Q. Please write an article on Avatara Rahasya Gnanam and its fruits?{S8G}

Ans.

Prasanghat svasva bhavokthi karmanoo karmatasya cha.

bhodha gyanasya mahatmayam chaturtha dhayaya uchyathe.

The secrets behind Bhagvan's incarnation i.e. Avathara Rahasyams amidst us are covered in the 4th chapter of Bhagvad gita. Here Alavandar states that He Lord is Sarvajnan (omniscient) and His divine auspicious body (dhivya mangala vigraham) is not made up of five elements (Paancha Bhoudhikam) and is gprakrutham. He also explains that His incarnations are out of His own volition and are made at the times when there is a decline in dharma and his bhakta's need protection. "Saadhu samraksahnam, dharma stapanam and dhushta nigraham."

He instructs us on the importance of Karma Yoga and that jnana Yogam is incorporated inside Karma Yogam.

The Avatara Rahasyam (the secret regarding the incarnation) was revealed as a part of discussion between Bhagavan Sri Krishna i.e. Paramathma and Arjuna. It is as follows:

1. The avataram (incarnation of Bhagavan Narayana like Narasimha, Krishna, Rama) are real and are not illusion.

2. When Bhagavan Narayana incarnates his qualities like knowledge etc. do not contract and he incarnates with all his qualities in supreme absolute form.

3. The form that Bhagavan Narayana takes in his incarnations are of sudhda satva which is divine and pure.

4. The birth of Bhagavan Narayana which is incarnation ia as per his own wish.

5. He incarnates during the period when there is necessity to re establish dharma.

6. He incarnates to make the Shree vaishnavas enjoy his divine form and sport. He destroys adharm and re establishes dharma.

After the importance of karma with sathvika tyaga was stressed now the jgnyana yoga is associated to give meaning to karma yoga as it were. He who does the Karma Yoga gets his sense organs controlled gradually. On understanding the nature of Jivathman he contemplates on the jivathman which is different from the body with this contemplation on the self (jivathman) the jgnyana yogi does the karma yoga perfectly. That is the Karma Yoga which encompasses the athma jgnyana yoga, the person gets to realise the jivathma's swarupam and this is called as the Jivathma sakshathkaram. The person thus gets his ahamkaram and mamakaram removed from his mind. He gets himself ready to cross the oceanof samsara. By the grace of Bhagavan Sriman Narayana which gets invoked by the practice of jignyana and karma. the sins of the jgnyana yogi gets destroyed just like the huge logs of wood getting destroyed by fire. The glory of the person who practices Karma and jgnyana is great.

The sanskrit verse summarises the avatara rahasyam.

Avatharasya sathyathvam ajahathswaswabhavatha

Sudhda sethva mayathvam cha swechchamathra nidanatha

dharma iglAnaw samudayas adhu samraksha narthath

ithi janmarahasyam yo vethi nasya punarbhava.

The Bhakthi yogi (he who practices the sadyopaya bhakti as told in the Upanishads) who gets to know the avatara rahasyam (which is told in Bhagwad gita which explain the veda verse like 'ajAyamAno bhahudhavij ayathE"  gets his bhakti culminated in that birth itself and never gets rebirth.

The conversation housed in the 4th chapter of the Bhagawad gita are exceptionally beautiful.

Arjuna:- Oh Lord. Please explain to me what you stated on Karma yoga being in the form of jnana yogam?

Lord Krishna:- All chethanas whether interested in moksham or not are very much interested in the phalams for their karma's. they also seek quick return and choose toworship Indhra and the other gods for that purpose. They fail to perform aradhanam for me who am the indweller of these demi gods. I am the enjoyer of the offerings (as yagnya bhoktha) made to these demi gods. these chethanams fearing samsaram and desiring moksha fail to observe the Jnanakara karma yogam, my aaradhanam with saathvika thyagam.

Arjuna:- Oh Lord the chethanams with their bundles of sins weighing them down seek alpa (insignificant) phalams and fail to observe the means for moksham, the karma yogam. Please instruct me on the jnanakara Karma Yogam that will destroy the obstacles of Moksham?

Lord Krishna: Oh dear one! I am the creator, protecter and the destroyer of all chethanams and achethanams from Brahma devan to the lowly grass. Although I am the creator of all sentients and insentients, I am not subject to any changes (avikaram).

Arjuna:- Madhusudhana! Your statement is confusing? How can you say you are both the creator and not the creator (akartha).

Lord Krishna:- I recognise your confusion I am indeed the creator of the sentient and insentient world. I am not however associated with the differences between say Devas and humans or between humans et al. The differences in births as devas or humans are due to their own karma viseshams. Therefore I am indeed responsible for the creation of all chethanams and achethanams but not for their karmic related differences among themselves. Therefore i am consistent in my earlier statement that I am kartha and akartha.

Any one who understands this subtle point is released from both the good and bad karmas. that one gets rid of the obstacles for the beginning of the Karma Yogam and the ending of the hankering after the desire for fruits. He is not bound by the ancient bundle of punyas and papams.

Arjuna:- Madhava you have now instructed me on the secret to remove the obstacles for the beginning of Karma Yoga. Are they any who have followed this path?

Lord Krishna:- Yes there are many Mumukshus who desire moksham that have observed this type of Karma Yogam. They understood me as the Kartha as well as the akartha Visvasavan  and Manu are two such mumukshu's. Even great scholars and sages have been confused about the Karmas to be observed and the Jnanam housed inside that Karma. I am going to instruct you now on the ways to be released from the bonds of samsarams that you can follow:

Arjuna:- Oh Lord, why has the path and structure of the Karma's been difficult to grasp by the scholars and sages?

Lord Krishna:- One should get a clear understanding of the Karmas that will be indispensable for Moksha. They should also be clear about the many types of vikarmas, such as Nithyan, Naimitthikam, Kaamyam and the accumulation of riches. One should also understand the akarma jananam.

Arjuna:- My Lord it is difficult to comprehend the thattavams that Karma Yogam is Janankaram?

Lord Krishna:- One who does the Nithya Karmas with no interest in the fruits there of with a mind not distracted by other matters, developing detachments from prakruthi and its karyams (loka vastus) and having the self alone as prayojanam will break the bonds of samsaram. He does not perform Karma Yogam first and then practice Jnana yogam for the visualisation of thje self next but instead observes Karma Yogam itself for that result of AAthmava Lokanam. Since this type of Karma Yogam anustanam is linked with aathma svaroopam (other than prakrithi) Karma Yogam is of the form of Jnana Yogam as well.

Arjuna:- Kanna please elaborate on this?

Lord Krishna:- Dhananjaya! The different branches of Karma Yogam are Sandyavandhanam, Yaagam, Pranayamam, attempt to control the senses, vedadhyayanam, vedantha vicharam, kruchna, saanthrayana praayascchitthams.

Arjuna:- As one who observes Karma Yogam should one abandon Nithya Naimithika karmam?

Lord Krishna;- For those who do not observe the nithya naimithika karmas the three purusharthams of dharma arta and kaamam wont be realised in this world. If this were to be so, how can they even hope for the ultimate purushartham of moksham.
Arjuna:- Gopaala you have instructed that  Karma Yogam is of the form of jnanam. Among these is the Karma bhagam more important than the Jnana bhagam?
Lord Krishna:- Among the two aakarams of Karma yogam jnana bhagam is loftier than the Karma bhagam, where dhravyam a9dakshina ) is involved.
Arjuna:- OH Rukmani Vallabha, I have clearly understood your upadesams.
Lord Krishna:-Arjuna it is not enough that you understood these subtle aspects now. There will come times before the anushtanam bears fruit, when you will experience doubts. At those times approach great souls, serve them well and ask them indirectly questions about what confuses you. They out of their compassion for you will give the most straigh forward answers to help you make progress.
Arjuna:- Oh brother of Balarama what is the indication that one has reached that stage of mastery over the anushtanam of Karma yoga.
Lord Krishna:- When the practitioner is not deluded, develops a sense of seeing the aathma svaroopam in all created beings and recognises me as their antharyami, then the mastery has been attained.
There is nothing that is purer in the world than Aathma jnanam. Those who observe this Jnanakara Karma Yogam as instructed by me will attain siddhi. Cut asunder all your doubts about the anadhi vasthu, aathma and practice Karma jnanam to gain freedom from samsaric afflictions and moksham.
The fourth chapter of Bhagavad gita is named as gunatrayavibhagayoah. or the yoga of division of gunas.
One who performs his prescribed duty with full knowledge of himself and his master, devoid of desire, reaches the stage of practice of bhakti yoga. By bhakti yoga one can please Narayana and reach him.
so our objective is to reach and serve our master. and the means to achieve this goal is Bhakti Yoga. Narayana the supreme Lord is the one whom we have to reach. All these the nature of the objective; the nature of the means; and the goal i.e. Narayana whoes nature and qualities are explained in the Bhagvad Gita.
So the Gods avatara is also for our good itself. He does everything possible to help us achieve our final goal and it is our duty to atleast show direction to others who may want to take the path of God realisation.

to be continued.