Shri Ram and Shri Krishna: two Avatars who changed the world by their difference

In Hindu mythology there are two most powerful personalities Shri Ram and Shri Krishna both of whom are said to be reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. Shri Ram is called as 'Purushottam' which means the "Most Ideal and Ethical Man" and Shri Krishna is known to be 'Yogeshwar' which means the "Epitome of Yoga".

Both had their existence on the planet earth during two different Epic historical phases of Hindu Mythology. Shri Ram was ruling king of Ayodhya during the Ramayan period whereas Shri Krishna was Epic King of Dwarka during the Mahabharat phase. Their methods were quite different from each other. Whereas Shri Ram was a strict follower of Sanatan Dharma had only one wife and was loyal to 'ekpatni vrat 'and he upheld all the principles of ethics and fought with evil forces of Ravan who had stolen Shri Ram's wife Devi Sita. Whereas Shri Krishna was a 'non-conformist and had married 16,108 wives in the sense to save themselves from the society who saw them as slaves of the demon king Narakasura. Shri Krishna too upheld the Sanatan Dharma, but was able to break rules for the sustenance of dharma and he taught that even you have to fight with your family for upholding Dharma.

It is said that when the planet earth gets troubled by Evil forces, God sends his avatars to fight those evil forces to protect Sanatan dharma (which in Hinduism, is the term used to denote the “eternal” or absolute set of duties or religiously ordained practices incumbent upon all Hindus, regardless of class, caste, or sect). Shri Ram was born on 10 Jan 5114 BC (according to Archeo-astrology) whereas Shri Krishna was born on 21 or 27 July 3227 BC. (calculations of Aryabhatta).

Shri Ram came to propound the importance of being a good and dutiful man and a just King. Rama was born unaware of His divinity because the purpose of His avatar was to kill a powerful man who had the boon that no God could kill him. Whereas, Shri Krishna, though, was born for much later historically to establish righteousness, but also to propound that divine love transcends all worldly duties and righteousness. Surrender unto his Lotus Feet and forget about being right, wrong or dutiful. He was the only avatar that was born with blown knowledge of his divinity. He existed in a witness stage and hence was able to smirk and smile at everything from Putna trying to kill Him to forever leaving his childhood home and friends to watching all His kids dying knowing this is just an illusion.

Shri Ram was unable to keep his one wife happy in order to be righteous even sending her pregnant into jungle to appease a subject citizen. Shri Krishna gave up all such man-made moralities just to please his devotees including his 16k wives who the society had ostracised. He ran away from the battlefield to save Bis men’s lives not caring if others thought him a coward or ‘Ranchod’. He cheated, plotted and manipulated for those that relied on him uncaring of being judged. Shri Ram invokes lot of respect as Maryada Purushottam. Maryada also means control. Shri Ram was Ek Vachani, Ek Patni, Ek Baani. (Meaning, one word, one wife, one arrow.) His arrow never missed the target, he was loyal to one wife and he always kept his word. His entire life is a lesson to mankind as how to control one's desires, emotions, senses and power. Hence, Lord Rama is Maryada Purushottama.

But Shri Krishna invokes, Purna Purushottam, unstoppable kind of eternal love. Shri Krishna is Lilaadhar Purushottam. He is the creator, owner of this divine play, who couldn't resist his urge to act in his own creation. And this time, he is acting as himself. His whole self. Hence also called as, the ‘Purna Avatara', the complete form of the purushottama

If we look at all the Vishnu's Dash avatars, they depict a man’s evolutionary stages. Mankind was first a small water organism hence the Matsya avatar, then a half-water-half-land animal, the Kurma Avatar (Tortoise) and then a base animal- Varaha avatar (Boar). Then evolving to a half man-half animal- the Narsimha avatar, then a dwarf man (Vaman) to an angry man as yet trying to tame his emotions- the Parashuram. And then arrives the perfect Man, the King of Men- Shri Ram who is followed by the avatar which transcends humanity and Kings and arrives as a full blown Shri Krishna.

I think the difference between Shri Ram and Shri Krishna Avatar is in the way Shri Krishna displayed his divine prowess openly, blatantly and explicitly unlike Rama. I believe that makes Krishna Avatar a Purna Avatar. Shri Ram, despite knowing his divinity, tended not to show it openly, tried to hide it from public view and displayed common-man's emotions (crying, worrying, self-doubting, forgetting, flaring up etc) openly which had the potential for others to doubt his divine prowess.

Shri Krishna was a ever-joyous Sthita-Pragnya. Killing asuras and giants were really child-plays for him when he was indeed a child! As a child, he can lift up a hill; he can open his mouth filled with mud and show the entire universe inside the mouth to Yashoda! He makes all the Gopis of Vrindavan fall madly in love with him, but he leaves them all to fend for themselves and moves to Mathura never to return! He can wage war and get defeated 18 times against Jarasandha and he still can smile and go about as a master king-maker of the Yadava clan! He can lead wars to win, and he can also drive a chariot without taking part in a war! He can manipulate with both dharma and Adharma at his will, taking everything under his hood of divine play. He can go as a humble peacemaker between two warring groups and he can also show a massive Vishwaroopa Darshan with equal ease to show that he was the Almighty, living amidst ordinary mortals! He also played to be a 'marriage-broker' for his bosom friend Arjuna and he could also be the Master Sadguru for him in teaching Bhagavad Gita at the war front!

He could make kings and envoys from other countries wait outside his palace for getting his appointment and he would run to meet his boyhood friend Sudama, a virtual pauper brahmin, wash his feet and sprinkle the water on his head as holy! He could be mighty enough to take part and get his entire clan killed in mutiny, and be humble enough to allow a lowly hunter's arrow to take away his life!

Shri Krishna has taught their devotees that no matter they are your brother's or friends, if they hurt you in spite of giving many excuses then you have to fight for your own rights. That's why they told Arjun in Kurukshetra battle to fight against their own cousins coz they had taken their everything. These lessons of Lord Shri Krishna are true for everyone.

Whereas Shri Ram Avatar was in Treta Yug which was the Avatar of Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram, they did very peaceful deeds not to hurt anyone without mistake. But somehow in Ramayan they hurt himself due to his kingdom's conditions. Therefore, he is considered just opposite incarnation of Lord Krishna which is a PurnaAvtar of Lord Vishnu.

Jay Shri Ram and Jay Shri Krishna! Stay blessed! #kishoreshintre #possessedbywritingspirit #ks1000articles #proudtobeindian