SB 7.9.38 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

इत्थं नृतिर्यगृषिदेवझषावतारै- र्लोकान् विभावयसि हंसि जगत्प्रतीपान् । धर्मं महापुरुष पासि युगानुवृत्तं छन्न: कलौ यदभवस्त्रियुगोऽथ स त्वम् ॥ ३८ ॥

Verse text

itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam

Synonyms

ittham — in this way ; nṛ — like a human being (such as Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāmacandra) ; tiryak — like animals (such as the boar) ; ṛṣi — as a great saint (Paraśurāma) ; deva — as demigods ; jhaṣa — as an aquatic (such as the fish and tortoise) ; avatāraiḥ — by such different incarnations ; lokān — all the different planetary systems ; vibhāvayasi — You protect ; haṁsi — You (sometimes) kill ; jagat pratīpān — persons who have simply created trouble in this world ; dharmam — the principles of religion ; mahā — puruṣa — O great personality ; pāsi — You protect ; yuga — anuvṛttam — according to the different millenniums ; channaḥ — covered ; kalau — in the Age of Kali ; yat — since ; abhavaḥ — have been (and will be in the future) ; tri — yugaḥ — named Triyuga ; atha — therefore ; saḥ — the same personality ; tvam — You .

Translation

In this way, my Lord, You appear in various incarnations as a human being, an animal, a great saint, a demigod, a fish or a tortoise, thus maintaining the entire creation in different planetary systems and killing the demoniac principles. According to the age, O my Lord, You protect the principles of religion. In the Age of Kali, however, You do not assert Yourself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore You are known as Triyuga, or the Lord who appears in three yugas.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

In this way, by appearing in various incarnations as a human being, an animal, a great saint, a devatā, a fish or a tortoise, you maintain the worlds, kill those who cause disturbance, and protect dharma in all the yugas. Great Lord! Since you will appear covered in Kali-yuga, you are called Tri-yuga. Just as Hayagrīva appeared for Brahmā, other avatāras have appeared for other devotees. You protect the planets and destroy those who torment the world. You appear yuga after yuga. Since you are covered in Kali-yuga, you are called Tri-yuga. You are covered because externally you show a different form and mood. You are well known in the other three yugas but not in Kali-yuga. Later the conclusion will explained with the meaning of channa taken from other verses: nānātantra-vidhānena kalāv api tathā śṛṇu (SB 11.5.31) and kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam yajṣaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32)

Purport

As the Lord appeared just to maintain Lord Brahmā from the attack of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, He also appeared to protect the great devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja. Similarly, Lord Caitanya appeared in order to protect the fallen souls of Kali-yuga. There are four yugas, or millenniums — Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali. In all the yugas but Kali-yuga, the Lord appears in various incarnations and asserts Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but although Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who appears in Kali-yuga, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He never asserted Himself as such. On the contrary, whenever Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was addressed as being as good as Kṛṣṇa, He blocked His ears with His hands, denying His identity with Kṛṣṇa, because He was playing the part of a devotee. Lord Caitanya knew that in Kali-yuga there would be many bogus incarnations pretending to be God, and therefore He avoided asserting Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, in many Vedic literatures, especially in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.32) : kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam yajṣaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ In Kali-yuga, intelligent men worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is always accompanied by His associates such as Nityānanda, Advaita, Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa. The entire Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on the principles of the saṅkīrtana movement inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore one who tries to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the medium of the saṅkīrtana movement knows everything perfectly. He is sumedhas, a person with substantial intelligence.