Text 39]
Prayers by the Demigods
195
and old age, except when these living entities are conducted by Your external energy.
PURPORT
As stated in  Bhagavad-gītā  (15.7),  mamaivaṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ : the living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, and thus they are qualitatively one with the Lord. We can understand that when the Supreme Lord appears or disappears as an incarnation, there is no other cause than His pleasure potency. We cannot force the Supreme Personality of Godhead to appear. As He says in  Bhagavad-gītā  (4.7):
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.” When there is a need to diminish a burden created by the demons, the Supreme Godhead can do it in many ways because He has multifarious energies. There is no need for Him to come as an incarnation, since He is not forced to do anything like ordinary living entities. The living entities come to this material world in the spirit of enjoyment, but because they want to enjoy without Kṛṣṇa ( kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha haiyā bhoja-vāñchā kare ), they suffer birth, death, old age and disease under the control of the illusory energy. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, however, no such causes are involved; His descent is an act of His pleasure potency. We should always remember this distinction between the Lord and the ordinary living entity and not uselessly argue that the Lord cannot come. There are philosophers who do not believe in the Lord’s incarnation and who ask, “Why should the Supreme Lord come?” But the answer is, “Why should He not come? Why should He be controlled by the desire of the living entity?” The Lord is free to do whatever He likes. Therefore this verse says,  vinā vinodaṁ bata tarkayāmahe . It is only for His pleasure that He comes although He does not need to come.