Divien Birth and Divine Works - Note 1

The Divine Birth and Divine Works.......................................Shrikant Soman
First Series – Chapter 17

Note 1

In this note we will study : Difference between Avatar and Vibhuti, The outward and inward purpose of Avatar, the outward crisis and the inward crisis of humanity, real meaning of Avatarhood,

Based on Sri Aurobindo’s Essays on the Gita

The purpose of work of an Avatar has duel sense and form – just like his birth. There is an outward sense and an inward secret sense.

On the outward side, the divine force is acting on the external world in order to maintain there and to reshape the divine law. This is done in order to prevent the decisive retrogression of the Godward effort of humanity. Its purpose is to decisively carry forward the rhythm of advance and relapse by which the Nature proceeds. This is done inspite of the rule of action and reaction – surmounting the law of Karma by divine force.

On the inward side, the divine force of the Godward consciousness acts upon the soul of the individual and the soul of the race. Its purpose is to receive new forms of revelation of the Divine in man and also to sustain, renew and enrich the power of upward self-unfolding. The apparent interpretation of mythology tempts us to believe that the Avatar incarnates just for some great outward action – like killing of Ravan by Ram. However, we have to note that any particular action of the Avatar and any event in his life have no value in themselves from the spiritual point of view. What is more important and relevant is the FORCE which they represent and the IDEA which they SYMBOLISE. The force is to MANIFEST the divine purpose in the outward world.

We get engrossed, while reading the great epics, in the details of the outward crisis and great material changes in the world at the time of the incarnation of an Avatar. However, in order to understand the real meaning of Avatarhood, we must know that behind these outward appearance, there is a crisis in the CONSCIOUSNESS of the HUMANITY as a whole. There is a dire need for this consciousness to undergo some grand modification and effect some new development, which otherwise would not have been possible with human effort. We need a DIVINE FORCE to effect this change. We should particularly note that the divine force as it influences on this world, though from the same source in the Divine, varies as per the power of consciousness which it embodies – that is to say the ordinary human soul has a varying capacity to RESPOND to the CALL OF THE DIVINE. This puts a great LIMITATION on the divine force to manifest in this world to do the great work, through the modes of humanity. This necessitates, at a particular point of threshold of the crisis of humanity, for the divine force, though the Avatar, to DIRECTLY INCARNATE in the mind and soul of humanity.

We need to understand the difference between the Avatar and Vibhuti. Avatar operates at the spiritual level, while Vibhuti operates at intellectual and practical level.

When only intellectual and practical situations are involved, then the full manifestation of the Divine in the world in the form of Avatar is not needed. In such situations, the divine force results in the great uplifting of consciousness. It results in the great manifestation of power. Men are for the time being exalted above their normal selves. This surge of consciousness and power finds its wave-crests in certain exceptional individuals who are Vibhutis. The action of these Vibhutis triggers a general action on larger scale. It does its job of change as is needed to resolve the crisis. The Reformation in Europe and the French Revolution were crisis of this character. They ushered in great intellectual and practical changes. They were not of the spiritual nature. The Reformation in Europe was of the nature of religious (not spiritual) ideas while the French Revolution resulted in the change in social and political ideas, forms and motives. The modification of the general consciousness brought about as a result of these great historic events was of the nature of mental and dynamic. There was no spiritual modifications effected.

On the other hand, when the crisis in humanity has a spiritual seed or intention, then a complete or a partial incarnation of Avatar is a need of the hour. It brings about a the manifestation of God-consciousness in a human mind and soul as its originator or leader.