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Re: God's Grace

From the Bhakti List Archives

pradeepjanakiram • June 19, 2001 


In my opinion regarding the significance of avatars... I have a few 
points. 

a) first of all the Chaarvaakas and the atheists would have a free 
hand in going around propagating that there is no supernatural force 
in the world at all. 

At a time when science is so advanced and can explain the cause and 
effect of so many things they would say that law has taken its own 
course and that there was no SuperNatural hand or anything in this at 
all. 

It is the preachings of some saints and Gurus that natural disasters 
are a good learning point and eye opener for humanity. They go to 
prove how insignificant human life is and how whatever life we lead 
is only what is allowed by the supernatural forces and not everything 
is under our control. 

So my first point is that God might have liked to establish the point 
that there is a force beyond human cognition and he would like to 
prove it from time to time to put down Adharma and humble Asuras who 
think they are everything. 

b) Say some big CEO/President/Boss wants to make an important 
announcement ...they prefer to make a public appearance and give a 
speech while at other times the entire organisation functions without 
seeing the CEO or President etc. They could very well send an email 
or circulate a memo but they prefer making a public appearance. 

When Clinton made an appearance on National t.v. to make a statement 
on a mere scandal, to clarify things, why not God make a Avataram to 
clarify to  people that he is the only one in the whole world that is 
sustaining everyone, everything  and to uphold Dharma and Vedas and 
protect the Sadhus ? 

c) Thirdly, the Avataras or Leelas should not be considered as 
confined to the avataras as Rama or Krishna. Each and every Saint, 
Bhakta, Jnaani's life has a purpose and it is a avatara of the Lord 
and no one else. This is clear from the lives of great saints like 
Chaitanya, Ramanuja, Sankara who's works are not possible by merely 
ordinary people. It is the Lord himself who comes down to earth in 
simple forms and does all these great things. 

It is mentioned in the Bhagavatam also that in KaliYuga, there will 
be a great number of saints in the Dakshina Bharata near Tamaraparani 
river (...no partiality meant here) to carry forward the message of 
Bhagavatha Dharma and to establish Bhakti in the hearts of people. 

By merely recounting the lives of these saints, it is said that it 
fosters Bhakti in our minds. There is a very nice stanza from a song 
of a great Jnaani of our recent times...

"Bhakthi illai endru thallal aagumo
 Nin Arul Indri Bhakthi Edhu Ayya ? 
 
 Jnanadevar Jnaaneshwarar Varisaiyil Naan illai
 Avargal Vaibhavathai Smarikkum Jnaanam Undu 
 
 Adhu Dhaane Un Arulai Petru tharum Endra
 Nambikkaiyum enakku undu ...
 
 Vittalaa Nee Ennai Kai Vidal Aagumo ? "

It says...please dont reject me because I dont have enough 
Bhakthi...for without your grace where is Bhakti possible ?

I am not of the order of the great saints like Jnaaneshwar or 
NaamaDeva...but I have the sense to appreciate and recount the lives 
of them (Smaranai)

I have heard that this fosters Bhakthi and begets your grace...so 
please Vittala ... how can you desert me ? 

So may be one of the reasons is to foster bhakthi, and the lives of 
the saints itself is an example for people. 


d) Finally ...take the incident of the Vaikuntha's Dwaarapaalakas 
getting cursed to be born as Asuras in 3 births (Hiranyaksha and 
Hiranyakasipu, Ravana and Kumbakarana, and again in Krishna avatara). 

I have heard in one of Sri Krishna Premi's discourses that the Lord 
told them not to be afraid and that he wanted to do Avataras and do 
Leelais and he was getting bored and hence this incident of the curse 
was also pre-determined by him. 

Please take this in a lighter-sense as God does not wish anyone to 
get separated from him. But he is a "Leela-Rasikan" and likes doing 
so many "Adhbuta-Leelais" and dumbfound people. Even in the case of 
thse Asuras they were in constant thought of the lord though in 
hatred and fear and finally attained to his lotus-feet and died at 
his own hands. This has also been referred to as "Dwesha-Bhakthi"

So God would come from time to time in various forms to prove to 
people and Asuras everyone that everthing and everyone in all the 
worlds is sustained by Him alone and he alone is all pervading and 
all powerful...and there's no better way to prove this than to make a 
presence and do a Avatar/Leelai. 

Imagine...how difficult it would be for us to do Bhakthi to Lord in a 
Nirguna way and how easy it is to recollect Krishna's leelas which 
fosters Bhakthi in our minds. 

These are some of my views why God might have decided to come down 
from time to time ...more suggestions/thoughts/feedback are welcome
and would make interesting reading. 

-- Pradeep 




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