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Re: the significance of avatars

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ramanan Rajagopalan • June 18, 2001 


Dear Sir:

(vitesse_iyengar@yahoo.co.in) wrote:
>   The scriptures mention that God assumes various
> manifestations from time to time to protect 
> "virtuous people".Also the Bhagwad  Gita  says..
>          	 yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati
> bharaata
> 	 	 abyuthanam adharmasya tada atmanam srjamyaham
> 	    	 paritrnaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkrutaam
> 		 dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge
> my question is why should Lord come down to punish the
> "evil" ?
> Can't he do it from vaikuntam itself..by his mere
> sankalpa?


Your question is very valid. He could have done it very 
easily.He does not do like that because while trying to kill 
the adharmam, he also has tried to show how Human Beings have 
to upheld values in life to reach his abode, as he did with 
Rama Avatara(obeying Parents' words), Parasurama (Listened to 
Father's words), and also in line with the boons that Asuras 
enjoyed, like Hirayan can only be killed by some superior being 
which is not a living, non-living thing, this that etc..

The question that you  have posted actually relates to His 
Avatara Rahasya too. 

If you could read the verses that precede and follow the verse 
you have stated from Gita, He says the following to Arjuna's 
questions:

1. He assumes body in his avatara which is true(like Human 
Being)
2. His Body is always called Tirumeni, which does not loose its 
charm by taking any form, unlike ordinary human body
3. He does not loose His Qualities whenever and wherever he is 
born. This can be known from Alwar's Anubavam of Varaha 
Peruman, TiruVikraman, Narasimhan etc..
4. Whenever there is Adharmam, He comes into this world in some 
form to kill it.
5. Finally, to protect the People who uphold Dharmam, He comes 
to the world to protect them.(Parithranaya Saadhunam.. verse)

I have few more thoughts on this topic which I am not able to 
exress in words now, but will write them too.

Pardon me if there is any mistake,

Thank very much,

Adiyen,
Ramanan Rajagopalan
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