Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.50.29
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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sthiti-udbhava-antam
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maintenance, creation, and annihilation
Triple compound. The signature creation-maintenance-destruction triad of Bhāgavata theology (cf. SB 1.1.1, 2.6.39, etc.). Kṛṣṇa is identified as the sole source of all three — Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva being His own functional aspects.
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ananta-guṇaḥ
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whose qualities are unlimited
Ananta — without end. Bhāgavata insists Kṛṣṇa's guṇas (qualities) are limitless. Brahma-saṁhitā 5.30 (veṇuṁ kvaṇantam) and SB 1.16.26-30 (the cow Surabhi's lament) catalog these guṇas; Gauḍīyas elevate sweetness (mādhurya) above majesty (aiśvarya).
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sva-līlayā
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as His own pastime
Instrumental of sva-līlā. Līlā doctrine: the cosmos itself is Kṛṣṇa's play, not work. Effort-language does not apply to the Lord. The Yadu-Magadha war is one move in this play.
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martya-anuvidhasya
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of Him who imitates mortals
Compound: martya (mortal) + anuvidha (imitating, following the pattern of). Crucial Gauḍīya term — Kṛṣṇa anuvidha-s, follows the pattern of, mortal behavior. He is not a mortal; He plays the mortal-shape because rasa requires it.
The philosopher Aristotle once argued that the Supreme God would hardly take part in human activities, since all ordinary activities are unworthy of such a divine being. Similarly, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, who almost certainly never read the works of Aristotle, raises a similar point. Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa creates, maintains and annihilates the entire universe, isn’t it an uninteresting mismatch when He fights against Jarāsandha? The answer is as follows: The Lord plays the part of a human being and, expanding His pleasure potency, creates thrilling transcendental pastimes full of suspense and dynamic action. By the Lord’s Yogamāyā potency, He appears exactly like a human being, and thus we may enjoy the spectacle of the Supreme Person acting on the earthly stage. Undoubtedly, stubborn agnostics will argue that since Kṛṣṇa is God, there is no real suspense involved. Such skeptics simply do not understand Kṛṣṇa’s attractive potency. Beauty and drama, even on the material stage, possess their own fascinating logic, and similarly we love Kṛṣṇa for His own sake, we appreciate His beauty for its own sake, and we enjoy Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes because they are in fact wonderful in and of themselves. In fact, Kṛṣṇa executes His pastimes not for a mundane egotistical purpose but for our pleasure. Thus the presentation of spiritual pastimes is itself an act of love that Kṛṣṇa performs for the infinite spiritual happiness of pure-hearted souls who have transcended material envy of the Godhead. In this regard, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī quotes an important verse from the Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad: narākṛti para-brahma kāraṇa-mānuṣaḥ. “The Supreme Absolute Truth, for His own purpose, appears in a humanlike form, although He is the source of everything.” Similarly, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.32) we find, yan-mitraṁ paramānandaṁ pūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam: “The source of transcendental bliss, the eternal Supreme Brahman, has become their friend.”
"If Krsna is the lord of the universe, how can he derive any pleasure in fighting with insignificant jivas who are no equal to him? But if it were not so, then what would be the need of this description?" This verse answers the question. "So what is astonishing in his fighting? For Krnsa, who appears in human body and performs activities like a human, it is suitable. There would be no relish for him if, as undying creator of the universe, he defeated Jarasandha in combat, as the match would be unequal. If however, appearing as a human, he defeated the strong Jarasandha as an equal, it would be astonishing." One should not argue that Krsna’s human form is not his svarupa, because the scriptures say. "The para brahma has a human form." (Gopal tapani upanisad) and "The purna brahma full of highest bliss has become the friend of Yasoda and Nanda." Sb 10.14. 32
“If Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of the universe, how can he derive rasa from fighting the lowest, most insignificant? If he does not, what is the use of this description?” Maintenance (sthiti) is mentioned before creation and destruction because during that period the Lord performs his direct pastimes. The singular is used instead of the dual since Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa are considered non-different. “How can a single person carrying unlimited creations?” He has unlimited qualities like omniscience and cleverness, which are not attained by practice but are eternally inherent in his pastimes (sva-līlayā). The word sva (own) indicates his completely independent nature. Defeating an enemy is not cause for astonishment (citram). Because it indicates cause, it does not change to masculine gender. Having presented the question the conclusion is given. He performs activities that appear to be material as part of his human pastimes (martyānuvidhasya), but there is no degradation of his powers.
It is not astonishing that he killed the unlimited troops so quickly with ease. This verse shows that he is the lord of the universe. He creates the world as his play. He maintains and creates, and destroys also (as he destroyed the troops). Every day of Brahmā this creation and destruction of the three worlds takes place. The singular is used instead of the dual since Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa are considered non-different. Or only Kṛṣṇa is meant, since he is the chief person. He performs this act (ihate) in a fixed manner (sam), since he has unlimited qualities like omniscience and cleverness, which are accomplished without endeavor (sva-līlayā). The word sva (own) indicates his completely independent nature. Defeating the assistants (pakṣa) of enemy of the Yadus (parasya) is not cause for astonishment (citram). He follows after human behavior with such acts as defeating Jarāsandha’s troops. This indicates the extraordinary sweetness of his pastimes.
For Him who orchestrates creation, maintenance, and destruction of all three worlds as a pastime, subduing a single hostile army is hardly remarkable — yet sages still glorify it, because in this līlā the Cause appears as a human prince and the human-shaped act becomes the doorway to remembrance of the cosmic one.
From SB 1.1.1 (janmādy asya yataḥ) onward, the Bhāgavatam defines Bhagavān as the source of creation, maintenance, and dissolution. SB 10.50.29 redeploys the same triad to insist that Jarāsandha-vadha-pratikāra is small compared to cosmic management — and yet, paradoxically, it is precisely the small mānuṣa-act that the rasikas relish.
Gauḍīya commentators (Sanātana, Jīva, Viśvanātha) read this verse as a doctrinal pivot: aiśvarya is acknowledged in passing, mādhurya is celebrated at length. The cosmic Lord is fully present in the small Mathurā victory; that fullness is the wonder.
My note
Source: vedabase.io