TEXT 20
nedam yaso raghupateh sura-yacnayatta-
lila-tanor adhika-samya-vimukta-dhamnah
rakso-vadho jaladhi-bandhanam astra-pugaih
kim tasya satru-hanane kapayah sahayah
SYNONYMS
nanot; idamall these; yasahfame; raghu-patehof Lord Ramacandra; sura-yacnayaby the prayers of the demigods; atta-lila-tanohwhose spiritual body is always engaged in various pastimes; adhika-samya-vimukta-dhamnahno one is greater than or equal to Him; raksah-vadhahkilling the Raksasa (Ravana); jaladhi-bandhanambridging the ocean; astra-pugaihwith bow and arrows; kimwhether; tasyaHis; satru-hananein killing the enemies; kapayahthe monkeys; sahayahassistants.
TRANSLATION
Lord Ramacandras reputation for having killed Ravana with showers of arrows at the request of the demigods and for having built a bridge over the ocean does not constitute the factual glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Ramacandra, whose spiritual body is always engaged in various pastimes. Lord Ramacandra has no equal or superior, and therefore He had no need to take help from the monkeys to gain victory over Ravana.
PURPORT
As stated in the Vedas (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8):
The Supreme Lord has nothing to do, and no one is found to be equal to or greater than Him, for everything is done naturally and systematically by His multifarious energies. The Lord has nothing to do (na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate); whatever He does is His pastime. The Lord has no duty to perform to oblige anyone. Nonetheless, He appears to act to protect His devotees or kill His enemies. Of course, no one can be the Lords enemy, since who could be more powerful than the Lord? There is actually no question of anyones being His enemy, but when the Lord wants to take pleasure in pastimes, He comes down to this material world and acts like a human being, thus showing His wonderful, glorious activities to please the devotees. His devotees always want to see the Lord victorious in varied activities, and therefore, to please Himself and them, the Lord sometimes agrees to act as a human being and perform wonderful, uncommon pastimes for the satisfaction of the devotees.

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