CC Madhya 20.165 (1975)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 165
- sva yaṁ-rūpa, tad-ekātma-rūpa, āveśa--nāma
- prathamei tina-rūpe rahena bhagavān
SYNONYMS
sva yam-rūpa—the personal form; tat-ekātma-rūpa—the same form, nondifferent from svayaṁ-rūpa; āveśa—especially empowered; nāma—named; prathamei—in the beginning; tina-rūpe—in three forms; rahena—remains; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead exists in three principal forms-svayaṁ-rūpa, tad-ekātma-rūpa, and āveśa-rūpa.
PURPORT
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described svayaṁ-rūpa in his Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta, pūrva-khaṇḍa, verse 12, ananyāpekṣi yad rūpaṁ svayaṁ-rūpaḥ sa ucyate: the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not depend on other forms. The original form is called svayaṁ-rūpa, and it is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (1.3.28). Kṛṣṇa's original form as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana is called svayaṁ-rūpa. It is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.1):
- īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
- anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
There is nothing superior to Govinda. He is the ultimate source and the cause of all causes. In Bhagavad-gītā (7.7) the Lord says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: "There is no truth superior to Me.
The tad-ekātma-rūpa is also described in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta, Pūrva-khaṇḍa, verse 14:
- yad rūpaṁ tad-abhedena
- svarūpeṇa virājate
- ākṛtyādibhir anyādṛk
- sa tad-ekātma-rūpakaḥ
The tad-ekātma-rūpa forms exist simultaneously with the svayaṁ-rūpa form and are nondifferent. At the same time, the bodily features and specific activities appear to be different. This tad-ekātma-rūpa is also divided into two categories-svāṁśa and vilāsa.
His āveśa form is also explained in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta, verse 18:
jñāna-śaktyādi-kalayā
- yatrāviṣṭo janārdanaḥ
- ta āveśā nigadyante
- jīvā eva mahattamāḥ
A living entity who is specifically empowered by the Lord with knowledge or strength is technically called āveśa-rūpa. As stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 7.11), kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana: unless a devotee is specifically empowered by the Lord, he cannot preach the holy name of the Lord all over the world. This is an explanation of the word āveśa-rūpa.