In what way is the avatar different from an enlightened soul–a mahatma? An avatar is like a fish that can swim in water from birth. A mahatma is like a man who can learn how to swim, but who can never swim like a fish.
An avatar comes down to earth to save mankind. A mahatma goes up to reach God. A mahatma is an enlightened soul–one who was not enlightened at some time and who becomes enlightened at a later stage. An avatar is ever enlightened. The mahatma attains perfection. An avatar is ever perfect. He is perfection itself. A mahatma seeks to escape the bondage of the flesh. An avatar willingly takes on the bondage of the flesh. A mahatma seeks to escape the sufferings of the world. An avatar comes down to the earth to suffer in human form. A mahatma is concerned with his own salvation. An avatar is concerned with the salvation of the world around him.
A true mahatma can be easily recognised. If he recognises the avatar he is a true mahatma. If not, his penances have been in vain. That is his final test.
Is it necessary for the avatar to perform miracles? Must he cure the sick and raise people from the dead? Must he perform magical feats?
No. Past history gives ample verification on this point. Lord Rama did not leap across the waters. A bridge was built for him. Rama could have killed Ravana with a single thought of his mind. But no. He chose to give battle. He could have so willed that Sitaji not be abducted at all. But he allowed all that to happen–so that the Ramayana might be written.
Similarly, Lord Krishna gave battle to Kansa. He participated in the Mahabharata as an ordinary mortal. He could have cured the numerous wounded persons in the war by a miracle, but he did not. He could have raised Abhimanyu from the dead, but he did not use his spiritual powers for the purpose.
The avatar chooses not to interfere with the laws of his own creation. He comes as a mortal himself so that he might be bound by the very laws he created.
An avatar contains qualities within himself which are altogether human as well as Divine. Ordinary mortals contain qualities that are mostly human.
An avatar might be compared to an electric bulb. When the switch is off, he is like an ordinary mortal. When the light is on, he is God.
The avatar comes to the earth at the calling of those earnest souls who crave for his manifestation. When these souls meet him in the flesh they recognise him immediately. There are others like Ravana and Kansa and Duryodhana who never accept the avatar. There are some like Arjun who associate with the avatar in the worldly sphere of action and take him to be a friend, a Guru and God in turns.
Thus, to different people the avatar is different things.
Being human, the avatar can only interact with a small part of the world around him. But that does not mean that his activity is limited. Even when he is silent, even when he is alone by himself, apparently doing nothing, the inner activity within him reaches out across oceans and continents. In that sense he remains omnipresent.
His activities as a mortal are not without meaning. Every little act that he performs will have a divine purpose. Though all his actions will be those of a mortal, their purpose will be to grant salvation to mankind.
To merely set eyes upon the avatar is to gain salvation. The ones who come into direct contact with the avatar are the souls most directly benefited. These are the deserving souls–souls that are prepared. It becomes essential for the avatar to interact with the world–to grant salvation to as many as come into contact with him.
And salvation becomes so easy! A person has simply to set eyes upon the avatar, and he is released from the bondage of the world. Mahatmas can only point out the various different paths to salvation–all of which are difficult and impossible for most. But an avatar can give in a brief moment that which cannot be attained by man in thousands of years. Which is why the advent of the avatar is so important.
Mahatmas do the work they are intended for. They are like boats which can carry across a few at a time. But an avatar is like a vast ship that can carry across thousands and more.
If the avatar could accomplish all his tasks by himself, if he did not require the help of any other human, he would deprive the world of a chance to serve him, and thus deprive it of salvation. That is why ‘manushya leela’ becomes an important part of the avatar’s existence.
The situation is like in the Ramayana. Kewat the boatman took Rama across the waters of a river, and Rama carried him across the infinite ocean of life and death. All those who participated in the events associated with the life of Rama attained salvation.
Every little act of the avatar is directed towards the giving of salvation to mankind. If he falls ill, it is only to grant salvation to the doctor. He could have cured himself but that would have deprived the doctor of a chance to serve him and gain salvation. If the avatar enters a shop it is only to grant salvation to the shop-keeper. If he lives in the house of some person it is only to grant salvation to that person. If he rides in a taxi it is only to grant salvation to the taxi driver, who might otherwise have never been granted this opportunity. No matter who the avatar interacts with, it is only to grant salvation to that person.
In each and every activity of the avatar, no matter how small or trivial it might appear, there is this divine plan to give salvation-mukti to as many people us possible.
The avatar must deliberately create problems around himself, so as to involve people who can interact with him and thus attain salvation. Rama and Krishna created problems around themselves and gave salvation to all those who came into contact with them.
This is another reason why he chooses not to perform super-human feats. In fact, as a mortal his frame is more delicate, more refined, more sensitive, and thus more susceptible to adverse conditions. He binds himself in human flesh so that the world can have an opportunity to interact with his human form. It is only thus that he grants salvation.
Of those that belong to the inner circle of the avatar there are some who have come down to earth to be with him as part of his ‘leela’, and there are others for whom this birth is their last on this earth.
In the personality of Shri Nathji one can catch a glimpse of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, but it is difficult to fathom what infinity of forms belong to him.”
Priya Nath
Nagpur
March 15, 1978