FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.34

भावयत्येष सत्त्वेन लोकान् वै लोकभावन: । लीलावतारानुरतो देवतिर्यङ्‍नरादिषु ॥ ३४ ॥
bhāvayaty eṣa sattvena
[bhaavayaty esha sattvena]
lokān vai loka-bhāvanaḥ
[lokaan vai loka-bhaavanah]
līlāvatārānurato
[leelaavataaraanurato]
deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu
[deva-tiryan-naraadishu]
bhāvayati — maintains eṣaḥ — all these sattvena — in the mode of goodness lokān — all over the universe vai — generally loka-bhāvanaḥ — the master of all the universes līlā — pastimes avatāra — incarnation anurataḥ — assuming the role deva — the demigods tiryak — lower animals nara-ādiṣu — in the midst of human beings.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhāvayaty eṣa sattvena
bhāvayati
maintains
eṣaḥ
all these
sattvena
in the mode of goodness
lokān vai loka-bhāvanaḥ
lokān
all over the universe
vai
generally
loka-bhāvanaḥ
the master of all the universes
līlāvatārānurato
līlā
pastimes
avatāra
incarnation
anurataḥ
assuming the role
deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu
deva
the demigods
tiryak
lower animals
nara-ādiṣu
in the midst of human beings.
Thus the Lord of the universes maintains all planets inhabited by demigods, men and lower animals. Assuming the roles of incarnations, He performs pastimes to reclaim those in the mode of pure goodness.

There are innumerable material universes, and in each and every universe there are innumerable planets inhabited by different grades of living entities in different modes of nature. The Lord (Viṣṇu) incarnates Himself in each and every one of them and in each and every type of living society. He manifests His transcendental pastimes amongst them just to create the desire to go back to Godhead. The Lord does not change His original transcendental position, but He appears to be differently manifested according to the particular time, circumstances and society.

Sometimes He incarnates Himself or empowers a suitable living being to act for Him, but in either case the purpose is the same: the Lord wants the suffering living beings to go back home, back to Godhead. The happiness which the living beings are hankering for is not to be found within any corner of the innumerable universes and material planets. The eternal happiness which the living being wants is obtainable in the kingdom of God, but the forgetful living beings under the influence of the material modes have no information of the kingdom of God. The Lord, therefore, comes to propagate the message of the kingdom of God, either personally as an incarnation or through His bona fide representative as the good son of God. Such incarnations or sons of God are not making propaganda for going back to Godhead only within the human society. Their work is also going on in all types of societies, amongst demigods and those other than human beings.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Second Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Divinity and Divine Service.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Lord, creator of the universe, absorbing himself in the forms of various līlāvatāras as devatās, animals and humans, protects the worlds through his role as the controller of sattva-guṇa.
Commentary

It has been described that the Lord appears as many forms when he enters all the living beings. However the lord is without limitation or material contamination in all his forms. He appears in many forms with his svarūpa in his eternal pastimes. Bhāvayati means “he protects.” Or it means “he bestows them with prema (bhāva).” This verse describes the normal goal of all avatāras. [Note: Śrīdhara Ṣvāmī says this verse answers the question about the purpose of the avatāras. ] Loka-bhāvanaḥ here means “creator of the universe” instead of “protector of the worlds,” to avoid redundant meaning, since bhāvayati lokan already means “he protects the worlds.”

Chapter Three List of the Avatāras

The Lord sustains all the planets and shows up as incarnations to reclaim those in pure goodness. He is not waiting for us to find Him; He actively descends to retrieve the receptive.
Reflection Questions
  • Where in my life has God seemed to 'descend' to me when I was even slightly receptive?
  • What would becoming a little more receptive look like this week?
📝 My note

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