And each of these Manus has a different name. The first is Svayambhuva, Brahma's own son. The second, Svarochisha, is the son of the tutelary deity of fire. The third, named Uttama, is the son of King Priyavrata. The fourth, Tamasa, is Uttama's brother. The fifth Manu, Raivata, is Tamasa's brother, as is Chaksusa, Chaksu's son. The seventh is called Vaivasvata and is the son of the celestial being of the Sun. The eighth, Savarni, is another son of the celestial being of the Sun, albeit born to a different wife named Chaya. The ninth Manu, called Daksa-savarni, is the son of Varuna. The tenth, Brahma-savarni, is the son of Upashloka, and the other four Manu are Rudra-savarni, Dharma-savarni, Indra-savarni and Rauchya, all sons of Siva.
After concluding his description of the Manus, the fathers of mankind, the Lord portrays the Yuga-Avatars [The Divine manifestations appearing in each age or millennium (yuga) to teach therein the method of spiritual realization, which is peculiar to it] by informing Sanatane Gosvami that there are four millennia, named Satya, (the golden age) Treta, (the silver age) Dvapara (the copper age) and Kali (the iron age)). In each of these ages the Lord is incarnated in a different color. In the golden age, the main one, the Avatar takes on a white complexion; in the silver age, its form is red; in the Copper Age the main incarnation, Krishna, is black-blue, and in the Iron Age, the main Avatar takes on a yellow complexion.
The method of spiritual realization advocated in the Golden Age was meditation, and it was taught there by the White Avatar, who then granted sage Kardama the grace of having a divine incarnation as a son. In this age, all were meditating on Krishna and every living being was bathed in perfect knowledge. In our time, this practice is no longer recommended, although it remains, in various forms, the instrument of the search for individuals whose knowledge is incomplete. During the Silver Age, the recommended spiritual path was the accomplishment of sacrifices, according to the teaching of the Avatar with the red complexion. Then came the Copper Age, when all worshiped Krishna, then personally present, to achieve self-realization. Stormy color, Krishna incarnates in his own form and prompts people to worship him, as the Bhagavad-Gita reports. Srimad-Bhagavatam teaches us for its part that we worship Krishna through the following hymn: I offer my respectful homage to God, the Supreme Person, whom we call Vasudeva. So the worship of the Sovereign Krishna was practiced in the Copper Age.
How can we recognize an Avatar?
And the Lord answered: Just as we recognize the different Avatars in the light of the Vedic texts, (the Vedas, the original holy scriptures), we can know who is really the incarnation of God in this age of Kali.
Hence the importance of relying on the authoritative scriptures on the matter: it is not a question of seeing an Avatar in any person, according to his whims, but rather of understanding the characteristics of a person. true Avatar, defined and mentioned in sacred literature. A genuine Avatar never proclaims himself such, so his followers must distinguish him from impostors by referring to the proven holy scriptures. The true Avatar is mentioned in the original holy scriptures. It mentions the name of the city where He will appear, as well as the names of his father and mother.