This verse answers the second question "What is the goal of doing forbidden activities?" He acted in this way to show mercy to his devotees. Hearing about these activities, the jivas taking shelter of human bodies become believers in these topics. Thus it should be understood that the sweet rasa lila, incomparable to any other lila, like a powerful medicine of mantras and jewels, has indisputably great power, and the chief qualification for this bhakti involving madhurya rasa, this medicine, is to have a human body.

“If he is āpta-kāmaḥ, satisfied in all desires, why does he play? And moreover, materialistic people of this world criticize him.” Padma Purāṇa says mad-bhaktānāṁ vinodārtham karomi vividhā kriyāḥ: I perform various actions for the pleasure of my devotees. To give mercy to my devotees, I take shelter of a human body. Though I am the shelter of everything as Brahman, I take shelter of myself. This form is the ultimate shelter of parabrahman. It is said daśame daśamam lakṣyam āśritāśraya-vigraham: in the Tenth Canto the tenth subject, the shelter of all other forms (āśraya), is described. (Śrīdhara Svāmī commentary 10.1.1) Bhagavad Upaniṣad says brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham: I am the basis of Brahman. (BG 14.27) Sometimes āsthitaḥ is seen instead of āśritaḥ. This is a respectful way of saying the same thing. One should not say that he makes a body by his will at this time only and accepts it, since the cowherds also experienced this form of the supreme Brahman in the spiritual world. He performs pastimes now to show mercy to the devotees. Though he is āpta-kāma, it is proper that he is also merciful to devotees since that is the nature of his śuddha-sattva form. That is seen in verses like the following: yad bhāva bhāvita dhiyo manujās tathaiva samprāpya rūpa mahimāsana yāna bhūṣāḥ | sūktair yam eva nigama prathitaiḥ stuvanti govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi || I worship the Supreme Lord Govinda, whom men praise with Vedic verses, after having fixing their minds on him with devotion and consequently having attained glorious forms, thrones, vehicles and ornaments by his mercy. Brahma-saṁhitā 5.36 Jaḍa-bharata also bestows such mercy to Rahūgaṇa and the Lord bestows such mercy to Parīkṣit and Śukadeva. Kṛṣṇa takes shelter of his form to give mercy to the devotees (bhaktānām)--the gopīs, the other residents of Vraja, and other Vaiṣṇavas of the past, present and future as well. He shows his form to the gopīs because of their pūrva-rāga and other bhāvas, to the residents of Vraja by being born there, and to the other Vaiṣṇavas through hearing about him and seeing his deity form. With those devotees, he performs pastimes which attract the hearts of all people (tādṛśīḥ krīḍāḥ). Others who are not devotees, hearing about the pastimes, even if they are ordinary pastimes, became attracted. What to speak of hearing pastimes like the rāsa-līlā. That is mentioned in the last verse of this chapter: anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the young gopīs of Vṛndāvana will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Or, for giving mercy, the Lord performs pastimes and, hearing those pastimes, all jīvas who have taken shelter of human body (mānuṣaṁ deham āsthitaḥ) will become devoted to Kṛṣṇa (tat-paro bhavet) since the Lord makes his appearance on this planet and since worship of Kṛṣṇa is the principle means here. Men will attain perfection by hearing with joy the topics of these pastimes of Kṛṣṇa Instead of bhaktānām sometimes bhūtānām is seen. Then the meaning is “The Lord performs pastimes for giving mercy to all people--materialists, those desiring liberation and liberated souls,” though it is said that devotees are the cause of the Lord appearing. Thus the cause of his performing these pastimes is his great mercy to living entities in general. However it should be understood that all mercy is in relation to worshipping him. Śrīdhara Svāmī comments that the Lord performs pastimes to make those who are attracted to śṛṅgāra-rasa and even the materialists become absorbed in him. It should be explained however by taking another meaning that pastimes were actually displayed for the gopīs (who were absorbed in śṛṅgāra-rasa), because they had reached the highest level of prema and Śukadeva was absorbed in describing them. “Let him play like this secretly, but why does he reveal these pastimes to people of this world?” To show mercy to the devotees in this world, he takes shelter of his portion, the universal form (manuṣam deham), the earth planet. This means “To show mercy to the devotees in this world, he appears in this world.” Śruti says yasya pṛthivī śarīram: the earth is his body. (Subala Upaniṣad) Thus manuṣam deham (or śarīram) means the earth planet. Since tat-paraḥ bhavet is in the singular, the subject cannot be devotees or mankind in general. Adding extra words is awkward. The natural subject according to context should be Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. Thus the meaning is “Kṛṣṇa performs such pastimes. On hearing about them he becomes absorbed in them. Whenever he hears those pastimes he becomes more attached to them.”

This is further explained. Or, being the witness (adhyakṣaḥ) manifesting a form for pastimes, he gave enjoyment to the people of vraja (bhajate) or to the gopīs. There is thus no fault in his pastimes since he accomplishes his pastimes by moving among them internally and externally as the witness. What more need be said? He does this to give mercy to his devotees. Padma Purāṇa says mad-bhaktānāṁ vinodārtham karomi vividhā kriyāḥ: I perform various actions for the pleasure of my devotees. To give mercy to my devotees, I take shelter of a human body. He manifests himself by taking shetler of a human form. Or the Lrd manifests his human form. He engages in pastimes to give mercy to his devotees—to the gopīs, people of Vraja and all other devotees in the future and past--by showing pastimes. Or to give mercy to the gopīs, he accomplished (bhajate) pastimes (krīdā) with affection. By giving mercy to the chief devotees, all others attain mercy. Bhajate can also mean he revealed pastimes or he followed a pattern of pastimes. This indicates that the pastimes are eternal. By that fact, all faults are automatically discarded. These pastimes were indescrible and attractive to all hearts. All those who hear the pastimes similar (tādṛśī) to the rāsa dance become dedicated to Bhagavān, his patimes or the devotees (tat). What to speak, of those who hear about the rāsa dance. Or when he takes shelter of a human body, all jīvas, hearing the pastimes, become dedicated to him. Humans become happy on hearing about him, since he descends among the humans and as a human becomes the chief object of worship suitable for bhakti. Or the word api can be added to the statement. When he appears even as a human, what to speak of taking forms among sages and devatās, he engages in such pastimes. This shows his mercy to the devotees. Instead of bhāktānām sometimes bhūtānām. He performs pastimes to give mercy to all people—materialists, those pursing liberation and the devotees. This indicates his great mercy. How can he violate the laws of dharma (SB 10.33.27, 29)? This verse refutes that doubt. Verse 28 shows that since he is complete, these acts cannot touch him. That is also refuted by the second meanting of the word anugrahāya (mercy to all beings).