Miscellaneous - Religion   

Purpose of incarnation

CHENNAI: The various incarnations of the Supreme Being have served the specific purpose of subduing evil to establish righteousness and Lord Krishna makes it explicit that whenever there is danger for dharma, He will descend personally to protect it. But as a corollary to these incarnations is also the most important function of making Himself accessible to countless Jivatmas caught in the cycle of Samsara who would otherwise not know His greatness.

Because of their total spiritual involvement, the Azhwars and great preceptors such as Alavandar, Kooresa or Vedanta Desika have been able to relive the experiences of the various incarnations of the Lord in a very sensitive manner. Their moving hymns reflect this unique and individual experience in myriad ways and also enable others to experience God’s auspicious qualities and instil devotion towards Him, pointed out Sri M. V. Anantapadmanabhachariar in a discourse.

The Daya Sataka of Vedanta Desika states that all incarnations of the Lord are for the benefit of the devotees. The destruction of Kshatriya kings during His incarnation as Parasurama was an act of compassion. By chastising them, the Lord absolved them of their sins and gave them liberation.

The wide reach of the Lord’s accessibility is nowhere more prominently felt than in His incarnation as Lord Krishna where the Lord is most endearing right from the moment of His birth. It is believed that Goddess Earth prayed to the Lord in the form of a cow to relieve her of the burden of the evil and wicked people. She, who is noted for her patience, found the Adharma of the wicked unbearable.

The incarnation of Kalki which is yet to be is also visualised vividly and adheres strictly to the scriptural details foretold. The scriptures state that at the end of Kali Yuga when Adharma is at its peak, it is believed that the Lord would be born and would ride a white horse with a powerful sword in his hand to eliminate the sinners. His purpose is to establish the Krita Yuga Dharma once again for the cycle to be set forth in motion. The yearning for this incarnation is more deeply and frequently felt by the victims of Adharma.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Cartoonscape
The Hindu Crossword No. 9241
Solution No. 9240
Purpose of incarnation
dated June 4, 1958: Peace parleys in Beirut
dated June 4, 1958: Reforms in France
dated June 4, 1958: People’s power
Weather

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu