View source for Avataras descend of their own free will, and although they may act like ordinary human beings, they do not belong to this material world. Lord Krsna and His avataras can be understood only by the grace of the Lord

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{{terms|"Avatāras descend of their own free will, and although they may act like ordinary human beings, they do not belong to this material world. Lord Kṛṣṇa and His avatāras can be understood only by the grace of the Lord"}}
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{{compiler|Nabakumar}}
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{{first|2021-05-09T14:25:49Z}}
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[[Category:Avatara]]
[[Category:Krsna's Descending]]
[[Category:Their]]
[[Category:Krsna's Own]]
[[Category:Krsna's Will]]
[[Category:Although]]
[[Category:May (Might)]]
[[Category:Acting Like]]
[[Category:Likeness]]
[[Category:God Acting Like an Ordinary Human Being]]
[[Category:Krsna Acting Like an Ordinary Human Being]]
[[Category:Krsna Does Not]]
[[Category:Krsna Belongs To]]
[[Category:Material World (Prakrti)]]
[[Category:This World]]
[[Category:Can Be Understood]]
[[Category:Understanding Krsna]]
[[Category:Only By]]
[[Category:Krsna's Grace]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Chapter 20 Purports - Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Instructs Sanatana Gosvami in the Science of the Absolute Truth]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Purports]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 62 Chapters, All Purports]]
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<h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
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<h3>CC Madhya-lila</h3>
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Although the moon appears to be located in the branches of a tree, it is actually situated very far away. Similarly, none of the avatāras, or incarnations, of Lord Kṛṣṇa are within this material world, but they are visible by the causeless mercy of the Lord. We should not consider them to belong to this material world. As stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the (Bhagavad-gītā 9.11): “Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.” Avatāras descend of their own free will, and although they may act like ordinary human beings, they do not belong to this material world. Lord Kṛṣṇa and His avatāras can be understood only by the grace of the Lord.
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[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 20.248|CC Madhya 20.248, Translation and Purport]]
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“There are innumerable incarnations of Kṛṣṇa, and there is no possibility of counting them. We can simply indicate them by giving the example of the moon and the branches of a tree”.
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Although the moon appears to be located in the branches of a tree, it is actually situated very far away. Similarly, none of the avatāras, or incarnations, of Lord Kṛṣṇa are within this material world, but they are visible by the causeless mercy of the Lord. We should not consider them to belong to this material world. As stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the ([[Vanisource:BG 9.11 (1972)|Bhagavad-gītā 9.11]]):

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:avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam 
:paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhūta-maheśvaram
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“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.” Avatāras descend of their own free will, and although they may act like ordinary human beings, they do not belong to this material world. Lord Kṛṣṇa and His avatāras can be understood only by the grace of the Lord.

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:nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo
:na medhayā na bahunā śrutena
:yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas
:tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṁ svām 
:(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23)
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“The Supreme Lord is not obtained by means of expert explanations, vast intelligence or even much hearing. He is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person, He manifests His own form.”

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:athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
:prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
:jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
:na cānya eko ’pi ciraṁ vicinvan 
:([[Vanisource:SB 10.14.29|SB 10.14.29]])
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“My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue studying the Vedas for many years.”
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