SB-VCT 1.2.34

भावयत्येष सत्त्वेन लोकान् वै लोकभावन: । लीलावतारानुरतो देवतिर्यङ्नरादिषु ॥ ३४ ॥

bhāvayaty eṣa sattvena
lokān vai loka-bhāvanaḥ
līlāvatārānurato
deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu

Text

The Lord, creator of the universe, absorbing himself in the forms of various līlāvatāras as devatās, animals and humans, protects the worlds through his role as the controller of sattva-guṇa.

Purport

It has been described that the Lord appears as many forms when he enters all the living beings. However the lord is without limitation or material contamination in all his forms. He appears in many forms with his svarupa in his eternal pastimes. Bhavayati means “he protects.” Or it means “he bestows them with prema (bhava).” This verse describes the normal goal of all avataras.15 Loka-bhavanah here means “creator of the universe” instead of “protector of the worlds,” to avoid redundant meaning, since bhavayati lokan already means “he protects the worlds.”

********** Chapter Three List of the Avataras

Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 1: Creation

Chapter 2: Divinity and Divine Service. Text 34

The Lord, creator of the universe, absorbing himself in the forms of various līlāvatāras as devatās, animals and humans, protects the worlds through his role as the controller of sattva-guṇa.