Alavandar's Siddhitrayam - part2

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Dear members,

 

We continue with the commentary on Atma Siddhi by Sri R. Ramanujachari

 

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Atma Siddhi - An Introduction

-by R. Ramanujachari

 

The mangala sloka (invocatory verse) with which Atma Siddhi commences is

a prayer for the

highest form of bhakti to the Supreme Purusha; and its states in a

nutshell the visistadvaitic

conception of the Deity. Yamuna explains why he underakes this work. All

systems of thought

agree that Atma-jnana is the means to trancedental felicity (nisreyas).

Numerous sruti passages

assert that knowledge of the jivatma and Paramatama is the means of

liberation. But conflicting

views have been held by thinkers on almost every aspect of the self, its

essential nature, attributes

the means by which it is known, its duration, number, the way to the

attainment of moksa and

so on. Likewise, divergent views are entertained about the infinite

self. In the maze of arguments

and counter arguments presented by inquirers seeking to justify their

respective views of man

and God, one is confused and is unable to come to the right conclusion.

Hence the need for

this inquiry.

 

At the very outset, Yamuna states in unmistakable words the pratijna -

the thesis which he proposes to establish, - in a superb stanza

remarkable for its brevity and clarity.

 

Dehendriyamanah prana dibhyo Snyo Snanyasadhanah:

ityo Svyapi pratikshetramatma bhinnah atma swatah sukhi ||

 

"The individual soul is a spiritual principle different from the body,

senses, mind (manas) vital

breah (prana) and conciousness (dhih); it does not depend on anything

else for its manifestation

(i.e . it is self-luminous); it is eternal, subtle (anumatra,

atisukshma), distinct in each body and is

in its essential nature, blissful"

 

Then Yamuna plunges into the subject, seeking serially to establish,

after a reasoned consideration,

every one of the items mentioned in the pratijna. First materialism in

its different forms identifying

the soul with either the body or senses or manas or vital breath is

examined and shown to be

unacceoptable. Incidentally the Nyaya-Vaiseshika theory that manas is

one the nine ultimate dravyas, which with their properties and relations

constitute the whole universe, is assailed.

Then follows a critical review of the theory that samvit (consciousness)

is the soul, for the reason

that it is ajada (other than insentient). The Buddhists (prakatah) and

the disguised Buddhists (pracchanah) sponsor the view that

self-luminous consciousness alone is the soul and that it is

the only reality; but that on account of vasansa (impressionss of

previous experience) or on

account of beginningless ignorance (avidya), it has for its object the

erroneously imagined and

unreal distinctions of knower and known. The Bhuddhist doctrine,

whether it identifies the same

with momentary consciousnes (kshanika vijnana) or with a stream of

consciousness, has to face

insuperable difficulties. Nor does the advaitic theory of pure

consciousness devoid of subject and

object , eternal and self-luminous, fare any better. Yamuna shows that

what is termed

consiousness is well-known to possess the character of manifesting by

its very existence some

object to its substrate, namely the soul; and that terms such as

samvit, anubhuti, jnana, prakasa

and avagati are synonyms and are relative terms, always pointing to an

agent and an object.

The atman is a knower (jnatr) and not mere knowledge (jnaya).

Perception, reasoning and

scriptural testimony support the visistadvaitic view of the soul ; and

on this view alone the

possibility of ignorance afflicting the soul could be explained. The

self which is knower

presents itself as "I" (aham).

 

To be continued ...............

 

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