Concept and types of Avatars. Swami's seven powers and seven-fold mission

[Guest guest]

Light and Love

 

There is an interesting approach concern to the concept and types of

Avatars, seven powers and seven-fold mission of Swami, in the talk given by

Ghandikota V. Subba Rao to the First Overseas Convention of Chairpersons of

Shri Sathya Sai Centres on 23rd November, 1998, Prasanthi Nilayam.

Below is a compilation by the talk of Ghandikota V. Subba Rao.

In the 20th century, there has been massive inhumanity to

man, brutalisation of the human, the demonisation of the human. So isn't

this the appropriate time for an Avatar to come for pacification, to establish

Peace, Love and Universal Fellowship. We produced violence on an unprecedented

scale and experienced massive inhumanity to man, in terms of the oppressed, the

suppressed, the repressed, and the compressed of the world. In Kaliyuga,

in this age of disbelief, unbelief, atheism, even the very mention, even the

very slight remembrance of the Name of God will be liberating. The great

Vyaasa, the cosmic sage historian and scientist stated that there is no better

age than Kaliyuga, because the threshold of liberation has been lowered. You

can cross it so easily by Naama Smarana! The Sai Avatars have traversed the

19th, 20th and the forthcoming Prema Sai, the 21st century. This is an

unprecedented opportunity. There are seven types of Avatars and broadly

speaking these Avatars arise in Bhaarath. But, their appeal spreads for beyond

their place of birth. Each Avatar chooses the period of His birth, His parents,

the principles by which He stands, the preaching He imparts, the powers He

wields, appropriate to the circumstances. 1. The Amsha Avatar,

the plenary incarnation, like Vaamana, the young boy who humbles the pride of

emperor Bali. 2. The Kalaa Avatars. These may be called the

plenipotentiaries, with certain functional powers. The Kalaa Avatars are like

Dhanvanthari, for instance, who propagated the life saving specialised Science

of Ayurveda. 3. The Avesha Avatars who are the revolutionary Avatars;

they appear at one time, one place with one purpose, like Parashuraama and

Narasimha (half man, half lion). Narasimha Avatar came for a particular purpose

to relieve the sufferings of a child devotee, and destroy the demonic

Hiranyakashipu. As Bhagawan Baba has said, Hiranyakashipu probed the

frontiers of the Universe just as we have probed the space, probed the depths

of the ocean, and heights of Mount Everest. We have gone to the moon. But, as

Baba said, modern man has not even penetrated a millimeter into his inner

Being. We are not focused on our inner self while we keep bragging of our

scientific and technological achievements to which we have become slaves!

4. The Jnaana Avatars. They carry the secret of liberation - the Jnaana, the

wisdom of Supreme Reality. Jnaana Avatars are like the great Buddha, the great

sage Kapila and the great Shankara. 5. The Leela Avatar. Krishna was

the Leela Avatar. Leela is the play and the pastime of Krishna from His young

age till He left this earth nearly 5300 years ago; an extraordinary Avatar of

great power, of majesty, of beauty, of wisdom and of knowledge; He was the

uncrowned emperor of India. He was the Suuthradhaari, the great puppeteer. He

was a Jagath-guru, the Universal Preceptor. 6. The Maayaavatar like

Raama, who concealed His divinity. He behaved, for all practical purposes, as a

human personality with all the attendant problems. He is called Maryaadha

Purusha - ideal man, ideal son, ideal friend, ideal ruler etc. 7. The

unique Vibhuuthi Avatar - Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. The glory of His activity,

miracles from birth till now, 365 days in a year, through all this years is a

pictorial example of extraordinary expression of divine powers. The world

'miracle' has become a hackneyed expression, in respect of Baba.

Ghandikota V. Subba Rao told that once he used the word 'miracle' in Baba's

presence. He said, "No! It is Abhivyakta - projections of wondrous,

splendorous, natural manifestations of Divine Creative powers. His powers are

not the result of any Yoga or Yaaga; any Manthra, or Yanthra or Thanthra. They

are natural and undepletable. Three criteria of Avatars: 1.

Scriptural authority. 2. There should be credible personality who

authenticates that the Avatar fulfills Vedic criteria. 3. The most

important criterion, is the experience or witness directly His powers.

Bhagawan fulfills all these three criteria. Bhagawan Baba told to

Ghandikota V. Subba Rao that Number Nine stands for Prabrahman, the Supreme,

Absolute Reality. Number 8 stands for Maayaa-shabalitha Brahma, the One who

operates the machine called Maayaa; the worldly illusion. As a Creator, He has

already come, not coming down; He manifests through His creation. Number 7

stands for an Avatar. Based on humans' experience, it is possible to

specify at least seven types of powers of Bhagawan Baba, which are only

illustrative examples of His infinite powers. 1. The foremost power is

the Majestic Miracle of Universal Love attraction, irrespective of caste,

creed, culture, nationality, country. Hundreds of thousands from all over the

world gather here without any invitation. This is obvious evidence that there

is a magnetic miracle of universal loving attraction here in Puttaparthi a

semi-arid area in a remote part of Andhra Pradesh! 2. The magnificent

materialisation (manifestation) miracles. The endless, undepletable

materialisation (manifestation) of articles of tremendous spiritual importance

to the receivers is the result of the overflow of His love. They are not for

demonstration; they are not for Pradarshan of triumph of spirituality over

matter. These are simply a result of overflowing love and grace of Bhagawan

Baba. Here is a phenomenon which is unprecedented in the world's history.

3. Creation of medical miracles. My own family has been a beneficiary of His

tremendous grace and compassion. For ten months in 1977, my third son was

suffering from a very complex medical condition. The best hospitals in New York

treated him but of no avail. Stacks of X-rays were taken, but of no use. We came

here, carried baby-food including water, thinking that this country had a lot of

infection, as doctors had warned me. We landed in Bangalore, Brindhaavan. We

were waiting for His Darshan there; He came to us straight away, put Vibhuuthi

on my son's tongue and touched him and the medical condition disappeared. But

one more important miracle of Baba I would like to mention. He actually rescued

my father from the claws of death. The doctor asked us to prepare for father's

last rites. We were in tremendous misery. Then a telegram comes with a message

from Baba saying "Your father will be all right, you bring him here for my 60th

Birthday. I am giving you a place here to stay." Then my father opened his eyes.

He said, "Baba was sitting here. He invited me for His Birthday celebrations."

4. Mighty metaphysical miracles. The most profound philosophical

metaphysical matters, the deepest secrets of Vedantic and Vedic knowledge are

explained by Baba in the simplest possible language, appealing to both the

Pandiths and the laymen. He has done this in the contemporary history. 5.

His multiple manifestations, appearing at different places at the same time. He

and His powers transcend both time and place. Ghandikota V. Subba Rao saw

himself a virtual Vibhuuthi storm in the home of a devotee in Connecticut USA.

For two days he observed this extraordinary event, from morning to evening.

Vibhuuthi was showering over Swami's pictures; sweet ambrosia was flowing down

the pictures. 6. His extraordinary micro/macro management skills. The

simplest and the smallest task and the biggest and the mightiest task are

handled with ease and super-executive skill. He inspires guides and leads: this

is Invisible Management! He leads by his own example, doing things Himself thus

providing miraculous inspiration to millions! He has immense capacity to

undertake and complete mega public service projects. These projects cover free

education, free medical help, free potable water supply to millions, etc.

7. Baba's greatest miracle can be called His Man Making Miracles, the

transformation of our inner psyche towards Love filled spirituality.

Baba's seven-fold mission: 1. Akarshanaya Sarva Jananaam: To draw all

peoples of the world, irrespective of caste, colour and creed. 2.

Vikarshanayacha Dhushkruthyaam: To remove, to weed out the evil propensities in

bad persons, but not to destroy such people. 3. Samskaranaaya

Thaamasikanaam: The inactive, the dull, the slothful, are made more active,

more interested in doing their duty. 4. Samkarshanaaya Raajasikaanaam:

He rechannels their energies of the passionately active people but working for

their own personal benefit or aggrandisement, towards selfless public service

activities. 5. Uthkarshanaya Saadhuunaam: To uplift the Saadhus or the

noble and the good people by enriching their spiritual experiences. 7.

Saakshaathkaaraaya cha Bhakthaanaam: For those who are devoted to Him, who have

surrendered their ego, He gives the direct vision of the Divine, the vision of

the Lord.

PS: The spelling of names as in original text. Complete article:

http://www.eaisai.com/baba/docs/avatar.html.

Namaste - Reet