15. Beyond Birth and Death
kecid adhur ajam jatam
punya-slokasya kirtaye
yadoh priyasyanvavaye
malayasyeva candanam
Some say that the Unborn is born for

the glorification of pious kings, and

others say that He is born to please

King Yadu, one of Your dearest devo-

tees. You appear in his family as san-

dalwood appears in the Malaya Hills.

—Srimad-Bhdagavatam 1.8.32
Because the Lord’s appearance in this material world is bewildering,
there are different opinions about the birth of the Unborn. In the
Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that He takes His birth in the material world,
although He is the Lord of all creations and He is unborn. So there can-
not be any denial of the birth of the Unborn, because He Himself
establishes the truth. But still there are different opinions as to why He
takes His birth. That is also declared in the Bhagavad-gita. He appears by
His own internal potency to reestablish the principles of religion and to
protect the pious and annihilate the impious. That is the mission of the
appearance of the Unborn. Still, it is said that the Lord is there to glorify
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