Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c9.s5.54

c9.s5.54

But other theological difficulties were also perceived and had to be reconciled. In the orthodox Purāṇa lists of Avatāras and direct advents of the deity, Caitanya is not expressly mentioned, but his descent has to be presented as a case of fulfilled prophecy in order to bring conviction to the mind of the unfaithful. Then again, there is a *Śrīmad-bhāgavata* text (xi. 8. 13)¹ which apparently informs us that Kṛṣṇa appeared in the three earlier ages in three different complexions respectively, namely, White (Śukla) in the Satya, Red (Rakta) in the Tretā and Golden-yellow (Pīta) in the Dvāpara Age, but it further adds that now, *i.e.*, apparently in the Kali Age, he appears as dark-blue Kṛṣṇa. But the same *Śrīmad-bhāgavata* tells us elsewhere that the god is dark-blue in the Dvāpara (*dvāpare bhagavān śyāmaḥ*, xi. 5. 25), so that the two statements appear to contradict each other. To reconcile this conflict it is maintained by an ingenious interpretation of the texts that the intention really is to indicate that the deity appeared as dark-blue in Dvāpara and not as golden-yellow, which must be the colour, as evident from Caitanya's complexion, suitable to the Kali Age. In this connexion both Rūpa and Jīva employ (without indicating that it is a quotation), as a part of their respective Namaskriyās to their *Saṃkṣepa-bhāgavatāmṛta* and *Tattva-sandarbha*, the following verse, which occurs also in the *Śrīmad-bhāgavata* (xi. 5. 29):