120 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
taddtmanam srjamy aham
paritranadya sadhiinadm
vindsdya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
‘Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O de-
scendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I
descend Myself. To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as
well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millen-
nium after millennium.”

The Lord’s purpose in maintaining this material world is to give
everyone a chance to go back home, back to Godhead, but kings and
political leaders unfortunately try to hinder the purpose of the Lord, and
therefore the Lord appears, either personally or with His plenary por-
tions, to set things right. It is therefore said:

garbham saicarya rohinyam
devakyaé yogamayaya
tasyah kuksim gatah krsno
dvitiyo vibudhaih stutah
“Krsna appeared in the womb of Devaki after transferring Baladeva to
the womb of Rohini by the power of Yogamaya.” Yadubhih sa
vyarudhyata. The kings of the Yadu dynasty were all devotees, but there
were many powerful demons, such as Salva, who began to persecute
them. At that time, Jardsandha, who was Karnsa’s father-in-law, was ex-
tremely powerful, and therefore Karnsa took advantage of his protection
and the help of the demons in persecuting the kings of the Yadu dynasty.
The demons naturally appeared more powerful than the demigods, but
ultimately, because of help received from the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the demons were defeated and the demigods triumphant.
