Sankaracharya defines Karuna as Kripa, 'Dukhitheshu Daya' or 'Sarvabhutha Abhayaprada.' Kindness towards the suffering, rendering all beings fearless, by restraining from harming them. Baba is Karunakara, He who lives, moves and manifests to all beings as Karuna (Overflowing Mercy to all creatures). It is this karuna that has brought Him in this form.
Once when someone asked Him, 'why should God come down as man? Can He not set the world right and revive Dharma by His will?', Baba replied, Of Course it can be done; but how can you get this Anandam of seeing Him, touching His feet and talking to Him and being instructed and corrected by Him, unless He comes as man and moves among you?"
Imagine the vast depth of the Karuna or Divine pity that the reply expresses! Baba is All-knowing. He knows us all through and through to the tiniest blemish of habit or character. Still, He speaks to us lovingly, encourages us to listen to Him, leads us by the hand towards the goal. That is the measure of His Karuna.
He has come, out of pity, because this generation of mankind is misusing its intelligence to sharpen hatred and foster fear, rather than to promote love and establish peace.
Baba is so full of pity on erring man that He adopts all means, soft and hard, to cure and correct him. When Sri Vishnu sent his old schoolmate away from His city with his empty hands unfilled, the schoolmate Kuchela extolled His Karuna, for gift of riches might have made him forget Him!.