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.