Devanagari
तवावतारोऽयमधोक्षजेहभुवो भराणामुरुभारजन्मनाम्
चमूपतीनामभवाय देवभवाय युष्मच्चरणानुवर्तिनाम् ॥ ९ ॥
Verse text
tavāvatāro ’yam adhokṣajeha
bhuvo bharāṇām uru-bhāra-janmanām
camū-patīnām abhavāya deva
bhavāya yuṣmac-caraṇānuvartinām
Synonyms
tava
—
Your
;
avatāraḥ
—
descent
;
ayam
—
this
;
adhokṣaja
—
O transcendental Lord
;
iha
—
into this world
;
bhuvaḥ
—
of the earth
;
bharāṇām
—
who constitute a great burden
;
uru
—
bhāra — to many disturbances
;
janmanām
—
who have given rise
;
camū
—
patīnām — of military leaders
;
abhavāya
—
for the destruction
;
deva
—
O Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
bhavāya
—
for the auspicious benefit
;
yuṣmat
—
Your
;
caraṇa
—
lotus feet
;
anuvartinām
—
of those who serve .
Translation
You descend into this world, O transcendent Lord, to destroy the warlords who burden the earth and create many terrible disturbances. O Lord, you simultaneously act for the welfare of those who faithfully serve Your lotus feet.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
You descend into this world, O transcendent Lord, to destroy the warlords who burden the earth and create many terrible disturbances. O Lord, you simultaneously act for the welfare of those who faithfully serve Your lotus feet.
KB 10.27.9
“You appear in this world to give protection to Your eternal servants and to destroy the demons who maintain great military strength just to burden the very existence of the earth. As I am Your eternal servant, kindly excuse me.
Purport
This verse utilizes an attractive poetic device. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s descent into the world is said to be for the
abhava,
literally “nonexistence” or “destruction,” of the demoniac warlords, and simultaneously for the
bhava,
or “existence, prosperity,” of those who faithfully serve the Lord’s lotus feet.
True existence, indicated here by the word
bhava,
is
sac-cid-ānanda,
eternal and full of bliss and knowledge. To an uninformed observer, it may appear that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is simply rewarding His followers and punishing His enemies the way any ordinary person might do. This specific doubt about the Lord is raised extensively in the Sixth Canto in connection with Kṛṣṇa’s taking the side of the faithful demigods against the faithless demons in a particular cosmic war. In that canto the Vaiṣṇava authorities clearly explain that in fact Lord Kṛṣṇa is the father and Lord of all living beings and that all His activities are therefore meant for the benefit of all existence. Lord Kṛṣṇa does not really cause the nonexistence of anyone; rather He curbs the foolish, destructive, material ways of those who defy the laws of God. These laws are created to ensure the prosperity, harmony and happiness of the entire creation, and their violation is an unjustifiable disturbance.
Certainly Indra hoped that Lord Kṛṣṇa would count him among the devotees and not the demons, although considering Indra’s actions one might doubt where his loyalties actually lay. Indra was aware of this possible doubt and thus, as we find in the next verse, he tried his best to surrender to the Supreme Lord.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"I am foolish. You have appeared in this world for our benefit because of our prayers. Even knowing this I have been blind. Now, having been punished, I have attained better vision and can understand the truth. In order to destroy those leaders of the demons who create burden for the earth, and in order to produce auspiciousness for those who serve your feet, you appear. But I am neither of these. Thus, you neither destroy me nor bestow on me auspiciousness. You are neutral towards me. This is my misfortune."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
O Lord who cannot be perceived by the knowledge senses! You are completely invisible. But you appear on this earth (iha) for auspiciousness for those who serve your feet. O lord worthy of worship (deva)! You can make me accomplish service to you! Yuṣmad (plural of you) indicates “your people,” the people of Vraja. Or, Indra speaks with repentance, showing his knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s powers and his own foolishness. I know that you have appeared to benefit us because we have requested you to come. But still I have committed offense. How foolish I am! Therefore you should forgive me.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
O Lord who cannot be perceived by the knowledge senses! You are completely invisible. But you appear on this earth (iha) for auspiciousness for those who serve your feet. O Lord, worthy of worship (deva)! You can make me accomplish service to you! Yuṣmad (plural of you) indicates “your people,” the people of Vraja. Or, Indra speaks with repentance, showing his knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s powers and his own foolishness. I know that you have appeared to benefit us because we have requested you to come. But still I have committed offense. How foolish I am! Therefore you should forgive me.
Or forgiving sin and not having it occur again can happen easily because of your nature. O Lord who slept under the axle of a cart, and showed affection for the devotees (adhokṣaja)! Forgiving sin is suitable for giving liberation to the wicked. You appear in this world to give liberation to the leaders of troops who are burden to the earth. O Lord who plays and shines (deva)! You appear in this world for increasing prema in the devotees. Giving liberation to demons is suitable for you.