kṣayo vṛddhiś ca pāpmanaḥ
kṣayo vṛddhiś ca pāpmanaḥ
tadā tu bhagavān īśa
ātmānaṁ sṛjate hariḥ
Whenever the principles of religion deteriorate and the principles of irreligion increase, the Supreme Lord, the controller, manifests his form.
This verse explains the general reason for the Lord’s appearance.
|| 9.24.57 ||
na hy asya janmano hetuḥ
karmaṇo vā mahīpate
ātma-māyāṁ vineśasya
parasya draṣṭur ātmanaḥ
O King! But for the mercy of the excellent Lord, who is the witness, there is no cause for the Lord’s appearance or activities.
“The cause of the jīva being born and performing actions is his previous karmas. This is caused by māyā. What is the cause of the Lord’s birth and actions?” Except for mercy (māyām) for the jīvas (ātma) of the Lord (ātmanaḥ), there is no reason. According to Viśva-prakāśa, māyā can mean mercy as well as deceit. The result of his mercy is his birth and activities. By showing his birth and activities, all the jīvas can be delivered. The Lord’s is capable of doing this because he is the most excellent (parasya). The cause of his mercy is that he is the witness (draṣṭuḥ) of the jīvas, seeing the jīvas who have fallen into the ocean of suffering through repeated birth.
|| 9.24.58 ||
yan māyā-ceṣṭitaṁ puṁsaḥ
sthity-utpatty-apyayāya hi
anugrahas tan-nivṛtter
ātma-lābhāya ceṣyate
Even the actions of the Lord in the form of the puruṣa in relation to māyā for creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe, are his mercy alone. That mercy acts to produce detachment from the world and attainment of the Lord in the spiritual world.
Mercy being the cause of his appearance is shown by kaimutya. The action in the form of glance of the Lord (puṁsaḥ) upon prakṛti (māyā-ceṣṭitam) for creation, maintenance and destruction of the jīvas’ bodies, is certainly (hi) because of his mercy. What then to speak of his activities such as lifting Govardhana, which are completely devoid of māyā? The Lord’s mercy consists of glancing over māyā, thinking, “Let the jīvas get their material enjoyment after attaining material intelligence and senses!” “But how can this be mercy? The jīvas, by enjoying material objects and undergoing creation maintenance and destruction of the universe, simply experience suffering.” He acts so that the jīvas become detached from the world and its enjoyments, by bhakti, jñāna and vairāgya, and so that the jīva can attain the Lord (ātmā-labhāya). Without intelligence and sense, the jīva cannot attain bhakti or jñāna. The cause of the creation of the world is mercy to the jīvas.
buddhīndriya-manaḥ-prāṇān janānām asṛjat prabhuḥ
mātrārthaṁ ca bhavārthaṁ ca ātmane 'kalpanāya ca
The Supreme Lord manifested the material intelligence, senses, mind and vital air of the living entities so that they could indulge their desires for sense gratification, take repeated births to engage in fruitive activities, become elevated in future lives and ultimately attain the Lord. SB 10.87.2
|| 9.24.59 ||
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