Divine on human garb!
Saibaba materiaizing a golden idol of Krishna!
We can not differentiate incarnations from ordinary people!
From time immemorial, in this world many rare beings have taken birth. For all purpose, they look immensely human but they are not so. I can start with a known example and the most familiar one. Yes, Jesus Christ is one such being. He was born in a humble family. Mother Mary was the blessed mother who underwent 'immaculate conception'. Earlier, she got revelation of the coming event. Her husband Joseph was a humble carpenter. As per the orders of King, people of the entire place moved to a distant place and on the way, she developed labor pains and the Lord was born in a stable. Rare was the birth and rare were the further events. Three people were guided to the place of birth by a star and they realized that the child was holy. They offered scents, flowers etc as per the custom. We are all aware of the events in the life of Jesus from the Holy Bible!
In the East also born such holy beings in the form of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna who were from the dynasty of Kings. People treated Rama and Krishna in the same fashion. But when they achieved some extra ordinary feats like slaying demons when they were young boys, the world started revering them as some rare beings. Normally, the incarnations of the Supreme never exhibit their power in public, unless it was absolutely necessary to save good persons. These personalities were able to gauge the pulse of the society at that time. Hence they prescribed the remedies in the form of sermons and teachings. Initially none will listen but when they heard the rare miracles performed in the course of their mission, people are attracted to the person. In that way, Jesus cured the blind, made the dumb to speak and he drove the devil from the persons who were possessed and were behaving in an erratic way. The teachings were mostly in parables. The wise among the listeners could decipher them.
In every era such exalted beings faced much rivalry from evil doers and scandal mongers. The authorities governing the Religion were aghast at the grooming of such persons who pose a danger to their authority. Hence the priests plotted against Jesus when his fame grew among his followers. Wherever he went, he gathered large retinue. People traveled distances to listen to him. Finding his popularity growing, the priests tried to put an end to it and the rest is history. Shri Rama and Sri Krishna too had their rivals in their own places who plotted time and again to do away with them. Sri Krishna triumphed over his enemies in a trice. But Rama followed the tenets of righteousness in all his dealings and hence ignored his enemies. His Divine powers were manifested during the final battle with the demon Ravana and Kumbakarna. Otherwise he exhibited only human traits. In the case of Krishna, he clearly pronounced on many occasions that He is the Supreme and in the battlefield, he infused wisdom in the mind of Arjuna by the famous Bagawat Gita songs. He states unmistakeably that from him all beings originate, they are sustained by him and ultimately annihilated. He tells Arjuna that he is the ancient, primal force.
Sri Krishna states that he incarnates in each age to protect the virtuous and to destroy the Evil doers. All the incarnations are known to me but you are not aware of it, says Krishna to Arjuna. Jesus proclaimed when he was about to conclude his life, "I and my Father are one'! He was sent to the world to guide, protect and illumine the ignorant. He willingly underwent crucifixion though he could have averted it. He has shown to the world that the supreme sacrifice is possible! He shed blood for the sake of the people. He never was angry with the perpetrators of the serious crime. He begged the Father in Heaven to forgive them since they are not aware what they are doing". All incarnations raise from the same principle but their ways of tackling the tasks are different and it suits the morale of the society at that time. Hence Jesus rose from the tomb on the third day. This ascension is the greatest miracle. Then only the world started believing in Him. All his disciples sacrificed their life in different ways but His teachings remain "Immortal" for ever!
