We have nArasimha dEvaru, a classic example of God in epic (purana). The story goes that may we say the evil-force ridden, instead of the demoniac King Hiranyakashipu, a staunch devotee who had a boon not to be killed by anything such as a weapon, a human or an animal had to be killed because of his atrocities against his own child! This story has another story that, King Hiranyaksha, the brother of Kiranyakashipu was killed by Narayana and the very name irritated Hiranyakashipu! Thus we fine stories within stories entwined in the great epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavata, Shivapurana, etc. So the supreme Lord had to punish the cruel (dushta) protect his devotee (shishta rakasha). But nothing, arms, man or animal could not kill him? So He, the Lord, took the form of a half-lion and killed the cruel king with his strong nails (vajra nakha)!But how come there is a Lion with human face in the Sphinx in Egypt?
Then, there are gods in male and female form like varahi, vanchakalpalata Srividya Ganapati, hayavadana, etc. The supreme Lord took avatara as the matsya, kurma, etc as already stated during the different epochs of earth's history. Thatapart, we have many other isntances wher Gods appear as Rama, Krishna, Buddha in human form? The seven manvantaras with four yugas each have seen gods as avataras.So, a Rama or Krishna will appear at every treta and a dvapara yuga respectively in every manvantra? It is said, King Dasharatha had no children and a sage gave him a fruit from which four children were born; hwoever, the sage said, the first born would not be there at the time of his death! It so happened that Rama was at Jatayu's time of death. There are also questions that are raised here. If the story of Rama is a family problem of Sita carried away by Ravana (who was egoistic and failed to lift the Bow at Sita svayamvara, and took revenge etc.). How could the Prince Rama who was given atmabhodha bu Sage Vashishtha could not realize that there is no Golden deer and it is ploy of Demon Marichi? Whatever, the story goes on.
Incidentally, King Dasharatha gave the name Ramachandra to the first born after the family deity Sri Rama he was worshiping! So there was already a Rama in the previous Tretayuga of the previous manvantara? Even in the Mahabharata, there are similar ambiguities. Here, we find the Pandavas have no father at all since the King Pandu disappeared soon after his marriage with Kunti. Kunti got Karna surya mantra), Yudhisthira (yama mantra), Arjuna (Indra mantra) and Bhima (vayu mantra) as children born of the boons. She gave one mantra to the second wife of Pandu and she got twins. Bhishma is not a human being since he is Gangeya, born to R. Ganga? There are lots and lots of stories about Krishna and we do not know who this Krishna is when it comes to the Bhagavad-Gita or Bhagavata? The entire story is only a narration like any story or drama of Shakespeare. It seems we only have to raise to the occasion and become a Rama or Krishna when time demands due to decline in dharma. No god will ever come to our rescue from heavens! Each and every jiva is bestowed with divine potent power to become a superman or powerful as God. These siddhi could be had by yogabhyasa and sadhana like hathayoga.
Thus, we have to take these stories, mythology, epics with a proper deeper meaning (antrartha) of spiritual value. These are helpful as far as restoring dharma, righteousness and guide people on right path. But human greed overtakes them.
When it comes to Gods like Shiva and Parvati, Narayana or Vishnu and Lakshmi, Narada Muni, Kubera, Ravana, Brahma, Narasimha etc. there is an ancient history of India daed back to 500 000 years when these were ruling Kings and considered Gods or Deva. Vishnu was ruling Tibet (Trivishtap), Kubera in Meru parvat, Nrasimha in Mangolia in teh North, Brahma in modern Burma or China in the East and Ravana in Lanka, down South. These are quoted from Rk Veda along with a map by Jvala Singh in his book The Sphinx Speaks, Delhi 1956. I shall give the Map in by email attachment to those interested.
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