KRISHNA AVATAR – ITS IMPORTANCE AND UNIQUE FEATURES!
What is the actual meaning of AVATAR?
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (2.20.263-264) states:
“avatara, or incarnation of Godhead, descends from the kingdom of God for
creating and maintaining the material manifestation. And the particular form of the Personality of Godhead who so descends is called an incarnation, or avatara. Such incarnations are situated in the spiritual world, the kingdom of God. When They descend to the material creation, They assume the name avatar.”
(Why Krishna takes avatars in India only, not other countries? READ HERE!)
Srimad Bhagavatam states:
“There are countless incarnations just like the waves of the oceans. They fall in various categories like lila (pastime), yuga (period of yuga), manvantara (period of Manu), purusa (Vishnu expansions) and saktyavesa (empowered). These avatars perform various pastimes based on the time, place and circumstances, but their purpose is always the same – “to attract the conditioned souls back to their eternal spiritual abode”.
The incarnations emanate from Vishnu. Maha-Vishnu is the original
cause of all material creation and from Him Garbhodakasayi-Vishnu
expands and then Ksirodakasayi-Vishnu. Generally all incarnations
appearing within the material world are plenary portions of Ksirodakasayi-Vishnu (also known as Hari).
(24 AVATARS OF KRISHNA/ VISHNU – POPULAR DASAVATARS! READ HERE!)
UNIQUENESS OF KRISHNA AVATAR
However only once in a day of Lord Brahma (which lasts for 4.32
billion of our years), does Krsna descend in His original form, as the
avatari, the cause of all avatars. When Krsna appears all the
incarnations join with Him. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
complete whole and all the plenary portions and incarnations always
live with Him. So when Krsna appeared, Lord Vishnu was always with
Him, and while Krsna enjoyed His pastimes in Vrindavana, the killing
of the demons was actually carried out by the His Vishnu portion.
Since Krsna eternally resides in Vrindavana, when He left Vrindavana
at the age of ten, it was His Vasudeva expansion that actually left.
(KRISHNA AVATAR – ALL DATES RELATED TO ALL THE LILAS! READ HERE!)
HOW OFTEN KRISHNA DIRECTLY APPEARS?
In the era of the Svayambhuva Manu, prajapati Sutapa and his wife
Prsni were instructed by Lord Brahma to have progeny. They performed
severe austerities for twelve thousand years of the demigods to have
the Lord as their child. Pleased by their austerities the Lord
appeared and granted them this benediction. Since He gave them this
benediction three times, in Satya-yuga He first appeared as the son of
Prsni and Sutapa and was called Prsnigarbha. In Treta-yuga they were
Aditi and Kasyapa Muni and the Lord appeared as Vamanadeva. Finally in
the Dvapara yuga, Krsna in His original form, appeared as the child of
Devaki and Vasudeva.
(Krishna Vs Vishnu -Who is Supreme and Who is avatar? What are the three types of Vishnus? READ HERE!)
WHY KRISHNA APPEARED ON EARTH?
Krsna appeared specifically on the request of Bhudevi, the presiding
deity of the Earth planet. Distressed by the burden of many demons who
had appeared as powerful ksatriyas and were ruling the planet
impiously, she assumed the form of a cow and pleaded to Lord Brahma
for help. Lord Brahma with all the demigods prayed to Vishnu in
Svetadvipa by chanting the Purusa-sukta prayers. At this time the Lord
informed Brahma that in order to establish religiosity and destroy
evil, He would soon appear as His original Self. In the meantime the
various demigods were instructed to take birth in various families in
the Yadu dynasty and prepare for the appearance of the Lord.
(KRISHNA JAYANTHI (or) JANMASHTAMI (or) GOKULASHTAMI – FASTING AND WORSHIP TIPS! READ HERE!)
LIFELINE OF KRISHNA
Historically, Lord Krsna appeared in the Dvapara yuga, on the midnight
of the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Sravana. This
corresponds to July 19th 3228 BC. He exhibited His pastimes for a
little over 125 years and disappeared on February 18th 3102 BC on the
new moon night of Phalguna. His departure marks the beginning of the
current age of corruption known as Kali.
The great scholar Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti neatly outlines Lord
Krsna’s activities in this way. He was born in Mathura in the prison
cell of Kamsa and carried to Gokula. The first three years and four
months were spent in Gokula, then equal lengths of time in Vrindavana
and Nandagram. At the age of eleven He left Vrindavan for Mathura
where He lived for eighteen years and four months, and finally
ninety-six years and eight months in Dvaraka totaling about 126 years
of manifest pastimes. At the time of Mahabharata, when Krsna spoke the
Bhagavad Gita, He was about ninety years of age.
(Lord Krishna’s Appearance on Earth From Sri Brahma Vaivartha Purana! READ HERE!)