Text 28] Krsna Is the Source of All Incarnations 167

original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever
there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to
protect the theists.

PURPORT

In this particular stanza Lord Sri Krsna the Personality of Godhead is
distinguished from other incarnations. He is counted amongst the avataras
(incarnations) because out of His causeless mercy the Lord descends from
His transcendental abode. Avatara means one who descends. All the incar-
nations of the Lord, including the Lord Himself, descend on the different
planets of the material world as also in different species of life to fulfill
particular missions. Sometimes He comes Himself, and sometimes His dif-
ferent plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions or His differen-
tiated portions directly or indirectly empowered by Him descend on this
material world to execute certain specific functions. Originally the Lord is
full of all opulences, all prowess, all fames, all beauties, all knowledge and
all renunciations. When they are partly manifested through the plenary
portions or parts of the plenary portions, it should be noted that certain
manifestations of His different powers are required for those particular
functions. When in the room small electric bulbs are displayed, it does not
mean that the electric powerhouse is limited by the small bulbs. The same
powerhouse can supply power to operate large-scale industrial dynamos
with greater volts. Similarly, the incarnations of the Lord display limited
powers because so much power is needed at that particular time.

For example, Lord Parasurama and Lord Nrsimha displayed unusual
opulence by killing the disobedient ksatriyas twenty-one times and killing
the greatly powerful atheist Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu was so powerful
that even the demigods in other planets would tremble simply by the
unfavorable raising of his eyebrow. The demigods in the higher level of
material existence many, many times excel the most well-to-do human
beings, in duration of life, beauty, wealth, paraphernalia, and in all other
respects. Still they were afraid of Hiranyakasipu. Thus we can simply
imagine how powerful Hiranyakasipu was in this material world. But even
HiranyakaSipu was cut into small pieces by the nails of Lord Nrsirnha.
This means that anyone materially powerful cannot stand the strength
of the Lord’s nails. Similarly, Jamadagnya displayed the Lord’s power to
kill all the disobedient kings powerfully situated in their respective states.
His empowered incarnation, Narada, and plenary incarnation, Varaha, as
