FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.1.2

मन्वन्तरे हरेर्जन्म कर्माणि च महीयस: । गृणन्ति कवयो ब्रह्मंस्तानि नो वद श‍ृण्वताम् ॥ २ ॥
manvantare harer janma
[manvantare harer janma]
karmāṇi ca mahīyasaḥ
[karmaani cha maheeyasah]
gṛṇanti kavayo brahmaṁs
[grinanti kavayo brahmams]
tāni no vada śṛṇvatām
[taani no vada shrinvataam]
manvantare — during the change of manvantaras (one Manu following another) hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead janma — appearance karmāṇi — and activities ca — also mahīyasaḥ — of the supremely glorified gṛṇanti — describe kavayaḥ — the great learned persons who have perfect intelligence brahman — O learned brāhmaṇa (Śukadeva Gosvāmī) tāni — all of them naḥ — to us vada — please describe śṛṇvatām — who are very eager to hear.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
manvantare harer janma
manvantare
during the change of manvantaras (one Manu following another)
hareḥ
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
janma
appearance
karmāṇi ca mahīyasaḥ
karmāṇi
and activities
ca
also
mahīyasaḥ
of the supremely glorified
gṛṇanti kavayo brahmaṁs
gṛṇanti
describe
kavayaḥ
the great learned persons who have perfect intelligence
brahman
O learned brāhmaṇa (Śukadeva Gosvāmī)
tāni no vada śṛṇvatām
tāni
all of them
naḥ
to us
vada
please describe
śṛṇvatām
who are very eager to hear.
O learned brāhmaṇa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the great learned persons who are completely intelligent describe the activities and appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead during the various manvantaras. We are very eager to hear about these narrations. Kindly describe them.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has different varieties of incarnations, including the guṇa-avatāras, manvantara-avatāras, līlā-avatāras and yuga-avatāras, all of which are described in the śāstras. Without reference to the śāstras there can be no question of accepting anyone as an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, as especially mentioned here, gṛṇanti kavayaḥ: the descriptions of various incarnations are accepted by great learned scholars with perfect intelligence. At the present time, especially in India, so many rascals are claiming to be incarnations, and people are being misled. Therefore, the identity of an incarnation should be confirmed by the descriptions of the śāstras and by wonderful activities. As described in this verse by the word mahīyasaḥ, the activities of an incarnation are not ordinary magic or jugglery, but are wonderful activities. Thus any incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be supported by the statements of the śāstra and must actually perform wonderful activities. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was eager to hear about the Manus of different ages. There are fourteen Manus during a day of Brahmā, and the age of each Manu lasts for seventy-one yugas. Thus there are thousands of Manus during the life of Brahmā.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O brāhmaṇa! The wise describe the activities and appearance of the great Lord during the various Manvantaras. Kindly describe them. Mahīyasaḥ (great) refers to the Lord.
Avatāras are not self-declared; they are recognized through śāstra. A sober devotee learns to test claims of divinity against scripture rather than emotion, and at the same time keeps a hungry ear for the Lord's activities across the ages.
Reflection Questions
  • How do I evaluate spiritual claims I encounter — by feeling, popularity, or scriptural reference?
  • Am I as eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa's līlās as I am to hear daily news?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 1