Incarnation

 "I Am God", "I Am That" or aham brahasmi | etc are the utterances of some of the great spiritually attained persons. The famous Vedic doctrines enunciated in the Purusha sukta, Devi Sukta, Shree Sukta, etc. are to be clearly understood.

 There is a belief that God can appear on earth in any form 'He likes' or 'He Wills'. The common understanding is that everything we find here is a manifest aspect of the supreme Lord. The Veda affirms that "Having Created, He entered into it"! tad srushtva tadevaanupravishat! The Hindu belief system is that divinity is an inherent aspect of all that is created. Every jiva is divine in this sense of the term. We have seen how trees, birds, and animals are worshiped as Gods. Some of these are so blessed that they serve the God in various ways. The rat is the carrier (vahana) of Ganapati, Lord of Ganas (elements), so also, the peacock carrier of Devi Sharada. Lord Vishnu has the Garuda and Devi Chamundeshwari has the Lion as vehicles, respectively. We worship the peepul tress, Tulsi plant, etc. Lord Rama or Krishna are worshiped as Gods incarnate. There is an adhyatmic version where Shree Rama is stated to be the soul (Atman), Devi Sita is Bhu, earth (food that supports physical body), Lakshmana is the nervous system supporting the body and finally Hanuman is Prana Deva, the Deity of the Vital airs (Prana). Thus all are vested in our own self. 

  The Hindu sanatana dharma has the universal doctrines. One has to respect all creatures without discrimination as the manifest forms of the supreme Lord Vishnu. The word 'Vishnu' means, "That which pervades", and that is pure consciousness. All living creatures are endowed with consciousness. The vital airs (pancha prana), the prajnya (Consciousness), and the soul (Atman) are divine aspects beyond our control. Hence there is a great need for realizing the divine manifestations in all that exist and show respect and regard to each and every creature without any sort of discrimination. It is an insult to God to demean, defame, look down, or condemn others!