Text 13] Lord Vamanadeva, the Dwarf Incarnation 37

TRANSLATION

The Lord appeared in His original form, with ornaments and
weapons in His hands. Although this ever-existing form is not visi-
ble in the material world, He nonetheless appeared in this form.
Then, in the presence of His father and mother, He assumed the
form of Vamana, a brahmana-dwarf, a brahmacari, just like a
theatrical actor.

PURPORT

The word natch is significant. An actor changes dress to play different
parts, but is always the same man. Similarly, as described in the
Brahma-samhita (5.33, 39), the Lord assumes many thousands and
millions of forms (advaitam acyutam anddim ananta-ripam ddyarh
purdéna-purusam). He is always present with innumerable incarnations
(rémadi-miartisu kald-niyamena tisthan ndndvatéram akarod
bhuvanesu kintu). Nonetheless, although He appears in various incarna-
tions, they are not different from one another. He is the same person,
with the same potency, the same eternity and the same spiritual exis-
tence, but He can simultaneously assume various forms. When
Vamanadeva appeared from the womb of His mother, He appeared in the
form of Narayana, with four hands equipped with the necessary symbolic
weapons, and then immediately transformed Himself into a brahmacari
(vatu). This means that His body is not material. One who thinks that the
Supreme Lord assumes a material body is not intelligent. He has to learn
more about the Lord’s position. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (4.9),
janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah. One has to under-
stand the transcendental appearance of the Lord in His original transcen-
dental body (sac-cid-dnanda-vigraha).

TEXT 13
dag ama te Alzaral Aeda: |
BANU ATA: THA HATTA 112 311

tam vatum vamanam drstva
modamdn4é maharsayah
