tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159465.post111086933093075882..comments2023-05-24T22:53:48.790+09:00Comments on WKD (01) ... World Kigo Database . . . (WKD): Juggernaut Festival (Jagannath) IndiaGabi Grevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16362456518166174106noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159465.post-27648747799915742842007-08-28T14:15:00.000+09:002007-08-28T14:15:00.000+09:00http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/avatarAvatar...http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/avatar<BR/><BR/><B>Avatara - When, Why and How?</B><BR/><BR/>The literal meaning of the word ‘avatara’ is descent. It is no physical climb down however, but rather akin to the teacher, who, when instructing small children, has to come down to the "level" of the child, hold his hand and teach him how to write the alphabet. This is the teacher’s avatara in front of the child. A good guru too is one who first gets down to the level of his disciple’s ability of understanding and grants him knowledge accordingly. <BR/><BR/>The scriptures explicitly delineate as to when, why and how god takes avatara. In this regard, it is the Bhagavad Gita which gives the clearest picture: <BR/><BR/>When Does God Take Avatara?<BR/><BR/>Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata<BR/>Abhyutthanam adharmasya tada atmanam srjamy aham. <BR/>(Bhagavad Gita 4.7) <BR/><BR/>When when (yada yada), O Arjuna (bharata), there is (bhavati) a decline (glani) of dharma and the rise (abhyutthanam) of adharma, then (tada) I (aham) manifest (srjam) myself (atmanam). <BR/><BR/>This verse makes it very clear that there is not just any one exclusive incarnation of god at one instant of time. Actually, whenever adharma rises and dharma is subdued, god takes avatara to restore the balance. In fact, he may even take multiple incarnations to fulfill a single task. This is illustrated in the following story: <BR/><BR/>Once the devatas (demigods), in order to win over the demons threatening the world, set out to churn the ocean and extract from it the nectar of immortality. For this purpose, they carried on their backs a huge mountain, intending to use it as a churning rod. However, unable to support its weight they dropped it on the way. It was then that the Supreme Person, manifesting as Lord Vishnu, came to their rescue and carried across the mountain to the seashore. <BR/><BR/>Read it all in the LINK above !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com