Garg Samhita is a scripture written by Garg Muni, to describe Lord Krishna’s Leela. Garg Muni was Guru or Acharya od Yadu clan. Garg Muni, describes Six kinds of Avatar in Golok Khand of Garg Samhita. It will be interesting to know how these avatars are described in Garg Samhita. According to Garg Samhita, Narada is explaining the King Janaka six kinds of Avatars as explained by great sages in the past.
| श्रीनारद उवाच |
अंशांशोंशस्तथावेशः कला पूर्ण: प्रकथ्यते ।
व्यासाद्यैश्च स्मृतः षष्ठः परिपूर्णतमः स्वयम् ||
Sages like Ved Vyasa and others have recognized six kinds of Avatars as, Amshaamsha, Amsha, Avesha, Kala, Purna and Paripurna. Paripurna is the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna Himself
अंशांशस्तू मरीच्यादिरंशा ब्रम्हादयस्तथा |
कलाः कपिलकूर्माद्या आवेशा भार्गवादयः ||
Marichi (Sage Marichi, son of Lord Brahma) etc. are Amshamsha-Avatar. Brahma etc. are Amsha-Avatar. Kapila (Kamdhenu) and Kurma etc. are Kala-Avatar. Lord Parashurama etc are Avesha-Avatar.
पूर्णो नृसिंहो रामश्च श्वेतद्विपाधिपो हरिः |
वैकुण्ठोपि तथा यद्न्यो नरनारायणः स्मृतः ||
Nrusimha (Narasimha), Lord Rama, Lord of White Island Hari, Vaikuntha, Yajna (Yadnya) and Nar-Narayana are Purna-Avatar.
परिपूर्णतमः साक्षाच्छ्रीकृष्णो भगवान् स्वयम् |
असंख्यब्रम्हाण्डपतिर्गोलोके धाम्नि राजते ||
The Supreme Lord Shri Krishna is Paripurna-Avatar, who is supreme lord of infinite galaxies and who lives in Goloka-Dham (Gokula)
कार्याधिकारं कुर्वन्तः सदंशास्ते प्रकीर्तिताः |
तत्कार्यभारं कुर्वन्तस्तेंशांशा विदिताः प्रभोः ||
Those who help Lord in conducting his duties in the world, are the Amsha-Avatar (Small portion) of the Sat (The Truth) the Brahman etc. And those who help Amsha’s in conducting their duties are Amshamsha-Avatar (Small portion of Amsha).
येषामन्तर्गतो विष्णुः कार्यं कृत्वा विनिर्गतः |
नानवेशावतारांश्च विद्धि राजन् महामते ||
O’ King, those Avatars inside whom the Supreme Lord himself exists and performs his duties and then separates from them, are known as Avesha-Avatar.
धर्मं विद्न्याय कृत्वा यः पुनरन्तरधीयत |
युगे युगे वर्तमानः सोवतारः कला हरे ||
The Avatars which take birth in every Yuga (Era) to learn, propagate and resurrect the Dharma of that current Yuga and finally return back after accomplishing the duties are known as Kala-Avatar.
चतूर्व्यूहो भवेद्यत्र दृश्यन्ते च रसा नव |
अतः परं च वीर्याणि स तु पूर्णः प्रकथ्यते ||
Whenever four Vyuha’s (formations) exist (for example Shri Rama, Lakshana, Bharata and Shatrughna or Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Aniruddha and Pradyumna) or Nine Rasa’s (Moods/Emotions) and also epitome of prowess and courage is seen, that Avtar of Lord is known as Purna-Avatar
यस्मिन् सर्वाणि तेजांसि विलीयन्ते स्वतेजसि।
तं वेदान्त परे साक्षात् परिपूर्णतम् स्वयम्।।
And, when his glory (light) merges inside or hide all the glories (lights) of the whole world, that Avatar of Lord is known as Paripurna-Avatar by the learned people.
पूर्णस्य लक्षणे यत्र यं पश्यन्ति पृथक् पृथक् |
भावेनापि जनाः सोयं परिपूर्णतमः स्वयम् ||
The Avatar which demonstrates completeness of complete and humans experience the beauty of it piece by piece according to his/her own emotional understanding, this Avatar is Paripurna-Avatar
परिपूर्णतमः साक्षाच्छ्रीकृष्णो नान्य एव हि |
एक कार्यार्थमागत्य कोटिकार्यं चकार ह ||
None other than, The Supreme Lord Krishna himself is the Paripurna-Avatar, because he has taken birth to accomplish one duty and has accomplished infinitely many other duties in this Avatar.
पूर्ण पुराणः पुरुषोत्तमोत्तमः परात्परो यः पुरुषः परेश्वरः |
स्वयं सदानंन्दमयं कृपाकरं गुणाकरं तं शरणं व्रजाम्यहम् ||
I surrender to him, who is Puarana (older than time itself), complete and uttama (best) among men, who spends life for others and is lord of everything else, who is the eternal satisfaction (Ananda) himself, possessor of mercy and all good qualities.
Amshamsha -Avatar (अंशांशावतार)
Amsha-Avatar (अंशांवतार)
Kala-Avatar (कलावतार)