Madhya 20.354

TEXT 354

TEXT

অবতার নাহি কহে - 'আমি অবতার' ।
মুনি সব জানি' করে লক্ষণ-বিচার ॥ ৩৫৪ ॥

avatara nahi kahe-'ami avatara'

muni saba jani' kare laksana-vicara

SYNONYMS

avatara-the actual incarnation of Godhead; nahi-never; kahe-says; ami avatara-I am an incarnation; muni-the great sage Mahamuni Vyasadeva; saba jani'-knowing all (past, present and future); kare laksana-vicara-describes the symptoms of the avataras.

TRANSLATION

"An actual incarnation of God never says, 'I am God,' or 'I am an incarnation of God.' The great sage Vyasadeva, knowing all, has already recorded the characteristics of the avataras in the sastras.

PURPORT

In this verse it is clearly stated that a real incarnation of God never claims to be a real incarnation. According to the symptoms described in the sastra, one can understand who is an avatara and who is not.

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