Question: Every time Krishna destroys the world after each era and when He comes back on earth does He repeat the same Lilas all the time without any changes?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Please note that Krishna appears once in each day of Brahma. During Brahma’s night there is a partial devastation, which seems to be what you are referring to within your question.
The answer is that the same theme of each of His pastimes repeats, but there are variations of these lilas. Here is one example, taken from Brhat-Bhagavatamrita, found below.
Kesi and Arishtasura
BB 3.6.255
Once the two great demons Kesi and Arishta came to Vraja. They were favorite servants of wicked Kamsa, visible manifestations of his life air.
BB 3.6.256
The first of these two assumed the form of a huge horse, and the other a bull. They terrified the cowherds, trampling the land of Gokula.
BB 3.6.257
Both at once, they entered the cowherd village, their vast bodies touching the sky, their roars throwing everyone to the ground.
COMMENTARY
The pastime of subduing Kaliya involved the combined rasas of pathos and heroism, but the next pastime recounted is one of pure heroism (vira-rasa). In this instance the two famous demons Kesi and Arishta, friends of Kamsa, arrived in Vraja at the same time. Assuming animal bodies, abnormally large, they terrified the cowherd village and harassed the cows, trampling them with heavy feet. Srila Sanatana Gosvami says the demons harassed gokula. He uses this word to mean both “the cowherd village” and “the herds of cows.”
BB 3.6.258
Though Krishna’s frightened loved ones tried to stop Krishna, pulling Him back with all their might, Krishna reassured them. Showing the courage of a hero, He slapped His arm with His hand and went forward to confront the demons.
COMMENTARY
Frightened by this monstrous horse and bull, the men and women of the cowherd community wanted to prevent Krishna from going near the demons.
BB 3.6.259
Kesi, running very fast, appeared before Krishna first, and Krishna, with a kick, tossed him far away. Krishna next found Arishta the bull, pierced a hole in his nose, tied him up, and brought him before Lord Siva, Gopisvara.
COMMENTARY
Since horses generally travel faster than bulls, Krishna first encountered Kesi. Krishna kicked the horse demon so far away that he was unlikely ever to come back. Krishna then subdued Arishta and offered him to Sri Gopisvara, the famous siva-linga of the Vrindavana forest, to remain sitting before Gopisvara Mahadeva, tied up for safekeeping as Lord Gopisvara’s carrier, so that Arishta would not be free to wander about and cause more trouble.
BB 3.6.260
Then Kesi the horse returned, but powerful Krishna, whose valor never falters, jumped up and forcibly mounted him. Training him to move here and there, Krishna splendidly displayed His own prowess by taming Kesi completely.
COMMENTARY
How could Krishna have brought Arishta to Gopisvara and then returned so quickly to meet Kesi? Krishna is amanda-vikrama, anything but slow. His abilities have no limit.
BB 3.6.261
Krishna had thousands of His friends also mount the horse and with His swift hand made the horse jump in many ways, allowing these friends to roam both the earth and the sky. Thus He took His pleasure.
BB 3.6.262
Having brought the horse under His control in no time, Krishna tied him up with ropes and kept him within the cowherd village for the entertainment of riding. And for pulling carts, He also kept the bull.
COMMENTARY
Krishna took Arishta, whom He had placed before Sri Gopisvara, and kept him in the cow pasture for pulling carts.
