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40
The Pañcarātra
[CH. panionship in mundane forms to those saints who cannot live without it, and this is the interpretation of the word paritrāņa (protection) in the Gītā; secondly, for destroying those who are opposed to the saints; thirdly, for establishing the Vedic religion, the essence of which is devotion to God?
In the form as antaryāmin, or the inner controller, the Lord resides in us as the inner controller of the self, and it is through His impulsion that we commit evil deeds and go to Hell or perform good deeds and go to Heaven. Thus we cannot in any way escape
Saktyātman, Madhusudana, Vidyādhideva, Kapila, Viśvarūpa, Vihangama, Kroạātman, Vadavāvaktra, Dharma, Vāgiśvara, Ekārņavaśāyin, Kamatheśvara, Varāha, Narasimha, Piyūṣaharana, Sripati, Kāntātman, Rāhujit, Kālanemighna, Pārijātahara, Lokanātha, Sāntātman, Dattatreya, Nyagrodhaśāyin, Ekasrngatanu, Vāmanadeva, Trivikrama, Nara, Nārāyaṇa, Hari, Krsna, Parasurāma, Rāma, Vedavid, Kalkin, Pātālaśayana. They are of the nature of tejas and are objects of worship and meditation in their specific forms, as described in the Satvatasamhitā (XII), or in the Ahirbudhya-samhită (LXVI). In the Nārāyaṇiya section of the Mahābhārata Vihangama or Hamsa, Kamatheśvara or Kūrma, Ekaśțngatanu or Matsya, Varāha, Nșsimha, Vāmana, Paraśurāma, Rāma, Vedavid and Kalkin are mentioned as the ten avatāras. The avatāra Krodātman, Lokanātha and Kantātman are sometimes spoken of as Yajña Varāha, Manu Vaivasvata and Kāma respectively. The latter is sometimes spoken of probably as Dhanvantari (see Schrader's Pañcarārra, p. 45). The twenty-three avatāras spoken of in the Bhägavata-purāņa (1.3) are all included in the above list. It is, however, doubtful whether Vāgiśvara is the same as Hayasirşa, and Santātman as Sanaka or Nārada, as Schrader says. The vibhava-avatāras mentioned in Rūpa's Laghu-bhāgavatāmrta are mostly included in the above list, though some names appear in slightly different form. Following the Brahma-samhitā, Rūpa, however, regards Krsna as the real form (svayam-rūpa) of God. According to him, being one with God, He may have His manifestations in diverse forms. This is called avatāra as ekātma-rupa. This ekātma-rūpa-avatara may again be of two kinds, sva-vilāsa and svā-msa. When the avatāra is of the same nature as the Lord in powers and other qualities, He is called a svāmśā-vatāra. Thus, Vāsudeva is called a svavilāsa-avatāra. But when the avatāra has inferior powers, He is called a svā-msaavatāra. Samkarşaņa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Matsya, Kūrma, etc., are thus called svā-mia-avatāra. When God, however, infuses one only with parts of His qualities, he is called an aveśa-avatāra. Nārada, Sanaka, etc., are called aveśaavatāras. The manifestation of the Lord in the above forms for the good of the world is called avatāra.
pūrvo-kta-viśva-kāryā-rthām a-purvā iva cet svayam dvārā-ntareņa vā' viḥ-syur avatārās tadā smrtāḥ
Laghu-bhāgavatāmrta, p. 22. The amśātatāra is sometimes called puruşāvatāra, while the manifestation of special qualities as in Brahmā, Vişnu, Siva, etc., is called gunāvatāras. The vibhavāvatāras are generally regarded as tilāvatāras; vide also Sātvata-samhitā, Ch. IX (77-84) and Ch. XII.
1 Tattva-traya, p. 138. The word sādhu is here defined as nirmatsarāh mat-samāśrayane pravrttah man-nāma-karma-svarūpānām văn-manasā-gocaratayā mad-darśanena vinā ātma-dhārana-poşanādikam alabhamānāḥ kṣana-matra-kālam kalpa-sahasram manvānāḥ prasithila-sarva-gātrā bhaveyuh.'
