"At my first birth, in the Svayam-bhuva Manvantara, thou wert born as
Prisni and this Vasudeva was named Prajapati Sutapas I was born as your
son, Prisni-garbha. I was also born of you, when you were Aditi and
Vasudeva was Kasyapa, as Upendra, also called the Vamana or Dwarf
Avatara. At this third birth, I am your son again, with the same body."
X. 3 XXXII. to XLIII.
These are the three Incarnations of Nara Narayana, mentioned in the
Bhagavata. They are certainly not the many births to which Sri Krishna
alludes in the Gita. Those many births took place in previous Kalpas of
which we know nothing. In this Kalpa, however, he appeared at the
turning points in the Evolution of our universe. He appeared in the
First Manvantara, the Manvantara of manifestation, as Prisni-garbha. We
do not know the good done by Him in His first birth.
As Vamana, however, he restored the Triloki to the Devas and asserted
the supremacy of the spiritual forces.
The Earth was again overpowered by the Asuras. The Kalpa was about to be
half over. The last struggle was to be made. Satva had to be infused
into all beings, even into the materials composing them. Every thing in
the universe was to be wedded to the Lord of Preservation. An upward
trend was to be given to the whole course of evolution. Materialism
could not be stamped out all at once. But henceforth there was to be a
steady fall of Materiality and rise of Spirituality, subject to such
variations as minor Cycles might cause.
Sri Krishna is therefore the greatest Avatara of our Kalpa. "For the
good of those that seek Atma, Nara Narayana shall perform Tapas in
Bharata Varsha, unknown to others, till the end of the Kalpa." V. 19-9
Sri Krishna as Bhagavat is greater than the Second Purusha.
To the devotees, he is greater than the Purusha manifestation.
He now appeared as the preserver of the Universe, the embodiment of
Satva, the force of ascent. And the Tatvas had to be wedded to him, so
that they might acquire the energy of higher evolution in them.
Unless there was change in the innate downward tendency of the Tatvas,
the spiritual ascent of the universe was not possible.
The Lord brought about this change by permeating the whole universe with
His Satva body, or becoming something like the spiritual soul in every
being. Therefore Lord Krishna is in the hearts of all beings and can be
perceived by all in meditation. He is everywhere, in every atom. Whether
Sri Krishna is Bhagavat Himself or some manifestation of Bhagavat makes
no difference whatever. By His works, He is Bhagavat. His worshippers
are bound for the abode of Bhagavat. They have not to wait in Brahma or
Satya Loka, till the end of Brahma's life. Those who worship. Hiranya
garbha or Brahma cannot pass beyond the limits of Brahma Loka.
In answer to Raja Parikshit, Suka Deva delineated the Paths to be
followed after death.
I. The Prompt Path of Liberation (Sadyo Mukti). Those who meditate on
the abstract Absolute, called Brahma, attain prompt liberation. The
All-pervading principle is abstracted from the phenomenal universe,
there is no thought of man, no thought of fellow beings, no thought of
the universe, there is the pure abstraction by the process of "Not
this." "Not this" liberates one from all phenomenal connections. This is
Sadyo Mukti. (II. 2 XV. to XXI.)
II. The Deferred Path of Liberation (Krama Mukti), when one wishes to go
to Brahma Loka or to the abode of the Siddhas. Where the eight siddhis
are acquired, he retains the Manas and the Indriyas and goes all over
the universe of Seven Lokas. II. 2 XXII.
With their Linga Sarira, these Lords of Yoga go inside and outside
Triloki. II. 2 XXIII.
On their way to Brahma Loka, they are carried by Sushumna first to Agni
Loka. Then they go to the farthest limit of Triloki, the Sisumara
Chakra, extending over to Dhruva or the Polar star. II. 2 XXIV.
When at the end of a Kalpa, the Triloki becomes consumed by fire from
the mouth of Sankarshana, they go to Brahma Loka, which lasts for two
Pararddhas, and which is adorned by the chariots of great Siddhas. II. 2
XXVI.
There is no sorrow, no infirmity no death, no pain, no anxiety in Brahma
Loka. But those who go there are, out of their compassion, afflicted by
the endless miseries of those that do not know the path. II. 2 XXVII.
Then they pass through the seven Avaranas or covers of the Universe and,
having the Vehicle of Mula Prakriti only, become full of Bliss and, when
that Upadhi is destroyed, they obtain absolute bliss and do not return
again. This is the attainment of the state. II. 2. XXVIII to XXXI.
Those who go to Brahma Loka pass through three different paths.
1. Those, who come with great merits acquired in life, get posts of
duty according to their merits in the next Kalpa (_i.e._ they
become Prajapatis, Lokapalas. Indras and so on.)
2. Those who go to Brahma Loka merely by force of their Upasana of
Hiranya-Garbha become liberated, when Brahma becomes liberated at
the end of his life ('extending over two Pararddhas.)
3. Those that worship Bhagavat pierce the Brahmanda at will, and rise
to the abode of Vishnu. The Slokas XXVIII to XXXI refer to the
piercing of Brahmanda by the Bhagavatas. _Sridhara_.
The worshippers of Sri Krishna attain the last state. The deferred path
of Liberation is the path of all Bhaktas. It is the path of compassion,
of service. The Bhaktas spurn all sorts of Mukti, even if they be
offered to them. They become servants of the Lord in the preservation of
the Universe.
In the Dvaraka Lila, we shall find Sri Krishna, as the greatest Avatara
of the Kalpa, carrying out His work of Preservation.
The Purana does not speak of the Nara aspect of Sri Krishna as
manifested in Arjuna. That is the subject matter of the Mahabharata. The
study of the one is complementary to the study of the other, as the
study of the Bhagavat is complementary to the study of the Gita. In one,
we see the Evolution of Man, in the other we see the work of Bhagavat.
We see in both together the whole of our Lord Sri Krishna.