The all-powerful Supreme Lord possesses infinite opulences. There may be many small gods dependent upon the Supreme Lord, but the Supreme Lord Himself is never many-He is one. The wise should very carefully consider whether or not persons who have the capacity to observe the manifestations of the various opulences of the Supreme Lord (the spiritual energy, marginal energy, material energy and other energies), should be considered to be more advanced and competent than those who cannot. In a rudimentary sense, the whole earth constitutes knowledge of some kind. However, those who are able to analyse and acutely observe this ‘dirt’ perceive definable characteristics and qualities and are therefore thought of as ‘scientists’.
 
Similarly, ‘spiritual scientists’ can perceive the infinite opulences of the Supreme Lord. This type of perception is the king of knowledge. It should not be misconstrued that such persons are polytheists or that they promote the concept of many simultaneous supreme beings. The Supreme Lord, although being one, can perform pastimes or spiritual activities in an infinite variety of forms. If someone should say that He cannot do so, then it will be meaningless to call Him the ‘Supreme Lord’ or the ‘All-Powerful One’. The Supreme Lord, although being one, exhibits differences according to His pastimes. He is known as Vishnu, ‘ya idam visvam vyapnoti iti visnu‘. Vishnu is the complete substance. Demigods and demigoddesses, being expansions of His energies, are His subordinates and are not Vishnu. There is no duality in Visnu-tattva. However, there are differences in pastimes. The king in the court and the king in the harem are not two different kings. He can be seen at two places in two different manifestations. In his court he displays his majestic nature and in his chambers he displays his intimate nature. Similarly, the Supreme Lord performs infinite pastimes in infinite forms. He is Sri Narayana in His majestic aspect, Sri Ramacandra in His ethical aspect, Sri Krishna in His sweet amorous aspect, and Gaurasundara Sri Hari in His most munificent aspect. The mood of repulsiveness (bibhatsa-rasa) has been manifested in Lord Matsya. Fearsomeness (bhayanaka-rasa) and parental affection (vatsalya-rasa) have been manifested in Lord Nrsimha. Therefore, Matsya and other avataras display differences in pastimes. All twelve rasas (five main and seven secondary mellows or moods) are manifested in their complete form only in Sri Nandanandana Krishna. So, even though all the manifestations of the Supreme Being are one, the excellence of rasa is only fully realized in the original form of Nandanandana Sri Krishna.
 
siddhanta tastvabhede ‘ pi
srsa krsna svarupayoh
rasenotkrsyate krsna
rupamesa rasasthitih

(Bhaktirasamrta-sindhu 2.32)
 
‘In principle, there is no difference between the forms of Krishna and Narayana. Still, owing to the superior nature of sringara or madhurya rasa (conjugal mellows), Sri Krishna’s form exhibits excellence. Such is the orderly foundation of rasa.