virodhaparihara-questions32 to 35

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32.

 

nanu kaThamiva bhAgavathasEshathvam abhiDHeeyathE?

 

 

 

How can the seshathva to the devotees of the Lord , bhAgavatha

sEshathvam be justified as it would be against the exclusive seshathva,

bhagavacchEshathvasya ananyArhathvam to the Lord.The opponent cites an

example of a born-slave of a king becoming slave to another which will

be the betrayal of loyalty to the king.

 

 

 

Desika says,

 

rAjadhAsasyarAjAjnAsiddhA dhAsasya vAsathA

 

thadhvath thadhbhakthasEshathvam yujyathE bhagavathDHiyA

 

 

 

Just like the dhasatva to other dhasas of the king is effected by the

command of the king himself here also through the will of the Lord the

bhAgavathsEshathva becomes appropriate.

 

 

 

As ThiruppAnAzvar says in the pAsuram 'amalanAdhipirAn adiyArkku ennai

Atpaduttha,' the Lord Himself makes one experience the seshathva to His

devotees and it happens through His grace only. Desika says 'athra

bhAgavathasEshathvasya bhagavathsEshathvAdhapi bhOgyathayA Eva

bhagavathsEshathvajnAnarasikaih bhAgavathaih anugrahapalathvEna

anusanDheeyamAnathvAdhapi bhAgavathasEshathvam purushArTHa rupamEva.'

 

 

 

This means, the bhAgavathsEshathvam is more enjoyable than even

bhagavthsEshathvam because it causes interaction between those who know

the joy of bhagavthsEshathva. The blessing of the bhAgavathas is the

goal of life, purushArTha as it aids the attainment of the Lord which is

paramapurushArTha.Only the seshathva to people other than bhagavAn or

bhAgavathas has to be condemned.

 

 

 

 

 

33. Evam tharhi karmavasAth bhAgavatha vyathirikthEshu loukika vaidhika

maryAdhAbhyAm avarjaneeyE sEshathvE kaTham nirvAhah?

 

 

 

If this is so, what would be the fate of those who become seshas to

others, either in the worldly sense or as enjoined by the scripture

through the effect of karma?

 

 

 

The question is about one who has the knowledge of his sEshathva to the

Lord but due to circumstances he is forced to serve others either for

his livelihood or on account of performing the vaidika karma in which he

has to be the sEsha of whichever deity enjoined in the karma.If he

serves others who are the sEshas of other deities it is said to be worse

that serving the deity himself. Such a person may find himself neither

in the group of Bhagavathas, because of his swerving from

bhAgavathadharma,nor he will join the opposite group due to his

knowledge acquired of his sEshathva to the Lord.

 

 

 

There is no cause to fear ,says Desika.

 

 

 

vinivArayathE vishNuh avrjyAm anyasEshathAm

 

kEnApyupAyabhEdhEna vinathA dhAsya bhangavath

 

 

 

The Lord Himself will remove the anyasEshathva by some means as in the

case of the removal of the slavery of Vinatha, (by Garuda, her son.)

 

 

 

Even if the anyasEshathva is due to prArabdhakarma, the Lord will remove

it for the one who has the knowlege of ananyasEshathva to Him. Desika

compares this to the story of Vinatha , mother of Garuda, who became the

slave of her co-wife Kathru because of a wager which she lost due to the

devious means adoped by the latter. VainathEya, (Garuda) freed her by

fulfilling the condition laid out by the serpents, sons of Kathru, to

fetch amrtha. Or else, as in the case of RavaNa and VibheeshaNa the Lord

will effect release by causing the death of the master. This has been

proclaimed by the Lord Himself in Gita by saying ' macchitthah

sarvadurgANi mathprasAddhAth tharishyathi, with his mind absorbed in Me

one will get rid of all obstacles.' All that one has to do is to pray to

Him to remove the anyaseshathva by some means and the all-merciful Lord

will do so Himself.

 

 

 

 

 

34. Bhagavathvathiriktha sEshaithvam sopAdhikam bhagavath sEshithvam

nirupAdhikam ithi pramANasiddhE sathi nirupADHika miTHuna sEshathvam

kaTHam sEthsyathi?

 

 

 

The sEshithva, being the master of all, is unconditioned in the case of

the Lord, while for others (like bhAgavathas) it is with condition. (of

being the sesha of the Lord and awarded the seshithvam by Him) Thus it

is stated in the scripture and hence how can it be said that both the

Lord and Sri together are seshi to all?

 

 

 

The answer is given as,

 

 

 

upalakshaNamAthrathvAth EkOkthE sruthyabhADHanAth

 

nirupAdhika sEshathvam dhvayOrathyupapadhyathE

 

 

 

Through implication and by sruthi both are one and hence the

conditionless sEshithva is common to both.

 

 

 

ParAsara bhatta says, 'thadhantharbhAvAth thvAm na prThagabhiDhatthE

sruthirapi,'(SriguNa.28) that is, the sruthi does not distinguish the

Lord from Sri because she is included in Him.

 

 

 

The oneness of both is in no way contradictory to His being sarvaseshi

and Sri being HIs sEsha as His pathni, He being the punisher and she

being His purushakarabhootha, instilling mercy on Him. The Lord is the

qualified and she the qualifier and hence there is no less importance

attributed to Her as the attributive aspect is the essence of the Lord.

Ramanuja in Sribhashya refers to the Lord as SrinivAsa in the invocatory

verse implying Sri as the visEshana, qualifying entity who forms the

partand parcel of the Lord. The sEshithva attributed to both is like

that of offering havis to the deities Agni and Soma in the sacrifice of

agnishOmeeyam.

 

 

 

 

 

35. For those who have become bhagavthkainkaryaparas, that is, involve

in the service of the Lord and his devotees, the worship alone is the

requisite dharma. So should they follow the other varNAsramadharmAs, the

activities enjoined for their varNa and Asrama?

 

 

 

Desika says that kainkaryam means abheeshtakaraNam, doing what the

master wishes and not mere worship.

 

 

 

svAminObheeshtakaraNam kainkaryam abhiDheeyathE

 

vishnOrabheeshtam akhilam sAsthrAdhEvAvagamyathE

 

 

 

 

 

The meaning of kainkaryam is doing what is pleasing to the Lord and

that is known only through the sasthras.

 

 

 

The kainkaryam is of two kinds , namely,AjnA,command and

anujnA,permission. The actions enjoined in the veda like soucha, inner

and outer purity, Achamana, sipping of water as a ritual,snAna, bath,

sandhyavandhna and upasana, that is, japa or meditarion come under AjnA

and to one who does not observe all this is not fit for any karma, says

the sasthra, which precludes him to do even those actions like

worshipping, that come under anujnA. The latter is done to please the

Lord who permits His devotees to do them but it would be displeasing to

Him if the former actions are not done.