Shloka 21
The Appearance of Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) and the Divine Exchange with Yoga-māyā
त्वमस्य लोकस्य विभो रिरक्षिषु- र्गृहेऽवतीर्णोऽसि ममाखिलेश्वर । राजन्यसंज्ञासुरकोटियूथपै- र्निर्व्यूह्यमाना निहनिष्यसे चमू: ॥ २१ ॥
tvam asya lokasya vibho rirakṣiṣur gṛhe ’vatīrṇo ’si mamākhileśvara rājanya-saṁjñāsura-koṭi-yūthapair nirvyūhyamānā nihaniṣyase camūḥ
O Lord of all, You have appeared in my house to protect this world. You will kill the demons who are disguised as kings and their armies.
Kṛṣṇa appears in this world for two purposes, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: to protect the innocent, religious devotees of the Lord and to annihilate all the uneducated, uncultured asuras, who unnecessarily bark like dogs and fight among themselves for political power. It is said, kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa avatāra. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is also an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa in the form of the holy name ( nāma-rūpe ). Every one of us who is actually afraid of the asuric rulers and politicians must welcome this incarnation of Kṛṣṇa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then we will surely be protected from the harassment of asuric rulers. At the present moment these rulers are so powerful that by hook or by crook they capture the highest posts in government and harass countless numbers of people on the plea of national security or some emergency. Then again, one asura defeats another asura, but the public continues to suffer. Therefore the entire world is in a precarious condition, and the only hope is this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared when Prahlāda was excessively harassed by his asuric father. Because of such asuric fathers — that is, the ruling politicians — it is very difficult to press forward the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, but because Kṛṣṇa has now appeared in His holy name through this movement, we can hope that these asuric fathers will be annihilated and the kingdom of God established all over the world. The entire world is now full of many asuras in the guise of politicians, gurus, sādhus, yogīs and incarnations, and they are misleading the general public away from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which can offer true benefit to human society.
FAQs
It portrays Krishna as the protector of the world who descends to safeguard creation and to destroy the demoniac forces gathered under corrupt rulers.
At Krishna’s birth, Vasudeva recognizes the Lord’s divine mission and reassures himself that Krishna will eliminate the oppressive, demon-like kings and armies threatening dharma.
By trusting divine protection, aligning with dharma, and resisting “asuric” tendencies—ego, cruelty, and injustice—within oneself and society through devotion and right action.