SB 1.2.34

Synonyms

[Now, the answer to the sages’ third question regarding the purpose of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s appearance from Devakī (SB 1.1.12–13) is given by Sūta (idānīṁ sūta jānāsīti praśnasyottaram āha).¹⁵⁸]; anurataḥ — fondly assuming [anuraktaḥ]; līlā-avatāra — descents for the sake of divine play [indicating that His function of sustenance involves no effort at all on His part (ity anenaiva pālane tasyāyāso nāstīti sūcitam)¹⁵⁹]; deva-tiryak-nara-ādiṣu — among the gods, animals, human beings, and other forms [among the gods (deveṣu), He appears as Vāmana and others, among the animals (tiryakṣu), as Matsya and others, among human beings (nareṣu), as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, and among other mixed forms (miśreṣu), indicated by the word ādi, “and so on,” as the half-human, half-animal forms of Nṛsiṁha, Hayagrīva, and others¹⁶⁰]; eṣaḥ vai — He indeed [Bhagavān;¹⁶¹ Vāsudeva¹⁶²]; loka-bhāvanaḥ — the agent behind the world’s creation [loka-kartāḥ]; bhāvayati — sustains [(pālayati), this, however, is a function that is common to all the avatāras, whereas the special purpose of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s descent is disclosed in Kuntī’s prayers (etat tu sarvāvatāra-sādhāraṇa-prayojanaṁ viśeṣataḥ śrī kṛṣṇāvatārasya kuntī-stutau vakṣyate); and especially in the Tenth Canto (viśiṣya daśama-skandhādiṣu vakṣyate)¹⁶³]; lokān — all worlds along with their living entities [the unlimited universes inclusive of all jīvas (ananta-koṭi-brahmāṇḍātmakān sajīvān)¹⁶⁴]; sattvena — through the qualitative state of perpetual being.

Translation