अवतार: vs. INCARNATION

 अवतार: (INCARNATION)

This Sanskrit word is translated as INCARNATION in English. The lexical root of incarnation is as follows:

incarnate (adj.) late 14c., from Late Latin incarnatus "made flesh," a common word among early Christian writers, past participle of Latin incarnare "to make flesh"

In English which descends from latin, incarnation is just "taking form in flesh". Look at words like 'carnivorous (meat eating)' etc. 'carna' is just flesh for them.

अवतृ  (avatR) in SamskRtam is a verb meaning 'discend' or come down. It gets the sense of direction downwards due to the 'avyaya' अव (ava). Avyaya is a small peace of combination of letters which alters the meaning of the word altogether. eg. 'hAra' (garland) is modified into multiple meanings by adding different avyayas like pRa-hAra (beating), A-hAra (food), saM-hAra (annihilation), nI-hAra (bath), pari-hAra (solution) etc. avatAra means 'coming down'. So it is understood that the old was at a height and the new is low.  Imagine an ocean of water which should be colorless, odorless, tasteless etc. since those are the properties of water. But when we have hot streams pouring into it creating fumes and latitudinal forces creating ice too, the ocean become multi various. Molten iron is 'MOLTEN IRON'. It can take any form. But the moment it takes the form of an axe, it sure can cut trees but cannot take any form. In axes, blades and spades there is iron. In all ice cubes and fumes there is water. An axe is inferior to iron. An ice-cube is inferior to water.  

avatAra is with a purpose and hence the word 'अवतारोद्देश: (purpose of coming down!).  Hindu mythology claims that there are 10 avatArAs, which are fish, tortoise, wild boar, man-lion, dwarf, wood cutter, archer, farmer, dancer cum flutist and Most evolved yet to come.

So what happens when 'incarnation' is translated as 'avataara'. Both have different meanings. Incarnation is taking a form in flesh. AvatAra is descending or limiting of capabilities!

 परब्रह्म (the ultimate reality from which all the visible universe emanates) is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Boundless, limitless. When it takes forms it still is part of itself just as an ice cube floating in an ocean. So is avatara. ice is an avatAra of water. So is water vapour. But both are not incarnations!! Man is an avatara of parabrahma.