Vedic literature all these informations are there.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they could not find out how to worship Your lotus feet." So unless you come to the personal form of the Absolute Truth, there is difficulty and there is chance of falling down. (break)

He never said, "My avatāra." Mām ekaṁ śaraṇam. Otherwise he'll be misguided. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). This is the most confidential information. Guhyatamam. Sarva-guhyatamam. So if you want to take the most confidential instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. That is wanted.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

So Kṛṣṇa is there, His potency is there, everything is there, always available, easily available, provided we are prepared to receive Him. That's all. Kṛṣṇa is already there by His name. Nāma-rūpe kali-kāle kṛṣṇa-avatāra. Kṛṣṇa has descended by His name. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached the chanting, that you can become... But the profit is that if you are in offense, even if you do not have the power of appreciation, because Kṛṣṇa is all-potential, simply by chanting in any condition of life you become purified.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

Now, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is describing how He incarnates Himself for the benefit of conditioned souls in the material world. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, He descends. The Sanskrit word is avatāra. Avatāra. Avatāra, avatāra. Avatāra means who comes from higher plane down to this material world. He's called avatāra. So sometimes Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa comes Himself and sometimes He sends His representative also, for deliverance of the conditioned souls.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa descends means sometimes He personally descends, sometimes He descends by His incarnation, sometimes He descends as a sound vibration, sometimes He descends as devotee. There are many different categories of His descendance. And at the present moment this Kṛṣṇa has descended in His holy name. You should understand that. Kṛṣṇa kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra. This is the statement of Lord Caitanya, that in this age of Kali, Kṛṣṇa has descended in the sound vibration form. Sound is also one of the form. Just like oṁkāra is the form of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

This is contributed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says that kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. If you chant or if you associate with the chanting of holy name of Kṛṣṇa, then you will get the highest perfectional stage of life, and we should accept that Kṛṣṇa has descended at the present moment in the form of His holy name.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

So this is greatness of Kṛṣṇa. This Mahā-Viṣṇu is only kalā-viśeṣaḥ. Viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣaḥ. Kalā means portion of the plenary portion. That is called kalā. Aṁśa means plenary portion. And kalā means... So all the incarnation of Viṣṇu... And Kṛṣṇa described in the Śrīmad Bhagavad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Third Chapter. And at the conclusion it is said, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Kṛṣṇa's name is also there, but just to make distinction between all the avatāras and Kṛṣṇa, it is concluded: ete, all of them are, ca aṁśa, some of them are plenary portions, some of them, portion of the plenary portion. In this, they are situated. But the name Kṛṣṇa which is there, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam... That is stated.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:
One who does not know the greatness of Kṛṣṇa, he thinks Kṛṣṇa, "Yes,... That kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya, Doctor Frog: "Maybe little greater than me. That's all." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Such person thinks Kṛṣṇa as one of them, and therefore it has become a very fashionable thing to become Kṛṣṇa's avatāra, very cheaply. No. They do not know actually what is Kṛṣṇa's position. Kṛṣṇa's position, if one understands, then he is liberated person. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). He's liberated person. Even in this body.
Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared Himself as the son of Devakī or Vasudeva. Vasudeva was belonging to the royal family, kṣatriya. So Kṛṣṇa played the part just like a kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means administrative class. But that does not mean that Kṛṣṇa belongs to the kṣatriya class. It is to be understood. There are daśa-avatāras. There are many incarnations of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the first avatāra, incarnation, is called Matsyāvatāra.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

Śrī-vigraha. This is yajana yājana. Śrī-vigraha. This is Śrī-vigraha, Kṛṣṇa's arcā-mūrti. Kṛṣṇa has taken, advented, as avatāra, arcā-avatāra. Arcā-avatāra means made of stone, wood, metal, jewel, or coloring, painting. There are eight kinds of arcā-avatāra. So Kṛṣṇa has consented to descend before us to accept our service in a manner which we can do. If Kṛṣṇa remains in His virāḍ-rūpa, then it will be very difficult to capture Him. Kṛṣṇa remains in virāḍ-rūpa, but He becomes arcā-vigraha, a small deity, so that everyone can worship Him at home. It does not take much time, it does not take much place. To make dress of Kṛṣṇa you can utilize little cloth. Kṛṣṇa is agreeable to accept your service. And offering? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). At any means you can worship Kṛṣṇa, and that is the business of brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, what is the difference between an incarnation and an avatāra?

Prabhupāda: Avatāra is incarnation. Avatāra means incarnation. Incarnation, in your dictionary, is "accepting some body"? Is that...? But avatāra... Of course, there are different grades of avatāra. Avatāra means one who comes... The real world is avataraṇa descending. Avatāra means who comes from a higher sphere, higher planet. They are not living entities of this world, this material world. They come from spiritual world. They are called avatāra. So these avatāra grades are different. There are śaktyāveśāvatāra, guṇāvatāra, līlāvatāra, yugāvatāra, so many. So avatāra means one who comes directly from the spiritual world. And incarnation, of course, this avatāra is translated with the word incarnation, but I think real meaning of incarnation means "who accepts a body." Is it not? So that incarnation, everyone accepts a material body. But avatāra, there are avatāra of Viṣṇu and avatāra of devotees also. There are different grades of avatāra. You'll read it in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, which is coming out. Yes.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

Therefore Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is the original Nārāyaṇa. That is a big definition or understanding from the Vedic knowledge, that Kṛṣṇa, from Kṛṣṇa first expansion is Baladeva, from Baladeva there is Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. In this way, expansion takes place. And from Saṅkarṣaṇa also Nārāyaṇa, Vaikuṇṭha Nārāyaṇa. And from Nārāyaṇa the Puruṣa Avatāra, Viṣṇu. In this way there is expansion. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan. So, the Nārāyaṇa or expansion of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa or expansion of Kṛṣṇa, they are not of this material world. Nārāyaṇaḥ avyaktāt. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah. There is another, spiritual, world. Vyako 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Avyaktāt is material, and above this avyaktāt, there is a sanātanaḥ, eternal abode.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

We shall talk so many nonsense things, but you are not, (indistinct), desiring to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is our fault. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Nāma rūpe kṛṣṇa avatāra. Kṛṣṇa is now descended in His vibration form, Hare Kṛṣṇa, this Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga, because we cannot do anything, therefore Kṛṣṇa has become very easily available in the form of His holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is available. You can see Kṛṣṇa, you can touch Kṛṣṇa, you can tlk with Kṛṣṇa. As you may advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is possible. Then, gradually making progress means gradually you will be lover of Kṛṣṇa. That is required.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tviṣā akṛṣṇam. He is not blackish. Then He must be other form, śukla, rakta, or pīta. So He assumed the pīta, yellowish color. Therefore tviṣā akṛṣṇam. Tviṣā means by complexion. So kṛṣṇa-varṇam, kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, iti kṛṣṇa-varṇam, or kṛṣṇa iti kṛṣṇa-varṇam, and tviṣā, by complexion, akṛṣṇa, pīta, idānīṁ pīta-varṇam. Pīta-varṇa gaura, golden avatāra. And sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. He is always surrounded by associates, specially by Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsādi. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, He is Kṛṣṇa, then Nityānanda, then Advaita, then Gadādhara, then Śrīvāsa, and many other devotees always followed. That is the life of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Wherever He went, many followers chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, plus these principal associates were with Him. Therefore sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣa... And these sāṅga upāṅga were His astra. Astra, astra means weapon.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

Our process is evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We cannot disregard. Śrīdhara is the original commentator of Bhāgavata. If you say that "I am better than Śrīdhara Svāmī," then you immediately become rejected. If I say... Just like there are some people, they create some avatāra, and they say, "This avatāra is better than Kṛṣṇa"—immediately rejected. Immediately. He must know his value. This was... Caitanya Mahāprabhu said svāmī, Śrīdhara Svāmī, so he also sarcastically remarked, svāmī nā māne yei jana veśyāra bhitare tāre kariye gaṇana. Svāmī means husband also. So if some woman says that "I don't care for my husband," Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Then he's a prostitute. She is a prostitute." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

Ordinary literatures, they cannot be perfect because there are four defect: bhrama-pramāda-karaṇāpāṭava-vipralipsā. Bhrama means "to commit mistake." Pramāda means "illusion," and vipralipsā means "cheating," and karaṇāpāṭava, "inefficiency of the senses." So śāstra means above these defects. Where there is no such defect, that is śāstra. And you can understand how five thousand years ago Lord Buddha's appearance was predicted. Similarly, still there is prediction about kalki-avatāra, which will take place about four lakhs and 27,000 years hereafter. Kalki-avatāra's name, his father's name and where he will appear, everything is there. This is called śāstra.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

Some of the expansions are direct personal expansions, just like Lord Rāma, Nṛsiṁhadeva, Varāha. There are many. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). Kṛṣṇa is existing, expanding Himself in various forms like Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, and so many others. There are different kinds of incarnations, avatāras—śaktyāveśāvatāra, guṇāvatāra, manvantarāvatāra, yugāvatāra. Many incarnations. And in the Bhāgavata it is concluded that the Lord's incarnations are so numerous that you cannot count.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

In another place Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). He is the origin of all demigods. The principal demigods are Viṣṇu and Maheśvara and... Maheśvara means Lord Śiva. And Brahmā. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. So Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. They are guṇa-avatāra. For maintaining this material world... The material world is composed of three guṇas: sattva, rajas, tamas. So the director of the sattva-guṇa department is Lord Viṣṇu, and the director of the rajo-guṇa department is Lord Brahmā, and the director of the tamo-guṇa department is Lord Śiva. Origin is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

Just like Lord Rāmacandra. Lord Rāmacandra... Madhva has approved, He, also Bhagavān. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is existing as the Supreme Person along with Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, many thousands of avatāras. They are also Kṛṣṇa. Keśava dhṛta-rāma-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. So Keśava, Kṛṣṇa, He is existing with all the incarnation, not that He is existing as Kṛṣṇa. So when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, we take it that all His expansion and incarnation.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:
After making the list of different incarnation, it is summarized that ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: (SB 1.3.28) "All these incarnations mentioned," rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39), "they are partial expansion and expansion of the expansion or expansion of His power, śaktyāveśa-avatāra." Just (take) Lord Buddha. He is śaktyāveśa-avatāra. Many śaktyāveśa-avatāra. So in this way Kṛṣṇa is always existing along with His expansion and incarnation. But the real original Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

So Nārāyaṇa, He has got many forms. Kṛṣṇa is the original Nārāyaṇa. And from Kṛṣṇa, there are expansion, catur-vyūha: Vāsudeva, Śaṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. Then Nārāyaṇa. From Nārāyaṇa, puruṣāvatāra: the Mahā Viṣṇu avatāra, the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu avatāra, the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu avatāra. In this way Nārāyaṇa has got personal expansion. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33).

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

This is statement of Brahma-saṁhitā. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Again it is said, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu, kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yaḥ (Bs. 5.39). We have got description of many avatāras, incarnation. So they are Kṛṣṇa's expansion, by Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Matsya. There are so many incarnation.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Therefore from India, any rascal comes as yogi and sādhu and avatāra—they go. They are hankering after. We see practically this younger generation. They ask me sometimes that "Why so many younger, younger generation come to you?" Yes, they are frustrated. They are no more interested to live like their fathers and grandfathers. That is become... That has become hackneyed. The same things, same gambling, same meat-eating, same woman-huntering, and same intoxication—that has finished.

Page Title:Avatara (BG Lectures)
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, Serene
Created:30 of Dec, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=26, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:26