Dear Sriman Rajaram, The secret of avatara is clearly stated in Chapter 4 of Bhagavadgita in the first few verses. Here there are no number, form, or space limitation. Avatra happens when the balance between dharma and adharma is tilted more towards adharma: yada dharmasya ghlAnir hi (Dharma over shadowed) abhi yada abdharmasya utthAnam bhavati (Adharma triumphs). Taken this way, avatara is happening more or less all the time. In the face of adharma, better sense prevails, some great soul raises to protect the humanity from imminent danger. These are the leaders we celebrate. Just the major ones are recognized and celebrated (like the dashavatarams). Just remember dharma and adharma ever co-exist, mutually competing (paraspara kalaham). Whichever wins brings the out come in that situation. All our puranas and sampradayams are nothing but built in safety valves. Sometimes these valves themselves create problems as they get corrupted and wrong priorities are set for whatever reason (we all have tens of examples for this). That is when religious reformation takes place to re-establish truth (dharma) and slay corrupted traditions and thoughts (Ramanujacharya had to walk out of his wife who was preoccupied with caste superiority). These reformers are avatarams. Where is the question of time and number limitation? I think puranams should not be taken as the whole pramanams. They are more contextual. That is why they are not prasthana trayams. If you read Mahabharata, each hero in a given context is described as the best and the greatest. That is all true. But if you look at the whole fewer heroes stick out. That is why only a small part of Mahabharatham is a prasthana trayam. Just ask how many great sons, daughters and parents are there in this world? Answer will be in billions! Are they wrong? No. Are they right? No. Please bare this in mind while reading Puranams. You should not get stuck on one phrase here and there. That will cause confusion, worse yet you miss the higher truth. If you get a chance, watch or read Joseph Campbell and the power of Myth with Bill Moyers. It helped me, it may help you too. With that, I am able to better appreciate our sanatana dharmam. dAsan K.S. tAtAchAr ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> In low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers. At Network for Good, help bridge the Digital Divide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/hjtSRD/3MnJAA/i1hLAA/VkWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |