Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c9.s3.14

c9.s3.14

Usually the Svāṃśa and Āveśa forms appear as Avatāras, the Svayam-rūpa appearing only once in the Dvāpara Age as Kṛṣṇa. These appear as if in a new form (*apūrva iva*), either by themselves (*svayam*, e.g. in its self-manifestation as Tadekatma-rūpa) or through some other means (*dvārāntareṇa*, e.g. through a Bhakta like Vasudeva). The commentary explains that the phrase 'as if in a new form' implies that the deity exists at the same time in his essential eternal form. The *raison d'être* of an Avatāra is *viśva-kārya* or work of the world. The Avatāra is thus a partial descent or appearance of the supreme deity in the world with the object of performing some action in the world, either through or without the medium of a phenomenal being. The term Viśva-kārya is not explained by Rūpa Gosvāmin, but Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains it as signifying cosmic action or action done in the world,¹ which consists of (*i*) disturbance of the equilibrium of Prakṛti, followed by the evolution of Mahat etc.² (*ii*) increasing the delight of the gods and other beings by suppressing the wicked³ and (*iii*) propagating the bliss of divine love among the expectant devotees and spreading pure Bhakti.⁴