Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c9.s3.20

c9.s3.20

1. Puruṣa Avatāras. The first Avatāra is Puruṣa, who, though unconditioned, becomes the conditioned creator. This Puruṣa appears in threefold aspect: (i) as the creator of the Mahat (mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ), who is known as Saṃkarṣaṇa, the Kāraṇodaka-śāyin, (ii) as existing in the cosmic egg (aṇḍa-saṃsthita), who is named Pradyumna, the Guṇodaka-śāyin, and (iii) as existing in all beings (sarva-bhūta-sthita), who is called Aniruddha, the Kṣīrodaka-śāyin. This is really a modification of the older Vyūha-doctrine of the Nārāyaṇīya, which doctrine however is referred to independently later on (p. 205 f).