Vishnu, Incarnation, evolution and Charles Darwin’s theory

Episode -8

Vishnu, Incarnation, evolution and Charles Darwin’s theory

 (Continuing with the earlier discussion on the birth of Skanda)

Shukracharya:  Starts with a prayer of  Adishankara and queries Chandra  if he knows the meaning

सुताङ्गोद्भवो मेऽसि जीवेति षड्धा
जप न्मन्त्र मीशो मुदा जिघ्रते यान् ।
जगद्भारभृद्भ्यो जगन्नाथ तेभ्यः
किरीटो ज्ज्वलेभ्यो नमो मस्त केभ्यः

Chandra: Yes Swami, I will make an effort……

Skanda, Mahadeva your father, the Great Lord, Joyfully uttered Mantras and Blessed You, that you are born from my body, May your glory live (forever)"; Over Your SixHeads which Supports the World.

But Swami I asked you this question earlier and will ask again, Why is that Lord cannot directly go and serve the world instead of through rebirths like Skanda, reincarnations like Krishna and Sages like Adishankara or Ramanuja.

Shukra: God can do what none else can do, but through his acts he also delivers various principles to this world which humans can understand, develop and help the world sustain. You tell me how many years we can spoon feed a child?, Do we not expect the child to learn to live by himself?. We train our children, so do animals and birds. Self-sustenance is the key message here.

Chandra: Swami, I am low on I.Q and some of the concepts don’t get absorbed by me unless supported with examples. Will you please enlighten me how incarnations are linked to the real world that we are seeing; after all I was not born in this world when the incarnations took place.

Shukra: Have you heard of Darwinism?

Chandra: I have only heard of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism but Darwinism is a religion I have not heard of.

Shukra: You are reconfirming your earlier statement on your poor IQ. I am happy atleast your self-assessment is on the dot.

Darwinism is not a religion but a collection of scientific concepts on evolution. Developed by Charles Darwin, the concepts were collectively called Darwinism. Needless to say most of the human beings irrespective of what “Ism”s they believe in, follow Darwinism.

In a nutshell, Darwinism traces the evolution of the human race, through a process of transmutation of species. If the world were to have been filled with unicellular organisms to start with million/ billions of years back, cellular upgradation may have led to higher level  organisms  and eventually to the human race.

The great Saivite scholar Manickavasagar captures the entire essence of Darwinism in a half sentence (Pullagi, poodai puzhuvai maramaki,  Pala virugamagi pravayai , pambaki , Kallai , manitharai peyai , ganangalai , Val asuraragi , munivaraai , devaraai ). Such was the Saint’s grasp of concepts that he could capture evolution in its stages, Grass, Rooty plants, worm, plant, stone,tree, bird, animal, human, devil, demon, rishi and Deva; what took scientists a couple of centuries.

Padma Purana also states a similar concept.

Chandra: But Guru, how does stone come in between?

Shukra: Dead organisms get compressed and they contribute to fossils, rocks and stones over millions of years. Have you not heard of trees turning to rocks ? you may have one in Kodaikanal, donot you?

Chandra: Yes,Yes. But where does incarnations of Hinduism feature  in Darwinism?

Shukra: Can you name to ten incarnations of Vishnu under Dasavatharam?

Chandra: Matsya (fish), Koorma (Tortoise), Varaha (Pig), Narasimha (Man-Lion), Vamana (Dwarf), Parashurama (Brahmin-Kshatriya-human), Rama (Kshatriya-human), Balarama & Krishna (Enlightened Human), Kalki(Extremely enlightened human)

Shukra: You will know by yourself, that without any explanation by me, that each Avatara is a better evolved form than the preceding.  You may like to read scientific work on Chromosomal evolution evolution! There are innumerable varieties of fishes, one more evolved than the other, including fishes which are mammals, partial-amphibians, full amphibians etc.

The weapons used by each of the Avataras are more evolved than the earlier one.

Parasurama fought with Axe, Rama with Bow& Arrow, Balarama with Plough, but Krishna fought with strategies.

Who knows,  in Kalki Avatara he may use Laser beams or Fissionary Or Fusionary material like nuclear weapons?

Chandra: Yes, Swami, the Ten Avatharas epitomise Darwinism. Who knows, Darwin may have picked up clues from Hinduism?

Shukra: That is unfair. In the name of  loyalty to our own religion, let us not take the credit away from Darwin who has done a great work

Did you know that Darwinism has been extended to Cosmic evolution, though Darwin himself has not attempted to talk about the Cosmic world.

This is exactly what God did,   and wants the human race to do. Offer & Develop principles that the world can understand, evolve and improve. When Darwin wrote his theory of evolution, he would not have dreamt that his study will have implications for the Cosmic world.

Chandra: Darwin also talked about “Survival of the fittest”. Are there parallels in the Avataras of God.

Shukra: Why not? In the example which we just discussed, Parashurama and Rama both were in the same Thretha yuga. Parashurama was invincible and was bulldozing the enemies, especially Kshatriyas. But when he realised that Rama is born in this world and more powerful and evolved than him, he simply vanishes from the scene(Being a Chiranjeevi, he is not killed).

Parashurama who is said to have killed every Kshatriya he encountered and took out five lakes equivalent of blood, did not take on Rama who is a Kshatriya? Only to prove one theory of Darwinism ….Viz., Survival of the Fittest. (Coined by Herbert Spencer)

Dashavatara is not the only Avataras.  Hinduism believes that Lord takes different shapes at all times and it need not just end with Kaliyuga, which is running now.

Other Religions also believe in similar but slightly varied concepts. For example Jainism believes in 24 Tirtankars, ending with Mahavira. It is believed that once a cycle of 24 Avataras happen, there will be the next set of 24 Tirtankars, one more enlightened than the other, confirming Darwinism.

Chandra: Swami, it is abundantly clear.  Avataras, thus have implications not only for the events happening at that point of time, but also for the future generations.

Shukracharya: Time to conclude the session and let us do with a prayer

Sri  Bhagavan said

pashya me paartha roopaani shatasho'tha  sahasrashah
    naanaavidhaani divyaani  naanaavarnaakriteeni cha

…………….

……………

na tu maam shakyase drashtum anenaiva  swachakshushaa

    divyam dadaami te chakshuh pashya me  yogamaishwaram

Behold,  O Partha, by hundreds and thousands, My different forms celestial, varied in colors  and shapes. Behold  the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the (two) Ashwins and also the Maruts;  behold many wonders never seen before, O Bharata. Now  behold today, O Gudakesa, the whole universe of the moving and the unmoving and  whatever else you desire to see, all concentrated in My Body. But  with these your own eyes you cannot see Me; I give you the divine eye; behold now  My sovereign Yoga power.

Chandra: Swami, I have a doubt on this prayer

Shukra: I wanted to conclude but you are starting. Okay go ahead

Chandra: What is Vishwaroopa?

Shukra: But that is what the prayer is about.

Chandra: Thought as much, but I am not able to comprehend

Shukra:  Vishwaroopa is the all encompassing form. Depending on your level of evolution it can be anything between scary to realisation.

Imagine, you are standing by the side of a very  small hill, which has a near flat side and which is a thousand feet high. How will you feel?

Chandra: That will scar me to death.

Shukra: Yes, that hill is one millionth of the  size of Himalayas…. that Himalayas is one zillionth of the Universe and universe is probably small than an object one zillionth the  size of God’s nail bite.(giving an example). If that is the case if God has to appear before you in full glory, the size of a million stars, trillion planets, in all forms for living beings, how will you feel. That is what you can probably call a Vishwaroopa.

Chandra: Swamy it is beyond my comprehension. I wont even be able to see a small portion of  the object

Shukra: True, that is why God does not show his Vishwaroopa  to ordinary mortals; who knows, his real roopa can even be bigger than what is described as Vishwaroopa

Depending on the levels of evolutions and their Karma a small aspect of God is shown.

Saint Thyagaraja had the chance to see God in the forms of Rama,Seetha,Lakshmana and Hanuman all in one go.

Saint Arunagiri had the chance to see God in the form of Bala Murugha

Depending on the beliefs of the individual and their collective good-deeds, God appears in the form they are comfortable with.

There is also a psychological aspect to it.

Assume that you are a believer of a God form and on conclusion of this Janma you reach the cosmic world and your donot see your lord in the form you know him, how would you feel. Will you not feel disappointed despite having done good deeds? God does not want to disappoint you.

God is like Manoranjitha flower(Artabotrys hexapetalus), you smell the flower thinking for a flavour or fragrance you will get the same fragrance.

However to enlightened human beings who are equipped to sight the various facets of God, both in material and non-material form, he shows the Vishwaroopa, where you see all God forms which you have heard of.

Even Arjuna could see Vishwaroopa only after he was granted the divine vision by Lord Krishna.

Shukra: We are done with the day’s discussions. A Prayer to conclude…..

Arjuna Says:

manyase yadi tachchakyam mayaa drashtumiti prabho

yogeshavarah tato me tvam darshyaatmaanaamaavyayam

Krishna, if you think that it can be seen by me, then, O Lord of yoga, reveal to me Your imperishable form.