virodhaparihara-questions 53 to 56

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53.Evam svaleelArThamEva jagathsrshtyAdhikaraNE krpayA

jagathsrshtyAdhikam mOkshadhAnamapi kriyatha ithi vachasah

nirvishayathvam.

 

 

 

If the activities like creation is for the sport of the Lord, to say

that He is doing these and giving mukthi also out of mercy will have no

meaning.

 

 

 

Desika says,

 

 

 

kreedEyam krpayAjushtA kreedayA duhkhadhAraNath

 

kreedAnubanDHiyukthAnAm apunarjananAdhapi

 

 

 

His leela is only filled with mercy. to remove the sorrow and also to

give mukthi is all His leela only.

 

 

 

It is like a king giving payasam to the lame, blind etc for his own

satisfaction. It is a playful action on the part of the king, that is,

it is effortless but it is beneficial to the recipient.Similarly the

Lord creates and sustains etc. He also gives the jnana to approach Him

and removes the sorrow for those who surrendered to Him at the right

time according to their karma.

 

 

 

 

 

54.nanu kaThamsarvavishyiNee krpA bhagavathah

sambhavathi;bhagavalleelayA khalu

madhukaitabha-hiraNya-rAvaNa-sisupAla-kamsa-narakAdheenAm maraNAni

anishtAni prApithAni.

 

 

 

How can it be said that the mercy of the Lord extends to all as

MaDhukaitabha and others faced death at His hands.

 

 

 

The reply is given by Desika as,

 

 

 

guNadhOshavyavasTHA hi lOkAdhEva avagamyathE

 

thasmAth dhandaDHarasyAsya sTHAnE dhandO guNAyathE

 

 

 

The gunas and dhoshas are to be understood as in the world.It is a merit

for the man of justice to give punishment where it is necessary. The

chastisement by the father, for instance, of a son, is only for his own

benifit. So too the retribution of the Lord is for redemption.

 

 

 

If there is no suffering there is no need for mercy. The Lord due to His

mercy towards the good and the devoted, has to punish the wicked who

torment them.The mercy is without a cause ,that is natural, whereas the

punishment is for a purpose only.

 

 

 

If it is objected that to punish one to protect another does not

absolve the Lord of cruelty,Desika says that even those who aspire for

mukthi were once desirous of enjoying worldly pleasures and due to their

suffering only they acquire the wisdom to strive from release from the

samsara and hence to give suffering is also a way of correcting them and

hence an act of mercy only. But the punishment lasts only till the jiva

acquires jnana and hence the nigraha, retribution is only temporary

whereas for the released and the eternally free souls the grace of the

Lord extends forever making them enjoy eternal bliss and hence His

anugraha is permanent.As the anugraha exists in this world which is His

leelavibhoothi for His devotees and also in the state of release where

they enjoy etenal bliss which is His bhOga vibhoothi, which is

unconditioned by time or place.His nigraha on the other hand is limited

to the existence in this world only and limited by time and place.

 

 

 

 

 

55. nanvEvamAsrithArTHanAm sarvavyApArANAm leelAthvE -------kAchith

leelAvibhoothih aparAcha bhOgavibhoothih ithi vyavasTHA kaTHam ghatathE?

 

 

 

When everything is in the control of the Lord and all is His leela why

should be there be a distinction between leelAvibhoothi and

bhOgavibhoothi?

 

 

 

It is like this, says Desika.

 

 

 

avathAraih anEkaih svaih paravyAmOhanAth kvachith

 

leelAthvam itharathrApi bhOgO mOhanivAraNAth

 

 

 

By His incarnations he deludes others by His mAya.This is His leela.In

the eternal state there is no delusion but only enjoyment. This is His

bhOga.

 

 

 

As the actors put on different costumes the Lord makes the jiva put on

different costumes as a deva, manushya etc. and act on in the world.

Without knowing this the jiva is deluded into believiing that the body

he is occupying is real.Similarly the Lord also puts different costumes

and appears as Rama, Krishna etc. in His incarnations. and deludes the

world. This is known as His leelavibhoothi. In bhOga vibhoothi the

released and eternally free souls have their knowledge and bliss as

their essence and there is no delusion but unalloyed bliss only This is

His bhOga vibhoothi.

 

 

 

 

 

56.Evam sarvEsvarasya leelOpakaraNabhoothasya samsarathah jeevasya

bhADhakathvEna avasTHithAnyEva mukthidhasAyAm anukoolathayA

prathibhAsantha ithi ko ayam viruddhavadhah?

 

 

 

The same things that stand as obstacles to the jiva in transmigration

become favourable to a released soul. Is this not self-contradictory?

 

 

 

No, says Desika.

 

 

 

puNyapApAnurODHEna prakrthih viviDHA purA

 

svAmi leelOpayOgithvasAkshAthkArAth sukhAyathE

 

 

 

The favourable and unfavourable quality of things is due to one's puNya

and pApa. To the one who sees everything as the playthings of the Lord

and perceives the Lord as the inner self of all, there is nothing but

joy.

 

 

 

There is nothing exclusively favourable or unfavourable in this world.To

the one who is in the midst of mist the rays of the sun gives comfort

but the same in a hot afternoon is discomforting.Similary the food which

gives happiness in hunger becomes unpalatable in illness.So the quality

of giving joy or sorrow depends on the karma which is the cause of the

situation one finds himself.On the other hand when the karma is

exhausted and both punya and papa are extinguished, the same thing

which gave suffering becomes enjoyable as in the case of one who is

cured of bile, the milk becomes sweet again This is why in the state of

release everything contributes to the joy of the soul through the grace

of the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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