Shaktyavesha Avatar
Shaktyavesh Avatar (Devanagari: शक्त्यवेश अवतार, IAST: śaktyaveśa avatāra) is a type of incarnation, avatar, of Lord Krishna. "Whenever the Lord is present in someone by portions of His various potencies, the living entity representing the Lord is called a śaktyāveśa-avatāra — that is, an incarnation invested with special power." Unlike other avatars which are amsas, expansions, or amsaamsa, expansions of expansions of the Lord Himself, a shaktyavesh avatar is when the Lord empowers a living entity, jiva, with the potency of God Himself.
Shakti means Power; Avesha means endowed; Avatar means one who descends from the spiritual realm, incarnation.
The following description of the various types of avatars is given in the ancient Garga Samhita.
Text 16 Sri Närada said: In the Smrti-çästra the great sages who have Vyäsa as their leader explain that the Lord descends in six kinds of forms: 1. amsamsa (a part of a part), 2. amsa (a part), 3. ävesha (entrance into a jiva), 4. kalä (a full part), 5. pürna (full), and 6. paripürnatama (most full). |
It is stated in the Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 20.246
guṇāvatāra, āra manvantarāvatāra
yugāvatāra, āra śaktyāveśāvatāra "There are incarnations that control the material qualities, incarnations who appear during the reign of each Manu, incarnations in different millenniums and incarnations of empowered living entities ." |
and also in that same chapter it is stated:
CC Madhya 20.367: "There are unlimited śaktyāveśa-avatāras of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Let Me describe the chief among them.
CC Madhya 20.368: "Empowered incarnations are of two types — primary and secondary. The primary ones are directly empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are called incarnations. The secondary ones are indirectly empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are called vibhūti. CC Madhya 20.369: "Some śaktyāveśa-avatāras are the four Kumāras, Nārada, Mahārāja Pṛthu and Paraśurāma. When a living being is empowered to act as Lord Brahmā, he is also considered a śaktyāveśa-avatāra. CC Madhya 20.370: "Lord Śeṣa in the spiritual world of Vaikuṇṭha and, in the material world, Lord Ananta, who carries innumerable planets on His hoods, are two primary empowered incarnations. There is no need to count the others, for they are unlimited. CC Madhya 20.371: "The power of knowledge was invested in the four Kumāras, and the power of devotional service was invested in Nārada. The power of creation was invested in Lord Brahmā, and the power to carry innumerable planets was invested in Lord Ananta. CC Madhya 20.372: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead invested the power of personal service in Lord Śeṣa, and He invested the power to rule the earth in King Pṛthu. Lord Paraśurāma received the power to kill rogues and miscreants. CC Madhya 20.373: "'Whenever the Lord is present in someone by portions of His various potencies, the living entity representing the Lord is called a śaktyāveśa-avatāra — that is, an incarnation invested with special power.' |
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