paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām
dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge
paritrāṇāya — to protect;
sādhūnām — the righteous;
vināśhāya — to annihilate;
cha — and;
duṣhkṛitām — the wicked;
dharma — the eternal religion;
sansthāpana-arthāya — to reestablish;
sambhavāmi — I appear;
yuge yuge — age after age
This verse talks about why Lord Krishna, or God, comes into the world. He says He appears in different times and places to help two main groups of people: the good or righteous ones (sadhus) and the bad or wicked ones (miscreants).
First, let’s break down who these people are.
- **Sadhus**, or holy people, are those who are devoted to God, even if they don't fit the typical mold of what society thinks is good or religious. They might not have a lot of formal education or social status, but their hearts are in the right place because they truly care about God and spirituality.
- **Dushkritam** refers to those who act in bad ways—people who oppose God and do wrong. Even if they have a certain level of education or intelligence, if their actions are harmful, they are seen as foolish according to this verse.
Krishna explains that He isn't just here to punish those bad people; instead, He comes primarily to help and protect His devoted followers. He cares for the sadhus who suffer because of the actions of miscreants. For example, there are stories of how demons like Hiranyakasipu tormented their own sons who were devoted to God. Such as in the case of Prahlada, who worshipped God despite his father yelling at him; or Devaki, who faced great problems because of her own brother, Kamsa, even though she was a pure devotee.
Krishna wants to save His devotees from these challenging situations, which often arise because of demonic forces that try to disrupt their faith and peace. He doesn’t need to show up physically just to deal with bad people; He has many ways of managing them, using others if needed. His main goal is to support and protect those who sincerely worship Him.
When God does appear, He does it in various forms or incarnations. There are many types, such as those that play specific roles or that are born with special powers. Each of these incarnations serves to fulfill certain needs and address the state of the world at the time. However, Krishna is considered the original and most significant incarnation of God, the source from which all others come.
Ultimately, the reason for God's appearances is to give joy and peace to His true devotees. They wish to connect with Him, see Him in His fullest form, and share in His divine plays. In short, Krishna shows up when the world needs balance and when His followers need comfort, ensuring that goodness prevails and that people can return to their faith and spirituality.