The Global Hindu Heritage Foundation believes in imparting the moral values that shape students' personalities, character, and moral fiber. Thus, we run nearly 200 schools for children in nine Indian states, with a mission to share the richness of our heritage through stories drawn from the Panchatantra and other moral tales. This week, our children were taught about the inner meaning of form worship.
One day, Aryan, Pragna, Kutil, and Maya were rehearsing together for a play based on Krishna Janmashtami. Kutil refused to play Lord Krishna.
Kutil: "I won't play Krishna. They call him God, but our script says he was born in a prison and will die just like us. How can he be God if he faces death like a human being? He might be a great hero, but he isn't God."
Maya, too, became confused and voiced her doubt: "That's true! Even Rama died. How can God die? Are we supposed to believe that only this idol—this physical form—is God?"
Pragna immediately countered, "No! What we see is merely the form; there is a great power behind that form." Hearing this argument, Aryan took the matter to their teacher. "Master," he asked, "even though incarnations like Krishna and Rama were God Himself, why did they also face death? Is there any truth in Kutil's argument?"
The Guru smiled and gave them an example: "My dear friends, you all watch movies, don't you? A great actor never changes his true self. Yet, in one movie he might play a king, in another a poor man, and in yet another, a beggar. Even if the king dies, the actor himself does not, right? God is just like that." Explaining that Lord Sri Krishna conveys this very concept in the Bhagavad Gita to help us understand, the Guru then expounded upon verse 7.24 of the Bhagavad Gita.
Verse:  Avyaktam Vyaktimaapannam Manyante Maamabuddhayah |
            Param Bhaavamajaananto Mamaavyayamanuttamam || 24 ||
"O Kutila and Maya! The birth and death of incarnations like Rama and Krishna that you witness are merely a divine play (Lila). Only those unable to perceive the true power of the imperishable, unchanging, and invisible (Avyaya) God mistake Him for a mere human being."
"The underlying purpose behind His assuming these forms is 'punishing the wicked and protecting the righteous'—that is, to chastise evil and safeguard goodness. Whenever righteousness declines in the world, He manifests in a specific form; once that mission is accomplished, He reverts to His infinite (Anuttama) state of power, much like an actor shedding a costume. That is why we should worship not the physical form itself, but the infinite power that lies behind it."
Avatars like Rama and Krishna are divine forms the Supreme Being assumes. Although we see their birth and death, these events do not apply to the true nature of the Divine. An avatar is merely a form adopted for a specific purpose; even when that form ceases to exist, the Divine's infinite power remains indestructible.
Realizing their mistake, Kutil and Maya decided that when performing the role of God in the play, they would not treat it merely as a character but would keep in mind the great power behind that form.
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