virodhaparihara-questions 42 to 45

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42.Evam tharhi sareerAdheenAm oupADHikasEshathvE jnAnAdheenAm cha

nithyasEshathvE jAgrathi nishpannajnAnasyApi aDHikAriNah thEshu

mamakAravicchEdhabrAnthih bhavishyathi

 

 

 

The sarira which is due to karma and the jnana and anandha which is

natural to the jiva belong to the jiva only and if the sense of

belonging (mamakAra) is given up there will be confusion.

 

 

 

Desika denies this saying,

 

 

 

jnAnadhEhadhivishayamamakAra nivarthanE

 

na bhrAnthirapramAmoola-mamakAranivarthanAth

 

 

 

Abandoning the mamakAra, the concept of 'mine,' there is no confusion

because the mamakAra in respect of the knowledge,the body etc. are not

true in the real sense of the term.

 

 

 

To the aspirant the mamakAra which is not conducive to the service of

the Lord is to be removed completely. That is, the body, knowledge and

other things are to be used for the kainkarya of the Lord. The Lord has

provided all the things, grha-kshEthra-puthra-kaLathrAdhi,house,land,

son and wife etc., that create mamakAra to be used in His service.

Hence the devotee should feel that everything is given to him by the

grace of the Lord when there is no cunfusion.

 

 

 

 

 

43.Evamapi Isvarasya nirapEksha-svAthanthryam Asritha pArathanthryam cha

kaTHamiva sanghatatha?

 

 

 

How does the absolute independence NirapEkshasvAthanthryam, of the Lord

and His doing the bidding of His devotees, Asritha pArathanthryam, can

go together?

 

 

 

Desika says,

 

 

 

Parathanthryam SvakeeyEshu svathanhryasya ramApathEh

 

svAthanthrasya-kAshTArupathvAth guNakotou nivEsyathe.

 

 

 

This pArathanthrya of the Lord towards His devotees is to be considered

a praiseworthy quality as it is done by His own free will and denotes

the height of His independence.

 

 

 

Desika gives an example of a king who, though all powerful, obeys the

command of the people he loves like His wife and son.Similarly the Lord

also out of His love does as he is told by His devotees, like being the

charioteer, messenger or obeying the gopis , getting bound feigning fear

etc., which only enhances His charm. Here it is significant that Desika

uses the term Ramakantha to denote Bhagavan which is highly suggestive

of the meaning of His pArathanthrya.

 

 

 

 

 

44.thadheeyAnAm anyOnyaseshasesheebhAvasthu itharEthara

AsrayadhOshagrasthah

 

 

 

The sesha- seshi bhAva between two bhagavathas which is mutual is

self-contradicting as one cannot be sesha and seshi at the same time.

 

 

 

Desika replies,

 

 

 

anyOnya -sEshabhAvE thu nAnyonyAsrayathA bhavEth

 

AkArabhEdhAth ubhayam ubhayaishAm hi yujyathE

 

 

 

The mutual sesha-seshi bhava is not contradicting, but appropriate, says

Desika , because of the different role of each one towards the other at

different times.

 

 

 

That is, when one is doing service to the other the first one becomes

the sesha and the second becomes seshi and when the role is reversed the

sesha-seshibhava is aslo reversed. Hence there is no inconsistency in

the mutual service.This idea is brought about in Gita, where Krishna

says,

 

'macchitthA madhgathprANA bhoDHayanthah parasparam

 

kaThayanthscha mAm nithyam thushyanthicha ramanthicha'

 

Those who is engrossed with the thought of Me, who exist for Me,relate

to each other about Me and my actions and talk only about it, happy and

revelling in it.

 

 

 

 

 

45.bhAgavathAnAm bhAgavathsEshathvaniyamEsishyANAm api bhAgavathathvATHA

chAryasyApi sishyasEshathvam prasajyEtha

 

 

 

If bhagavathas are sesha to other bhagavathas then sishya also being a

bhagavatha the acharya should also be a sesha to his disciple.

 

 

 

There is nothing amiss, says Desika.

 

 

 

prathipannam parArThathvAm sishyadhEsikayOrapi

 

upakAraprbhEdhEna thayOh vrtthih vyavasThitha

 

 

 

Acting for the sake of the other is befitting even between guru and

sishya. The service to each other differs though according to their

relative positions.

 

 

 

The service to each other is seshathva which exists even between the

Acharya and the sishya. The seshathva of Acharya consists in imparting

knowledge to him to the best of his ability and doing it as a kainkarya

while that of the sishya is serving the acharya to the best of his

ability.In this respct they are both sesha and seshi to each other.