Avatāras
Avatāras are the divine descents of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who appear within the material world to protect the righteous, reestablish religious principles, annihilate miscreants, and reveal transcendental knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Lord manifests unlimited avatāras, each with a unique purpose, form, and pastime, while always remaining the original Supreme Person.
This collection organizes his teachings about the various avatāras—including līlā-avatāras, guṇa-avatāras, puruṣa-avatāras, manvantara-avatāras, yuga-avatāras, śaktyāveśa-avatāras, and many others—their identities, activities, teachings, and significance in Vedic literature.
Guṇa-avatāras
Guṇa-avatāras
Līlā-avatāras
Līlā-avatāras
Puruṣa-avatāras
Puruṣa-avatāras
- Garbhodakasayi Visnu
- Karanodakasayi Visnu - Maha-Visnu
- Ksirodakasayi Visnu
- From the first division come the three purusa-avataras - the Karanodakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu - and from the other division come the lila-avataras, such as the Lord's incarnations as a fish, tortoise, etc
- The conclusion is that the purusa-avatara is manifested in three features - first the Karanodakasayi who creates aggregate material ingredients in the mahat-tattva, second the Garbhodakasayi who enters in each and every universe
Śaktyāveśa-avatāras
Śaktyāveśa-avatāras
Manvantara-avatāras
Manvantara-avatāras