Avatars in Every Species

Question: I have a question, the answer to which should help me frame a paper I will write later this summer for an interfaith presentation on the topic of God among us: A Catholic-Vaishnava Dialog, the Incarnation and Avatar.
Sri Krishna appears in innumerable forms throughout the universes. Some forms appear to be human-like while others resemble lower species, such as the boar, fish, tortoise, etc. Srila Prabhupada writes: (SB 1.2.34 purport), "In each and every universe there are innumerable planets inhabited by different grades of living entities in different modes of nature. The Lord (Vishnu) incarnates Himself in each and every one of them and in each and every type of living society. He manifests His transcendental pastimes amongst them just to create the desire to go back to Godhead. The Lord does not change His original transcendental position, but He appears to be differently manifested according to the particular time, circumstances and society."
The human form of life is the best for achieving self-realization. The activities of the animals are eating, mating, sleeping and defending. The animals cannot understand God. Yet, Srila Prabhupada says that Krishna is the friend of both human and animal society. I suppose if He appears among humans to deliver us, it would only be sensible that He appears among the animals to deliver them. I'm wondering if the dynamic is different among other species. When He appears among the humans or higher species, He can deliver those in His immediate association, and then His teachings are recorded to inspire posterity. When the Lord appears among the lower species, how does He deliver them? They cannot practice religion as humans do (though Lord Caitanya made deer, tigers and elephants chant Hare Krishna and liberated the dog under Sivananda Sena's care). Does He deliver only the current generation among that species (after all, animals don't maintain written historical records)?
This may seem to be an obscure inquiry, and I'm probably not mature enough to understand the answer, but it came to mind, so I was wondering if the acaryas offer us any insight into this matter.
Answer: The conception that God incarnates in the species of those living entities who are lower than human beings has always troubled the mind of the western theologian. Knowing this Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura has dealt with the topic of the Lords incarnations in lower species in his book 'Sri Krsna-samhita.' I suggest that you consult that book in detail before writing your proposed essay.
When the Lord appears in lower species He delivers those species by giving them auspiciousness due to His association. The living entities are then promoted to human life and there they are given a chance to come to God consciousness and love of God. That is my understanding. By the Lord's association the living entity awakens a desire for God consciousness. This desire for God consciousness is also awakened by the association of pure devotees of the Lord and sometimes by ajnata-sukriti.
Categorically the Lord appears in every species.
That the Lord appears in all species of life, means that He appears in each category, not that He appears as each and every individual form like each and every type of fish, each kind of reptile, every type of quadruped (animal) etc. But in each category the Lord appears.
Among the aquatics in the water the Lord appears as Matsya-avatar. Among the trees and plants He appears as Dharu-brahman (the trees bearing the signs of Vishnu from which the Jagannatha Deities are then manifested) (banyan trees and others may also be considered as the Lord's incarnation). Among the insects and reptiles He appears as the Vajrakita (the worm from Vaikuntha) that carves the signs on the Saligram-silas and also as Ananta-sesa and Kurma-avatar, the tortoise. Among the birds He appears as Hamsa-avatar. Among the animals with four feet He appears as Varaha-avatar. And among the humans He appears as Krsna, Rama, and Sri Caitanya.
As stated above the Lord creates auspiciousness for the living entities in the lower species of life by appearing among them. This would benefit those living entities who directly associated with the particular incarnation and it would also benefit all future living entities appearing in that species. That is my understanding. If any species comes in contact with any avatar then there is certainly benefit for those living entities, without doubt. What to speak of the particular species — each and every time the Supreme Lord appears in this universe all the living beings present in the universe are benefited. Some are liberated directly and others are elevated and liberated after some time. The ways of the Supreme Lord are wonderful and sometimes difficult for the tiny brain to understand. Nonetheless, sraddha (faith) tells us that the Lord is all-merciful, the friend of all living beings, and the knower of everything. How He is doing everything may be known to Him alone, but faith tells us that He is the doer of everything and whatever He does is for our benefit.

Katha Kali and Sacred Dance

Katha Kali: As far as historical records show, dance in India has always been associated with spirituality and the pulsating rhythm of cosmic life. Indians have always held dance as sacred and have practiced it as a means of entering into divine consciousness.
Shiva, a principal demigod in Indian religious tradition, is the patron saint of the sacred dance; he is known as "Nataraja," the king of dancers. According to Ananda Cooramaswamy, an eminent Indian scholar, the dance of Shiva is a manifestation of the primal rhythmic energy which has three meanings: first, rhythmic play, the source of all movement within the cosmos; second, the purpose of his dance is to release the countless souls of mankind from the snare of illusion; and finally, the place of dance, Chidambaram, the center of the universe, is within the heart.
According to authorities on Indian sacred dance, and in the words of its countless performers, the dance is profoundly spiritual. The ritual of dance is mentioned in India's earliest literature, the Vedas, and has always accompanied religious ceremonies. The distinguished Indian dancer Enakshi Bhavani, whose book The Dance in India is an authoritative classic on the subject, also calls Indian sacred dance "a science, an art, and an exposition at the same time." Because it demonstrates the deeply philosophical and highly spiritual moods of the Indian people, in India sacred dance is given the foremost position among all the traditional arts.
Whereas spontaneity in Indian dance was previously cherished, over the course of time it evolved into a methodical performing art with various schools and strict disciplines. Over 2000 years ago, Bharata Muni wrote the Natya Shastra,or the science of drama which included a comprehensive guide to sacred Indian dance. In this work Bharata Muni says that Brahma, the predominating demigod of this universe, brought the entire science of natya,dance and drama, to the Earth in ancient times.
Bharata Muni, it seems, possessed a mind that delved deeply into the mysteries of that knowledge which comes with yogic meditation and contemplation, and his inner visions of beauty, perfect rhythm, and noble attributes of the symbolic movements provided a formidable prerequisite to his composing his manual. Amazingly enough, most sacred dance in India still follows the outlines and rules laid down in the Natya Shastra.
As in other sacred arts in India such as architecture, some regard the ideal forms—or postures—as symbolic of truth, while others prefer to see them as being in perfect harmony with the cosmic rhythm. Some schools consider that when the sacred dance is properly performed, the divine entities of Godhead and the celestial beings which the performers portray "manifest" themselves onstage; thus the sacred dance becomes one with reality in that it has the ability to uplift the human consciousness from the mundane world to the supernal. Since this requires the disciplined use of the entire body and all of its means of expression, in the Natya Shastra,ten basic postures of the body, thirty-six of the hand, nine of the neck, and thirteen poses of the head are delineated. The various schools of dance have elaborated on these principal postures, each of which has a specific meaning constituting a precise body language capable of telling complex stories to audiences familiar with these conventions. The dancer requires exacting coordination of footwork, bodily movement, hand gestures, placement of arms, and movements of the head, eyes, eyebrows, and neck, synchronized with the finely intricate beats of a drum.
The most striking feature of India's sacred dance is undoubtedly the hand gesture known as the mudra.By a beautiful and complicated code, the hand alone is capable of portraying not only a wide range of emotions, but gods, mortals, animals, natural scenery, action, and so on, and each posture and body movement creates an effect which invokes transcendental emotion. It is a traditional belief that certain currents generated by repeated rhythmic movements of the body create moods and atmosphere that bring powerful results affecting man and nature alike. Thus seasonal dances, festival dances, and ritual dances evolved.
Ultimately, through practice of the standard dance forms sacred dancers could so awaken their spirituality as to dance their way to divine consciousness. In order to attain this elevated state of consciousness, the Indian dancer had to achieve a true unison of the inner self and the physical being and become immersed in the divine.
Before the advent of Buddhism in India, dancers were generally recruited from the upper classes of Indian society. Princesses and women of culture counted dancing as an accomplishment and cultural asset demanding serious study. And study they did, as sacred dance, being a holistic art and science, required well educated and well rounded performers for success. Therefore, prospective dancers from an early age had to learn not only dance, but dramatics, perfume-making, make-up, music, grammar, and the art of conversation, and had to be learned in philosophy and theology.
The ascendancy of Pali Buddhism in India after 500 B.C. interrupted the full and continuous evolution of sacred Indian dance. This form of Buddhism emphasized a more abstract form of spirituality and all of the sacred arts declined during this period, especially since members of the higher echelons of society were forbidden to dance or sing or play on musical instruments. But around the time of Christ, Vedic concepts of philosophy and spirituality in India rebounded to enjoy a strong renaissance, fueled by the immense popularity of the great Vedic classics Ramayanaand Mahabharata.During the first and second centuries A.D. this resurgence gained new heights of achievement for the Vedicarts, including dance, which continued unabated for almost a thousand years.
The Chola dynasty (ninth century to thirteenth century A.D.) gave new impetus to all the sacred arts, especially dance, by rich patronage and devotion. Elaborate temple construction was a special tour de force of the Cholas, and they established schools of sacred dance in their newly-built temple complexes-hence, sculptures of dance in Orissa, Andhra, and all over South India highlighted the unique status of sacred Indian dance during this period.
Under the weight of the British occupation of India and the secularizing effects of modernization in the nineteenth century, sacred Indian dance suffered a dramatic decline for the second time; however, the Nobel Prize-winning poet Dr. Rabindranath Tagore and other concerned members of India's high society worked to repopularize sacred Indian dance and make it more accessible to the general public. With the new rise of popularity, dancers were now welcome from almost any sector of society: dancing was no more the elite privilege of the upper classes.
In the twentieth century sacred Indian dance has regained a prominent place on the international stage due to the brilliant work of such dancers as Uday Shankar, whose dancing is applauded on four continents. His performance in the Radha-Krishna Ballet is especially appreciated for bringing to light the grace, power, and subtlety of sacred Indian dance to contemporary audiences.
There are many schools of sacred Indian dance--Bharata Natyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Orissi, Mohini Atam, Krishna Atam, and Bhagavat Mela--all loved by the Indian people. To them the sacred dances represent divine beauty in motion, deliberate steps leading to divine consciousness. Among these schools, two are exceptional for surveying as they are prominent and representative of the rest: Bharata Natyam and Kathakali.
Bharata Natyam is sometimes called "an art for eternity" because its practice today is virtually the same as it was thousands of years ago. It is the most common dance style performed throughout all of India, although the tradition is most popular in the southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kanartaka. Bharata Natyam is the mother art for most of the other sacred dance systems of India and is the main source of inspiration for the allied arts of sculpture, painting, and icon-making. Although Bharata Natyam was originally a child of the temples, it has now become extremely popular on the secular stage as well.
The derivation of the word "Bharata" to describe this system is most intriguing: many experts claim it to be a compilation of the first syllables of the three main elements of Bharata Natyam—bhaas in bhavaor mood, raas in ragaor melody, and taas in talaor rhythmic timing.
In ancient times a group of holy adepts known as the Nattuvanars preserved the art of Bharata Natyam and taught it to others. While the Nattuvanars taught, the female temple dancers known as devidasisor "handmaidens of God" performed. Undergoing rigorous training, many devidasisstarted developing their skills at the age of five. Some stone inscriptions in Tangore mention that in the eleventh century A.D. nearly 400 devidasispracticed their art of dancing at the famous Brihat-Ishwara temple, while about 100 were attached to the Shiva temple at Kanchipuram. The monarchs of the time made the devidasisan established institution by paying them a salary for their religious duties.
Traditionally, over the last 1000 years women almost exclusively performed Bharata Natyam with one exception-the Bhagavatars, who were members of the brahman or priestly class who found the dance drama the best medium for interpreting the great philosophic teachings of the Bhagavatamscripture, which contains a biographical study of the life of Sri Krishna. The Bhagavatars' performances were known as Bhagavat Melas.Their dramatic action, lyrical composition, choice music and classic dance form were mingled to glorify the spiritual pastimes of Sri Krishna and other incarnations of Godhead in such an entertaining and artistic way as to create an art which truly expounded dance as Bharata Muni had conceived it in his Natya Shastra.