Text 38]
Prahlāda Pacifies the Lord with Prayers
247
Me when I descend in the human form.” Whenever the Lord appears, whether as a fish, a tortoise, a hog or any other form, one should understand that He maintains His transcendental position and that His only business, as stated here, is  hatvā —to kill the demons. The Lord appears in order to protect the devotees and kill the demons ( paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām ). Since the demons are always ready to oppose Vedic civilization, they are sure to be killed by the transcendental form of the Lord.
TEXT 38
इत्थं नृतिर्यगृषिदेवझषावतारै- लोकान् विभावयसि हंसि जगत्प्रतीपान् । धर्मं महापुरुष पासि युगानुवृत्तं छन्नः कलौ यदमवस्त्रियुगोऽथ स त्वम् ॥३८॥
ittham nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair   lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān   dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ   channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo 'tha sa tvam
ittham —in this way;  nṛ —like a human being (such as Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāmacandra);  tiryak —like animals (such as the boar);  ṛṣi —as a great saint (Paraśurāma);  deva —as demigods;  jhaṣa —as an aquatic (such as the fish and tortoise);  avatāraiḥ —by such different incarnations;  lokān —all the different planetary systems;  vibhāvayasi —You protect;  haṁsi —You (sometimes) kill;  jagat pratīpān —persons who have simply created trouble in this world;  dharmam —the principles of religion;  mahā-puruṣa —O great personality;  pāsi —You protect;  yuga-anuvṛttam —according to the different millenniums;  channaḥ —covered;  kalau —in the age of Kali;  yat —since;  abhavaḥ —have been (and will be in the future);  tri-yugaḥ —named Triyuga;  atha —therefore;  saḥ —the same personality;  tvam —You.
TRANSLATION
In this way, my Lord, You appear in various incarnations as a human being, an animal, a great saint, a demigod, a fish or a