Fw: virodha parihara-questions32 to 35

November 5, 2006

- Saroja Ramanujam

saranagathi-owner

Sunday, November 05, 2006 8:14 AM

virodha parihara-questions32 to 35

32.

nanu kaThamiva bhAgavathasEshathvam abhiDHeeyathE?

How can the seshathva to the devotees of the Lord , bhAgavatha sEshathvam be justified as it would be against the exclusive seshathva, bhagavacchEshathvasya ananyArhathvam to the Lord.The opponent cites an example of a born-slave of a king becoming slave to another which will be the betrayal of loyalty to the king.

Desika says,

rAjadhAsasyarAjAjnAsiddhA dhAsasya vAsathA

thadhvath thadhbhakthasEshathvam yujyathE bhagavathDHiyA

Just like the dhasatva to other dhasas of the king is effected by the command of the king himself here also through the will of the Lord the bhAgavathsEshathva becomes appropriate.

As ThiruppAnAzvar says in the pAsuram 'amalanAdhipirAn adiyArkku ennai Atpaduttha,' the Lord Himself makes one experience the seshathva to His devotees and it happens through His grace only. Desika says 'athra bhAgavathasEshathvasya bhagavathsEshathvAdhapi bhOgyathayA Eva bhagavathsEshathvajnAnarasikaih bhAgavathaih anugrahapalathvEna anusanDheeyamAnathvAdhapi bhAgavathasEshathvam purushArTHa rupamEva.'

This means, the bhAgavathsEshathvam is more enjoyable than even bhagavthsEshathvam because it causes interaction between those who know the joy of bhagavthsEshathva. The blessing of the bhAgavathas is the goal of life, purushArTha as it aids the attainment of the Lord which is paramapurushArTha.Only the seshathva to people other than bhagavAn or bhAgavathas has to be condemned.

33. Evam tharhi karmavasAth bhAgavatha vyathirikthEshu loukika vaidhika maryAdhAbhyAm avarjaneeyE sEshathvE kaTham nirvAhah?

If this is so, what would be the fate of those who become seshas to others, either in the worldly sense or as enjoined by the scripture through the effect of karma?

The question is about one who has the knowledge of his sEshathva to the Lord but due to circumstances he is forced to serve others either for his livelihood or on account of performing the vaidika karma in which he has to be the sEsha of whichever deity enjoined in the karma.If he serves others who are the sEshas of other deities it is said to be worse that serving the deity himself. Such a person may find himself neither in the group of Bhagavathas, because of his swerving from bhAgavathadharma,nor he will join the opposite group due to his knowledge acquired of his sEshathva to the Lord.

There is no cause to fear ,says Desika.

vinivArayathE vishNuh avrjyAm anyasEshathAm

kEnApyupAyabhEdhEna vinathA dhAsya bhangavath

The Lord Himself will remove the anyasEshathva by some means as in the case of the removal of the slavery of Vinatha, (by Garuda, her son.)

Even if the anyasEshathva is due to prArabdhakarma, the Lord will remove it for the one who has the knowlege of ananyasEshathva to Him. Desika compares this to the story of Vinatha , mother of Garuda, who became the slave of her co-wife Kathru because of a wager which she lost due to the devious means adoped by the latter. VainathEya, (Garuda) freed her by fulfilling the condition laid out by the serpents, sons of Kathru, to fetch amrtha. Or else, as in the case of RavaNa and VibheeshaNa the Lord will effect release by causing the death of the master. This has been proclaimed by the Lord Himself in Gita by saying ' macchitthah sarvadurgANi mathprasAddhAth tharishyathi, with his mind absorbed in Me one will get rid of all obstacles.' All that one has to do is to pray to Him to remove the anyaseshathva by some means and the all-merciful Lord will do so Himself.

34. Bhagavathvathiriktha sEshaithvam sopAdhikam bhagavath sEshithvam nirupAdhikam ithi pramANasiddhE sathi nirupADHika miTHuna sEshathvam kaTHam sEthsyathi?

The sEshithva, being the master of all, is unconditioned in the case of the Lord, while for others (like bhAgavathas) it is with condition. (of being the sesha of the Lord and awarded the seshithvam by Him) Thus it is stated in the scripture and hence how can it be said that both the Lord and Sri together are seshi to all?

The answer is given as,

upalakshaNamAthrathvAth EkOkthE sruthyabhADHanAth

nirupAdhika sEshathvam dhvayOrathyupapadhyathE

Through implication and by sruthi both are one and hence the conditionless sEshithva is common to both.

ParAsara bhatta says, 'thadhantharbhAvAth thvAm na prThagabhiDhatthE sruthirapi,'(SriguNa.28) that is, the sruthi does not distinguish the Lord from Sri because she is included in Him.

The oneness of both is in no way contradictory to His being sarvaseshi and Sri being HIs sEsha as His pathni, He being the punisher and she being His purushakarabhootha, instilling mercy on Him. The Lord is the qualified and she the qualifier and hence there is no less importance attributed to Her as the attributive aspect is the essence of the Lord. Ramanuja in Sribhashya refers to the Lord as SrinivAsa in the invocatory verse implying Sri as the visEshana, qualifying entity who forms the partand parcel of the Lord. The sEshithva attributed to both is like that of offering havis to the deities Agni and Soma in the sacrifice of agnishOmeeyam.

35. For those who have become bhagavthkainkaryaparas, that is, involve in the service of the Lord and his devotees, the worship alone is the requisite dharma. So should they follow the other varNAsramadharmAs, the activities enjoined for their varNa and Asrama?

Desika says that kainkaryam means abheeshtakaraNam, doing what the master wishes and not mere worship.

svAminObheeshtakaraNam kainkaryam abhiDheeyathE

vishnOrabheeshtam akhilam sAsthrAdhEvAvagamyathE

The meaning of kainkaryam is doing what is pleasing to the Lord and that is known only through the sasthras.

The kainkaryam is of two kinds , namely,AjnA,command and anujnA,permission. The actions enjoined in the veda like soucha, inner and outer purity, Achamana, sipping of water as a ritual,snAna, bath, sandhyavandhna and upasana, that is, japa or meditarion come under AjnA and to one who does not observe all this is not fit for any karma, says the sasthra, which precludes him to do even those actions like worshipping, that come under anujnA. The latter is done to please the Lord who permits His devotees to do them but it would be displeasing to Him if the former actions are not done.