There are three qualities in the material world. Brahmā is the incarnation of the passion, mode of passion, and Viṣṇu is the incarnation of the mode of goodness, and Śiva, Lord Śiva, is the incarnation of the mode of ignorance. So all these three avatāras, although they are different manifestation of God, still, in the scriptures this is recommended that if anyone wants to get out of this material entanglement, then he has to worship these incarnation in the modes of goodness, Viṣṇu-avatāra. That is . . . these things are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So one may say that, "If three of them are incarnation of the Supreme, why particularly to Viṣṇu? Why not Lord Śiva and why not Brahmā?" That is described in the Bhāgavata. Just like I require fire. So fire, the fire, there is. Just like wood is produced from the earth, and fire is produced from the wood, similarly, although it, production, the source of production, is the same, but still, I require fire. I cannot have fire from the earth or from the, just tree. I have to take the wood, fuel. This example is there. Although the source is one, still, unless I get fire, my purpose will not be served.
Similarly, this Viṣṇu and Śiva and Brahmā . . . from, I mean to say, gross earth the wood is produced like tree, and from tree we take wood, and from wood there is fire. So when we get fire, then we can serve our purpose. Similarly, although these three avatāras are there in the material world, we have to take shelter of the viṣṇu-avatāra, goodness. So far spiritual progress, one has to be situated on the modes of goodness first.
Therefore we require to be Brāhmins, qualified Brāhmins, then Vaiṣṇava. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brāhmin does not mean caste. Brāhmin means one who knows the Supreme Brahman. He is Brāhmin. And then, after being Brāhmin, then you have to transcend that position and put yourself in the pure goodness.
This material goodness is contaminated. Sometimes goodness is affected by ignorance and passion in the material . . . so when you are transcendental to this material goodness, that stage is called Vāsudeva stage. And Vāsudeva stage, that means God realization.
So there are three incarnation of guṇāvatāra, then manvantarāvatāra. Manvantarāvatāra means . . . there is seventy-one yugas. One yuga means about 4,300,000's of years. 4,300,000's of years, that makes a complete yuga. Such seventy-one yuga is the duration of a Manu. That is called Man . . . and each Manu is also an incarnation, manvantarāvatāra. And such Manu takes place, fourteen Manus take place, during one day of Brahma. So manvantarāvatāra.
Then yuga avatāra. Yuga avatāra . . . in each yuga, during that 4,300,000's of years, there are yuga avatāra. They are the incarnation. They come. They are called yugāvatāras. And then there is śaktyāveśa-avatāra. Śaktyāveśa-avatāra, they are counted just like Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ. They are counted amongst the śaktyāveśāvatāras. They are also incarnation of śaktyāveśāvatāra, powerful. In this way the Supreme Lord manifests all over the universes. There are innumerable universes, and some of His incarnation are working always.