Sri Rama Avathar

By Staff

Friday, September 11, 2009, 17:33

Before we delve into the uniqueness and glory of this human Avatara, a few preliminary observations are called for. The vast universe with its infinite variety and multiplicity was created by God, the supreme and in order to sustain and maintain it in rhythm and harmony, He has blessed humanity with certain eternal and universal laws for the welfare of all living beings. These laws known as the Vedas (Sruti) which are in the nature of Divine vibrations - the very breath of the Lord were received by the Rishis of old with their intuitive sense of hearing.

From Guru to sishya, the Vedas were propagated for the welfare of subsequent generations. The Vedas are the root of Dharma and Dharma is the basis of the entire manifested world. The Vedas are the means of attaining the fourfold Purushartha - Dharma. Artha, Kama and Moksha. When Artha and Kama were based on Dharma. the human race following the Divine blue-print - the Vedic injunctions, lived a life of contentment and happiness and marched forward in its evolutionary pilgrimage to Godhood.

However, when we look at the spiritual history of the world, we noticed that it is not a perennial and an uneventful upward march to perfection but the journey is punctuated by periodical decadence followed by renaissance. This is neither the fault of the laws nor of the lawgiver as every failure and sorrow is normally attributed to human beings, the roof and crown of creation, unlike the animals which live by sheer instincts and impulses are bestowed with unique discriminating faculty, the intellect and also the "Choice of action" - the wise exercise of these helps them to live and act in harmony with Dharma and thereby progress towards the goal namely, liberation (Moksha) from their self-imposed entanglements.

Purushartha however involves the freedom of choice, man often falls a prey to the tantalizing temptations of the world, violates the laws by living an adharmic life and suffers the consequences - misery and sorrow - and reaches his doom, thereby retarding his evolutionary progress. When at any period of history, such violations become rampant and evil forces gain an upper hand reducing the people of that period to a state of utter helplessness, the law-giver manifests Himself amongst humanity and restores Dharma back to its pedestal as promised in the Bhagavad Gita.

"Arjuna, whenever righteousness is on the decline and unrighteousness is on the ascendant, then I manifest Myself"
I "For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of evil doers, and for establishing Dharma on a firm footing. I am born from age to age".

Thus the mighty, unlimited, supreme law-giver, the truth indicated in the Upanishads out of compassion for the erring masses and for giving them solace, descends as an Avatar and appears to be embodied and limited. In and through that role played by Him, He speaks and acts, blesses, inspires, guides and illumines humanity. Though the objects of the descent are : (1) the protection of the good. (ii) the destruction of the wicked and (iii) re-establishment of Dharma, the main purpose is the last which is Dharma-Samsthapana. The Lord, through His divine interference or descent apparently comes down to solve a topical problem of the age, the main aim being to leave behind eternal solutions. Avataar is the descent of the Lord for the ascent of man.

About the author

P.G.Ananthanarayan (Mani)

This article has been written by P.G.Ananthanarayan (Mani) for the Vedanta Vani of Chinmaya Mission.