Excerpts from - 'Prem Rasa Siddhant' - 1

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"Avatar Rahasya" (Prem Ras Siddhant)

 

The descensions of God.

 

English Excerpts from Prem Ras Siddhant

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"hari avatAra hetu jehi hoi

idamitthaM kahi jAta na soi"

 

(Rama Carita Manas- Sri Tulasi das)

 

There are uncountable reasons for the descension of God.

 

Thus, it is pointless to say that the purpose of God's descension

is limited to a specific reason. People have given various reasons

based on what appeals to them. But, I would say that the most

important reason for the descension of God is only His causeless

Grace. God, Who is fully satisfied within Himself, and Who is

atmaram-poornkam, has nothing to gain from anyone. He cannot have any

kind of desire. Thus His each and every action is only for the

benefit of others. God's nature of causelessly showering His Grace

upon the souls is also well-known in the world. It is this nature

which causes His descension.

 

It is very simple to explain how He showered His causeless Grace upon

the souls in His descension as Krishn. There are rigid qualifications

to enter the path of gyan or non-dualistic devotion to the impersonal

aspect of God (nirakar brahm). Such a person who fulfills these

qualifications is so rare that he may be only one in millions.

Shankaracharya describes in his writings that without devotion to the

supreme personality of God, Shree Krishn, heart can never be purified.

Without purifying the heart, how could a person become qualified to

enter the path of gyan? Even if a person does become qualified, only a

mere handful of such souls could actually attain liberation.

 

Therefore, because of His nature of being causelessly Gracious, God

descended in this world and, during that time, He revealed His

innumerable names, virtues, and His leelas. Thus, by taking their

help, uncountable sinful, mayic souls cross the ocean of maya and

receive Divine love. There are examples of souls like Valmiki. He

could not even repeat the name of Bhagwan Ram. So, he repeated the

name backwards. Even then, through the strength of the Divine name, he

became a great brahmrishi. In this context Ved Vyasji says in the

Bhagwatam (1/8/35,36),

 

"bhave 'smin klizyamAnAnAM avidyAkAma karmabhiH

zravaNa smaraNArhANi kariSyanniti kecana"

 

"zRNvanti gAyanti gRNanty abhIkSNazaH

smaranti nandanti tave hitaM janAH

ta eva pazyanty acireNa tAvakaM

bhava pravAho paramaM padAmbujam"

 

(Bhagavatam 1.8.35,36)

 

Meaning: Some others maintain that You have descended on earth with

the intention of PERFORMONG deeds fit to be HEARD OF and DWELT UPON by

those who are tormented in this world by ignorance, selfish desires

and sinful acts.

 

That is why Your devotees constantly LISTEN to, SING, REPEAT to

others and CONTEMPLATE on Your stories and rejoice; and it is they

ALONE who behold before long Your Lotus feet that put an END to the

stream of births and deaths."

 

 

That because of our interaction from uncountable lifetimes with the

material world, the natural inclination of the mind is towards the

material world. God therefore descends in this world, and reveals the

Divine environment and His Divine pastimes, which become the means of

Divine attainment for uncountable souls.

 

Another reason for the descension of God that is even more dear to me

is,

 

"tathA paramahaMsAnAM munInAM amalAtmanAM

bhakti yoga vidhAnArthaM kathaM pazyema hi striyaH"

 

(Bhagavatam 1.8.20)

 

Meaning: How, then, can we womenfolk perceive You, Who have appeared

in our midst just to engender devotion in the heart of Paramahamsas

(those endowed with the eye distinguishing the material from the

spiritual) who are given to contemplation and pure of heart?

 

Although the paramhansas were already absorbed in the Bliss of

the impersonal aspect of Divinity, God appeared in this world in His

eternal Divine form to immerse them in the Bliss of Divine love.

 

There are examples of great paramhansas like Sanakadi, Janak, Shukdev

and others, who abandoned their impersonal Bliss and became absorbed

in the Bliss of the personal form of God. Just think, even after

knowing this fact, some ignorant people still question about the

eternity of the personal form of God. Had there been no descension

(avatar), the followers of the path of impersonal Divinity would have

loudly declared that the personal form of God does not exist.

 

Actually, the impersonal absolute and the personal form of God are not

two separate existences. So, to give them the sweet experience of

Divine love is also a reason of His descension. Along with this, it

was also established that His impersonal and personal forms are one.

This is the reason that the great paramhansas became zealously

attracted to the Bliss of the personal form of God. It means

detachment from the impersonal form and attachment to the personal

form of the same God.

 

Apart from this, some other well known reasons for God's

descension include the establishment of dharm, destruction of the

demons, protection of the Devotees and, in addition to these, there

could be innumerable other reasons. In the world, when we go somewhere

normally we have several aims to fulfill. But, to count God's actions

and aims during His descension is absolutely impossible. By descending

Himself among souls, God reveals His Gracious Divine qualities.

Hearing about these, a soul becomes resolute and with his positive

faith, he quickly proceeds towards God.

 

"janma karma ca me divyam.." Gita.

 

Another point that is necessary to know is that all descensions of God

are Divine. According to the Gita, God's birth (janm) and all His

actions are Divine. But for the material souls, God's body and

actions appear to be material. The main and most important point is

that all the Divine bodies of all the descensions of God are Divine

and therefore they are eternal.

 

Another point worth reflecting upon is that all the descensions are

`perfect and complete.' There are no greater or lesser descensions of

God; nor does a particular descension represent half or a quarter of

God's complete Divinity. God cannot be divided into fractions. He

remains complete and unchanged always, everywhere, and in all the

circumstances. So, Ved Vyas says,

 

"sarve pUrNAH zAzvatAzca dehAs tasya parAtmanaH" - Varaha Purana.

 

Generally, people have the habit of thinking that the particular

descension of God they worship is better than the other forms of God.

This constitutes the greatest spiritual transgression, called

namaparadh. One should, on no account, commit this mistake, even

unconsciously. God is always God in all situations; if He could be

divided or made into smaller fractions then He would not be God.

 

Generally speaking, the followers of Ram and Krishn are greater in

number in the world. The cause for this is not that Their descensions

were greater than the others. Rather, there was a greater revelation

of the leelas during the descensions of Ram and Krishn, and through

the remembrance of these leelas, the devotees' minds become quickly

attached to God. Thus, from the point of view of attachment of the

mind, these two descensions have been given a special significance.

In reality, there is no deficiency or surplus of Divinity in any

descension making it inferior or superior to others.

 

You must have seen sweets made of pure sugar that are prepared on

occasions like Divali and other festivals. These are made for children

in the shape of toys, just like a sugar-horse, a sugar-elephant, a

sugar-man, a sugar-woman, and so on. Out of innocence, the children

will fight over them, "I want the man!"

Another says, "I will take the horse!" But mother and father know that

whether their child takes the horse or the man, the sweetness of both

is exactly the same. The only difference is in the shape of that

particular sweet.

 

"avatArA hyasamkhyeyA hareH sattvanidher dvijAH.."- Bhgavatam 1.3.26.

 

Meaning: Even as thousands of rivulets flow from a lake that never

dries, so there are countless descents of the Lord, Who is a

storehouse of Sattva (Power, Wisdom, etc.,), O Brahmanas.

 

In this way, regardless of which avatar one worships, all of them have

unlimited powers, unlimited virtues and Their Divinity is equal.

 

If someone were to say, "The scriptures mention that God has 10

or 24 main descensions, but I would prefer a 25th descension. What

should I do?"

Such people should know that uncountable descensions of God are taking

place every moment in uncountable brahmandas. Ved Vyas states,

 

There have been uncountable descensions. One can choose to worship

whatever form one desires. If there could be such a form that has

never appeared as a descension, you could also accept that form, and

God will come to you in that worshipped form. What effort does God

have to expend in taking a form? You are completely free to imagine

Him in any form, with any kind of complexion, and so on. God is so

compassionate that in this regard He has not created any fixed rules

or restrictions to which a soul could object. This is why He is

described as, "Anant-nam-rupaya." He is said to have uncountable

names and forms. To restrict that unlimited power to a certain limit

is just one's ignorance.

 

Therefore, with regard to conceiving God's form, you have been given

complete freedom.

 

continued...