The Nature of Avathars

Sathsang (In the company of Holy men) No: 33/2010.

Dt. 9^th June 2010.

When goodness grows weak, when evil increases, I make myself a body.

In every yuga  I come back to deliver the holy, to destroy the sin of the sinner To establish righteousness

-Bhagavata

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

Akhilanda Koti Brahmanda Nayaka, Sesha Natha

An Avathar is an incarnation of a fragment of God on Earth. Avathars that are known of in the West include, Christ, Buddha, Rama, and Krishna; but there are many others as enumerated in the Bhagavata, the story of all the major Avathars. An Avathar may be born in the home of a very pure but otherwise ordinary human mother and father. The Avathar arrives in a body that is human and mortal like others but the Avathar himself is fully aware of his complete Divinity and whatever he wills must happen. The Mahabharata and Bhagavata contain stories about the Avathar Krishna who was recognized by a few of his contemporaries as a Divine Incarnation. But most considered him their friend, enemy, or just another, if extraordinary, citizen of the community. The Avathar is born with a mission, a reason for his advent and never swerves from those goals. Avathars may accomplish tasks in miraculous ways or they may use ordinary means and instruments (mediums) to accomplish their goal. The miracles, however are merely the calling card of the Divine and not the end in themselves. Those few pure souls, full of devotion, who are drawn to the Avathar may glimpse a portion of his glory and think of Him as a great saint, sage, or more rarely even recognize Him for what he is, an incarnation of the Absolute, but they are typically few in number. Powers of evil naturally oppose the powers of good, so often men of power and arrogance develop a strong hatred of divine personalities and oppose them vigorously as was the case with

Christ, Shirdi Sri Sai Baba(Incarnation of Shiva), Sri Seshadri Swamigal (Thiruvannamalai, South India)(Incarnation of Shiva) etc.,

There can be no boundaries for His achievements. He incarnates in countless ways; He comes as an Incarnation of a Kala (fragment) of His, or an Amsa (part) of His; He comes as an Inner inspirer for some definite Purpose; He comes to close an epoch and inaugurate another (Yugavathar). The narrative of these Incarnations is the Bhagavatha.

The difference between an Avathar and a sage or saint is this: the full Avathar is enlightened and completely aware of his own Divinity even at birth. The Avathar is never overcome by the maya (illusion) of the world, and is always aware of His mission and the Divine powers at His command. In contrast a sage or saint is a human who has attained some degree of spiritual progress and is reborn in ever higher states until, in a final life, that sage or saint attains to Self-Realization or mergence in the Absolute. The sage or saint is devoted to God and practices meditation or rituals or prayers, depending on the path, as spiritual sadhana to approach ever closer to the Supreme Being.

Some spiritual beings, even after attaining to Realization may choose to be reborn voluntarily to further some specific plan or purpose of the Divine. There are many examples of such types of beings in India and elsewhere who have come to accomplish various tasks. Many times their activities are carried out using very subtle means. In the East such a one is called a Sath Purusha. Various religions use other terms such as a Saint, Prophet, Buddha, etc.

“Once one is established in infinite consciousness,
one becomes silent and though knowing everything,
goes about as if he does not know anything

Though he might be doing a lot of things in several places,
to all outward appearances, he will remain as if he does nothing.”

- Avathar Sri Nityananda Swamigal .Ganeshpuri

(-75kms from Mumbai )

Sometimes, when the created world has to be sustained, I myself assume name and form and initiate Manvantharas (great eras of time) and provide the Earth with appropriate Divine Personalities and Sages, who set examples to be followed and indicate the path of progress.

I end also the unlimited increase of beings, when it happens. For this sake, I take on the form of Rudra (the destructive aspect of God). I create the bad, in order to high-light and promote the good; and in order to protect the good, I set certain limits, both to the good and the bad, for, they would otherwise, stray into wrong ways and inflict great harm. – Bhagavata

“People believe that incarnations of God happen only for two reasons: the punishment of the wicked and the protection of the righteous. But, these represent only one aspect of the Task. The granting of peace and joy, of a sense of fulfillment to seekers who have striven long – this too is the Task.

The Avathar or Form Incarnate is only the concretisation of the yearning of the seekers. It is the solidified sweetness of the devotion of godly aspirants. The formless assumes the Form for the sake of these aspirants and seekers.”