Essay name: Vaishnava Myths in the Puranas
Author:
Kum. Geeta P. Kurandwad
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
The essay studies the Vaishnava Myths in the Puranas by exploring the significance of the ten principal incarnations of Lord Vishnu as depicted in various ancient Indian texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas. The research also investigates the social, political, philosophical, and religious impact.
Chapter 4 - Significance of Vaishnava Myths
7 (of 234)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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discloses therein only a fraction of his glory to meet the requirement
under a particular circumstance.
20 The partial manifestations are divided into aṃśa and kāla, and
according to the same tantra, an aṃśa is one-fourth of the whole and
a kāla is the sixteenth part thereof. 21
Amsa:
The first instance of an Aṃśāvatāra is Vairāja-Puruṣa Himself,
for, according to the Bhāgavata, Nārāyaṇa, the Prime Deity having
previously made Virāt, entered it with an aṃsa. The Virāt served as
a Deity (par) for Him, and He, on account of reposing there, received
the epithet of Puruṣa. 22 The statement of the Bhāgavata that
Vairāja-Puruṣa is an aṃśa, i.e., one fourth of the Supreme, is the
wake of the vedic expression that only one foot (out of the four feet)
of the Lord is here. Now, this Virāj-Puruṣa, who is an aṃśa of the
Supreme, is in his own form, the source of other aṃśāvatāras and
the Kālāvatāras. 23
20. ऐश्वर्यज्ञानधर्माश्च वैराग्यं श्रीर्यशस्तथ�
एषां संदर्शनात् साक्षात् पूर्णो विद्धद� भरुच्यते �
तेषामप� भागानामल्पाल्पदर्शनादस�
विभात्यंशकलाभेदो भगवा� भग-भे� - धृक् �
[aiśvaryajñānadharmāśca vairāgya� śrīryaśastathā
eṣāṃ saṃdarśanāt sākṣāt pūrṇo viddhadi bharucyate |
teṣāmapi bhāgānāmalpālpadarśanādasau
vibhātyaṃśakalābhedo bhagavāna bhaga-bheda - dhṛk ||
] Sattvata tantram, III.7.8
21. अंशस्तुरीयो भागः स्यात्कल� तु षोडशी मत� � [aṃśasturīyo bhāga� syātkalā tu ṣoḍaśī matā || ] Ibid., 3.9
22. भूतैर्यद� पंचभिरात्मसृष्टै� पुरं विराजं विरचय्� तस्मिन� स्वांशेन विष्टः पुरुषाभिधानमवा� नारायण आदिदेव �
[bhūtairyadā paṃcabhirātmasṛṣṭai� pura� virāja� viracayya tasmin svāṃśena viṣṭa� puruṣābhidhānamavāpa nārāyaṇa ādideva ||
] Bhāgavata Purāṇa: 11.4.3
23. एतन्नानावताराणां निघा� बीजमव्ययम् � [etannānāvatārāṇāṃ nighāna bījamavyayam | ] Ibid., I.3.5
