Śrī Baladeva: Avatārī and Avatāra

(Patrottara – “Response to a Letter”)

Translated from Śrī Gauḍīya-patrikā, Year 26, Issue 8 (15/6/1974), page 274:

          śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ

                   Śrī Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti
                      (Gov. Registered)
                    Śrī Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha
                       P.O. Navadvīpa, Nadiyā
                          Date: 15/8/1974

śrī śrī vaiṣṇava-caraṇe daṇḍavan-nati-pūrvikeyam—

Narahari! I have received your letter dated 7/8/74. I hope that by the mercy of our most worshipful Śrī Śrīla Gurudeva you are all well. The question you asked in your letter is a question many have; many people have doubts about this topic. However, if one ponders this deeply, one will find a beautiful reconciliation to it. According to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya |
jāre jaiche nācāya se taiche kare nṛtya ||

[Kṛṣṇa alone is God; all others are servants. They all dance as per His direction.]

ei mata caitanya-gosāi ekale īśvara |
āra saba pāriṣada, keho vā kiṅkara ||

[Likewise, Caitanya Gosāi alone is God. The rest are His associates, some His servants.]

guru-varga—nityānanda, advaitācārya |
śrīvāsādi āra jata—laghu, sama, ārya ||

[Nityānanda, Advaita Ācārya are the gurus. Śrīvāsa and the rest are juniors, peers, and elders.]

sabe pāriṣada, sabe līlāra sahāya |
sabe laiyā nija-kārya sādhe gaura-rāya ||

[All are associates, all assist in pastimes. Gaura Rāya utilizes them all to fulfill His tasks.]

Hence, Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone is Svayam Bhagavān, the source of all avatāras, the cause of all causes and Sarveśvareśvara (the God of Gods). This is an indisputable conclusion. There are no two ways about it.

Śrī Baladeva Prabhu is Mūla-Saṅkarṣaṇa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s vilāsa-mūrti and second self. Whether to call Baladeva Prabhu the avatārī (source of all incarnations) or an avatāra (incarnation) appears to be an enormous dilemma. However, according to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ṣat-Sandarbha, Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata and other scriptures, one may refer to Him both as avatārī and avatāra, depending on one’s mood, and there is no fault either way. Why this is so is explained the payāra below:

ādyāvatāra mahāpuruṣa bhagavān |
sarva avatāra-bīja, sarvāśraya dhāma ||
hena nārāyaṇa jā̃ra aṁśera aṁśa |
sei prabhu nityānanda sarva avataṁsa ||

In other words, when Kāraṇābdhi-śāyī Viṣṇu is the seed of all avatāras and all the Manvantara-avatāras, Yugāvatāras, and other types of avatāras come from Him and the root source of Kāraṇābdhi-śāyī Viṣṇu is Mahā-Saṅkarṣaṇa and His source is Śrī Baladeva Prabhu (Mūla-Saṅkarṣaṇa), then what doubt is there that He (Baladeva Prabhu) is the avatārī of all avatāras? Śrī Baladeva Prabhu is the mūla-tattva (root principle) of all the avatāras. Śrī Baladeva Prabhu Himself is not Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s avatāra, but rather Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s vaibhava-prakāśa (“manifestation of His prowess and majesty”). Śrī Kṛṣṇa is Svayaṁ Bhagavān and Sarva-avatārī (the source of all avatāras). The bhagavatvā (“Godliness”) of all bhagavat-tattva (manifestations of Godhead) comes from Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone. Śrī Baladeva Prabhu is avatārī, but not Svayaṁ Bhagavān. He is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s second self or body—but Śrī Kṛṣṇa is not Śrī Baladeva’s second self.

Therefore, the siddhānta is this: as Śrī Baladeva is the avatārī of all avatāras, the Yugāvatāras, Manvantarāvatāras, Līlāvatāras, Guṇāvatāras, etc., He can be called the avatārī. There is nothing wrong with this. In Śrī Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta, in the section that lists the characteristics of the avatāras, the following is written: “When the original Svayaṁ-rūpa appears like never before either as Himself or through another medium (tad-ekātmya-rūpa, etc.) in order to accomplish various tasks in the world, He is known as an avatāra.” Also, in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the following is seen:

māyātīta paravyome sabāra avasthāna |
viśve avatari, dhare avatāra nāma ||

[They are all situated beyond māyā, in Paravyoma. They incarnate in the world and are known as avatāras.]

Therefore, according to the aforementioned siddhānta, there is nothing wrong with calling Śrī Baladeva Prabhu an avatāra. The poet Śrī Jayadeva Gosvāmī has sung the glories of Śrī Baladeva Prabhu as one of the avatāras. This is not wrong. But if, because of this, one equates Śrī Baladeva with Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Nṛsiṁha, and other avatāra members of the Daśāvatāra, it will be great blunder and will contradict siddhānta. And though one may refer to Him as the avatārī, He is not Svayaṁ-rūpa Śrī Kṛṣṇa, because He is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s prakāśa.

Therefore, one must encounter the manifestation of His tattva with great caution. Everything depends on mood. One’s mood must be pure.

I hope this will dispel your doubts. Pūjyapāda Śrīla Vāmana Mahārāja is to be arriving in Siliguri within a few days. If you inquire from him regarding this subject, he will provide you with extensive information.

Here the Sanskrti ṭola (school) is running well. You should be here for the exam. I will call you here when the time is right. Chant śrī harināma with full attention and render service in the maṭha. Along with that, study the conclusions of scripture. What more is there? Let me know you are well. Iti—

                  śrī vaiṣṇava-dāsānudāsa—
                  Śrī Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa