Those who come as Avatāras have no meritorious or sinful karmas from other births. The causes that bring ordinary human bodies into being do not apply to them. The sins of sinners and the merits of the virtuous, the two together, become the cause of the līlā birth. Let me take one example. What was the cause of the Narasiṃha Avatāra? Was it not the sinful karma Hiraṇyakaśipu did and the meritorious karmas Prahlāda did? Was it not these two together that helped Narasiṃha to descend? In the same way, there is no need to search for the causes of an Avatāra's births. Through the births of the Avatāras the righteous find happiness and sinners suffer sorrow. For His own birth, no particular meritorious or sinful karmas are the cause. His body brings Him neither sorrow nor happiness. Kṛṣṇa said: a previous birth is not the cause of an Avatāra's birth; it has none of the modifications of the five elements; it is a cinmaya svarūpa, not made of clay; Ahaṅkāra and mamakāra cannot remain in it even to the smallest degree; the veil of Avidyā is not seen in the Avatāras; and if people think of them as ordinary men, that is only the fault of Ajñāna. And He said, "Listen: I will tell you what the deeds are that I, who bear a body, descend and perform in this world."