Varieties of Avataras

The first manifestation of Lord Visnu, the Supreme on the material form is called Purusa or Vairaja-Purusa. 12 This Purusa associated with three phases of prakrti, is said to have assumed, the forms of Brahma, Visnu, and Siva. These three forms are termed as 8. vasavasyanujo bhrata jnatinam nanda - vardhanah | 9. aditya api ca sriman bhagavanastu vai sutah || Vamana Purana : 27.4 tasya'ham hamsa - rupena sakasamagamam tada || Bhagavata Purana : 11.13.19 10. suresvrsisvisa tathaiva nrsvapi tiryaksu yadassvapi te'janasya janma'satam durmada nigrahaya prabho vidhatah sadanugrahaya ca | Ibid., X.14.20. 11. matsya kurma varaha'sva - simharupadibhih sthitim | cakara jagato yo nah so'dya mam pralapisyati || Visnu Purana: V.17.10. 12. vai rajah puruso yo'sau bhagavan dharanasrayah || Bhagavata Purana : II.1.25

147 Gunavataras. ¹³ Since Visnu is responsible for the preservation of creation, and for the maintenance of law and order, He assumes such forms that are needed under special circumstances. Kala or time is divided into three main sections, which are called Kalpa, Manvantara and Yuga. The Lord making a personal appearance for an activity designated to work any good for a Kalpa, is called a Kalpavatara. the Varahavatara is of this category, in as much as the Lord rendered the earth by assuming that form, fit for further activities of Brahma during his day. The present kalpa, the first day in the second half of Brahma's life time, is named Varahakalpa, after the Lord's avatara in the form of a boar. 14 A Manvantara-Avatara is Visnu's appearance for the sake of setting things right during the age of Manu. Vamana is the form assumed by Visnu for the benefit of Purandara, the Indra of the present Manvantara. 15 The Avataras of the preceeding six Manvantaras are Yajna, Ajita, Satya, Hari, Manasa and Vaikunta. Likewise, the Lord's appearance in various forms in four periods called Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali are Yugavataras.¹ 13. gunavatarairvisvasya sargasthityatyayasrayam srjatah srinivasasya tyacaksvodara - vikramam || Ibid., III.7.28. 14. dvitiyasya pararddhasya vartamanasya vai dvija | varaha iti kalpo'yam prathamah parikirtitah || Visnu Purana: 1.3.28 15. manvantare'tra sampaapte tatha vaivasvate dvija | vamanah kasyapada visnuradityam sambabhuva ha || Ibid., III.1.42 16. caturyugesvasau visnuh sthitivyaparalaksanah | yugavyavastham kurute tatha maitreya tacchrnu || Ibid., III. 2.55

148 The assuming forms of various Avataras is a short of the Lord's sportive activity. The forms which live with us and with whom we establish personal contacts, are Visnu's Lilavataras.¹7 The divine manifestation is two fold: a) Primary and b) Secondary. The primary being called Svarupavatara is that where the Lord Himself is acting as in the form of Krsna. Here the divine contact is direct. The secondary called Avesavatara, however, is that where He acts through some individual soul as in the form of Parasurama.¹ Here, the divine contact is indirect, for such manifestation is of a tutelary character, co-existing with and presiding over, some particular souls. Again the manifestation may be either Amsa (partial) or Purna (complete). According to the Bhagavata Purana, Sri Krsna is an instance of a complete manifestation, whereas his other forms are of the partial one. 19 God is never incomplete. If so, what is meant by a partial manifestation is, as the Sattvata-tantra reveals, that the Lord 17. bhavayatyesa satvena lokan vai lokabhavanah | lilavataranurato dava - tiryan - naradisu || Bhagavata Purana: 1.2.34. 18. etatte kathitam devi jamadagnermahatmanah saktyavesavatarasya caritam sarnginah prabhoh || Padma Purana, VI.269. 79-80 19. ete camsakalah pumsah krsnastu bhagavana svayam || Bhagavata Purana, I.3.28

149 discloses therein only a fraction of his glory to meet the requirement under a particular circumstance. 20 The partial manifestations are divided into amsa and kala, and according to the same tantra, an amsa is one-fourth of the whole and a kala is the sixteenth part thereof. 21