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This section would provide opportunity for each of us to share our knowledge on Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya with our fellow readers. If you are a good writer and are interested in writing articles on any particular topic in Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, we will be happy to publish your articles in this website. Please email your articles to articles@kinchitkaramtrust.org. The best articles will be selected and published in this column.

This month's article has been contributed by a Ramanuja Dasa living in USA. He lives in Houston, USA and is an ardent devotee of His Highness Sriman Narayana Jeer Swamy. He has been writing a series of articles named "Think Series". We thank this adiyar for his contribution.

 

The Concept of "Avatara"

 

Avatara means to "come down or descend". Example: Once a king was sailing with his family, his ministers, his servants, etc. The ship rocked and his little son who was standing on the deck fell into the ocean. Did the king call for a meeting to order his ministers or servants to go and rescue his child? No, he did not even wait for a moment; he jumped right into the water immediately and held the drowning child. He could have stuck to his status of being the king and ordered his servants to save the child. But he had more joy conducting the duty of a father than that of a king.

Similarly, because Perumal (our dearest father/mother) does not like to see us (souls) drown in this ocean of samsara (birth and death cycle), he comes down to lift us. He comes again and again and again. It is "us" who do not want to hold his hand (more so His Feet). We think we can protect ourselves. (Note: Protection here is not house, food, clothing. It is more serious-the protection of the soul. We cannot protect our souls since we belong to HIM anyways. Only HE can protect us. He keeps trying - but we keep turning away).

 

Why Avataras?

 

Avataras are for our understanding. If Perumal does not mingle with us, if he does not show us his friendship through love/forgiveness/etc then it is very difficult to relate to Him and more difficult to love HIM. If his AWESOME qualities like strength, power, valor, accessibility, forgiveness, love, tenderness, etc are not revealed to us, we cannot relate to this SUPER POWER. Hence He descends for our sake. For the protection of the Good, for the destruction of evil, for the re-establishment of Dharma from time to time HE comes as different avataras.

 

Are Avataras True or Myth?

 

All avataras are 100% TRUE. Our Vedic faith is not any mythology. There is nothing as Hindu Mythology. This is a term coined by foreigners and our people repeat it like parrots without thinking. Our greatest history texts are called Itihasas (Srimad Ramayana and Sri Mahabharata). The Lord does not have only 10 avataras. He has many many avataras which were based on different categories, different reasons, etc. The Poorna avataras (complete in every aspect) which are closest to us in time, form, etc which we can relate to are Sri Rama avatara and Sri Krishna avataras.

Every aspect of the Rama avatara and Krishna avatara were completely true. Our history is so old that some people have started to call it a "myth". There were Ravanas and Sishupalas during the time of Sri Rama and Krishna who denied HIS power and supremacy. Even today we can see/hear some of them as leaders/politicians. Atheists claiming the non existence of Sri Rama or the srimad Ramayana will not change the truth.

 

Conclusion

 

HE is always thinking about us and always there for us. Are we there for HIM ? if not always, atleast for a few minutes per day ?