Page 45 - History of Tirupathi Balaji and comparison of Sri Vaishnava

Ksirodakasayi Vishnu appears as different incarnations to establish the
principles of real religion and vanquish the principles of irreligion. Whenever
there is trouble in the universe the demigods come to the beach of the ocean
of milk and communicate with Ksirodakasayi Vishnu. They cannot see Him
on the island of Svetadvipa. But they offer transcendental prayers to the Lord
and beseech His help by appearing as an incarnation. He descends to maintain
the material world. His unlimited opulences cannot be counted. Ksirodayasayi
Vishnu is a part of the part of a plenary expansion of Lord Balarama, the
fi rst expansion of Lord Krishna, who is the source of all incarnations. This
Ksirodakasayi Vishnu comes on earth as Sri Balaji.
Ksirodakasayi Vishnu also expands as Ananta Sesa who sustains all the
planets in the universe on His hoods. He holds the huge planetary globes which
are compared to mustard grains resting on His spiritual hoods. Ananta Sesa also
has thousands of mouths with which He sings the glories of Lord Krishna, but He
is never able to fi nd an end to the qualities of the Lord. The four Kumaras heard
the Srimad Bhagavatam from His lips. They in turn repeat it in transcendental
bliss of love of Godhead. He serves the Lord assuming all the following forms:
umbrella, slippers, bedding, pillow, garments, resting chair, residence, sacred
thread and throne. He takes many forms for the service of Krishna.
Krishna is the source of all incarnations
Since Krishna is the source of all incarnations, everything is possible in Him.
There is no difference between the incarnation and the source of all incarnations.
Some authorities say that Krishna is Vamana deva, the dwarf incarnation.
Others say Krishna is an incarnation of Ksirodakasayi Vishnu. Because Krishna
is the source of all incarnations, He is considered as non-different than His
incarnations.
The fi fteenth century saint Srila Rupa Goswami has explained that Lord
Krishna is both Ksirodakasayi Vishnu and Narayana in the spiritual sky and
expanded in the quadruple forms known as Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna
and Aniruddha. He has refuted the idea that Krishna is an incarnation of
Narayana.
However, some devotees think that Narayana is the original Personality
of Godhead and that Krishna is an incarnation. Even Sankaracharya in his
commentary on the Bhagavad-gita has accepted Narayana as the transcendental
Personality of Godhead who appeared as Krishna, the son of Devaki and
Vasudeva. This subject may be diffi cult to understand. Vaisnavas rely on the
authoritative statements of the Vedic scriptures and the affi rmation of the same
by previous saints. Srila Rupa Goswami has quoted the Bhagavad-gita to shed
light on the proper understanding. Krishna tells Arjuna, “I am the original
source of everything.” (Bg 10.8) Thus Lord Krishna is the source of everything
including Lord Narayana. There is another verse in the Srimad Bhagavatam
(3.2.15) that sheds more light on this subject, When pure devotees of the Lord like
Vasudeva (Krishna’s father) are disturbed by dangerous demons like Kamsa, Lord Krishna
joins with all His expansions, such as the Lord of Vaikuntha (Narayana), and, although
45