# Cc. Madhya 20.246 ## Text > guṇāvatāra, āra manvantarāvatāra > yugāvatāra, āra śaktyāveśāvatāra ## Synonyms *guṇa*-*avatāra*—the incarnations to control the material qualities; *āra*—also; *manu*-*antara*-*avatāra*—the incarnations of the Manus; *yuga*-*avatāra*—the incarnations according to different yugas; *āra*—and; *śakti*-*āveśa*-*avatāra*—empowered incarnations. ## Translation **"There are incarnations that control the material qualities [guṇa-avatāras], incarnations of the Manus [manvantara-avatāras], incarnations in different millenniums [yuga-avatāras] and incarnations of empowered living entities [śaktyāveśa-avatāras].** ## Purport The *guṇa-avatāras* are three-Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu (*Bhāg.* 10.88.3). The *avatāras* of Manu, or *manvantara-avatāras,* are listed as follows in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (8.1.5,13): (1) Yajña, (2) Vibhu, (3) Satyasena, (4) Hari, (5) Vaikuṇṭha, (6) Ajita, (7) Vāmana, (8) Sārvabhauma, (9) Ṛṣabha, (10) Viṣvaksena, (11) Dharmasetu, (12) Sudhāmā, (13) Yogeśvara and (14) Bṛhadbhānu. Altogether these are fourteen in number, and of these, both Yajña and Vāmana are also counted among the *līlā-avatāras.* All these Manu incarnations are sometimes called *vaibhava-avatāras.* The four *yuga-avatāras* are (1) *śukla* (white) in the Satya-yuga (*Bhāg.* 11.5.21), (2) *rakta* (red) in the Tretā-yuga (*Bhāg.* 11.5.24), (3) *śyāma* (dark blue) in the Dvāpara-yuga (*Bhāg.* 11.5.27), and (4) generally *kṛṣṇa* (black) but in special cases *pīta* (yellow) as Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the Kali-yuga, (*Bhāg.* 11.5.32 and 10.8.13). The *śaktyāveśa-avatāra* is categorized into (1) forms of divine absorption (*bhagavad-āveśa*) like Kapiladeva or Ṛṣabhadeva and (2) divinely empowered forms (*śaktyāveśa),* of whom there are seven: (1) Śeṣa Nāga in the Vaikuṇṭha world, empowered for the personal service of the Supreme Lord (*sva-sevana-śakti),* (2) Anantadeva, empowered to bear all the planets within the universe (*bhū-dhāraṇa-śakti),* (3) Lord Brahmā, empowered with the energy to create the cosmic manifestation (*sṛṣṭi-śakti),* (4) Catuḥsana, or the Kumāras, specifically empowered to distribute transcendental knowledge (*jñāna-śakti),* (5) Nārada Muni, empowered to distribute devotional service (*bhakti-śakti),* (6) Mahārāja Pṛthu, specifically empowered to rule and maintain the living entities (*pālana-śakti*) and (7) Paraśurāma, specifically empowered to cut down rogues and demons (*duṣṭa-damana-śakti).*