When the Lord chooses to incarnate time and again, He defines the explicit purposes as ‘protection of the good, destruction of evil and establishing dharma or righteousness as the way of life.’ But azhwars and acharyas extol His avatars as a manifestation of His love and concern for the countless jivatmas who have lost their moorings in the cycle of birth, pointed out Srimati Bhooma Venkatakrishnan in a lecture. This compassion is compared to a mother’s heart that is unable to forget that child who has ventured to far off lands and constantly wishes for his well being though all her other sons are with her. So the Lord descends from His exalted state to live as one among the jivatmas and show them the way to salvation. His Paratva which keeps Him inaccessible is held under wraps to reveal His two exceptional qualities, Saushilya and Saulabhya. The jivatmas are able to experience His presence when He participates in their lives comprising joy and sorrow.
Rama avatar exemplifies His Saushilya, a rare trait that combines excellent disposition, moral values and character. As Dasaratha’s heir, he has to abide by the demands of the royal household that places a distance between Him and the people. So, during the period of vana vasa, He befriends common people such as Guha, Sabhari and many other sages with whom He spends time.
But Krishna avatar reveals Him as the very essence of Saulabhya. He, whose supreme status is extolled by the Vedas as far beyond the reach of even sages and realised souls steeped in meditation, is available as a charming child in the Yadava household when He easily mingles with these simple people. There is no need to search for Him in mantras and upasanas.
