Q. Please
explain how it is established that Karma (reason) Karya (action) bhavam can
exist even in case of 2 objects of different characteristics and it would not
affect our satt karya (all true) vadam, through the doctrine of sarira athma
bhava between prakriti and Brahman in Vedanta saram.
Truth and
reality in this world can be understood and established through authenticated
proofs called pramanas, which are categorised under three groups. These are
“Pratyaksham” “Anumanam” and “Shabdam” Generally what we see in this mundane
world can be understood through Pratyaksham and Anumanam. But to understand the
matters pertaining to the life and after death, the two vehicles pratyaksham
and anumanam are not sufficient. It is only through Shabdam that we can know
the path that leads to the understanding of the ultimate truth and the purpose
of our life that is Purushartham on this earth. Shabdam is also the only
authority on which we should rely on such matters. We should accept the ageless
and faultless vedas as the authority or shabda pramanam to realise the true
spiritual path. In the first part Karma Kanda or poorva mimamsa of the vedas we
learn the methods and activities that we should practice to obtain the material
benefits which we can enjoy and experience through worldly possessions. However
these pleasures are only transient and short lived. Indulgence in such
activities can only lead to more and more sorrow. Any unfulfilled desires which
are material in nature will result in the rebirth os such persons to enable
them to attain and experience such desires. If a person continues to indulge in
the persuit of only worldly pleasures he will continue to be born again and
again on this earth.
In the later
portion of the vedas the gyna kanda or uthara mimamsaand the Upanishads show us
the path to attain moksha or the deliverance from the cycle of births and
deaths. Our poorvacharyas have correctly interpreted the contents of the vedas.
It is also true that several other thinkers have interpreted the Upanishads
differently and arrived at conclusions that take us away from the exalted path
to lead us astray. This confusion is cleared and it has been established that
moksha liberation from the cycle of births and death is the only purpose of our
life on earth.
The subject
matter of the Upanishads can be comprehended through superior knowledge only.
As such any wrong understanding to the intended meanings will lead to non attainment of the ultimate
goal Purushartha. The Athma cannot go out of the ordained path. Vyasas Brahma
Suthras were written to determine the true meaning of the Upanishads and Sri
Ramanuja wrote the Sri Bhasya as a commentary to these Brahma Sutra to
establish beyond doubt the true path for moksha.
Brahma Sutra
contain 545 sutras (Sutras are brief containing minimum number of words but
convey a fund of meaning and information) The subject whom brahma sutra deal is
called Sharirika Shastram. All the universe is the body of the lord himself is
the soul (athma) of the universe is the inference, since the shastra (subject
of the Scriptures) speaks of the lord whose body (Shariram) is the universe. It has four chapters Adhyayams and each chapeter has four padhams
(parts) In all it has 156 divisions or topics Adhikaranams. Each pada and
adhikarana describes a noble attribute and quality of the lord. In other words
the shareeraka shastra speaks of the innumerable noble qualities (Kalyana
Gunaas) of the Lord.
Briefly the
noble qualities described in the 16 padams are:
1. The Lord
as the creator of the universe.
2. The
entire universe and all things in it as his body. i.e. “Sukshma sthula,chetana
achetana sharirakatvam”.
3. His
quality ‘Swanishtatwam” – swanishtam ananyaadharan.
4. Nirvadhi
mahima.
5. Reaffirms
the assertion that the Lord is the sole cause. Nirbadhitvam i.e. he is unaffected by the inadequacies and
differences found in his creations and he always remains pure and blemishless. Sri
Ramanuja succeeds in countering the contarary views expressed by those who made
misinterpretations quoting the matchless ability to be the cause remain
unaffected by any kind of imperfections or inadequacies exhibited by his
creations.
6. His
quality of protecting those who take refuge in him. The Pancharaatra shastra is
truthful to the essence of the vedas and that the shastra is given by the Lord
himself. It is therefore known as Vaidika Shastram.
7. The
paramathma is the cause for Akasha and Self.
8. The Lord
is the cause for the indriyaas.
9. The Lord
decides the perennial activities of the jeevathma.
10. The Lord
while residing in the bodies of acetana and chetanas is unaffected by the
defects and inadequacies of the individual self.
11. The
ultimate goal to be reached by any devotee and he is the one the 32 upasana
vidyas speak of.
12. The Lord
favours those devotees who are sincere and loyal to their respective
varanashrama dharma.
13.Mentions
the lords kindness in wiping out all our Karmas (papa and punya).
14. The Lord
ensures that the Jeeva while departing the body takes the route of brahma
naadi, so that moksha is assured for the Jeevathman.
15. How the
Lord helps the liberated Jeevathman to reach his abode.
16. The
exalted pleasures the Jeevathman would enjoy associated with the Lord’s feet.
Which he has gifted in return to the faith reposed by the individual in him.
Brahma
sutras known also as the Vedanta sutras deal with the five fundamental
doctrines of Vedanta, they are:
1. Nature of Brahman.
2. The Nature of individual soul
(Jeevan) and its relation to Brahman.
3. The Nature of Universe and its
relation to Brahman.
4. The Nature of the means to attain
Brahman.
5. The Nature of the supreme goal.
Many prominent vedantins have written
commentaries on the Vedanta sutras to support their darshanams like Shankar’s
Advaitham, Ramanujas Visista advaitham
and Madavas Dhvaitham philosophy.
Shankars Bhashyam is the earliest commentary
and establishes the philosophy of Adhvaitha or Abhedhavadha according to which
the undifferentiated brahman (Nirvisesha Brahman) alone is real. Jeevan is
identical with that brahman and Jagath or the universe is unreal (illusory)
Sri Ramanuja arrived at different
conclusions and established that Brahman
is endowed with attributes Sarvisesha Brahman and it is the only reality as
organically related to both the sentient souls chit and the non sentient matter
achit both of which are very real and that the Jeevan is different from Brahman
and is real as much as the universe Jagat is real.
Ramanuja classified the schools of
Sankhya, Buddhism, vaisesika and jaina as vedabhyas being outside the pale of
the vedas and refuted their theories od causation, following the sutras of
Badharayana in accordance with the tenents of Visistadvaita. The Upanishads
declare that the supreme reality Brahman can be known only through the Vedanta
texts and not by any other authority.
The Vedanta texts clearly show that Brahman is both material and
efficient cause. The terms Sath Brahman and Athman are synonymous and so are
the unchanging, shining and without limitations is Brahman and before creation
the world was Sath alone. This also proves that the texts do mean what they say
and state.
Samanvayadhayam. Lord Narayana is the cause of the entire
universe. The cause as (Kaaranam) is of three types Upadhana Kaaranam, Nimitha
Kaaranam and Shakarika Kaaranam. For example to make an earthen pot three
things are required 1. Mud, 2. Potter and 3. Tools like the wheel etc. The mud
is the Upadhana karanam (material cause) the potter is the Nimitha Kaaranam
(instrumental cause) and the tools in this case the wheel is the shakarika
kaaranam (auxillary cause). Like wise if you take the universe. Brahman himself
is the cause of all the three types. The Upanishad state that Sripati
Narayana alone manifests and coexists as
upaadhana nimitha and sahakarika karanam. But certain smrithis and school of
thoughts refute the above statements saying that the akasha, jeevathma indriyas
have always existed so paramathma cannot be the source of all these. But
arivodhadhayayam these doubts are
dispelled and established decisively through relevant statements from smrithis,
Upanishads that the parabrahman indeed is the sole and absolute cause for the
creation of the universe and all things in the universe.
The argument that Brahman cannot be
the cause of the world because it is different from brahman is not correct. As
per the contention of the opponent the characteristics which distinguishes the
cause from others must be present in the effect for example worm originating
from honey and so even if it is different from brahman could have originated from
Brahman. If the effect is said to be non existent in the cause, no it is only
denial of similarity and not of oneness. Since at the time of dissolution the
cause becomes the effect the causality of Brahman is not admissible. In
dissolution the effect becomes the cause and if Brahman is the cause it becomes
one with the effect. In that case all the imperfections of the world will
adhere to Brahman. Then all the Vedanta vakyas like “Yassarvajnah sarvavith”
“apahathapapmavijaro vimrthyuh” will become meaningless. This difficulty cannot
be got rid of by claiming the body soul relationship between Brahman and the
world explaining that as the
imperfections of the body do not effect the soul, those of the world do not
touch brahman, because the very relationship is untenable. The sharira is the
result of Karmaphala and Brahman is free from Karma.
To say that the sarira sariri bhava
of Brahman and the world is not appropriate says Sri Ramanuja is only a
Kuthrarka malicious reasoning on the part of those who do not understand the
real significance of the spiritual texts which are substantiated by logical
reasoning. There are enough evidence to prove the sharira shariri bhava.
“Yah prithivy Am thishtam yasya prthivee sariram” He who is in the
earth as its inner self and “yah athmani thishtan yasya athma sariram, who is
in the individual soul as its inner self and of whom the individual soul is the
body, enumerates each sentient and insentient entity and declares the sarira
sariri bhava of Brahman.
“Esha sarva bhoothantharat hnaapati
athapa pma dhivy o dheva eko narayanah”
This is the divine Lord Narayana who
is free from evil and the inner self of all.
The definition of body as the
instrument enjoyment of the fruit of actions as given by the opponent is not
correct says Sri Ramanuja. The declaration of earth etc as the sarira of Iswara
does not satisfy this definition. The sarira of the released soul also fall
outside the scope of this definition as there is no karma for them. The body
assumed by the supreme self in His manifestations is not made of elements and
hence the body cannot be said to be a combination of the five elements to cite
pradhana as the cause. Again the body can neither be defined as that of which
the five vital breaths are the source of life, though they have life the five
vital breaths have no place in them. Nor is the body the abode of the indriyas
and cause of joy and sorrow always.
Therefore the body is to be defined as a substance which is in
subordinate relation to a sentient soul, to be used for the purpose of that
soul and controlled by it. In the injured body the power of control is
obstructed as heat of fire etc. are obstructed by external agents. A dead body
is not fit to be called as such since the soul has left it and it is only the
congregation of matter. Hence the whole universe of sentient and insentient
beings constitute the sarira of the Lord, who controls and supports it for His
purpose and which is totally subservient to Him. The discrepancy in the view of
sankhya that the
Pradhana is the cause of the world.
Pradhana i.e. prakrithi is said to create the world by the mere proximity of
purusha, who in his turn gets bound due to the superimposition of gunas of
prakrithi on him. While purusha is said to be Chin mantra, pure intelligent free
from all changes. Now “Nirvikarasya
chinmanthra rupasya prakruthi sannidhanam kim rupam ithi vivechaneeyam”
This means it has to be made clear
what exactly causes the superimposition of the attributes of prakrithi on the
changeless purusha. Since the purusha is changeless the prakrithi is said to
undergo modifications and create the world due to the superimposition on the
purusha and therefore it is the effect of the changes and hence cannot cause
them. If on the other hand it is the mere existence of prakrithi and its
proximity that causes the superimposition, there would be no question of
release because of the permanent existence of prakriti near purusha. Hence the
sankhya view is not rational. Brahman is the cause of the world as established
by sruthi because the reasoning of sankhya is defective. The arguments of all
other schools like nyaya visesika, budhists, jains and sankhya are mutually
conflicting and hence have to be set aside. Sri Ramanuja here quotes
manusmrithi which says “Arsham Dharmopadhesam chavedhas astra avirodhinayas
tharakena anusandhathe sadarmam vedhanrtharah” hence this too is dismissed being contarary to
the scriptures. Brahma being the material cause, the nature of cause and effect
being the same as in the case of mud and clay or gold and ornaments, there is a
difference between the individual soul and Brahman as we can see from the
experience of the ordinary life. The joys and sorrow are caused by merit and
demerit and not due to the embodiment alone. Since Brahman has no karma and hence no bondage resulting from karma even though having the subtle and gross
universe as his body. He is not the enjoyer of sukha or dukha example. The king is not affected by the
punishment meted out to his subjects though he is also embodied like them. Sri Ramanuja thus quotes from Dhrmida / Bhashyakara
to illustrate the point.
“Yathaloke raja prachuradhantha sooke
Ghore anartha sankte api pradhesevartham anah vyujanadhyava dhooth adhehah”
Just as the prince staying in an
uncomfortable infested with mosquitoes etc. does not feel the discomfort being
fanned and given all comforts by his attendants so too the Lord is not touched
by the defects of the world, His power
acting as the fan.
“ Thatha asou blokeshaah brahmaths
amruthya ch amarahdhoshairirna sprsyathe”
As the sruthi vyakyas that Brahman is
free from imperfections and changes the comparison with clay and gold is not
applicable.
Thus in conclusion the world and the
Brahman called paramathma are one. He is
a subtle object with cognitive abilities. He is also associated with things
that do not possess cognitive powers.
When he pleases to create he creates he also creates multiple objects,
he does so but is also associated with them. For this reason it is said that
the world and Brahman are one. But the Brahman is omnipotent omniscient and all
pervading.
Prabha.
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