Upanishads · Kṛṣṇa 1.19
॥
Devanāgarī
कृपार्थे सर्वभूतानां गोप्तारं धर्ममात्मजम् । यत्स्रष्टुमीश्वरेणासीत्तच्चक्रं ब्रह्मरूपदृक्
Transliteration (IAST)
kṛpārthe sarvabhūtānāṃ goptāraṃ dharmamātmajam | yatsraṣṭumīśvareṇāsīttaccakraṃ brahmarūpadṛk
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कृपा-अर्थे सर्व-भूतानांkṛpā-arthe sarva-bhūtānāṃout of mercy for all beings
गोप्तारं धर्मम् आत्मजम्goptāraṃ dharmam ātmajamthe protector, the law, the son
यत् स्रष्टुम् ईश्वरेण आसीत्yat sraṣṭum īśvareṇa āsītwhat was created by the lord
तत् चक्रं ब्रह्म-रूप-दृक्tat cakraṃ brahma-rūpa-dṛkthat is the discus, in appearance brahman
Translation
"Out of mercy for all beings — the protector, the law, the son; what was created by the lord, that is the discus, in appearance brahman."
Version
78d4fc427ba5 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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It is worth noting the opening words: kṛpārthe sarva-bhūtānām, "out of mercy for all beings." That is, the purpose of the descent is named kṛpā, "mercy," and moreover toward all, not only the righteous. This qualification matters and is worth voicing, for it corrects the Gītā's verse just cited.
The Gītā speaks of the deliverance of the righteous and the destruction of evildoers; and to the ear it sounds as though He has two measures. The Vaiṣṇava side clarifies this, and her clarification is worth knowing. The evildoers He kills, by her books, receive a boon: the Bhāgavatam says of Kaṃsa, of Śiśupāla, of Dantavakra that they attained Him; and Śiśupāla, who reviled Him his whole life, entered Him at death before everyone's eyes (10.74.45).
That is, destruction and salvation are one and the same act, directed at different people. Let us add the explanation given for this, which is, to my mind, intelligible. To the enemy He gives what the enemy was in fact seeking: the enemy was occupied with Him undividedly, thought of Him day and night, hated Him with all his strength; and this occupation, though inverted, is still occupation.
The Bhāgavatam says this directly, calling such a path dveṣa-bhakti, "devotion through hatred," and gives the reckoning: the hater attains sooner than the indifferent (7.1.26–30). It is worth adding, however, that this path is not offered: it explains why the slain were not lost, not advises hatred.