sribhashya adhyaya2-padha3-adhikaranas 5and6

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KarthraDHikaraNam-2-3-5

 

 

 

suthra-33-kartha sAsthrArTHathvAth-2-3-33

 

 

 

The individual self is an agent according to sasthra.

 

 

 

The self has been shown as the knower and now the question is whether it

is the doer also. The opponent says it is not, as the self has been

shown to be actionless and the actions are said to be only pertaining to

the gunas. In Katopanishad while describing the self as having no birth

and death 'na jAyathE mriyathE vA vipaschith,' the acts of killing and

get killed etc. are denied of the self.'hanthA cheth manyathE hanthum

hathaschEth manyathE hatham, ubou thou na vijAneethou nAyam hanthi na

hanyathE.'(Kata.I-2-19), meaning, one who thinks that the self kills or

get killed do not know the truth because the self neither kills nor gets

killed Even in the Gita it is said 'prakrthEh kriyamANAni guNairkarmANi

sarvasah, ahamkAravimooDAthmA karthAham ithi manyathE, (BG.3-27)all

actions are done by the gunas and the one who is deluded by ego thinks

that he is the doer.'

 

 

 

This suthra refutes the above view.Only the self is the kartha and not

gunas. This is in accordance with the sasthras.It is found in the sruthi

texts like 'yajEtha svargakAmah, one desirous of heaven should perform

sacrifce ' and 'mumukshurbrahma upAseetha, one aspiring for release

should meditate on Brahman,' that the agency of action is ascribed only

to the individual self. The word sasthra means scriptural injunction

originated from the word sAsana, command. Sasthras induce action by

giving certain instructions and it is possible only in the case of a

sentient soul and not insentient pradhana,that is the gunas.That is why

the purvamimamsa declares 'sAsthraphalam prayokthari, the fruit of the

injunctions is only to the agent.' (III-7-18)

 

 

 

Ramanuja clarifies the point by saying that the text about the self not

killing or getting killed etc. is to show that it is eternal and not to

deny the agency.Similarly the sloka quoted from Gita only means that the

activity during the state of bondage is induced by the gunas and not

natural to the self as it is mentioned there itself 'kAraNam

gunasangOasya sadhasath yOnijanmasu, the cause of the embodiment in good

and evil wombs is the association of the self with the gunas.'

(BG.18-21)

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-34-upAdhAnAth vihArOpadhEsAccha-2-3-34

 

 

 

Because of the teaching of the self taking the senses and wandering

about.

 

 

 

In BrhadhAraNyaka upanishad there is a passage ' yaTHA maharAjah

jAnapadhAn grheethva sve janapadhe yaTHAkAmam parivarthEtha , EvamEva

EthathprANAn grheethvA svE sarirE yaTHA

kAmamaparivarthathE,(Brhd.2-1-18) This means , as a king will take his

subjcts and wander around in his kingdom, so too, the self taking the

pranas (senseorgans) wander around in the body.

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-35-vyapadhesATh cha kriyAyAm na cheth nirdhEsaviparyayah-2-3-35

 

 

 

The self mentioned as the agent in scritures and if not so it would have

been different.

 

 

 

The self has been definitely mentioned as the agent in texts such as

'vijnAnam yajnam thanuthE karmANi thanuthEpicha.' (Tait.2-5) meaning

that the self denoted as vijnAnam is the performer of sacrifice and

actions.If it is said that the word vijnAna means the intellect, it

being the instrument of action and not the agent, the text would have

been 'vijAnEna ' by the intellect and not 'vijnAnam,' the intellect.

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-36- upalabDHivath aniyamah-2-3-36

 

 

 

There will be no definite rule as in the case of consciousness

 

 

 

If the self is not the doer then the same difficulty as mentioned in the

case of consciousness (vide.suthra-2-3-32) will result. That is, if the

agency of action is ascribed to pradhana, all souls being equally

associated with it, all actions will result in the enjoyment of all. If

the souls are omnipresent no internal organ will be exclusive to one

soul and hence distribution of different results to difference souls

will not be possiblaE.

 

 

 

 

 

Suthra-37-shakthiviparyayAth-2-3-37

 

 

 

On account of inversion of power.

 

 

 

If the intellect is the agent it must also be the enjoyer as both the

doer and enjoyer of an action must be the same, in which case there will

not be any proof for the existence of the individual self, contrary to

the statement 'purusho asthi bhOkthrbhAvAth,(SK.17) the soul exists

because there must be some experincer.

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-38-samAdhyabhAvAcccha-2-3-38

 

 

 

Because of impossibility of samADHi.

 

 

 

If intellect is the agent of action it will be so even in samADHi which

is the state prior to release, in which, the knowledge of the difference

of the soul from the prakrthi dawns. As the intellect is itself is a

product of prakrthi, this will not happen.

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-39-yaTHA cha thakshObhayathA-2-3-39

 

 

 

And even as a carpenter is both.

 

 

 

This suthra is in reply to the objection that if the soul is the doer,

the instruments of action being always present there wll be perpetual

action. It is replied that like a carpenter who has the will to use his

instruments or not, the soul also,being sentient, has the power to act

or not to act.On the other hand only if the intellect is the doer,

there will be action always as it lacks the power of discrimination

being insentient.

 

 

 

Thus ends the karthraDHikaraNam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

parAyatthADHikaraNAm-2-3-6

 

 

 

suthra-40-parAtthu thacchruthEh-2-3-40

 

 

 

>From the highest only as declared in the scriptures.

 

 

 

The question raised is that whether the agency of action on the part of

the individual self is independent or dependent on the supreme self. The

opponent says that it is independent as otherwise the injunctions and

prohibitions by the scriptures will be meaningless if the indivividual

self is not free to act by itself.

 

 

 

The suthra refutes this by saying that only the supreme self is the

cause of all actions as declared by the sruthi 'anthah pravishtah sAsthA

janAnAm sarvAthmA, He is the ruler of all entering inside as their inner

self.' and the passage in BrhadhAranyaka which mentions Brahman as the

inner ruler and self of all etc by enumerating each category ending with

'yah Atmani thishTan atmanah antharah yam AthmA na vedha yasya AthmA

sariram ya AthmAnam antharO yamayathi sa tha AthmA

antharyAmyamrthah,'who dwelling in the Self is different from the Self,

whom the Self does not know, whose body the Self is, who rules the Self

from within, He is thy Self, the inward ruler, the immortal one.'

 

 

 

Even in Bhagavatgita the Lord declares, 'sarvasya chAham hrdhi

sannivishtO, I am in the heart of all,' and says that He is whirling

them with action by His MAya, as though mounted on a machine,'bhrAmayan

sarvabhoothAni yanthrArooDAni mAyayA.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-41-krthaprayatnApEkshasthu vihithaprathishiddha

avaiyarTHyAdhibhyah-2-3-41

 

 

 

Since the effort is taken by the individual soul the injunctions and

prohibitions are relevant.

 

 

 

The objection that if the soul is not independent the injunctions and

prohibitions will have no value it is replied in this suthra that the

effort is taken only by the individual self but it cannot act without

the sanction of the supreme self, who is the anumantha, one who gives

permission to act. If the soul does good karma the Lord bestows His

grace and if indulges in evil deeds He gives punishment. That this does

not indicate that He is merciless has been already proved, says Ramanuja

, while explaining the doctrine of sankhya.

 

 

 

The opponent comes with an objection that the text in Kouseetaki

upanishad which says 'Esha hyEva sAdhukarma kArayathi tham yamEbhyO

lOkEshu unnineeshathi, Esha Eva asAdhu karma kArayathi tham yam aDHo

nineeshathi, He makes those whom He wishes to raise to the higher worlds

to do good deeds and whom He wishes to send down from these worlds He

makes them do bad deeds,' means that only the Lord Himself makes one to

do good and bad deeds and this goes contrary to the independent effort

of the individual self. Ramanuja replies that this does not apply to all

beings but only means that when one chooses to proceed along the path

approved by the Lord, He helps the soul to rise further and when one

pursues the path that leads away from the Lord, He makes the soul

descend further so that the propensity for evil will be exhausted. In

the Gita the Lord says 'thEshAm sathatha yukthAnAm bajathAm

preethipoorvakam dhadhAmi buddhiyOgam tham yEna mAmupayAnthi thE.'It

means that the Lord gives the wisdom to those who worship Him with love

so that they can attain Him. And He hurls those who are evil ,He says ,

into demonical wombs in perpetual transmigration, 'thAn aham dvishadhah

kroorAn samsArEshu narAdhamAn, kshipAmi ajasram ashubAnAm aAsureeshvEva

yOnishu.'

 

 

 

Thus ends the parAyatthADHikaraNam.