Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.10.42

eshā brahmanya-devasya

krishnasya ca mahātmanah

avatāra-kathā punyā

vadho yatrādi-daityayoh

SYNONYMS

eshā — all this; brahmanya-devasya — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by all brāhmanas; krishnasya — of Krishna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead; ca — also; mahā-ātmanah — the Supersoul; avatāra-kathā — narrations about His incarnations; punyā — pious, purifying; vadhah — killing; yatra — wherein; ādi — in the beginning of the millennium; daityayoh — of the demons (Hiranyāksha and Hiranyakaśipu).

TRANSLATION

In this narration about Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, various expansions or incarnations of the Lord have been described, and the killing of the two demons Hiranyāksha and Hiranyakaśipu has also been described.

PURPORT

Avatāras, or incarnations, are expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead — Krishna, Govinda.

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyam purāna-purusham nava-yauvanam ca

vedeshu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-purusham tam aham bhajāmi

"I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who is the original person — nondual, infallible, and without beginning. Although He expands into unlimited forms, He is still the original, and although He is the oldest person, He always appears as a fresh youth. Such eternal, blissful and all-knowing forms of the Lord cannot be understood by the academic wisdom of the Vedas, but they are always manifest to pure, unalloyed devotees." (Brahma-samhitā 5.33) The Brahma-samhitā describes the avatāras. Indeed, all the avatāras are described in the authentic scriptures. No one can become an avatāra, or incarnation, although this has become fashionable in the age of Kali. The avatāras are described in the authentic scriptures (śāstras), and therefore before one risks accepting a pretender as an avatāra, one should refer to the śāstras. The śāstras say everywhere that Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead and that He has innumerable avatāras, or incarnations. Elsewhere in the Brahma-samhitā it is said, rāmādi-mūrtishu kalā-niyamena tishthan: [Bs. 5.39] Rāma, Nrisimha, Varāha and many others are consecutive expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After Krishna comes Balarāma, after Balarāma is Sańkarshana, then Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Nārāyana and then the purusha-avatāras — Mahā-Vishnu, Garbhodakaśāyī Vishnu and Kshīrodakaśāyī Vishnu. All of them are avatāras.

One must hear about the avatāras. Narrations about such avatāras are called avatāra-kathā, the narrations of Krishna's expansions. Hearing and chanting these narrations is completely pious. Srinvatām sva-kathāh krishnah punya-śravana-kīrtanah [SB 1.2.17]. One who hears and chants can become punya, purified of material contamination.

Whenever there are references to the avatāras, religious principles are established, and demons who are against Krishna are killed. The Krishna consciousness movement is spreading all over the world with two aims — to establish Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to kill all the pretenders who falsely present themselves as avatāras. The preachers of the Krishna consciousness movement must carry this conviction very carefully within their hearts and kill the demons who in many tactful ways vilify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. If we take shelter of Nrisimhadeva and Prahlāda Mahārāja, it will be easier to kill the demons who are against Krishna and to thus reestablish Krishna's supremacy. Krishnas tu bhagavān svayam: Krishna is the Supreme Lord, the original Lord. Prahlāda Mahārāja is our guru, and Krishna is our worshipable God. As advised by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, guru-krishna-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. If we can be successful in getting the mercy of Prahlāda Mahārāja and also that of Nrisimhadeva, then our Krishna consciousness movement will be extremely successful.

The demon Hiranyakaśipu had so many ways to try to become God himself, but although Prahlāda Mahārāja was chastised and threatened in many ways, he rigidly refused to accept his powerful demoniac father as God. Following in the footsteps of Prahlāda Mahārāja, we should reject all the rascals who pretend to be God. We must accept Krishna and His incarnations, and no one else.

<<< >>>

Copyright ©r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness