Chapter Five: Avatāra Doctrine and Rama Worship
When an exceptional infusion of the power of knowledge, the power of action, or both together is seen in a living being, that being is called an invested avatāra. Sri Vedavyasa, for example, is an avatāra invested with the power of devotion; Prithu with the power of action; and Sanaka and his brothers with the power of knowledge.
Divisions of avatāra: the Puruṣa avatāras
Avatāras are also divided into Puruṣa avatāras, avatāras of the cosmic qualities, and līlā avatāras. The Puruṣa avatāras have three divisions: the first, second, and third Puruṣa.
The first Puruṣa, Karanarnavashayi, produces the mahat principle and is the Inner Controller of primordial nature; he is a portion of Sankarshana in the transcendent realm. The second Puruṣa, Garbhodashayi, is the Inner Controller of the aggregate cosmic form and the creator even of Brahma; he is a partial descent of Pradyumna in the transcendent realm. The third Puruṣa, Kshirodashayi, is the Inner Controller of each individual cosmic manifestation; he is a limb of Aniruddha in the transcendent realm.
Avatāras of the qualities
Kshirodanatha Vishnu, associated with sattva, brings forth and sustains the cosmos. Brahma, born from the navel of Garbhodashayi through rajas, creates it. Shiva descends in association with tamas to dissolve creation. Sadashiva, however, is beyond the qualities and is a special vilāsa of the original form; he is therefore the source from whom the Shiva who presides over tamas partially manifests.
Līlā avatāras
Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanatkumara, Narada, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-Narayana, Kapiladeva, Dattatreya, Hayagriva, Hamsa, Prishnigarbha, Rishabhadeva, Prithu, Narasimha, Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Vamana, Parashurama, Raghunatha, Vyasa, Baladeva, Krishna, Buddha, Kalki, and others are called līlā avatāras. All of them descend in every kalpa, and so they are also called kalpa avatāras.
Manvantara avatāras
The fourteen Manvantara avatāras are Yajna, Vibhu, Satyasena, Hari, Vaikuntha, Ajita, Vamana, Sarvabhauma, Rishabha, Vishvaksena, Dharmasetu, Sudama, Yogeshvara, and Brihadbhanu.
Yuga avatāras
The four yuga avatāras are respectively white, red, dark, and Krishna in Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali Yugas.
Among all the avatāras just described, some are termed invested (āveśa), some prābhava, some vaibhava, and some parāvasthā. Sanaka and his brothers, Narada, Prithu, and others are invested avatāras. Mohini, Dhanvantari, Hamsa, Rishabha, Vyasa, Dattatreya, Shukla, and others are prābhava manifestations. Those who reveal greater power than the prābhavas are called vaibhava avatāras: Matsya, Kurma, Nara-Narayana, Varaha, Hayagriva, Prishnigarbha, Balabhadra, Yajna, and others. Those who disclose still greater power than the vaibhavas are called parāvasthā: Narasimha, Sri Rama, and Sri Krishna.