Understanding Krishna's transcendental birth and activities revives the dormant spiritual quality already present in every soul.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.23 — October 3, 1974, Māyāpur 741003SB-MAYAPUR [32:16 Minutes] SB-01.08.23_741003SB-MAYAPUR Nitāi: [leads chanting of verse, etc.] [devotees repeat] yathā hṛṣīkeśa khalena devakī kaṁsena ruddhāticiraṁ śucārpitā vimocitāhaṁ ca sahātmajā vibho tvayaiva nāthena muhur vipad-gaṇāt [SB 1.8.23] [break] [02:06] "O Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses and the Lord of lords, You have released Your Mother Devakī, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kaṁsa, and myself and my children from a series of constant dangers." Prabhupāda: yathā hṛṣīkeśa khalena devakī kaṁsena ruddhāticiraṁ śucārpitā vimocitāhaṁ ca sahātmajā vibho tvayaiva nāthena muhur vipad-gaṇāt [SB 1.8.23] So Kṛṣṇa... Actually, Kuntī is presenting the characteristics of Kṛṣṇa. He is transcendental, puruṣaṁ prakṛteḥ param. Then He is person.
In so many ways, he..., she has already described. Now... That is identification. Now Kṛṣṇa's activities.
Because we have to know Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. His birth and His activities, both of them are transcendental, not material, because He is puruṣaṁ prakṛteḥ param [SB 3.26.8]. He is the person beyond this material nature, who is not a created being of this material nature.
That we should understand. Puruṣaṁ prakṛteḥ param. The original creator. That means Kṛṣṇa existed before the creation. Because He existed before the creation, therefore His activities, His form, His qualities, they're not material.
Prakṛteḥ param. But He comes upon this earth or in this material world. His activities are to save the devotees and to kill the demons, simultaneous. That we have already explained.
His real activity is to give protection to the devotees. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was very much disturbed by the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu. So give him protection, He appeared as Nṛsiṁha-deva. Similarly, here Kṛṣṇa appeared.
Why? To give relief to Devakī and Vasudeva, the Pāṇḍavas. They were in very great danger by kaṁsena khalena, envious demon Kaṁsa. And similarly, the Pāṇḍavas were also in difficult by the envious Dhṛtarāṣṭra and company, his sons. So Kṛṣṇa comes—paritrāṇāya sādhūnām [Bg. 4.8].