Text 5] Activities of Kapila 1421

TAVTANTRA ECT
RATT AMAT T 1 4 II

tvam deha-tantrah prasamaya papmanam
nidesa-bhajam ca vibho vibhiitaye
yathavatards tava siikarddayas
tathayam apy atma-pathopalabdhaye

tvam— You; deha—this body; tantrah—have assumed; prasamaya—for the
diminution; papmanam-—of sinful activities; nidesa-bhajam—of instructions
in devotion; ca—and; vibho—O my Lord; vibhiitaye—for the expansion;
yatha—as; avatarah—incarnations; tava—Your; sikara-ddayah—the boar and
other forms; tatha—so; ayam—this incarnation of Kapila; api—surely;
atma-patha—the path of self-realization; upalabdhaye—in order to reveal.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, You have assumed this body in order to diminish the
sinful activities of the fallen and to enrich their knowledge in devotion
and liberation. Since these sinful people are dependent on Your direction,
by Your own will You assume incarnations as a boar and as other forms.
Similarly, You have appeared in order to distribute transcendental knowl-
edge to Your dependents.

PURPORT

In the previous verses, the general transcendental qualifications of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead were described. Now the specific purpose
of the Lord’s appearance is also described. By His different energies He
bestows different kinds of bodies upon the living entities who are con-
ditioned by their propensity to lord it over material nature, but in course
of time these living entities become so degraded that they need enlighten-
ment. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that whenever there are discrepancies
in the discharge of the real purpose of this material existence, the Lord
appears as an incarnation. The Lord’s form as Kapila directs the fallen
souls and enriches them with knowledge and devotion so that they may
go back to Godhead. There are many incarnations of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, like those of the boar, the fish, the tortoise, and
the half-man half-lion. Lord Kapiladeva is also one of the incarnations of
Godhead. It is accepted herein that Lord Kapiladeva appeared on the
surface of the earth to give transcendental knowledge to the misguided
conditioned souls.
