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BY: SUN STAFF
Dasavatar Apr 26, 2022 — CANADA (SUN) — A serial presentation of Shri Krishna Chaitanya-carita Mahakavya, written by Shrila Murari Gupta (1513 A.D.). Translation into English by Bhaktivedanta Bhagavata Swami. FIRST PRAKRAMA yugavatarah prathamah / karyarthe 'para-sambhavah 17 atha - now; avatarah - of descents of the Lord; dvi-vidhah - two kinds; puruasya - of the Lord; prakirtitah - declared; yuga-avatarah - avataras for the age; prathamah - first; karya-arthe - for a mission; apara - others (lila-avataras); sambhavah - come forth. There are two other classes of avataras declared in the shastras. The former are the yuga-avataras, who appear to teach the process of self-realization for the four ages; the latter are the karya-avataras, who appear to accomplish a specific mission.
dharma sasthapayanti ye / tan shnuva yatha-kramam 18 yuga-avatarah - the avataras for the four ages; kathyante - are described; ye - which; bhavanti - appear; yuge yuge - age to age; dharmam - spiritual practices; sasthapayanti - establish; ye - which; tan - those; shnuva - now hear; yatha-kramam - in order. The yuga-avataras are described as those who appear from age to age in order to establish the principles of religion. Now hear of them in the order in which they appear.
tad arthe 'vatarat shuklas / catur-bahur jata-dharah 19 satye yuge - in the age of truthfulness; dhyanah - meditation; ekah - alone; puruasya - of man; artha - the goal of life; sadhakah - the means for attaining; tat - that; arthe - for the purpose; avatarat -He descended; shuklah - white; catur-bahuh - four-armed; jata-dharah - with matted locks. In Satya-yuga, the age of truthfulness, meditation was the sole means for mankind to execute self-realization. For that purpose, the white avatara, Shukla, descended in a four-armed form with matted locks.
sarveam eva jantuna / dhyanacaryo babhuva ha 20 sahasra-candra - a thousand moons; sa-dshah - like; sada - always; dhyana-ratah - attached to meditation; munih - the sage; sarveam - for everyone; eva - surely; jantunam - for men; dhyana-acaryah - a teacher of meditation; babhuva - became; ha - indeed. Appearing as bright and as cooling as a thousand moons, the sage, absorbed in constant trance, showed through His example the path of meditation for all men.
tatra yajnah svaya jatah / shruk-shruvadi-samanvitah 21 tretayam - in the age of Treta; yajna - fire sacrifice; eva - surely; ekah - one; dharma - spiritual benefits; sarva-artha - all purposes; sadhakah - accomplisher; tatra - at that time; yajnah - sacrifice personified; svayam - Himself; jatah - was born; shruk-shruva-adi-samanvitah - holding the spoons for sacrifice named Shruk and Shruva and other implements. In the next age, Treta, the practice of fire sacrifice alone conferred all spiritual benefits on man. At that time the Lord appeared as Yajna, sacrifice personified. He held Shruk and Shruva, the sacrificial spoons, and other paraphernalia for sacrifice.
yajnam evakaroj jinur / janan sarvan ashikayat 22 yajnikaih - sacrificing; brahmanaih - with the priests; sardham - together; yajna-bhuk - the enjoyer of sacrifice; sah - He; jana-ardanah - the Lord who inspires the hearts of people; yajnam - sacrfice; eva - indeed; akarot - performed; jinuh - the victorious one; janan - the people; sarvan - all; ashikayat - He taught. Together with the priests of the sacrifice, the victorious Lord Janardana, who is the enjoyer of the fruits of sacrifice, performed yajna Himself and thus taught that process to all people.
iti jnatva svaya vishnuh / pthu-rupo babhuva ha 23 dvapare - age of Dvapara; tu - but; yuge - in the age; puja - Deity worship; purua-arthaya - for the benefit of man; kalpate - is suitable; iti - thus; jnatva - so knowing; svayam - Himself; vishnuh - from vish (to pervade), the all-pervading one; pthu-rupah - King Prithu's form; babhuva - was; ha - indeed. In the age of Dvapara, puja, (worship of the Lord's arca-vigraha), was the appropriate process of self-realization for mankind. Knowing this, Shri Vishnu Himself incarnated as Maharaja Prthu.
karayam asa pujaya / sarveam abhavan manah 24 pujam - worship; cakara - he performed; dharma-atma - virtuous soul; lokanam - of the people; ca - and; anushasanam - governing; karayam asa - did; pujayam - in worship; sarveam - of all men; abhavan - it became; manah - the mind. That virtuous soul regulated the people by His rule. He performed worship of the Lord and thereby engaged the minds of all men in this same worship.
sarva-shakti-mayah sakat / paramananda-dayakah 25 kalau - in the age of quarrel; tu - but; kirtanam - chanting the Lord's names; shreyah - highest benefit; dharmah - religious practice; sarva-upakarakah - causer of welfare for all; sarva-shakti-mayah - possessed of all potencies; sakat - directly the Lord; parama-ananda-dayakah - bestower of the highest transcendental bliss. But in the age of Kali which is filled with quarrel, the chanting of the names of Shri Hari confers all spiritual benefit. It showers welfare upon all living beings. The Lord's name is possessed of all His potencies. Shri Nama is the Lord, Himself, and in this form Lord Krsna bestows the highest transcendental bliss.
jatah svaya pthivya tu / shri-chaitanya-mahaprabhuh 26 iti - thus; nishcitya - determining; manasa - with the mind; sadhunam - of the sadhus; sukham - happiness; avahan - bringing; jatah - born; svayam - in person; pthivyam - on the earth; tu - indeed; shri-chaitanya-mahaprabhuh - Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus considering the situation, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu personally took birth on the earth, and thereby brought joy to men of virtue.
yugavatara ete vai / karyarthe caparan shnu 27 kirtanam - chanting; karayam asa - caused to do; svayam - in person; cakre - did; muda-anvitah - filled with happiness; yuga-avatarah - avataras for the ages; ete - these; vai - certainly; karya - mission; arthe - for the purpose; ca - and; aparan - others; shnu - hear. Filled with bliss, He chanted the names of Hari and thus induced others to also chant. These are the yuga-avataras for the four ages. Now hear of the others, the karya-avataras, who descend to perform specific missions.
varahe dharana bhumer / nara-siha-vidaranam 28 matsye - in His Fish avatara; tu - indeed; veda - Vedas; uddharanam - saving; kaurme - in the Tortoise avatara; mandara-dharanam - holding the Mandara mountain; varahe - in the Boar avatara; dharanam - holding; bhumeh - of the earth; nara-siha - Man-lion avataa; vidaranam - tearing asunder. Descending in the form of Shri Matsya, the Fish avatara, the Lord saved the Vedas from the waters of universal devastation. In His form of Shri Kurma, the Tortoise avatara, He held up the Mandara mountain in order to award nectar to the demigods. In His form of Shri Varaha-deva, the Boar avatara, the Lord lifted up the earth and replaced it in its position in the universe. And in His form of Shri Narasiha, the Man-lion avatara, the Lord tore asunder the chest of the demon Hiranyakashipu, thus protecting the devoted Prahlada.
jigye tu bhargavah kauni / jitva rajnah sudurmadan 29 dadau ga brahmanayaiva / vinur lokaika-taranah shri-rame ravana hatva / yashasa purita jagat 30 cakre - took; danuja-sakrasya - of the powerful demon, Bali; vamane - during Lord Vamana's avatara; bhuvana-shriyam - the opulence of the world; jigye - He won; tu - and; bhargavah - the descendant of Bhgu, Parashurama ("axe-delighter"); kaunim - the earth; jitva - having defeated; rajnah - the kings; su-durmadan - very arrogant; dadau - He gave; gam - earth; brahmanaya - to the brahmana Kashyapa; eva - indeed; vinuh -the all-pervading One; loka-eka-taranah - the sole uplifter of the world; shri-rame - during the avatara of Shri Rama; ravanam - the ten-headed king of the man-eaters; hatva - having killed; yashasa - by His fame; puritam - filled; jagat - the universe. Descending as Shri Vamana-deva, a child brahmana, the Lord took away the opulence of the three worlds from the powerful demon Bali. As Shri Parashurama, He descended in the lineage of the sage Bhrigu. Delighting in fighting with an axe, He won the earth by defeating the arrogant kings and then gave it in charity to the brahmana Kashyapa. Next Shri Vishnu, sole savior of the universe, descended as Shri Rama and slew the ten-headed man-eating rakshasa named Ravana. Thus all of the worlds became filled with Vishnu's fame.
svayam eva haris tatra / sarva-shakti-samanvitah 31 shrimat-kna-avatare - by the avatara of Shri Krishna; tu - and; bhumeh - of the earth; bhara - burden; avataranam - taking away; svayam - original; eva - indeed; harih - one who takes away evil; tatra - then; sarva-shakti-samanvitah - possessing all potencies. When Lord Shri Krishna descended, He removed the heavy burden of warring armies from the earth. He is the original form of Shri Hari, replete with all potencies.
mlecchana nidhana caiva / kalki-rupena so 'karot 32 bauddhe - upon the avatara of Shri Buddha-deva; tu - and; mohanam - illusion; cakre - He made; vedanam - for the followers of the Vedas; bhagavan - the Supreme Lord; parah - transcendental; mlecchanam - of those fallen from the Vedas; nidhanam - destruction; ca - and; eva - surely; kalki-rupena - by the form of Kalki; sah - He; akarot - performed. As Shri Buddha-deva, the Lord made an illusion to bewilder the so-called followers of the Vedas, and in the form of Shri Kalki, He annihilated the degraded mleccha populace, who had fallen from the path of the Vedas.
karyavatara n-hareh / kathitah paramaribhih 33 evam - thus; vidhani - kinds; anekani - many; karmani - activities; bahu-rupinah - who have many forms; karya-avatarah - the avataras for specific missions; n-hareh - of Shri Gaura Hari; kathitah - are spoken of; parama-ibhih - by the topmost sages. Thus do the greatest of sages describe the karya-avataras of Nhari, who are of many kinds, who perform many activities and appear in many forms. Thus ends the Fourth Sarga entitled "Descriptions of the Avataras," in the First Prakrama of the great poem Shri Chaitanya Carita.
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