complexion (brown); those of Dvapara-youga (the copper age) and Kali-youga, (the Iron Age) a dark complexion (blue-black) even if it happens exceptionally that the Avatar of Kali-youga takes a yellow complexion. As for the Shaktyavesha-Avatars, they include Kapila, Rishabha, Ananta, Brahma (sometimes the Lord himself becomes Brahma), Chatuhsana (incarnation of knowledge), Narada (incarnation of devotional service), King Prithou (incarnation of administrative power ) and Parashouram (incarnation that represses the principles of evil).
The emanations of Lord Krishna appearing within the material creation are called “Avatars”, or incarnations. The word “Avatar” means “descending from the higher, spiritual world”. It is populated by countless Vaikountha planets, from which the Lord's emanations descend into this universe. Hence it is called “Avatars”.
The first Avatar of the Supreme Person, God, to emanate from Shankarshane is the Purusha-Avatar (Plenary Emanation of Krishna, which governs the movements of the material universes, also called galaxies). When God descends into the form of the first Purusha-Avatar, He immediately manifests the sixteen elemental energies of Material Creation. Called Maha-Vishnu, He rests on the waters of the Causal Ocean and is the Original Avatar of the material universe, the Master of time, of nature, of causes and their effects, of the mind, of the ego of the five elements, of the three modes of influence of nature, the senses, and the universal form. Although He is the Lord of all things, mobile and immobile, He does not remain less independent.
Material nature can not exert its influence beyond the Causal Ocean. Neither the attributes of nature (Virtue, Passion and Ignorance) nor material time have the slightest influence on the Vaikountha planets, where the companions of Krishna, the liberated souls worshiped by celestial beings and anti-gods, live forever.
Material nature plays two roles, that of direct cause, or Maya, and that of global material energy in the unmanifested state, linked to the manifestation of temporal elements. When Maha-Vishnu, the first Purusha-Avatar, looks at material nature, it is set in motion, and it is then that He injects living beings (spiritual beings) into matter. This one glance suffices to create consciousness, which is called mahat-tattva and whose tutelary deity is Vasudov. Consciousness is then divided into three sectors of activity according to the three modes of influence of nature. Consciousness under the sign of virtue has for tutelary Divinity Aniruddha. The consciousness under the sign of the Passion engenders the intelligence, and its tutelary Divinity is Pradyoumna, the Master of the senses. Consciousness under the sign of Ignorance produces the ether, the space, and the sense of hearing. The cosmic manifestation belongs to all these elements, and innumerable universes (galaxies) are thus created.
These innumerable worlds (galaxies) emanate from the pores of Maha-Vishnu's body like so many particles of dust that would pass through the holes of a mosquito net. Countless universes (galaxies) are also created and annihilated by his breath. All the energies of Maha-Vishnu are spiritual: they have nothing in common with material