Philosophy of Ramanuja-nature of the jiva continued

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The limited freedom of the individual is explained as follows. The concept of anumantha as outlined in Sribhashya of Ramanuja and in the Gita means that The Lord who is the inner self of all promotes the action and aids it by granting permission. Ramnuja explains this by the analogy referred to earlier.(see chapter2 section1) He is the anumantha as no action is possible without the will of the Lord, good or bad. As to why He allows bad actions has been explained above.

 

Further Ramanuja says that the allowance of an action on the part of one who has the power to stop it is not necessarily due to hard-heartedness.

 

It is said in the scriptures that the puNya and pApa consists of the actions like worship etc which please the Lord and the actions that displease HIm are pApa. His grace and retribution are the fruits of action resulting in joy and sorrow.

 

'Paramapurusha aArAdhana rupEkarmaNee puNyApuNyE;thadhanu grahanigrahAyatt hE cha thathphale sukah duhkE'

 

Hence the Lord who has infallible will, with no desires, omniscient omnipotent and of the nature of bliss etc. is the dispenser of the fruits of actions and bestows on all beings the body and other instruments to work out their karma, as effortlessly as a sport. There is no question of cruelty or partiality in administrating justice. As the punishment for a crime is to check the tendency of evil, so too His retribution is for redemption, as it is said in the Bhagavatgita,

 

'thEshAm sathatha yukthAnAm bajathAm preethipurvakam dhadhami buddhiyogam tham yEna mAm upayAnthi thE;thesham EvAnukampArTHam aham ajnAnajam thamah nAsayAmyAthmabhAvas THah jnANadheepEna bhAsvathA.' (BG.X-10-11)

 

The Lord says that He gives jnana to those who resort to Him with devortion by destroying their darkness of ignorance out of compassion by the light of wisdom. (SB.II-2-3)

 

This leads to the discussion of karma and krpa and how the retribution is for rendemption