From: anand@binah.cc.brandeis.edu (SHALINI ANAND)
Subject: WHY KRSNA COMES
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 16:26:41 GMT


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                        WHY KRISNA COMES
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"Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, 
 abhyutthanam adharmasya, tadatmanam srjamyaham"

In this seventh verse of Chapter 4 of Bhagvat Gita, Lord Krsna reveals the 
purpose of His appearance in this world. "Whenever there is decline in religous
principles, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion- at 
that time I descend Myself". 

'srjami' means that the Lord manifests Himself as He is. although the Lord 
appears on schedule, namely at the end of Dvapara Yuga of the 28th  millenium
of the eighth Manu, in one day of Brahma, still He has no obligation to adhere
to such rules and regulations because He is completely free to act in many ways
at His will. He therefore appears by His own will whenever there is a 
predominance of irreligiousity and a disappearence of true religion. In the
Bhagvatam it is stated that such principles are the laws of the Lord. Only
the Lord can manufacture a system of religion. The Vedas  are also 
accepted as originally spoken by the Lord Himself to Brahma, from within 
his heart. Therefore the principles of dharma, or religion, are the direct 
orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (dharamam tu saksat-bhagvat-
pranitam) These principles are clearly stated throughout the Bhagvat Gita.
The purpose of the Vedas is to establish such principles under the order of 
the Supreme Lord, and the Lord directly orders, at the end of the Gita, that 
the highest principle of religion is to surrender unto Him only, and 
nothing more. The Vedic principles push one towards complete surrender unto Him
; and whenever such principles are disturbed by the demonic, the Lord appears.

In the next verse, Sri Krsna continues,

paritranaya sadhunam, vinasaya ca dusakrtam,
dharma samsthapanarthya, sambhavami yuge yuge       Bg 4.8

"In order to deliver the pious and to annhilate the miscreants, as well as to 
reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millenium after 
millenium".

According to Bg a 'Sadhu' is a man in Krsna consciousness. And 'duskrtam' 
applies to one who doesnt care for Krsna consciousness.  Such miscreants are 
described as foolish and the lowest of mankind even though they may be 
decorated with mundane education. As far as the atheistic are concerned, it is 
not necessary for the Lord to appear as He is to destroy them, as He did with
the demons Ravana and Kamsa. The Lord has many agents who are quite competent to
vanquish demons. But the Lord especially appears to appease His unalloyed 
devotees, who are always harrassed by the demonic. Although Prahalda Maharaj
was the son of Hiranyakasipu, he was nonetheless persecuted by his father; 
although Devaki, the mother of Krsna, was the sister of Kamsa, she and her
husband Vasudeva were persecuted only because Krsna was to be born of them.
So Lord Krsna appeared primarily to deliver Devaki, rather than kill Kamsa,
but both were performed simultanoeusly. Therefore it is said here that to 
deliver the devotee and vanquish the demon miscreants, the Lord
appears in different incarnations or 'avataras'.

There are various kinds of avavtaras, such as purusavatars, gunavatars, 
lilavatars, saktyavesa avatars, manvanatara avatars and yugavatars- all 
appearing on schedule all over the Universe. But Lord Krsna is the primeval
Lord, the fountain head of all 'avataras'. He descends withthe specific purpose
of mitigating the anxieties of His pure devotees, who are very anxious to 
see Him in His original Vrndavan pastimes. Therefore the prime purpose of the
Krsna avatara is to satisfy His unalloyed devotees

In  Canto 10 of Srimad Bhagvatam, the sages and ascetics, also offer 
prayers to Krsna, in the same sentiment       :

"O dear Lord, we remian simply stunned by seeing Your wonderful actions.
Although You are transcendental to  this entire material creation and are 
the Supreme Lord and the Supersoul of all living entities, You nevertheless 
appear on this earth by Your internal potency to protect Your devotees and 
destroy the miscreants. By such appearance You reestablish the principles 
of eternal religion, which the human society forgets by long association 
with the material energy. Our dear Lord, You are the creator of the social
orders and spiritual statuses of the human society according to quality and 
work, and when these orders are misguided by unscrupulous persons, You appear
and set them right".

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With good wishes to all the readers on the occasion of Janamastmi

Shalini


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    hare krsna hare krsna,  krsna krsna krsna hare hare
    hare rama, hare rama, rama rama hare hare
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