Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.3.5
Āśraya· The supreme shelterUnderstand Incarnations Through Revealed Scripture
“This form [the second manifestation of the puruṣa] is the source and indestructible seed of multifarious incarnations within the universe. From the particles and portions of this form, different living entities, like demigods, men and others, are created.”
What the purport teaches
- Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the Lord of the universe and remains transcendental even while lying within it. His plenary expansion, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is the source of all incarnations within the universe.
- Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva take charge of creation, maintenance and destruction. Viṣṇu is nondifferent from the Personality of Godhead; Brahmā is an empowered living being, while Śiva is not an ordinary living being.
- The Lord’s incarnations are innumerable, and their features and missions are described in revealed scriptures. Great sages recognize an incarnation by these descriptions, not merely by someone’s claim.
Try this today
Write down the two things to check in revealed scripture when considering an incarnation: His features and His mission.
Ask yourself
Why is scriptural evidence more reliable than someone’s claim to be an incarnation?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.