एते च अंशकलाः पुंसः
कृष्णस्तु भगवान् स्वयं |
इन्द्रारि व्याकुलं लोकं
मृडयन्ति युगे युगे ||
ete ca aṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam |
indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ
mṛḍayanti yuge yuge ||
Srimad Bhagavatam (1.3.28)
Anvaya
Gaudiya Bhasya's(by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada) anvayaha:
ete(1,3) ca(avyayya)
puṁsaḥ(6,1) aṁśa-kalāḥ(1,3) indrāri-vyākulaṁ(2,1)
lokaṁ(2,1) mṛḍayanti(1,3)
kṛṣṇas(1,1) tu(avyayya)
bhagavān(1,1) svayam(avyaya)
ete(1,3) : Previously mentioned (plenary portions/avataras)
ca(avyayya) : Including those not mentioned earlier (Left out in Gaudiya Bhasya)
puṁsaḥ(6,1) : of the Supreme Lord
aṁśa-kalāḥ(1,3) : Some being amshas and some being kalas
indrāri-vyākulaṁ(2,1) lokaṁ(2,1) : World being toremented Enemy of the devatas, the daityas
mṛḍayanti(1,3): makes them happy
kṛṣṇah(1,1) bhagavān(1,1) svayam(avyaya) : (not that KrSNa is also an amsha avatara of Bhagavan, He displays His full potencies).
Translation
The Previously mentioned and unmentioned avataras (who incarnate to bring happiness to the worlds being tormented by the Daityas or enemies of Indra ) are Amshas or Kalas of the Supreme Person, but Krsna is the Supreme Lord Himself.
Gaudiya Siddhanta
Context
Let us first get the context in which the the verse 1.3.28 was stated,by going through some of the previous verses.
Amshas and Amshi do not have different identities
Srila Rupa Goswami in Laghu Bhagavatamrita:
śakter vyaktis
tathāvyaktis tāratamyasya kāraṇam ||1.5.90||
The manifestation and un-manifestation of the Lord’s
potencies is the reason for the gradation of the different forms of the Lord.
In Bhakti rasamrita sindhu 1.2.59
siddhāntatas tv abhede’pi śrīśa-kṛṣṇa-svarūpayoḥ |
rasenotkṛṣyate kṛṣṇa-rūpam eṣā rasa-sthitiḥ ||
The siddhanta is that there is no difference in svarupa or identity between SriSha or Narayana, the husband of Sri and Krsna. Yet the super-excellence of Sri Krsna lies in His being the Supreme object of the highest Prema Rasa.
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana in
Vedanta Sutra 2.3.45
ayaṁ bhāvaḥ—ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ
puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [bhā.pu. 1.3.28] ity ādau kṛṣṇākhyasya
vastunaḥ svayaṁ-rūpasya ye matsyādayo’ṁśāḥ smṛtāḥ, na te jīvavat tato bhidyante,
tasyaiva vaidūryādivat tat-tad-bhāvāviṣkārāt |
sarva-śakti-vyakty-avyakti-savyapekṣo hi tat-tad-vyapadeśaḥ | yaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ kṛtsna-ṣāḍguṇya-vyañjako’ṁśī,
sa evākṛtsna-tad-vyañjako dvy-eka-vyañjako vāṁśaḥ kalā cety ucyate | yathaikaḥ
kṛtsna-ṣaṭ-śāstra-pravaktā sarvavid ucyate, sa eva kvacid akṛtsna-tad-vaktā
dvy-eka-śāstra-vaktā ca sarvavit-kalpo’lpajñaś ceti | puruṣa-bodhiny-ādi-śrutā
rādhādyāḥ pūrṇāḥ śaktayo daśamādi-smṛtā guṇāś ca sarvātiśayi-prema-pūrṇa-parikaratva-druhiṇādi-vidvattama-vismāpaka-vaṁśa-mādhurya-sva-paryanta-sarva-vismāpaka-rūpa-mādhurya-niratiśaya-kāruṇyādayo
yaśodā-stanandhaye kṛṣṇa eva nityāvirbhūtāḥ santi, na tu matsyāditve satīti
tasyaiva tat-tad-bhāvāviṣkārān na matsyāder jīvavat tattvāntaratvaṁ, kintu
tad-ātmakatvam eveti ||45||
From SB 1.3.28, we can see that Krsna is said to
svayam Bhagavan and Matsya with other forms are understood as amsha, but they
are not like the Jivas who are different from Bhagavan. Krsna is like the
Vaidurya jewel (The Vaidūrya gem, which sometimes appears bluish, sometimes yellow and
sometimes red, is available in Vaikuṇṭhaloka. ), who brings forth Himself
according to the bhAva. Based on the manifestation or unmanifestion of all the
Lord’s potencies, the different amshas are provided different designations. Krsna
who is the amshi manifests all the six qualities completely, the amshas manifest
them incompletely and the kalas manifest only 2 or 1 qualities. It may be
understood like a principal who is master of all the 6 darshana shastras, but
he when atttends a particular class acting a professor, he expounds to the
students of the class only a particular subject or lesson (and he is designated
as such by the students, like the nyaya teacher or vedanta teacher etc) .
Thus to sum up what Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana have stated,
1. Amshi and amsha have the same identity
2. Each amsha is complete because the amshi is complete.
3. But amsha's manifest/display their potencies to a lesser or greater degree as a result are given different designations like Matsya, Varahaha etc.
With this understanding there brings no contradiction with what the verses from Shruti like
Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Puurnnam-Udacyate |
Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||
or where at places where it says only Narayana existed before anything. After all, one of the meanings of Krsna is "laye sarva jagatkarshakatvAt", i.e., the one who attracts/takes everything into Himself (at pralaya). Hence the meaning of Krsna includes Narayana also.
Krsna is the foundational form of Godhead
Srila Srīdhara Swami :
tatra viśeṣam āha—ete ceti | puṁsaḥ parameśvarasya kecid aṁśāḥ kecit kalā-vibhūtayaś ca | tatra matsyādīnām avatāratvena sarvajñatva-sarvaśaktimattve’pi yathopayogam eva jñāna-kriyā-śakty-āviṣkaraṇam | kumāra-nāradādiṣv ādhikārikeṣu yathopayogam aṁśa-kalāveśaḥ | tatra kumārādiṣu jñānāveśaḥ | pṛthvādiṣu śakty-āveśaḥ | kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān sākṣān nārāyaṇa eva | āviṣkṛta-sarva-śaktitvāt | sarveṣāṁ prayojanam āha | indrārayo daityās tair vyākulam upadrataṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti sukhinaṁ kurvanti ||28||
It is specially mentioned as "ete ca". Some are amshas and some are kalA vibhUtis of the Supreme Person or Supreme Lord. Matsya and other avataras are full of knowledge and potencies, but still only as and when necessary are the jnana-kriya-shakti are manifested. In Kumara-Narada and others, as and when necessary they are empowered. Kumara and others are invested with the jnana potency, Prthu is investe with the shakti potency. But Krsna is none other than Narayana, manifesting all the potencies. Happiness is brought to the worlds disturbed due to the daityas, the enemies of Indra
Srila Madhvacharya :
ete proktāḥ avatārāḥ
mūla-rūpī kṛṣṇaḥ svayam |jīvās tat pratibimbāṁśā
varāhādyāḥ svayaṁ hariḥ |ṛśyate bahudhā viṣṇur aiśvaryādika eva tu || iti brahma-vaivarte ||28||
The mentioned avataras are the mUla rUpa or the source/original form, Krsna Himself. The Jivas are His pratibimba-amsa or distinct amshas (not one with Him). Varaha and others are Hari Himself. The multifarious avataras seen/discussed are Vishnu only.
Srila Jiva Goswami (Krsna Sandarbha) : (Only parts of the commentary with English translation)
tad evaṁ paramātmānaṁ sāṅgam eva nirdhārya
proktānuvāda-pūrvakaṁ śrī-bhagavantam apy ākāreṇa nirdhārayati—eta iti | “ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ” ity eva pāṭhaḥ svāmi-sammataḥ | ūnanavatitame tathā ṭīkāyāṁ darśanāt |
Thus previously what was determined about Paramatma
(and his expansions). Bhagavan is now being determined with a form. The meaning of the verse is in concurrence with Srila
Sridhara Swami. As can be observed from commentary on the 89th (??).
tataś ca ete pūrvoktāḥ, ca-śabdād anuktāś ca |
ete – refers to the previously spoken (expansion)
and ca -refers to those not spoken or mentioned (as there are infinite
expansions of the Lord).
prathamam uddiṣṭasya
puṁsaḥ puruṣasyāṁśa-kalāḥ |
These forms first described are the amsha or kalas
of the Pumsha/Purusha, the Supreme Person.
kecit svayam evāṁśāḥ sākṣād-aṁśatvenāṁśāṁśatvena ca
dvividhāḥ |
Some are directly amshas or some are amshas of the
amshas, thus we have two types.
kecid aṁśāviṣṭatvād aṁśāḥ, kecit tu kalā-vibhūtayaḥ
|
In some the amshas enter (avesha avataras), some
are kalAs, i.e., vibhUtis.
iha yo viṁśatitamāvatāratvena
kathitaḥ sa kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān | eṣa hi puruṣasyāpy
avatārī bhagavān ity arthaḥ |
Aatra anuvādam anuktvaiva
na vidheyam udīrayet iti vacanāt kṛṣṇasyaiva bhagavattva-lakṣaṇo dharmaḥ
sādhyate, na tu bhagavataḥ kṛṣṇatvam ity āyātam |
Here by the rule, “anuvādam
anuktvaiva na vidheyam udīrayet” , In Krsna only, are the qualities
of Bhagavan, not that Bhagavan has the qualities of Krsna. (note as it is
Krsnas tu Bhagavan svayam and not Bhagavan tu Krsna svayam, hence as Krsna
comes first he is the subject and Bhagavatta is being assigned to him and not
the other way).
tataś cāsyāvatāreṣu gaṇanāt tu svayaṁ bhagavān apy
asau svarūpa-stha eva nija-parijana-vṛndānām ānanda-viśeṣa-camatkārāya kim api
mādhuryaṁ nija-janmādi-līlayā puṣṇan kadācit sakala-loka-dṛśyo bhavatīty apekṣayaivety
āyātam | yathoktaṁ brahma-saṁhitāyām—
rāmādi-mūrtiṣu
kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan
nānāvatāram
akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu |
kṛṣṇaḥ
svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ
tam ahaṁ bhajāmi || [bra.saṁ. 5.39]
avatārāś ca prākṛta-vaibhave’vataraṇam iti | śrī-kṛṣṇa-sāhacaryeṇa
śrī-rāmasyāpi puruṣāṁśatvātyayo jñeyaḥ | atra tu-śabdo’ṁśa-kalābhyaḥ puṁsaś ca
sakāśād bhagavato vailakṣaṇyaṁ bodhayati | yad vā, anena tu-śabdena sāvadhāraṇā
śrutir iyaṁ pratīyate | tataś ca « sāvadhāraṇā śrutir balavatī » iti nyāyena śrutyaiva śrutam apy anyeṣāṁ mahā-nārāyaṇādīnāṁ svayaṁ
bhagavattvaṁ guṇībhūtam āpadyate |
Even though he is counted among the avataras (listed
as the 20th avatara previously), it is because svayam-bhagavan or
the lord in his completeness, situated in his own svarUpa (as Himself) with His
own people, the peope of Vrindavana, for their special and astonishing bliss of
his people, further more the sweetness of his passtimes such as birth, growth,
sometimes is made visibile to all the worlds, as it is stated in Brahma Samhita
(5.39), “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself
personally as Kṛṣṇa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of
Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions”. Avatara means the
manifestation of the Lords’s opulence for the material world. As Sri Balarama aids
Sri Krsna’s passtimes, he as also considered as the Supreme Person. Here the ‘tu’ word is used to highlight the
difference between Bhagavan Himself and His amshas and kalas.Or the word ‘tu’
is used to isolate and make the case stronger as stated “sāvadhāraṇā śrutir
balavatī “ (the isolated words become stronger). Thus this has the effect of saying ‘eva’
or only, i.e., the phrase becomes “Krishna is only Bhagavan”.
Sri Krsna avatara
Another important verse to study in this context, is SB 10.2.9, which throws light on the nature of Sri Krsna's avatara or descent.
athāham aṁśa-bhāgena
devakyāḥ putratāṁ śubhe |
prāpsyāmi tvaṁ yaśodāyāṁ
nanda-patnyāṁ bhaviṣyasi ||
Below is the anvaya and anuvada by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada.
English Translation: He Bhadre , after that (after Sri Baladev has been transferred to Mother Rohini's womb), I will in my fullest form accept the son-hood of Mother Devaki, and you will appear in the womb of the queen of Nandaraja (Mother Yashoda).
Srila Srīdhara Swami
kim-artham eva
kāryaṁ ? ity āha—atheti | anantaram evety arthaḥ | aṁśa-bhāgena iti aṁśaiḥ śaktibhir
bhajate’dhitiṣṭhati sarvān brahmādī-stamba-paryantān ity aṁśa-bhāgaḥ, tena
paripūrṇena rūpeṇety arthaḥ | yad vā, aṁśair jñānaiśvarya-balādibhir bhājyati
yojayati svīyān iti yathā teneti | yad vā, aṁśena puruṣa-rūpeṇa māyāyā bhāgo
bhajanam īkṣaṇaṁ yasya tena | yad vā, aṁśena māyayā guṇāvatārādi-rūpā bhāgā
bhedā yasya tena | yad vā, aṁśā eva matsya-kūrmādi-rūpā bhajanīyāḥ, na tu
sākṣāt-svarūpaṁ yasya tena | yad vā, āṁśair jñāna-balādibhir bhajanam
anuvartanaṁ bhakteṣu yasya tena sarvathā paripūrṇena rūpeṇeti vivakṣitam | kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [bhā.pu. 1.3.28] ity uktatvād iti
| tāṁ protsāhayati—tvaṁ yaśodāyām iti try-akṣarona-sārdha-catuṣṭayena
||9||
aṁśa-bhāgena iti aṁśaiḥ śaktibhir bhajate’dhitiṣṭhati sarvān brahmādī-stamba-paryantān ity aṁśa-bhāgaḥ, tena paripūrṇena rūpeṇety arthaḥ
Here amsha bhAgena means, presiding over the entire universe, by all the amshas and the potencies, i.e, with the fullest form.
yad vā, aṁśair jñānaiśvarya-balādibhir bhājyati yojayati svīyān iti yathā teneti |
Or amsha bhAgena can also mean, by accepting and joining of all the jnana, aishwarya, bala shakti with Himself
yad vā, aṁśena puruṣa-rūpeṇa māyāyā bhāgo bhajanam īkṣaṇaṁ yasya tena |
Or amsha bhAgena can also mean, by whose amsha the Purusha rupa who accepts Maya (for activities of the material universe). And so on....
From this verse also, it becomes evident that the Krsna avatara or descent is with his full potencies.
Srila Jiva Goswami's critique of Tattvavada reading of the verse
Srila Jiva Goswami in Krsna Sandarbha points out that Tattvavadins read this verse SB 1.3.28 as
ete sva-aṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam |
indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ
mṛḍayanti yuge yuge ||
instead of
ete ca-aṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam |
indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ
mṛḍayanti yuge yuge ||
To this Srila Jiva Goswami provides reasons why this should not be the case. He writes as follows in Krishna Sandarbha Anu 28.
ity-ādau vāsudevasya saṅkarṣaṇād api paratvaṁ śrūyate
| yat tu teṣāṁ tathā vyākhyānam atra kṛṣṇas tv ity anarthakaṁ syāt | bhagavān
svayam ity anenaivābhipreta-siddheḥ | kiṁ ca, taiḥ svayam eva prakāśādivan naivaṁ paraḥ [ve.sū. 2.3.45] iti sūtre
sphuṭam aṁśāṁśi-bhedo darśitaḥ—aṁśatve’pi na matsyādi-rūpī para evaṁ-vidho
jīva-sadṛśaḥ | yathā tejo’ṁśasyaiva sūryasya khadyotasya ca naika-prakāratā ity
ādinā | tasmāt sthite bhede sādhv eva vyākhyātaṁ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam iti
| indrārīti padyārdhaṁ tatra nānveti | tu-śabdena
vākyasya bhedanāt | tac ca tāvataivākāṅkṣā-paripūrteḥ | eka-vākyatve tu
ca-śabda evākariṣyat | tataś cendrārīty atrārthāt ta eva pūrvoktā eva mṛḍayantīty
āyāti |
Stating it briefly, Srila Jiva Goswami points to SB 3.8.3-4 to show the superiority of Vasudeva over Sankarshana. (Lord Sankarshana is mediating on His Lord Vasudeva).
If it is read as sva-amsha instead of ca-amsha to establish absolute no difference between the amsha and amshis, then it would have been sufficient to state, as ete sva-aṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ bhagavān svayam , read this way there would be no necessity of the words "Krsnastu"
It should be noted that Srila Sridhara Swami who wrote the first complete commentary on Bhagavatam has read it as "ca-amsha" and not as "sva-amsha". Even Srila Madhvacharya makes no mention of it, he comments that Krishna is the moola rupa, indicating that he also has read it as "ca-amsha" and not as "sva-amsha". It is thus purely my personal opinion that this reading came into being only later among the Tatvavadi followers. No other commentator apart from the Tattvavadi line, considers it is "sva-amsha".
When you read the verse with "ca-amsha", and then if you conclude that this verse is saying that all the amshas and kalas of the Purusha are Svayam Bhagavan, then there are two problems with such an understanding.
1. That would mean that all the Kalas/Vibhutis who are mentioned in 1.3.27 would also be the same as svayam Bhagavan, which is not case. If you reason that by chatri-nyaya that the Kalas are excluded, then again it does not work because, if that was the intention then why include Kala at all in the verse, the verse could have just been ete ca-aṁśāḥ puṁsaḥ....
2. the phrase " kṛṣṇas tu" would now add no value to the verse.
Those who still think that there can not be any gradation in the forms of the Lord, would need to answer these questions.
1. If all the forms manifested by the Lord are absolutely identical, then why do we have different names/designation for different avataras ?
2. Does the Lord not have the independence to manifest/display his potencies to the degree He wants to ?
References
1. Gaudiya Bhashya by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada.
2. Srimad Bhagavatam English translation by Srila Bhakti Prajnana Yati Goswami Maharaj.
3. Srimad Bhagavatam English translation by Srila AC Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada.
4. Gaudiya Grantha Mandira for original Sanskrit verses
5. Sat-Sandarbha Hindi Translation by Srila Hari Das Shastri Maharaj.
6. Sat-Sandarbha English Translation by HH Bhanu Maharaj
Please note many of the amateur translations are by me, so read this with discretion :-)
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