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God’s incarnations

CHENNAI: The Supreme Being manifests in the world from time to time for the welfare of humanity. His births are due to His will and divine in nature whereas our births are the result of Karma. In His incarnation as Krishna the Lord spelt out the difference in their births to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, “You and I have passed through many births; I remember them all; you do not remember… Arjuna, My birth and activities are divine.”

In his Harikatha, Kalyanapuram Sri R.Aravamudachariar said among the Almighty’s descents, His incarnation in human form as Rama was important from the standpoint of humanity because He showed by example how a human being should conduct himself. If a person feels that the Vedic dictum, “Speak the truth, abide by Dharma,” may be very inspiring as an ideal but to practise it in day-to-day life in the world is very difficult, he is not alone. It is true that the hurdles that a person wedded to Dharma faces will be innumerable. But this should not be an excuse to give it up altogether. Through this incarnation the Lord showed to mankind that it is possible to follow Dharma in all challenging situations without making compromises. The Ramayana thus is a testament to how human life must be lived, and Rama the archetype of an ideal human being. The epic is thus not just a depiction of the Lord’s incarnation but a veritable digest on all aspects of human life.

His incarnations have been compared to flash floods in tradition because those who live during that time are able to experience His grace in bounteous measure. But, what use are they to us now?

Saints like the Azhwars, Purandaradasa and Thyagaraja, whose compositions on Rama are legion, attest that His name alone is enough for us to cross over the ocean of worldly bondage because Rama is not only a divine name but also a Taraka mantra capable of liberating man from rebirths. This has been stated by no less than Lord Siva Himself when His consort asked Him an easy way to derive the benefit of chanting His innumerable names. He then told Parvati that chanting Rama nama thrice was equal to the 1000 names of the Lord in the Vishnusahasranama.

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