Incarnations of the Supreme Person

A concise summary of Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 3

The Supreme Person (Bhagavan) accepted the form of a Cosmic Being (Vishnu) to create the matter and universe. Lord Vishnu lays down in the water from whom the first living entity Lord Brahma is born. Although Lord Vishnu creates the matter, his body is spiritual. The body of Lord Vishnu pervades the entire breadth of the Universe. Lord Vishnu is the basis of all incarnations, source of God’s (devatas) and other living beings

List of incarnations:

1. Four Kumaras (sons of Lord Brahma)

2. Varaha (Boar)

3. Sage Narada to preach devotional aspects of the Vedas

4. Nara and Narayana incarnation as twin brothers at Badrinath to establish righteousness

5. Sage Kapila to preach Samkhya philosophy. This philosophy is the basis of Dualistic (Dvaita) and Yoga schools of thought

6. Son of Sage Atri (one among the seven great sages)

7. Yajna, the son of Prajapati Ruci and Akuti

8. Lord Rishabhadev

9. King Prithu

10. Matsya (Fish)

11. Kurma (Tortoise)

12. Dhanvantari, God of Ayurveda

13. Mohini incarnation

14. Lord Narasimha

15. Vamana

16. Parashuram

17. Sri Vysadeva, the compiler of the Vedas

18. Lord Rama

19. Lord Balaram

20. Lord Krishna

21. Lord Buddha

22. Kalki (Lord descends at the end of Kali Yuga)

Lord’s incarnations are innumerable just like the rivulets from the river. The incarnations represent either complete or partial aspects of the Supreme Person. Lord Krishna is the Supreme Person (Bhagavan) himself, possesses an all spiritual form and complete with all the aspects of the Supreme Person.

Whoever recites the list of incarnations twice a day will become free from all the miseries of life.

God’s incarnations appear like the material forms of human beings but those forms are fully spiritual. The material forms of human beings are inhabited by spiritual beings (soul).

A foolish person can’t understand the spiritual nature of God’s forms, activities, and adventures who is just acting like an actor in a play.

Srimad Bhagavata Purana is compiled by Sri Vysadeva which is equal in status to Vedas. This epic comprehensively describes the Supreme Person’s spiritual nature of his incarnations, activities, and adventures. This epic is the cream of the Vedas and is given by Sri Vysadeva to a self-realized Sage Sukadev. This epic is the shining light in the age of darkness (Kali Yuga) for those people who have lost their spiritual direction.