Acharya Prashant responds to a question about whether divine figures (avatars) are born with extraordinary qualities or if they can be developed. He explains that in the stories, one finds both aspects. It is mentioned that they were special from childhood, but at the same time, the ordinary human qualities are also seen extensively in the descriptions of avatars. Therefore, you cannot say that you only find special qualities in avatars. For instance, when Sita is lost, Shri Ram is crying. This is a display of humanity; any ordinary husband or lover would do the same. When he cannot find her, he asks the trees and birds, "Have you seen the doe-eyed Sita?" In this, you do not see any special power (siddhi). If he had a special power, he would have closed his eyes and known that Ravana had taken her. Here, he is shown as completely human. If avatars are not shown as human, the entire process of incarnation is hindered. An avatar is someone who is very much like you, but despite being like you, they have the determination and courage to be like the Self (Atma). That is called an avatar. Both aspects are found in them simultaneously. An avatar cannot be an ideal, which is just an idea or an imagination. An avatar can only be an avatar when you see some human-like qualities and weaknesses in them. If you find an avatar in whom you see no flaws or shortcomings, then they are not an avatar at all. The very purpose of creating an avatar is to inspire you, to show that they were just like you, yet see how far they went and what they accomplished. This means you too can become great. Shri Krishna is ready to be defeated in battle; isn't this ordinary humanity? Shri Krishna is enjoying himself with the gopis; isn't this ordinary humanity? The mythological story of the gopis bathing and him hiding their clothes, what divinity do you see in this? It is being clearly told that he was like any common person. The Sanatan tradition has never been insecure about showing its great heroes as imperfect. The need to show someone as perfect arises only when you are scared from within. Here, they are shown as completely human. All of them are human: Hanuman ji is human, Lakshman ji is human, they get very angry. Shri Ram is human, Sita is human, everyone is human. Who is not human? Shri Krishna is human. Avatars also get angry, they cry, they get infatuated. All the things that affect an ordinary person also affect an avatar. This is a whole system, a mechanism that has been developed so that the common person can remain established in spirituality.
