Chapter Five: Avatāra Doctrine and Rama Worship

This means that creation comes about through the conjunction of primordial nature and the Puruṣa. After that conjunction, the Puruṣa wills, “I am one; may I become many.” This act of intelligence is called the mahat principle. The Puruṣa who authors this cosmic intelligence is the first Puruṣa. The Inner Controller of creation in its aggregate form is the second Puruṣa. Once the design of creation is complete, the One has become many and the sense of separateness or ego has arisen within it. Bhagavan as the Inner Controller of this separateness is called the third Puruṣa.

Thus:

• Sankarshana is the presiding divinity of ego.
• Vasudeva is the presiding divinity of consciousness or heart.
• Pradyumna is the presiding divinity of intelligence.
• Aniruddha is the presiding divinity of mind.

2. Avatāras of the qualities

The avatāras of the qualities descend in accordance with the three guṇas: Vishnu is associated with sattva, Brahma with rajas, and Shiva with tamas.

3. Līlā avatāras

The Śrīmad Bhāgavata enumerates twenty-four līlā avatāras:

1. The four Sanas—Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara—who descended to propagate knowledge and devotion.
2. Narada, author of the Satvata Tantra.
3. Varaha, quadrupedal, though bipedal according to some authorities.
4. Matsya.
5. Yajna.
6. Nara-Narayana.
7. Kapila.
8. Dattatreya.
9. Hayashirsha.
10. Hamsa.
11. Dhruvapriya, or Prishnigarbha.
12. Rishabha.
13. Prithu.
14. Narasimha.
15. Kurma.
16. Dhanvantari.
17. Mohini.
18. Vamana.
19. Parashurama.
20. Raghavendra.
21. Vyasa.
22. Balarama and Krishna.
23. Buddha.
24. Kalki.

In addition are the kalpa avatāras, who appear in every kalpa.

One avatāra appears in each of the fourteen Manvantaras. Destroying Indra’s enemies, he becomes the friend of the gods. In order, they are: (1) Yajna, (2) Vibhu, (3) Satyasena, (4) Hari, (5) Vaikuntha, (6) Ajita, (7) Vamana, (8) Sarvabhauma, (9) Rishabha, (10) Vishvaksena, (11) Dharmasetu, (12) Sudhamanu, (13) Yogeshvara, and (14) Brihadbhanu. Among them Hari, Vaikuntha, Ajita, and Vamana are eminent—the foremost and principal avatāras.¹