Text 3551
The lord instructs Sanātana Gosyāmī in the lord's presence.
२०११
TEXT 254
জবতাব নাতি কতে —‘ জামি জবতাব ’ ।।
अनि जन जानि  , केरल  लक्की-बिठार  ॥ ७८४ ॥ ॥
avatāra nāhi kahe — ‘āmi avatāra’ muņi saba iāņi’ kare laksaņa-vicāra
SYNONYMS
avatāra —the actual incarnation of Godhead;  nāhi —never;  kahe —says;  āmi avatāra —I am an incarnation;  muni —the great sage Mahāmuni Vyāsadeva;  saba jāni' —knowing all (past, present and future);  kare lakṣaṇa-vicāra —describes the symptoms of the  avatāras .
TRANSLATION
“An actual incarnation of God never says, ‘I am God,’ or ‘I am an incarnation of God.’ The great sage Vyāsadeva, knowing all, has already recorded the characteristics of the avatāras in the śāstras.
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  śāstra , one can understand who is an  avatāra  and who is not.
TEXT 355
যশ্ৰীবতাৰা জ্ঞায়স্তু শৰীৰিষ্মশৰীৰিণ:  ।।
তৈত স্তর ভুল বা তিশ টেরী ৈর্ধ্ব দেহিষ সঙ্গতৈত   :
yasyāvatārā jñāyante
śarīriṣv aśarīriṇaḥ
tais tair atulyātiśayair
vīryair dehiṣv asaṅgataiḥ
SYNONYMS
yasya —whose;  avatārāḥ —incarnations;  jñāyante —can be known;  śarīriṣu —among the living entities;  aśarīriṇaḥ —of the Lord, who has no material body;  taiḥ taiḥ —all those;  atulya —incomparable;  atiśayaiḥ —extraordinary;  vīryaiḥ —by prowess;  dehiṣu —among the living entities;  asaṅgataiḥ —impossible.