_{Bhaga vad Geeta}

_{Chapter  4 , Yoga of Renuncuiation or Renunciation through knowledge.}

_{Arjuna was confused at the Lord's casual statement that the knowledge of Karma Yoga was first revealed to Vivaswan ( The Sun God) by HIM and Vivaswan in turn passed it on to his Son and so on. But somewhere in this process this knowledge was lost due to waning of Dharma. Arjuna says to the Lord that he could not beleive that Lord Krishna imparted this knowledge to Vivaswan since Lord Krishna was much younger to the Sun god. Arjuna was only partially aware that Lord Krishna was Bhagwaan. Lord Krishna reveals that Both Arjuna and He have taken several births before, and Arjuna can not remember any of them while the Lord remembers every one of them because he was Bhagwaan. With humans, once they die their soul leaves every part of the body including the brain.So nothing of the previous birth is remembered in the next birth. Bhagavan's birth is totally different. Though He appears to be born he is birthless.}

_{Lord Krishna continues}

_{I am the birthless and deathless and Lord of all that breathes.I am holding nature in My control and by My own power I took this form. Whenever Dharma wanes away in the rise of unrighteouness I return incarnating MYself again.To protect good people from harm, to destroy the wicked ones. To re-establish Dharma here I am born in age after age.}

_{Comments based on Swami Tadathmananda's explanation}

_{The above verse is heard very often and most of us are familiar with it.}

_{Hindus beleive in the Avatar ( Incarnation of Bhagwaan in to this world as Rama and Krishna). It is not blind faith. There is a reasonable basis for beleiving in incarnation. Most of us are ordinary incarnations of God . We all know that there are extraordinary people born who have special skills and powers in the field of music, Science and literature and in so many other ways. How do we explain them? We have heard of a 3 year old playing the violin or doing complicated Math. These are extraordinary births. They happen although they are not common.So Is'nt it possible once in 1000 or 10,000 years there is a super incarnation of God that is complete and powerful? We are not trying to prove that incarnation of Krishna or Rama took place. But there is a reasonable logic to beleive it could have happened.In a limited way we are all partial Avatars of GOd while Lord krishna was Poorna Avatar ( complete incarnation). Our avatar or reincarnation is due to our past karma where as Bhagwaan's incarnation was due to the  collective Karma of good and bad people. Lord Krishna did not descend into this world only to get the rightful kingdom for Pandavas. His purpose was to reestablish Dharma. In the kingdom of Dhirutharashtra and Dhuryodana dharma had waned away. People of their kingdom suffered immensely for years. Due to the prayers  of good people which is the collective Karma, He took the birth of Lord Krishna.}

_{Lord Krishna continues..}

_{Those who know the reality of my birth and my devine deeds, after their death they are not reborn. They come to me.Those who are free from desire, fear and anger purified by the power of this knowledge , devoted to me totally reach my supreme state. There have been many who have done this.}

_{Comments by Swami Tadathmanada}

_{How does one know the reality of Lord's birth and devine nature? Only by giving up anger, greed and fear one can really know the Lord. We are all devine. we all posses a devine soul. The problem is we do not know it ,due to ignorence. The solution is through knowledge . To be exact the gnana tapasya.( Fire of knowledge. The word Tapas also means heat) The heat of knowledge will burn our greed , fear and anger. That is what is meant by knowing the reality of the Lord and his devine deeds.}

_{Lord Krishna continues..}

_{Whatever wish men bring me in worship, that wish I grant them. Whatever path men travel is my path. No matter where they walk , it leads to me.}

_{Comments by swami Tadathmananda}

_{This verse allows for multiplicity of approaches to God. vedic rituals were done for specific purposes. They brought material success. If one seeks spiritual success you get them too. Even if some one does not pray but keeps doing his actions( good actions) he gets the results. They are still following God's path. We can only perform actions. But the results come from the Lord.}

c ontinued..

References   The Song of God translated bt swami Prabhavananda and Christerpher Isherwood, Lectures by Swami Tadathmananda of Arsha Bodha  from web site at

http://arshabodha.org/ab/wcms/en/home/teachings/index.html