Seeing the doubt in the hearts of karmis and jnanis contaminated with various desires at that assembly, Pariksit raised a question. "In order to establish dharma and destroy adharma, svayam bhagavn, whose expansion is Visnu (amsena jagat isvara), has appeared. Or svayam bhavagan has appeared with his amsa, Balarama. How then can he perform acts contrary to dharma (pratipam). If you say that because he is the independent lord he can do what is contrary to dharma, then he should also accept the sinful reaction, just as he sometimes gets cursed and accepts the result."

The ṛāsa-līlā consists of attracting the gopīs with the flute, conversations, disappearance with Rādhā, his reappearance, spreading cloth for his seat, asking a question and receiving an answer, dancing in joy, private affairs, playing in the water and playing in the forest. When Śukadeva described the rāsa pastimes with great joy on answering a question, Parīkṣit also became joyful on hearing it. He did not find fault with it, since that would produce distaste. In three verses he mercifully raises a question, as if doubting, for the benefit of others who have doubts. The first two verses are together as one statement. The Lord appears in order to reestablish lost dharma, or protect what is current. Not only that, he comes in order to uproot adharma with all its subtle desires. Otherwise establishing dharma would be incomplete. The word hi indicates that this is well known. It is said dharma saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhaṁi yuge yuge: I appear in every yuga to establish dharma. (BG 4.8) As Bhagavān, manifesting his nature as the Lord, he appears with Balarāma. This shows his zeal. He does this since he is the protector of the universe. Otherwise the universe would be destroyed. Or, he is lord of the universe, though actually he is full of all powers according to the statement viṣṭabhyā ‘ham idam kṛtsnām ekāṁśena sthito jagat: I am spread in this whole universe by one small portion of my power. (BG 10.42) He has no other desires than to have pastimes with the gopīs. This verse should actually start with yat (who). He is the speaker of laws to protect the people or the speaker of rules concerning dharma mentioned in the Vedas. Since he is the speaker he must also be the executor of the laws. People will not accept if there is difference between his words and actions. He is the protector of the laws by increasing its popularity and destroying the opposition. Embracing another man’s wife is contrary to the laws of dharma or unfavorable for the establishment of dharma (pratīpam). O brahman, personification of the Vedas! By transgressing the Vedas with contrary acts, he transgresses brāhmaṇas like you. It is not suitable conduct for him since he respects the brāhmaṇas. Or, “How can I know the reasons since those are the actions of the Lord?” But you are the knower of all the Vedas (brahman), since you are omniscient. Or, he has done opposite (pratīpam): he has spoken adharma, performed adharma and protected adharma. He himself states his enjoyment of others’ wives. Mayāparokṣaṁ bhajatā tirohitam: even when I removed myself from your sight by suddenly disappearing, I never stopped loving you. (SB 10.32.21) He did it since he personally enjoyed them. He protected adharma since he did it repeatedly. Thus he encouraged others to do this. He has more fault than a person who simply sins without affecting others. Or, doing the opposite (pratīpam) he has really destroyed dharma and established adharma. Another meaning brings out the real truth. Real establishment of dharma is establishing bhakti. smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur vismartavyo na jātucit | sarva-vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ ||| One should always remember Viṣṇu and never forget Him. All injunctions and prohibitions are dependent on these two principles. Padma Purāṇa Kuntī explains the chief purpose of the Lord’s appearance: tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām | bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṁ kathaṁ paśyema hi striyaḥ || How can we women hope to see you, the object of bhakti for the omniscient, liberated sages? SB 1.8.20 The commentary of Śrīdhara Svāmī says “You have appeared to give bhakti-yoga.” Without instruction, by his influence this takes place. All contrary elements will, on their own, disappear (praśamāyetarasya). If that is so, how can he possibly commit a contrary act like touching other’s wives? He cannot do so for he is the speaker of bhakti, the shelter of all dharmas (dharma-setūnām). In order to spread the highest prema, the result of bhakti--his main purpose in appearing--it is proper that he should not respect other dharmas, such as having the gopīs give up serving their husbands. This is appropriate even in sādhana, what to speak of the gopīs for it is said: tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate Only as long as one does not become detached from daily and periodic duties or has not awakened his faith in hearing topics about me, one must perform one’s prescribed duties of varṇāśrama. SB 11.20.9 Or, the reason he does contrary acts is because he is Bhagavān and the lord of the universe. This means that he is the source of all avatāras and the antaryāmī of all beings. Or, how can he commit contrary acts since he touches wives (dārāḥ) who are his svarūpa-śakti (para). He commits nothing contrary at all. You have already said that they are Kṛṣṇa’s wives (kṛṣṇa-vadhvaḥ).

Hearing with great attention Śukadeva describing the rāsa dance with affection, considering some devotees and dry logicians who were slightly smiling and glancing while squinting their eyes, Parīkṣit asks a question as a doubt to mercifully benefit them. This continues for three verses. The Lord appears in order to reestablish lost dharma, or protect what is current. Not only that, he comes in order to uproot adharma with all its subtle desires. Otherwise, establishing dharma would be incomplete. The word hi indicates that this is well known. It is said dharma saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhaṁi yuge yuge: I appear in every yuga to establish dharma. (BG 4.8) As Bhagavān, manifesting his nature as the Lord, he appears with Balarāma. This shows his zeal. He does this since he is the protector of the universe. Otherwise the universe would be destroyed. Or, he is lord of the universe, the protector. Or the lord appears in this world to destroy completely establishment of unlimited dharmas contrary to bhakti since his purpose as avatāra is accomplished by performing the rāsa dance, which is without such dharmas. “But he will then contradict the Vedas, created by himself.” He is the lord of the universe, of Brahmā and others. He is completely independent. For accomplishing his rasa, sometimes he will do such things. He has no controller. Or according to the following, dharma means bhakti: dharmo mad-bhakti-kṛt prokto jṣānaṁ caikātmya-darśanam guṇesv asaṅgo vairāgyam aiśvaryaṁ cāṇimādayaḥ Dharma means what produces bhakti. Real jṣāna is seeing Paramātmā everywhere. Real vairāgya is complete disinterest in sense objects. Real aiśvarya is acquisition of the siddhis. SB 11.1.27 Thus the Lord appears to establish bhakti and destroy what is unfavorable to bhakti, such as liberation, because he is the protector of the universe. Everyone’s happiness is established by establishing bhakti. This verse should actually start with yat (who). He is the speaker of laws to protect the people or the speaker of rules concerning dharma mentioned in the Vedas. Since he is the speaker he must also be the executor of the laws. People will not accept if there is difference between his words and actions. He is the protector of the laws by increasing its popularity and destroying the opposition. Embracing another man’s wife is contrary to the laws of dharma or unfavorable for the establishment of dharma (pratīpam). O brahman, personification of the Vedas! By transgressing the Vedas with contrary acts, he transgresses brāhmaṇas like you. It is not suitable conduct for him since he respects the brāhmaṇas. Or, “How can I know the reasons since those are the actions of the Lord?” But you are the knower of all the Vedas (brahman), since you are omniscient. Or, he has done opposite (pratīpam): he has spoken adharma, performed adharma and protected adharma. He himself states his enjoyment of others’ wives. Mayāparokṣaṁ bhajatā tirohitam: even when I removed myself from your sight by suddenly disappearing, I never stopped loving you. (SB 10.32.21) He did it since he personally enjoyed them. He protected adharma since he did it repeatedly. Thus he encouraged others to do this. He has more fault than a person who simply sins without affecting others. Or, doing the opposite (pratīpam) he has really destroyed dharma and established adharma. Or he did not violate them at all. Why? He is the the speaker of the rules of bhakti (dharma-setūnām). In order to spread special bhakti which is his chief goal as avatāra, it is suitable that he does not give respect to dharma. This is clear when he speaks about those who serve dharma: tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate As long as one does not become detached from daily and periodic duties or has not awakened his faith in hearing topics about me, one should perform one’s prescribed duties of varṇāśrama. SB 11.20.9 Or though he is the speaker of the rules of dharma, why did he perform acts contrary? By performing the rāsa dance and promoting the highest bhakti, he accomplished the dharma of attaining him alone. Touching the women who were most excellent by pure bhakti to him (para), his own women, was proper, to fulfill the desires of his devotees while ignoring all else, since the purpose of his avatāra was bhakti. Touching others’ wives is a fault. These were his women, the best (para), his wives.