The avatara rahasya, as explained in the Bhagavad Gita, shows that the main purposes of the Lord’s incarnations are to protect the good people from the atrocities of the evil and powerful, and to establish righteousness when it gets weakened in the course of time. The Devi Bhagavata Purana also features an interesting section on the avataras of the Lord in various yugas in general and on Krishna avatara in particular, during the interaction between Vyasa and Janamejaya, pointed out Sri K. Srinivasan in a discourse. What emerges is the understanding that none can truly fathom the infinite depth and magnitude of the Supreme Lord who leaves His divine abode and chooses to be born as human being and undergo the travails of ‘garba’ vasa.
Is He not the sole cause of Srishti, Stiti, Samhara, Tirodana and Anugraha? If Srishti is marvellous in all respects, Stiti, the way He works tirelessly to keep the Srishti running all the while with precision, is still more astonishing. At the time of Pralaya, the entire creation is kept within the Lord to be released with the same status in the next kalpa. Tirodana is His power to hide His Paratva which He exercises at His will, and Anugraha is His grace revealed and felt in subtle ways. His grace is born of His compassionate swabhava.
Krishna avatara is replete with the frequent interplay of all aspects of His Supreme nature. Yasodha, Nandagopa, Vidura, Bhishma, the Pandavas, and many others know Him to be the Lord incarnate, but this awareness is not continuous in them. He mingles with the simple folk in Gokula with extraordinary Saulabhya. He also expounds the highest philosophy in the battlefield. Duryodhana is shown to be fully confident about his massive army and is not worried about fighting against Krishna, for he does not know that he has to confront the highest power.
