virodhapariharaquestions64 to 70

November 14, 2006

65.'sarvam paravasam duhkham sEvA shvavrtthih AkhyAthA' ithyAdhyukthaprakArENa parasEvA rupasya kainkaryasya kaTHam purushArTHathvam?

It is said (in Manusmrthi-4-6,4-9) that to serve others brings sorrow and service is mentioned as dog's life. Hence how can the state of being a servant can be a purushArTHa?

Even though a released soul attains bliss by enjoying the presence of the Lord, he is also said to be doing the kainkarya of the Lord. How can it be mentioned as a purushArTha, the goal to be achieved?

Desika says that this is the argument of those who do not understand what is purushArTha.

AthmAbhimAnAnuguNa purushArTha vyavasTHithEh

kimkarathvaparijnAnAth kainkaryam abhinandhyathE

The end sought depends on the attribute of the inividual.To the one who has a proper understanding of service it brings joy.

Starting from the world of Brahma the notion of happiness is relative, according to one's own attitude. To those who are aware of their dependence and seshathva to the Lord the service to HIm gives happiness. The comparison of service to a dog's life is with reference to serving others who do not desrve it and does not include the service to Acharya and the Lord. Serving one's parents and elders is accepted by the dharmasasthra.It is mentioned in Vishnuthatthva 'VichithrA dhEhasampatthih eesvarAya nivEdhithum; poorvamEva krthA brahman hasthapAdhAdhisamyutha,' which means that we have been endowed with hands and feet and other limbs only to be used in the service of the Lord.

66. Evam asEvya sEvAyah nivarthaneeyathvE 'yOgakshEmArTham eesvaram abhigacchEth,' ithyAdhyuktham prbhooNAm abhigamanam kaTHam vA upapadhyathE?

When it is said that the service to others except to the Lord is to be avoided, how can the statement 'one should approach the king for the well being,' be appropriate?

It is said in Gouthama dharmasuthra that one should approach the king for getting wealth and to protect it.How can this be true when only serice should be to the Lord, is the question.

Desika says,

prabhooNAm bhADHashAnthyarTHam

kvachith jnAnam viDheeyathE

vinA thEnApi kEshAmchith

vrtthih bhAgyavathAm bhavEth

The people like a king have to be approached for protection from trouble but the fortunate ones are able to lead their lives without them.

The patronage of powerful personages like kings is needed only for those who want to acquire worldly things and to protect them. The parmaikAnthis who are endowed with sathva can live in places inhabited by saintly souls if they can, and this is the lot of a fortunate few.

67.Evam vidhyamAnadhasAyam bhagavthkainkaryasya purushArThathvE api mOkshAvasThAyAm kvachith anubhavah purushArTham ithyabhiDHeeyathE kvachith cha thathkainkaryam; Evam cha parasparaviruddhayOh vAkyayOh kaTHam avirODHah?

While in samsara the service to the Lord may be the purushArTHa but in the state of release, according to some pramAna the purushArTha consists in enjoying the presence of the Lord while in other pramANas it is said that doing kainkarya to the Lord is the purushArTha in moksha. How can these two statements be reconciled?

Desika says that the two, namely kainkarya and the anubhava go together.

pramANAth purushArTHathvam jnAnakainkaryayOh dhvayOh

Ekasyaikathra kaThanAthitharasyOpalakshaNam

The purushArThathva is common to both kainakarya, the service to the Lord and anubhava, enjoyment of His presence, according to the pramANas.When one is mentioned the other is understood.

'sAyujyam prathipannA yE theevrabhakthAh thapasvinah

kimkarA mama thE nithyam bhavanthi nirupadhravAh' (Paramasamhitha-30-94)

The meaning of the verse is that those who do bhakthi or prapatthi earnestly will attain sAyujaya and will be doing service to the Lord and will never revert back to samsara. The same idea is expressed by Ramanuja in saranAgathi gadhya by 'bhagavadhnubhavajanitha anavaDhika athisayapreethikArithA asEshAvasthOchitha asEshasEshatha ekarathirupa nithyakinkaro bhavAni.'

The meaning is as follows:

Ramanuja in his saranagathigadhya prays that he will be the eternal servant to the Lord on attaining Him and the love for service is created by the wonderful and unlimited love on experiencong the joy of the presence of the Lord.

68.Nanu Evamapi vishNulokAdhikam prApthAnAm ----kAlavisEshanirdhEsam sathyapi ----bhagavantham prApthanAm kaTham apunarAvrtthih srooyathE?

For those who reach the world of the Lord Vishnu, the stay there is restricted, though unimaginably long. But why is it that on attaining the Lord there is said to be no return?

The reference here is to the words of the Lord in the Gita, 'mAmupEthya thu kounthEya punarjanma na vidhyathE,(BG.8-16) on reaching Me there is no rebirth.'

Desika distinguishes between Vishnuloka and parampadha(vaikunta).

sambhavEth punarAvrtthih vishnulOkAdhivAsinAm

nithyam chApunarAvrtthih vaikunTE thu nigadhyathE

Jivas reaching all the lokas including that of Vishnu are liable to return to earth when their punya is exhausted. But on attaiining Vakunta there is no return.

Here the vishnuloka means the realm of the trinities and does not indicate that of the Lord. The abode of the Olrd narayana is the paramapadha or vaikunta.

69.Evam punarAvrtthyabhAve sathi mukthAnam 'imAn lOKAnkAmannee kAmarupyanusancharan' ithi ihalOka sanchAravachanam nOpapadhyathE

In the event of non-return for those who attain release, the statement that the released soul moves about in all the worlds as he wishes taking the form he wishes will not be aooropriate.

In Taiitiriya upanishad it is said that the realised soul leaving this body attain the blissful self and afterwards gets the power to move about in the worlds as he wishes in the form he wishes doing sAmagana.'asmAth lOkAth prEthya----Etham Ananadhamayam AthmAnam upasankramayya;imAn lOkAn kAmAnnee kAmarupee anusancharan;EthathsAmagAyannAsthE.'(Taitt.Brgu.10-5)

There is nothing incongruous in this, says Desika,

mukthasya punarAvrtthih vAryathE karmasambhavA

na thu vArya thathO vishNOh anusancharaNAdhikam

The return to samsara alone is denied and not the coming to the earth by their own will like the Lord does on His incarnations.

The free movement to whereever they want, is granted for the released souls as that for the eternal souls like Garuda and Anantha but while this is natural for the latter it is only happens after release for the former.

70.Evam tharhi eesvaraparathanthrathayA sarvathra varthamAnasya mukthasya 'svAthanthryam athulam prApya thEnaiva saha mOdhathe,' ithyAdhi svaccahandhavihAravachanam nirvishayam Eva syAth

When the individual soul is always under the control of the Lord how can he be said to act as he likes in the state of release as per the declaration by the sruthi that he attains equal status of independence as the Lord and is happy with Him?

Desika says,

asvathanthrasya mukthasya mukthou svAthanthryamuchyathE

bhOgakainkaryayOh shakthya svathanthrEsvaraniGhnaya

The independence for the released soul who is always dependent on the Lord means that in the state of release he has the freedom to enjoy what he wants and serve the Lord as He likes.

This is because the Lord never curtails the wishes of the released soul and he has all his wishes fulfilled regarding his enjoyment of the presence of the Lord and in doing His kainkarya, alike the eternal souls, for whom however this freedom is eternal.