Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.8.11

sūta uvāca

upadhārya vacas tasyā

bhagavān bhakta-vatsalaḥ

apāṇḍavam idaḿ kartuḿ

drauṇer astram abudhyata

SYNONYMS

sūtaḥ uvāca — Sūta Gosvāmī said; upadhārya — by hearing her patiently; vacaḥ — words; tasyāḥ — her; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; bhakta-vatsalaḥ — He who is very much affectionate towards His devotees; apāṇḍavam — without the existence of the Pāṇḍavas' descendants; idam — this; kartum — to do it; drauṇeḥ — of the son of Droṇācārya; astram — weapon; abudhyata — understood.

TRANSLATION

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Having patiently heard her words, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is always very affectionate to His devotees, could at once understand that Aśvatthāmā, the son of Droṇācārya, had thrown the brahmāstra to finish the last life in the Pāṇḍava family.

PURPORT

The Lord is impartial in every respect, but still He is inclined towards His devotees because there is a great necessity of this for everyone's wellbeing. The Pāṇḍava family was a family of devotees, and therefore the Lord wanted them to rule the world. That was the reason He vanquished the rule of the company of Duryodhana and established the rule of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Therefore, He also wanted to protect Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who was lying in embryo. He did not like the idea that the world should be without the Pāṇḍavas, the ideal family of devotees.