Shloka 23
Avatāra-kathā — The Puruṣa, the Many Incarnations, and Kṛṣṇa as Svayam Bhagavān
एकोनविंशे विंशतिमे वृष्णिषु प्राप्य जन्मनी । रामकृष्णाविति भुवो भगवानहरद्भरम् ॥ २३ ॥
ekonaviṁśe viṁśatime vṛṣṇiṣu prāpya janmanī rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti bhuvo bhagavān aharad bharam
പത്തൊമ്പതും ഇരുപതും അവതാരങ്ങളിൽ ഭഗവാൻ വൃഷ്ണികുലത്തിൽ (യദുവംശത്തിൽ) ജന്മം പ്രാപിച്ച് ബലരാമനും കൃഷ്ണനും ആയി പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു ഭൂമിയുടെ ഭാരം നീക്കി.
The specific mention of the word bhagavān in this text indicates that Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa are original forms of the Lord. This will be further explained later. Lord Kṛṣṇa is not an incarnation of the puruṣa, as we learned from the beginning of this chapter. He is directly the original Personality of Godhead, and Balarāma is the first plenary manifestation of the Lord. From Baladeva the first phalanx of plenary expansions, Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna, expands. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is Vāsudeva, and Baladeva is Saṅkarṣaṇa.
FAQs
It states that in the nineteenth and twentieth descents the Supreme Lord appeared among the Vṛṣṇis as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa to remove the earth’s burden.
It indicates the Lord’s mission to lessen oppressive forces and restore dharma by eliminating destructive rulers and influences that weighed down the world.
By trusting that the Lord protects dharma and reduces suffering in His own way, and by aligning one’s actions with dharma through devotion, integrity, and service.