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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