FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.49

सोऽयमद्य महाराज भगवान् भूतभावन: । कालरूपोऽवतीर्णोऽस्यामभावाय सुरद्विषाम् ॥ ४९ ॥
so ’yam adya mahārāja
[so ’yam adya mahaaraaja]
bhagavān bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
[bhagavaan bhoota-bhaavanah]
kāla-rūpo ’vatīrṇo ’syām
[kaala-roopo ’vateerno ’syaam]
abhāvāya sura-dviṣām
[abhaavaaya sura-dvishaam]
saḥ — that Supreme Lord ayam — the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa adya — at present mahārāja — O King bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead bhūta-bhāvanaḥ — the creator or the father of everything created kāla-rūpaḥ — in the disguise of all-devouring time avatīrṇaḥ — descended asyām — upon the world abhāvāya — for eliminating sura-dviṣām — those who are against the will of the Lord.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
so ’yam adya mahārāja
bhagavān bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
kāla-rūpo ’vatīrṇo ’syām
abhāvāya sura-dviṣām
saḥ
that Supreme Lord
ayam
the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
adya
at present
mahārāja
O King
bhagavān
the Personality of Godhead
bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
the creator or the father of everything created
kāla-rūpaḥ
in the disguise of all-devouring time
avatīrṇaḥ
descended
asyām
upon the world
abhāvāya
for eliminating
sura-dviṣām
those who are against the will of the Lord.
That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in the guise of all-devouring time [kāla-rūpa] has now descended to the earth to eliminate the envious from the world.

There are two classes of human beings, namely the envious and the obedient. Since the Supreme Lord is one and the father of all living beings, the envious living beings are also His sons, but they are known as the asuras. But the living beings who are obedient to the supreme father are called devatās, or demigods, because they are not contaminated by the material conception of life. Not only are the asuras envious of the Lord in even denying the existence of the Lord, but they are also envious of all other living beings. The predominance of asuras in the world is occasionally rectified by the Lord when He eliminates them from the world and establishes a rule of devatās like the Pāṇḍavas. His designation as kāla in disguise is significant. He is not at all dangerous, but He is the transcendental form of eternity, knowledge and bliss. For the devotees His factual form is disclosed, and for the nondevotees He appears like kāla-rūpa, which is causal form. This causal form of the Lord is not at all pleasing to the asuras, and therefore they think of the Lord as formless in order to feel secure that they will not be vanquished by the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
He, the Lord of Dvārakā, protector of all beings, has appeared in the form of time to destroy the demons.
Commentary

Where does this person with such powers exist? He is living in Dvārakā. He is here (so ’yam). He has appeared on earth (asyām) for destroying the demons. Appearing to the demons as the form of time he destroys them. Actually he has a form of supreme bliss but for the demons he appears as time.

Kṛṣṇa, in the guise of all-devouring time, has descended to eliminate the envious from the world. The Lord's mercy includes terminations. He prunes for the garden.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'pruning' might be the Lord's mercy in disguise?
  • Where am I mourning what He is removing for the larger good?
📝 My note

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