{"id":37314,"date":"2020-02-09T01:42:37","date_gmt":"2020-02-09T06:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/?p=37314"},"modified":"2022-02-09T01:43:09","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T06:43:09","slug":"teachings-of-lord-caitanya-chapter-seven-unlimited-forms-of-godhead-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/teachings-of-lord-caitanya-chapter-seven-unlimited-forms-of-godhead-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Teachings of Lord Caitanya: CHAPTER SEVEN Unlimited Forms of Godhead"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CHAPTER SEVEN<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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Unlimited Forms of Godhead<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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According to the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava almanac, the twelve months of the year are named according to the twelve Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha forms of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and these forms are known as the predominating Deities for the twelve months. This calendar begins with the month of M\u0101rga\u015b\u012br\u1e63a, which is equivalent to late November and early December. The Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas call this month Ke\u015bava. December\u2013January is called N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, January\u2013February M\u0101dhava, February\u2013March Govinda, March\u2013April Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, April\u2013May \u015ar\u012b Madhus\u016bdana, and May\u2013June Trivikrama. June\u2013July is called V\u0101mana, July\u2013August \u015ar\u012bdhara, August\u2013September H\u1e5b\u1e63\u012bke\u015ba, September\u2013October Padman\u0101bha, and October\u2013November D\u0101modara. This D\u0101modara is different from the D\u0101modara in Vraja. The name D\u0101modara was given to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a when He was bound with ropes by His mother, but the D\u0101modara form who is the predominating Deity of the month of October\u2013November is a different manifestation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Just as the months of the year are known according to the twelve different names of the Supreme Lord, members of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava community mark twelve parts of the body according to these names. For instance, the tilaka<\/i> mark on the forehead is called Ke\u015bava, and on the stomach, chest and arms the other names are also given. These are the same names as those given the months.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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V\u0101sudeva, Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a, Pradyumna and Aniruddha expand into eight additional vil\u0101sa-m\u016brtis<\/i>. Their names are Puru\u1e63ottama, Acyuta, N\u1e5bsi\u1e41ha, Jan\u0101rdana, Hari, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Adhok\u1e63aja and Upendra. Adhok\u1e63aja and Puru\u1e63ottama are the vil\u0101sa<\/i> forms of V\u0101sudeva. Similarly, Upendra and Acyuta are the vil\u0101sa<\/i> forms of Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a; N\u1e5bsi\u1e41ha and Jan\u0101rdana the vil\u0101sa<\/i> forms of Pradyumna; and Hari and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a the vil\u0101sa <\/i>forms of Aniruddha. (This K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is different from the original K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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These twenty-four forms \u2013 the four original Vi\u1e63\u1e47u forms, the twelve Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha forms, and the eight vil\u0101sa<\/i>–m\u016brtis<\/i>mentioned above \u2013 are known as vil\u0101sa<\/i> manifestations of the pr\u0101bhava<\/i> (four-handed) form, and They are named differently according to the position of the symbolic representations (mace, disc, lotus flower and conch shell). Out of these twenty-four vil\u0101sa<\/i> forms, some are vaibhava<\/i> forms, such as Pradyumna, Trivikrama, V\u0101mana, Hari and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, which have different features. Thus V\u0101sudeva, Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are pr\u0101bhava-vil\u0101sa<\/i> forms of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and there are a total of twenty further variations. All of these have Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha planets in the spiritual sky and are situated in eight different directions. Although each of Them resides eternally in the spiritual sky, some of Them nonetheless appear in the material world also.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In the spiritual sky all the planets dominated by the N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a feature are eternal. The topmost planet in the spiritual sky is called K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47aloka, which is divided into three portions: Gokula, Mathur\u0101 and Dv\u0101rak\u0101. In the Mathur\u0101 portion, the form of Ke\u015bava is always situated. He is represented on this earthly planet in Mathur\u0101, India, where the Ke\u015bava m\u016brti<\/i> is worshiped. Similarly, there is a Puru\u1e63ottama form in Jagann\u0101tha Pur\u012b, in Orissa. In \u0100nand\u0101ra\u1e47ya there is the form of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, and in M\u0101y\u0101pur, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, there is the form of Hari. Many other forms are also situated in various places on the earth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Not only in this universe but in all other universes as well these forms of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are distributed everywhere. It is indicated that this earth is divided into seven islands, which are the seven continents, and it is understood that on every island there are similar forms. But at the present moment these are found only in India. Although from the Vedic literature we can understand that there are similar forms in other parts of the world, at present there is no information of their location.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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These forms of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are distributed throughout the world and throughout the universes to give pleasure to the devotees. It is not that devotees are born only in India. There are devotees in all parts of the world, but they have simply forgotten their identity. These forms incarnate not only to give pleasure to the devotees but to reestablish devotional service and perform other activities which vitally concern the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Some of these forms are incarnations mentioned in the scriptures, such as the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u incarnation, Trivikrama incarnation, N\u1e5bsi\u1e41ha incarnation and V\u0101mana incarnation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In the Siddh\u0101rtha-sa\u1e41hit\u0101<\/i> there is a description of the twenty-four forms of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, and these forms are named according to the position of the symbols in Their four hands. When describing the positions of objects in the hands of the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u m\u016brtis,<\/i> one should begin with the lower right hand and then move to the upper right hand, to the upper left hand and finally to the lower left hand. In this way, V\u0101sudeva is represented by club, conch shell, disc and lotus flower. Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a is represented by club, conch shell, lotus flower and disc. Similarly, Pradyumna is represented by disc, conch shell, club and lotus flower. Aniruddha is represented by disc, club, conch shell and lotus flower. In the spiritual sky the representations of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a are twenty in number and are described as follows: \u015ar\u012b Ke\u015bava (lotus, conch shell, disc and club), N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a (conch, lotus, club and disc), \u015ar\u012b M\u0101dhava (club, disc, conch and lotus), \u015ar\u012b Govinda (disc, club, lotus and conch), Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-m\u016brti (club, lotus, conch and disc), Madhus\u016bdana (disc, conch, lotus and club), Trivikrama (lotus, club, disc and conch), \u015ar\u012b V\u0101mana (conch, disc, club and lotus), \u015ar\u012bdhara (lotus, disc, club and conch), H\u1e5b\u1e63\u012bke\u015ba (club, disc, lotus and conch), Padman\u0101bha (conch, lotus, disc and club), D\u0101modara (lotus, disc, club and conch), Puru\u1e63ottama (disc, lotus, conch and club), Acyuta (club, lotus, disc and conch), N\u1e5bsi\u1e41ha (disc, lotus, club and conch), Jan\u0101rdana (lotus, disc, conch and club), \u015ar\u012b Hari (conch, disc, lotus and club), \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (conch, club, lotus and disc), Adhok\u1e63aja (lotus, club, conch and disc), and Upendra (conch, club, disc and lotus).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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According to the Haya\u015b\u012br\u1e63a Pa\u00f1car\u0101tra,<\/i> there are sixteen forms, and these are also named according to the positions of the disc and so on. The conclusion is that the Supreme Original Personality of Godhead is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He is called l\u012bl\u0101-puru\u1e63ottama,<\/i> and He resides principally in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana as the son of Nanda. It is also learned from the Haya\u015b\u012br\u1e63a Pa\u00f1car\u0101tra<\/i> that there are nine forms protecting the two Pur\u012bs known as Mathur\u0101 Pur\u012b and Dv\u0101rak\u0101 Pur\u012b. These nine forms are V\u0101sudeva, Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, N\u1e5bsi\u1e41ha, Hayagr\u012bva, Var\u0101ha and Brahm\u0101. These are different manifestations of the prak\u0101\u015ba<\/i> and vil\u0101sa<\/i> forms of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Lord Caitanya next informed San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b that there are different forms of sv\u0101\u1e41\u015ba<\/i> as well, and these are divided into the Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a division and the incarnation division. The Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a division includes the three puru\u1e63a-avat\u0101ras<\/i> \u2013 K\u0101ra\u1e47odaka-\u015b\u0101y\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, Garbhodaka-\u015b\u0101y\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u and K\u1e63\u012brodaka-\u015b\u0101y\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u \u2013 and the other division comprises the l\u012bl\u0101-avat\u0101ras,<\/i> such as the Lord\u2019s incarnations as a fish and a tortoise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There are six kinds of incarnations: (1) the puru\u1e63a-avat\u0101ras,<\/i> (2) the l\u012bl\u0101-avat\u0101ras,<\/i> (3) the gu\u1e47a-avat\u0101ras,<\/i> (4) the manvantara-avat\u0101ras,<\/i> (5) the yuga-avat\u0101ras<\/i> and (6) the \u015bakty\u0101ve\u015ba-avat\u0101ras<\/i>. Out of the six vil\u0101sa<\/i> manifestations of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, there are two divisions based on His age, and these are called b\u0101lya<\/i> and pauga\u1e47\u1e0da<\/i>. As the son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in His original form enjoys both of these childhood aspects \u2013 namely, b\u0101lya<\/i> and pauga\u1e47\u1e0da<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We can conclude that there is no end to the expansions and incarnations of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Lord Caitanya described some of them to San\u0101tana just to give him an idea of how the Lord expands and how He enjoys. These conclusions are confirmed in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam<\/i> (1.3.26)<\/a>. There it is said that there is no limit to the incarnations of the Supreme Lord, just as there is no limit to the waves of the ocean.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a first incarnates as the three puru\u1e63a-avat\u0101ras,<\/i> namely, the Mah\u0101-vi\u1e63\u1e47u or K\u0101ra\u1e47odaka-\u015b\u0101y\u012b avat\u0101ra,<\/i> the Garbhodaka-\u015b\u0101y\u012b avat\u0101ra<\/i> and the K\u1e63\u012brodaka-\u015b\u0101y\u012b avat\u0101ra<\/i>. This is confirmed in the S\u0101tvata-tantra.<\/i> K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s energies can also be divided into three: His energy of thinking, His energy of feeling and His energy of acting. When He exhibits His thinking energy He is the Supreme Lord, when He exhibits His feeling energy He is Lord V\u0101sudeva, and when He exhibits His acting energy He is Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a Balar\u0101ma. Without the Lord\u2019s thinking, feeling and acting, there would be no possibility of creation. Although there is no creation in the spiritual world as there is in the material world, both worlds are manifestations of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s energy of acting, which He carries out in the form of Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a Balar\u0101ma.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The spiritual world \u2013 the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha planets and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47aloka \u2013 is situated in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s energy of thinking. Although there is no creation in the spiritual world, which is eternal, it is still to be understood that the spiritual planets depend on the thinking energy of the Supreme Lord. This thinking energy is described in the Brahma-sa\u1e41hit\u0101<\/i> (5.2), where it is said, \u201cThe supreme abode, known as Goloka, is manifested like a lotus flower with hundreds of petals. Everything there is manifested by Ananta, who is a form of Balar\u0101ma, or Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a.\u201d The material cosmic manifestation and its different universes are manifested through m\u0101y\u0101,<\/i> or the material energy, but one should not think that the material energy, or material nature, is the cause of this cosmic manifestation. Rather, it is caused by the Supreme Lord, who uses His different expansions to act through material nature. In other words, there is no possibility of any creation without the superintendence of the Supreme Lord. The form of the Lord who causes the energy of material nature to bring about creation is Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a, and it is understood that this cosmic manifestation is created when the material nature comes in contact with the superintendent energy of the Supreme Lord, Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a. The example is given of iron becoming hot in contact with fire and, when red hot, acting just like fire.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam<\/i> (10.46.31)<\/a> it is said that Balar\u0101ma and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are the origin of all living entities and that these two personalities enter into everything. A list of incarnations is given in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam<\/a><\/i> (1.3), and they are as follows: (1) the Kum\u0101ras, (2) N\u0101rada, (3) Var\u0101ha, (4) Matsya, (5) Yaj\u00f1a, (6) Nara-N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, (7) K\u0101rdami Kapila, (8) Datt\u0101treya, (9) Haya\u015b\u012br\u1e63a, (10) Ha\u1e41sa, (11) Dhruvapriya, or P\u1e5b\u015bnigarbha, (12) \u1e5a\u1e63abha, (13) P\u1e5bthu, (14) N\u1e5bsi\u1e41ha, (15) K\u016brma, (16) Dhanvantari, (17) Mohin\u012b, (18) V\u0101mana, (19) Bh\u0101rgava (Para\u015bur\u0101ma), (20) R\u0101ghavendra, (21) Vy\u0101sa, (22) Pralamb\u0101ri Balar\u0101ma, (23) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, (24) Buddha and (25) Kalki. Because almost all of these twenty-five l\u012bl\u0101-avat\u0101ras<\/i>appear in one day of Brahm\u0101, which is called a kalpa,<\/i> they are sometimes called kalpa-avat\u0101ras<\/i>. Out of these incarnations, Ha\u1e41sa and Mohin\u012b are not permanent, but Kapila, Datt\u0101treya, \u1e5a\u1e63abha, Dhanvantari and Vy\u0101sa are five eternal forms, and they are more celebrated. K\u016brma (the tortoise incarnation), Matsya (the fish), Nara-N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, Var\u0101ha (the boar), Haya\u015b\u012br\u1e63a, P\u1e5b\u015bnigarbha and Balar\u0101ma are considered incarnations of vaibhava<\/i>. Similarly, there are three gu\u1e47a-avat\u0101ras,<\/i> or incarnations of the qualitative modes of nature, and these are Brahm\u0101, Vi\u1e63\u1e47u and \u015aiva.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There are fourteen manvantara-avat\u0101ras:<\/i> (1) Yaj\u00f1a, (2) Vibhu, (3) Satyasena, (4) Hari, (5) Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, (6) Ajita, (7) V\u0101mana, (8) S\u0101rvabhauma, (9) \u1e5a\u1e63abha, (10) Vi\u1e63vaksena, (11) Dharmasetu, (12) Sudh\u0101m\u0101, (13) Yoge\u015bvara and (14) B\u1e5bhadbh\u0101nu. Out of these fourteen manvantara-avat\u0101ras,<\/i> Yaj\u00f1a and V\u0101mana are also l\u012bl\u0101-avat\u0101ras<\/i>. The manvantara-avat\u0101ras<\/i> are also known as vaibhava-avat\u0101ras<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The four yuga-avat\u0101ras<\/i> are also described in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam<\/a><\/i>. In the Satya-yuga the incarnation of God is white; in the Tret\u0101-yuga He is red; in the Dv\u0101para-yuga He is blackish; and in the Kali-yuga He is also blackish, but sometimes, in a special Kali-yuga, His color is yellowish (as in the case of Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu). As far as the \u015bakty\u0101ve\u015ba-avat\u0101ras<\/i> are concerned, they include Kapila, \u1e5a\u1e63abha, Ananta, Brahm\u0101 (although sometimes the Lord Himself becomes Brahm\u0101), Catu\u1e25sana (the Kum\u0101ras, who are the incarnation of knowledge), N\u0101rada (the incarnation of devotional service), King P\u1e5bthu (the incarnation of administrative power) and Para\u015bur\u0101ma (the incarnation who subdues evil principles).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 CHAPTER SEVEN Unlimited Forms of Godhead According to the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava almanac, the twelve months of the year are named according to the twelve Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha forms of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and these forms are known as the … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-21 16:18:11","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37314"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37314\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}