Philosophy of Ramanuja -chapter2-section1

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Chapter 2

 

Section 1- Brahman as Niyantha

 

Brahman is the inner ruler and redeemer. Brahaman explained as the support of all, adhara, denotes the transcendence, while Brahman as niyantha,controller, shows the imminence. As the Self of all, Brahman is the silent, but not indifferent, witness.On the other hand Brahman is not a controller in the sense that all the actions of the individual self is controlled by Him and the latter is nothing but a puppet on a string.

 

By the words of Krishna in Bhagavatgita, 'eesvarassarvabhoothAnAm hrddhESE arjuna thishTathi,;bhrAmayan arvabhoothAni yanthrArooDani mAyayA,(BG-18-61) the Lord is in the heart of all beings and makes them go round by His maya as though they are mounted on a machine,' it would appear as though the individual soluls have no control over their actions and only activated by the Lord. If so, it could not be explained why do they commit sin unless it is admitted that God is partial and makes some do good and enjoy happiness while He makes others sin and suffer.

 

This apparent discrepancy can be explained by examining another sloka from the Gita,,upadhrashtA anumanthA cha bharthA bhokthA mahEsvarah;paramAthmEthi chApyukthO dhEhE asmin purushah parah,'(BG-13.22)

 

This sloka is explained as follows The Self is upadhrashtA , the witness because it is actually not affected by the experiences of joy and sorrow resulting from the wrong identification with the body. But since no action or experience is possible with out the accordance of the self , it is called anumantha, the approver.Since the body is supported by the Self it is the bhartha, supporter.Due to the identification with the body the self seems to experience joy and sorrow and without it no experience is possible and so the self is called bhoktha,experiencer.As the body is subservient to the self who is the master, it is called Mahesvara, the over-lord and in reality the self is nothing but the Supreme Self , the inner controller and hence called as ParamAthma.

 

The self, Atman, is eternal and of the nature of bliss.But the individual self which is known as jiva is the real self reflected through the ahankara, ego, the product of maya due to karma.Purusha, the individual soul, due to the influence of ego, identifies himself with the prakrthi, nature, consisting of the three gunas and acts accordingly..The war between devas and asuras is that between the spiritual self and the empirical self, which is ego identified with the prakrthi.Eesvara is a silent witness and approver as the Lord allowed the devas ad asuras to fight for amrtha but at the same time lent His hand to help the devas. He did not prevent the war and destroy the asutras forthwith because the devas had to undergo the result of their own actions, by disobeying His injunctions in the first place.

 

Similarly, Eesvara lays down rules of conduct which are disobeyed by the jivas due to their own karma. In laying out the rule He is the Ruler but when it is disobeyed He is the silent witness and allows the actions of the jiva to take its own course. In this manner He is the upadhrashta and anumantha. But in as much as He decrees the proper apportionment of the results of the actions He is the Niyantha.

 

Ramanuja illustrates this in his Sribhashya by an analogy. Let us assume that two persons A and B own a land jointly. The former tills the land and cultivates it while the latter is a silent partner. But when A want to transfer the land to C or sell it he has to get the sanction of B. Like wise Eesvara allows certain freedom of action to the jiva but regarding the result of His actions Eesvara is the sole controller.

 

By His entry into the jiva as its inner self, Brahman, Narayana of Visishtadvaita, is both the sovereign and saviour.

 

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