Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.3.28
Āśraya· The supreme shelterKṛṣṇa Is the Source of All Incarnations
“All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of all other incarnations. He has no source other than Himself.
- The Lord and His incarnations descend out of mercy to fulfill particular missions and protect the theists. Each incarnation manifests the powers needed for its particular work.
- Kṛṣṇa exhibits the complete features of Godhead. His pastimes with the gopīs are transcendental and should be understood through gradual study of the Bhāgavatam, not mistaken for ordinary love.
Try this today
Write down one teaching from this verse about Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy and reflect on it for one minute.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead deepen my understanding of His incarnations?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.