From today's Hindu

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The real purpose of God's incarnations

 

 

CHENNAI APRIL 15 . God in His incarnation as Krishna had declared the

purpose of His manifestations in the world. This occurs in the

Bhagavad Gita, His teachings to Arjuna in the battlefield. Lord

Krishna mentions three reasons — to protect His devotees,

exterminate

evil and to uphold Dharma in the world whenever there is threat to

it. A logical doubt that will arise immediately for a person who is

conversant with scriptural descriptions of the Almighty's nature and

infinite auspicious qualities is that God being omnipotent, He can

accomplish all these by His mere will instead of taking the trouble

to incarnate in the world. Why did He assume the human form and come

down to the Earth from His transcendental abode?

 

In his discourse, Velukkudi Sri V.Krishnan said the hymns of the

Azhwars provided insight into this enigma. An Azhwar categorically

says that if the Lord had not incarnated and responded to the call of

His devotees His radiance would have waned. His devotees can enjoy

His compassion and auspicious traits only when God descends to their

level. In the case of Gajendra, the Azhwar says if He had provided

succour to the elephant from the clutches of the crocodile without

appearing before it, the real purpose of the exercise would not have

been accomplished. Gajendra was a great devotee who used to offer

flowers to the Lord without fail everyday and when it called out to

Him in distress it was not bothered about its life but wanted to

offer the lotus it had plucked at His feet. By enabling it to perform

this service to Him when He appeared before His devotee the Lord

recompensed it for its unalloyed devotion. The other reasons were

only incidental.

 

Further, the Azhwar says in His incarnation as Rama it was His anger

that killed Ravana. He had no intention of killing the demon king.

When Vibhishana gave vent to his grief seeing his mighty brother

dead, Rama consoled him and asked him to perform the final rites for

his brother. Rama's words at this juncture reveals His mind

clearly, " Consider what duty has to be performed at this juncture...

Animosity ends with death. Our purpose has been achieved. Therefore

let obsequies be performed in relation to him now. He is as good as

mine too as yours. " If Rama could show such generosity of spirit

towards one who had abducted His wife, the real intention of His

incarnation can be understood. It was to bless His devotee Vibhishana

indeed.