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Avatara means

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

Avatāra means "one who descends." All the incarnations of the Lord, including the Lord Himself, descend on the different planets of the material world as also in different species of life to fulfill particular missions.
SB 1.3.28, Purport:

In this particular stanza Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, is distinguished from other incarnations. He is counted amongst the avatāras (incarnations) because out of His causeless mercy the Lord descends from His transcendental abode. Avatāra means "one who descends." All the incarnations of the Lord, including the Lord Himself, descend on the different planets of the material world as also in different species of life to fulfill particular missions. Sometimes He comes Himself, and sometimes His different plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions, or His differentiated portions directly or indirectly empowered by Him, descend on this material world to execute certain specific functions. Originally the Lord is full of all opulences, all prowess, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation. When they are partly manifested through the plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions, it should be noted that certain manifestations of His different powers are required for those particular functions. When in the room small electric bulbs are displayed, it does not mean that the electric powerhouse is limited by the small bulbs. The same powerhouse can supply power to operate large-scale industrial dynamos with greater volts. Similarly, the incarnations of the Lord display limited powers because so much power is needed at that particular time.

SB Canto 3

When the Personality of Godhead descends He is called an avatāra because avatāra means "one who descends."
SB 3.13.47, Purport:

The Personality of Godhead Lord Viṣṇu descends by His will to the material planets in His innumerable incarnations for particular purposes, and again He goes back to His own abode. When He descends He is called an avatāra because avatāra means "one who descends." Neither the Lord Himself nor His specific devotees who come to this earth are ordinary living entities like us.

The Lord descends from His abode to this world, and therefore He is called avatāra, which means "one who descends."
SB 3.19.31, Purport:

The Lord descends from His abode to this world, and therefore He is called avatāra, which means "one who descends." Sometimes avatāra is understood to refer to an incarnation who assumes a material form of flesh and bone, but actually avatāra refers to one who descends from higher regions. The Lord's abode is situated far above this material sky, and He descends from that higher position; thus He is called avatāra.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

The word avaroha is related to the word avatāra, which means"that which descends."
SB 10.13.57, Purport:

This path of acceptance is called avaroha-panthā The word avaroha is related to the word avatāra, which means"that which descends." The materialist wants to understand everything by the āroha-panthā—by argument and reason—but transcendental matters cannot be understood in this way. Rather, one must follow the avaroha-panthā, the process of descending knowledge. Therefore one must accept the paramparā system. And the best paramparā is that which extends from Kṛṣṇa (evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2)). What Kṛṣṇa says, we should accept (imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ). This is called the avaroha-panthā.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

The word avatāra means "One who descends," and in this case the word specifically refers to one who descends from the spiritual sky.
Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 8:

Lord Caitanya continued to explain to Sanātana Gosvāmī that the expansions of Lord Kṛṣṇa who come to the material creation are called avatāras, or incarnations. The word avatāra means "One who descends," and in this case the word specifically refers to one who descends from the spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, and from these planets the expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead come into this universe.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Avatāra means who comes from higher plane down to this material world. He's called avatāra.
Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

Now, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is describing how He incarnates Himself for the benefit of conditioned souls in the material world. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, He descends. The Sanskrit word is avatāra. Avatāra. Avatāra, avatāra. Avatāra means who comes from higher plane down to this material world. He's called avatāra. So sometimes Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa comes Himself and sometimes He sends His representative also, for deliverance of the conditioned souls.

Avatāra means who comes from a higher sphere, higher planet. They are not living entities of this world, this material world. They come from spiritual world.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, what is the difference between an incarnation and an avatāra?

Prabhupāda: Avatāra is incarnation. Avatāra means incarnation. Incarnation, in your dictionary, is "accepting some body"? Is that...? But avatāra... Of course, there are different grades of avatāra. Avatāra means one who comes... The real world is avataraṇa descending. Avatāra means who comes from a higher sphere, higher planet. They are not living entities of this world, this material world. They come from spiritual world. They are called avatāra. So these avatāra grades are different. There are śaktyāveśāvatāra, guṇāvatāra, līlāvatāra, yugāvatāra, so many. So avatāra means one who comes directly from the spiritual world. And incarnation, of course, this avatāra is translated with the word incarnation, but I think real meaning of incarnation means "who accepts a body." Is it not? So that incarnation, everyone accepts a material body. But avatāra, there are avatāra of Viṣṇu and avatāra of devotees also. There are different grades of avatāra. You'll read it in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, which is coming out.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Not that avatāra means keeping some long beard or having an artificial helmet. Rascals may be allured by them, but those who are sensible, who have got sense, they will see with reference to the śāstra, the avatāra.
Lecture on SB 1.3.22 -- Los Angeles, September 27, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). To kill the miscreants and to protect the devotees, He descends. That is avatāra. They have two business. Not that avatāra means keeping some long beard or having an artificial helmet. Rascals may be allured by them, but those who are sensible, who have got sense, they will see with reference to the śāstra, the avatāra, every avatāra... We are reading so many avatāras. The activity of that particular avatāra is also mentioned, that "This avatāra will, incarnation will appear accepting such and such person as father and mother, and His activities will be like this." So how any rascal can come out and say, "I am the avatāra, I am the incarnation"? So that some other rascals may believe, but those who have sense, they will not accept.

Avatāra means incarnation.
Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

So you have to accept. Kṛṣṇa says, very frankly says, "Surrender unto Me, I give you anapavarga." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), "I shall give you protection." So He is the power for this purpose, and govindam... Govinda means He is the giver of pleasure to the cows and to the senses. Govinda. Govinda, go-dvija-sura-arti-hara-avatāra. Avatāra means incarnation. Govinda, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **, He's the ādi-puruṣa. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2), He is the original person, even of the demigods, Brahmā, Viṣṇu. People may not misunderstand that Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, they are original. No. Kṛṣṇa says, "They are not original, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara." Aham ādir hi devānām, "I am the original person, above the..., of these demigods also." Therefore, we repeatedly say that we worship that ādi-puruṣaṁ, the original person, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Not secondary; the first, the first, original person.

Avatāra means incarnation. Śaktyāveśāvatāra means incarnation with special power.
Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

Revatīnandana: I have a question. One of my prabhus told me that you once said that your Guru Mahārāja said that Jesus Christ was a śaktyāveśāvatāra. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he said it, it must be correct. Muhammad also, śaktyāveśāvatāra. Śaktyāveśāvatāra means a living entity is especially empowered to preach the glories of the Lord. Lord Buddha is also śaktyāveśāvatāra. They are not ordinary human being. They are especially empowered personalities.

Devotee (1): Lord Buddha is not an incarnation?

Prabhupāda: Incarnation. Avatāra means incarnation.

Devotee (1): So that means incarnation also?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Śaktyāveśāvatāra means incarnation with special power.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

This Sanskrit name is avatāra. Avatāra means who comes down from the spiritual world.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.255-281 -- New York, December 17, 1966:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Tenth Canto, it is stated that "This Rāma and Kṛṣṇa"—Rāma means Balarāma, and Kṛṣṇa—"They are the root of this material creation. And both of Them enters into each and every universe and maintains that." Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). This is mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

sṛṣṭi-hetu yei mūrti prapañce avatāre
sei īśvara-mūrti 'avatāra' nāma dhare

"For material creation, the expansion of the Supreme Lord for the purpose of material creation is called incarnation. That is called avatāra."

māyātīta paravyome sabāra avasthāna
viśve avatari' dhare 'avatāra' nāma

"So all Viṣṇu expansions, they are in the spiritual world, and they all of them reside there. But when they come into this material world, it is called incarnation." Actually, avatāra... This Sanskrit name is avatāra. Avatāra means who comes down from the spiritual world. Avatāri. Avatāri means descends. Descends. They are not born of this material energy. They descend from the spiritual world.

Purports to Songs

Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi. Avatāra means incarnation, and saba means all. "They are the essence of all incarnations."
Purport to Parama Koruna -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1969:

Parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana, nitāi gauracandra. This is a song by Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, a great devotee and ācārya of the Gauḍīya-sampradāya. He is declaring that pahū dui jana. Pahū means lords. Dui jana means two. Who are the two lords? Nitai Gauracandra. One is Lord Nitāi, Nityānanda; another is Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he says that "These two Lords are very merciful." Parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana. Parama koruṇa means very merciful. Nitai Gauracandra. Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi. Avatāra means incarnation, and saba means all. "They are the essence of all incarnations." Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi, kevala ānanda-kanda: "And the specific significance of these incarnations is that to prosecute their ways of self-realization is simply joyful," ānanda-kanda. They introduced chanting and dancing. No other incarnation There are many incarnation, just like Lord Rāma. Even Kṛṣṇa, He taught Bhagavad-gītā. That requires knowledge, understanding. But here Lord Caitanya, Nityānanda, introduced some process which is simply joyful: simply chant and dance. Kevala ānanda-kanda. Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi, kevala ānanda-kanda. Therefore he requests everyone, bhajo bhajo bhāi, caitanya nitāi: "My dear brothers, I request you. Just you worship Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Avatāra means avatāran. What is the meaning of descent? What is the meaning of descent? Coming down. Coming down.
Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur:

Prabhupāda: Avatāra means avatāran. (Hindi) What is the meaning of descent? What is the meaning of descent? Coming down. Coming down. Yes.

Guest: In the sense of quality or in the sense of form.

Prabhupāda: The sense of form. Because your brain is congested with impersonalism, you cannot understand what is spiritual form. That is your defect.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So the testing method is mentioned there, that the avatāra means, "This avatāra means his feature of body is this, his work is like this, he will come on such and such."
Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If somebody says that "I am correct," then you have to refer to the śāstra whether he is correct or wrong. Just like a medical man. There is characteristic of certain chemicals. That is mentioned. So when accepting some chemical, the medical man tests in his laboratory whether it is correct. Not that somebody brings some chemical, some bunch of lime, and he says, "It is sodium chloride," or "Something, something." It must be tested. So the testing method is mentioned there, that the avatāra means, "This avatāra means his feature of body is this, his work is like this, he will come on such and such." Just like Kalki avatāra. Kalki avatāra, it is mentioned in the śāstra... Although He will come after four lakhs of years, it is stated in the śāstra that in Sambal... Sambal, in the house of Viṣṇu-josi, Kalki-avatāra will come.

Page Title:Avatara means
Compiler:Labangalatika, Visnu Murti
Created:14 of Jan, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=4, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=7, Con=2, Let=0
No. of Quotes:14