Quotes: avatara-tattva (Srila Prabhupada)

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada

(beyond gunas and karma) Bhagavad-gita 4.6. March 26, 1974, Bombay. But still, just to make us fit to understand Krsna, Krsna is describing Himself, what He is. Ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhutanam isvaro 'pi san, prakrtim svam adhisthaya. He comes with His own energy. He's not forced by the external energy. We are forced. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg 3.27]. We, as we develop different modes of nature by the association of this external energy, we get our particular body. Karmana daiva-netrena jantur dehopapatti [SB 3.31.1]. But Krsna does not do so. We have to first of all understand it that Krsna is not forced by karma. We are forced by karma. Therefore we have got different bodies. But Krsna is not... Although He appears in different incarnation... Kesava dhrta-mina-sarira, kesava dhrta-kurma-sarira, kesava dhrta-varaha-sarira, nrsimha-sarira. So Krsna, when He comes as a boar incarnation, He's not ordinary hog and pig. These things are to be understood. He is the bhutanam isvarah, in whatever form He likes to come. That is His pleasure. Atma-mayaya. He comes in His atma-mayaya, not by force by the external energy. That is the conclusion.

(Ten forms of God and Developing of relationship) Lord Buddha's Appearance Day Lecture. April 21, 1970, Los Angeles. The incarnation of Godhead in the form of fish, beginning. Then Kurma avatara. Kurma avatara means the incarnation of God in the form of tortoise. Then Varaha avatara, the incarnation of Godhead in the form of boar. Then Nrsimha avatara, incarnation of Godhead, half lion and half man. Then incarnation of Vamanadeva, dwarf brahmana. Next incarnation is Parasurama, and the next incarnation, Lord Ramacandra.

You have heard the story of Ramayana. That is the activities of Lord Ramacandra. Last, yesterday, we observed the birth ceremony of Lord Ramacandra. And then incarnation of Balarama. And the next incarnation is Lord Buddha. And we are awaiting another incarnation at the last stage of this Kali-yuga. This age is called Kali-yuga... This song was sung by a great Vaisnava poet, Jayadeva Gosvami.

Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture. Dasavatara-stotra Purport. February 18, 1970, Los Angeles. So the same poet, Jayadeva Gosvami, has offered this prayer, pralaya-payodhi-jale-dhrtavan asi vedam. He says, "My dear Lord, when there was devastation within this universe, everything was filled with water. At that time You saved the Vedas, stacked in a boat. And You held the boat from being drowned in the water, in the shape of a big fish."

This fish first of all was caught in the waterpot just like a small fish. Then it enlarged, and the fish was kept in a bigger water reservoir. In this way the fish was increasing. Then the fish informed that "Devastation is coming. You just save all the Vedas on a boat, and I shall protect it." So Jayadeva Gosvami is offering prayer, "My Lord, You saved the Vedas when there was devastation in the shape of fish."

The next is Kurmavatara. There was churning of the ocean. One side all the demigods and one side all the demons. And the churning rod was a great hill called Mandara-parvata. And the resting place was on the back of the Lord appeared as a tortoise. So he's offering his prayer, that "You appeared as a tortoise just to become the resting place. And this happened because You were feeling some itching sensation on Your back. So You accepted this big rod, Mandara Hill, to itch, as the itching instrument."

Then the next incarnation is this Varaha, boar, or hog. He delivered this earthly planet by the tusk, and He kept the whole world on His tusk. We can just imagine how big He appeared. And the world at that time appeared just like the moon disc with some marks on it. So kesava dhrta-varaha-sarira. He says, "My dear Lord, You have appeared as the great boar. So let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You."

The fourth incarnation is Nrsimhadeva. Nrsimhadeva appeared to save Prahlada Maharaja, who was five-years-old boy, and he was being tortured by his atheistic father. So He appeared from the pillar of the palace as a half-man, half-lion. Because this Hiranyakasipu took benediction from Brahma that he'll not be killed by any man or any animal. So the Lord appeared neither man nor animal.

Then next incarnation is Vamana, the dwarf. Lord Vamana appeared before Bali Maharaja. That was also another cheating. Bali Maharaja conquered all the universal planets, and the demigods were too much disturbed. So Vamana Maharaja... Vamanadeva went to Bali Maharaja that "You give me some alms. I am brahmana. I have come to beg from you."

So Bali Maharaja said, "Yes. I'll give You." So He wanted three feet land only. So by one feet the whole universe was covered, upside, and the another feet the other half was covered. Then the third feet Bali Maharaja said, "Yes, now there is no place. Please keep Your feet on my head. Still my head is there."

And next is Parasurama. Parasurama, twenty-one times he made a massacre propaganda for killing all the ksatriya kings. The ksatriya kings were very much dishonest at that time, so he killed them for twenty-one times. They fled from here and there. And from the history of Mahabharata it is understood at that time some of the ksatriyas fled and took shelter in the European side. And the Indo-European stock is from those ksatriyas. That is history, inform..., historical information from Mahabharata.

Then next incarnation is Lord Rama. So He fought with Ravana, who had ten heads. So... And the next incarnation is Balarama. Balarama is the elder brother of Krsna. He is incarnation of Sankarsana, next expansion of Krsna. So He was very white in complexion, and He was wearing blue garments, and with His plow He was..., sometimes He was angry with Yamuna River, and He tried to dry up the Yamuna River. That description is given here. And Yamuna, out of His fear, she agreed to the proposal of Balarama.

And the next incarnation is Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha, he decried the Vedic principles. Therefore he is calculated as atheist. Anyone who does not agree with the Vedic principles, he is considered as atheist. Just like one who does not believe in the Bible, they are called heathens, similarly, those who do not accept the Vedic principles, they are called atheist. So Lord Buddha, although incarnation of Krsna, he said that "I do not believe in Vedas." What was the reason? The reason was to save the poor animals.

The next avatara incarnation is Kalki. That is yet to take place. That is yet to take place. Kalki avatara will appear at the end of this age, Kali-yuga. So at that time Lord Kalki's business will be to simply to kill. No instruction. Just like... In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna gave instruction in the shape of Bhagavad-gita. But at the end of Kali-yuga, people will be so much degraded that there is no more possibility to give any instruction. They will not be able to understand even. At that time the only weapon will be to kill them.

Quotes from Srimad-Bhagavatam

"O my Lord, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, are sincere servants of Your Lordship, who are situated in a transcendental position. Therefore they are not like us [Prahlāda and his father, the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu]. Your appearance in this fearsome form is Your pastime for Your own pleasure. Such an incarnation is always meant for the protection and improvement of the universe."(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.13)