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Question 16. Is it true that God incarnates in the harm form? How does it take place? Are there as recognized limits to such incarnations?
In such matters as this, it is the Sastra or the scripture that is our authority. Lord Sri Krishna has declared in the Gita that He incarnates Himself in this world whenever Dharma (righteousness) declines and Adharma (unrighteousness) gets the upper hand. He restores the spiritual balance by punishing the wicked and upholding Dharma. This is our final authority for the doctrine of Avatara or incarnation.
Though in His essential nature, God is the Unmanifest Power, beyond the domain of speech and thought, He can incarnate Himself in a human body. In this regard, the only difference between Him and us in this: We are born, forced by our Karma (Past actions) and controlled by His Maya. That is why we suffer so much. He is born out of His will and pleasure, keeping Maya under His control. There is as much difference between Him and us as between the thief surrounded by the policemen who have taken him as a prisoner and the President of the republic who is also surrounded by policemen, but to serve him at his beck and call!
Such incarnations can appear in any country and at any time. the only criterion being the decline of Dharma and phenomenal rise of Adharma. Hence there are no limits to the number of incarnations or to places where the incarnations appear.
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