Shloka 38
कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्
जगत्यर्थे जगन्नाथ भारावतरणेच्छया अवतीर्णो ऽत्र मर्त्येषु तवांशश् चाहम् अग्रजः
jagatyarthe jagannātha bhārāvataraṇecchayā avatīrṇo 'tra martyeṣu tavāṃśaś cāham agrajaḥ
O Lord of the world, for the sake of the universe—desiring to lighten the earth’s burden—you have descended here among mortals; and I too, as Your portion, have come down as Your elder brother.
Balarāma (as Śeṣa/Ananta, addressing Lord Kṛṣṇa/Vishnu)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: He descends among mortals to lighten the earth’s burden and restore cosmic order by removing oppressive forces.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Protection of the earth and re-establishment of righteous kingship and dharma
Concept: The Lord’s descent is a deliberate act of grace for the welfare of the world, not a product of karma.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: View divine intervention and sacred history as compassionate governance of dharma; align personal duty with loka-saṅgraha (world-welfare).
Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme freely assumes embodied presence in the world for protection, affirming immanence without loss of transcendence.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
This verse states that Vishnu’s descent is motivated by restoring balance in the world—relieving Earth of oppressive forces and re-establishing dharma as part of cosmic governance.
The speaker identifies himself as an aṃśa of Vishnu, indicating a theological model where divine powers manifest in portions to accomplish specific cosmic tasks while Vishnu remains the supreme source.
“Jagannātha” emphasizes Vishnu’s status as the sovereign Lord of all worlds, making the avatāra not merely historical but an expression of supreme reality acting to preserve universal order.