Text 23]
The Demigods Appeal to the Lord
159
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge
“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to re-establish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.” The Lord has nothing to do with anyone’s protection or destruction, but for the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material world He apparently has to act either in goodness, in passion or in darkness. Actually, however, He is unaffected by these modes of material nature. He is the Supreme Lord of everyone. As a king sometimes punishes or rewards someone to maintain law and order, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although having nothing to do with the activities of this material world, sometimes appears as various incarnations according to the time, place and object.
TEXT 23
अयं च तस्य स्थितिपालनक्षणः
सत्त्वं जुषाणस्य भवाय देहिनाम् ।
तस्माद् व्रजामः शरणं जगद्गुरुं
स्वानां स नो धास्यति शं सुरप्रियः ॥२३॥
ayam ca tasya sthiti-pālana-kṣaṇaḥ
sattvam juṣāṇasya bhavāya dehinām
tasmād vrajāmaḥ śaraṇam jagad-gurum
svānām sa no dhāsyati śaṁ sura-priyaḥ
ayam —this period;  ca —also;  tasya —of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;  sthiti-pālana-kṣaṇaḥ —the time for maintenance, or for establishing His rule;  sattvam —the mode of goodness;  juṣāṇasya —accepting (now, without waiting);  bhavāya —for the increased development or establishment;  dehinām —of all living entities who accept material bodies;  tasmāt —therefore;  vrajāmaḥ —let us take;  śaraṇam —shelter;  jagat-gurum —at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the universal teacher;  svānām —His own persons;