The mystery of divine incarnation

The idea of incarnation of God i.e. God descending on earth assuming a human form has been a topic of debate in Hinduism. But, it is extremely difficult for human beings to identify or recognize such incarnations. It is difficult for a man to believe that God can assume a human form, suffer hunger, thirst, disease, etc like human beings and yet retain his extraordinary divinity. Devotees would often come to Sri Ramakrishna and seek clarification from him about divine incarnations. He would answer them patiently saying, “However great and infinite God may be, His Essence can and does manifest itself through man by His mere will. God’s Incarnation as a man cannot be explained by analogy. One must feel it for oneself and realize it by direct perception.

An analogy can give us only a little glimpse. By touching the horns, legs, or tail of a cow, we in fact touch the cow herself; but for us the essential thing about a cow is her milk, which comes through the udder. The Divine Incarnation is like the udder. God incarnates Himself as man from time to time in order to teach people devotion and divine love.” So, in order to get the most essential thing out of the cow we have to milk her through her udder. But, this is not very easy. It requires knowledge and tremendous practice to milk a cow.

Anyone and everyone cannot do it. Only a milkman who is specially trained for this purpose can do it. Similarly, it is not easy to recognize God in a human form. It requires tremendous spiritual Sadhana.

If one practices disciplines like prayer, japa, etc with tremendous longing and intensity for many years, then perhaps it is possible to get a glimpse of the divinity in such incarnations. But, even that is possible only through God’s grace.