20.165
sva yam-rupa, tad-ekatma-rupa, avesa--nama
prathamei tina-rupe rahena bhagavan
SYNONYMS
sva yam-rupa—the personal form; tat-ekatma-rupa—the same form, nondifferent from svayam-rupa; avesa—especially empowered; nama—named; prathamei—in the beginning; tina-rupe—in three forms; rahena—remains; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead "The Supreme Personality of Godhead exists in three principal forms-svayam-rupa, tad-ekatma-rupa, and avesa-rupa.
PURPORT
Srila Rupa Gosvami has described svayam-rupa in his Laghu-bhagavatamrta, purva-khanda, verse 12, ananyapeksi yad rupam svayam-rupah sa ucyate: the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not depend on other forms.
The original form is called svayam-rupa, and it is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam: krsnas tu bhagavan svayam (1.3.28).
Krsna’s original form as a cowherd boy in Vrndavana is called svayam-rupa.
It is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita (5.1):
isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam There is nothing superior to Govinda.
He is the ultimate source and the cause of all causes.
In Bhagavad-gita (7.7) the Lord says, mattah parataram nanyat: "There is no truth superior to Me.
The tad-ekatma-rupa is also described in the Laghu-bhagavatamrta, Purva-khanda, verse 14:
yad rupam tad-abhedena
svarupena virajate
akrtyadibhir anyadrk
sa tad-ekatma-rupakah The tad-ekatma-rupa forms exist simultaneously with the svayam-rupa form and are nondifferent.
At the same time, the bodily features and specific activities appear to be different.
This tad-ekatma-rupa is also divided into two categories-svamsa and vilasa.
His avesa form is also explained in the Laghu-bhagavatamrta, verse 18:
jnana-saktyadi-kalaya
yatravisto janardanah
ta avesa nigadyante
jiva eva mahattamah A living entity who is specifically empowered by the Lord with knowledge or strength is technically called avesa-rupa.
As stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 7.11), krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana: unless a devotee is specifically empowered by the Lord, he cannot preach the holy name of the Lord all over the world.
This is an explanation of the word avesa-rupa.