God changes spiritual forms like an actor changing costumes to restore religion when humanity abandons divine law.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.35 — December 13, 1973, Los Angeles 731213SB-LOS ANGELES [37:48 Minutes] SB-01.15.35_731213SB-LOS ANGELES Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] yathā matsyādi-rūpāṇi dhatte jahyād yathā naṭaḥ bhū-bhāraḥ kṣapito yena jahau tac ca kalevaram [SB 1.15.35] [break] ...matsya-ādi—incarnation as a fish, etc.; rūpāṇi—forms; dhatte—eternally accepts; jahyāt—apparently relinquishes; yathā—exactly like; naṭaḥ—magician; bhū-bhāraḥ—burden of the world; kṣapitaḥ—relieved; yena—by which; jahau—let go; tat—that; ca—also; kalevaram—body. [02:52] Translation: "The Supreme Lord relinquished the body which He manifested to diminish the burden of the world. Just like a magician, He relinquishes one body to accept different ones, like the fish incarnation, etc." Prabhupāda: rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs. 5.39] Govindam.
Govinda is ādi-puruṣa. So ādi-puruṣa means the original person. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said by Kṛṣṇa Himself, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7], "I am the Supreme Person." Now there are different forms of God, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. They are different incarnations.
Just like īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. That Kṛṣṇa, He is staying in everyone's heart. This is also another incarnation, antaryāmī, Supersoul incarnation. So just imagine how many, anantyāya kalpate.
These living entities are unlimited, so this incarnation, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām, the Lord in everyone's heart is staying. So how many you cannot count; there is no question. Not only that; it is said that aṇḍāntara-stham, He is staying as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu within this universe. We should always remember that without spirit soul there cannot be any material development. That is practical.
Just like the seed, the living soul, for changing his body he is put into the semina of a male. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. This is the process of changing body. Daiva-netreṇa.
This is being how you have to change your body. That is not under your control. After your death you are unconscious. Just like when you are on a surgical operational table you are completely under the surgeon.
He puts you on the table, you unconscious, and he is operating as he likes. You don't protest. Similarly, we have got three condition. This is awakened stage we are talking, but at night we dream. That is called svapna stage, dreaming stage.