Avatar?

Avatar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

An Avatar is the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of a god. The term is primarily used in Hindu mythology, where according to some sources, the term applies only to incarnations of the god Vishnu. It has also been used by extension to refer to the incarnations of the gods in other religions and mythologies e.g., Zeus.

The philosophy reflected in the Hindu epics is the doctrine of the avatar (incarnation of a god as a human being). The two main avatars of Vishnu that appear in the epics are Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, and Krishna, the friend of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata. Unlike the superhuman devas (gods) of the Vedic Samhitas and the abstract Upanishadic concept of the all-pervading and formless Brahman, the avatars in these epics are the human intermediaries between the Supreme Being and mere mortals.

This doctrine has had a great impact on Hindu religious life, for it means that God has manifested Himself in a form that could be appreciated even by the least sophisticated. Rama and Krishna have remained beloved and adored manifestations of the Divine for thousands of years among Hindus. The Upanishadic concept of the all-embracing Brahman is undoubtedly the pinnacle of Indian thought, but the concept of the avatars has certainly had more influence on the average Hindu.
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