VISISTADVAITA oy LIS. 3b A. SRINIVASA RAGHAVAN qpenenast @ sianytbe® | GwaTen guenerrorit » Y as Sri S. Lakshminarayana 1. A. s., Executive Officer Tirumala. Tirupati Devasthanams TIRUPATI 1985VISISTADVAITA By A. Srinivasa Raghavan T. T. D. Religious Publications Series No. 277 Copies : 5,000 » Published by: Sri S. Lakshminarayana, I. A.S., utive Officer, Ea Tirupati Devasthanams, Tirupati. is at: Pri Srathanannt Press, TirupatiN pe FOREWORD The beauty of the Visistadvaita lies in its conception of a Godhead of attributes or gunas, whose playground is the entire universe from whom all the animate and inanimate emanate and in whom all merge ultimately. This goes as‘a compromise between absolute monism of Adi Sankara and the distinctive separation of Deva and Jiva of Ananda Tirtha, the famous Madhvacharya. Another important aspect is that, if Sankara’s Advaita Preaches salvation through discard and denial of vices and worldly aspects and realisation of the Godhead through introspection, the Visistadvaita accepts the social obligation of Jiva as ‘Dehin’ and teaches the way to be away from the phenomenal world but to live within it, by surrendering the fruits of action at the Feet of that Supreme Bliss manifested in the form of Srimannarayana. The concept of Godhead with attributes in a way paved the way for a better socio-ethical approach and made the religion more accept- able to common man. It is, therefore, no wonder if the concept of Visistadvaita like that of Advaita, had been appealing to the Hindu society from times immemorial. \ This is only the periphery of the vast ocean of the: Divine Ambrosia. But Sri A.S. Raghavan, the venerable author who delved deep into this unique philosophy presents it to the theistic i public in a delightful manner. ' 5 4 5 8 T. T. Devasthanams hopes that the book would be received well. 5 TIRUPATI S. LAKSHMINARAYANA, I. A. Ss Executive Officer 1-8-1985 T. T. DevasthanamsCONTENTS, 1 : Prolegomena I. The Tattvas A. Acetana Tittva 1. Prakrti : 2.. Kala((Time) and Suddha Sattva B. Cetana Tattva 3. Atma (Individual self) 4, Cetana (i) Baddha (or Soul in Bondage) 5. Cetaha (ii) Mukta (Freed Soul) 6. Mukta in Nityavibhiti 7. Nityas or the Ever-free Souls * De C. Ibvara-Tattva ‘ : 8. Isvara: The Universal Cause 9. Isvara—Essential Nature and Qualities y 10. Isvara—The Ultimate Object of Worship 11. ISvara—His Manifestations 12. Isvara—Arcavatara . 13. Isvara—The Supreme Deity 14. Isvata Tattva—Sriman Narayana *“ ]I. Hita or The Means Introduction 15. Mumuksu Seeker after Release 16. Karmayoga 17. Jiianayoga ae 18. Bhaktiyoga 4 . 19. Brahmavidyas or Upasanas i 20. Saranagati or Self-Surrender 21. Fitness for Saranagati 22. The Angas or Accessories of Saranagati 23. Mahavisvasa—the most difficult of the Angas ' 24. The Performance of Prapatti Ill. Purusértha—{The Goal) 25. Characteristics of a Prapanna 26. Post-prapatti Conduct of a Prapanna <2 4 14 18 22 26 32 36 41 55 59 62 69 69 73 76 87 95 98 102 10627. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. Service of Prapanna Privileges of a Prapanna Prapanna, the Paramaikanti Prapanna and Paramatma: Their relation: The Absolution of Sins The Day of Expectation§ On the Shining Path—Arciradimarga In the World of Eternal Splendour In the City of the Lord Divya-yoga-paryahka. The Couch of Divinity’ Mukta Before the Lord Mukta’s Eulogy of the Lord Mukta’s Enjoyment of Bliss The Ascent of the Mukta on the Divine Couch Mukta’s Prayer The State of Release ship Epistemology 43. 44, 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. Theory of Knowledge Prama (Right Knowledge) - Pramana—lInstrument of Knowledge Perception: Nirvikalpaka and Savikaipaka Theory of Apprehension (Khyati-vada) Khyatis—Kinds of Apprehensions Sat Khyati The Reality of Dreams, Mirage etc, The Reality of Cognitions that appear Ilusory Anumana Vyapti Fallacy—Hetvabhasa | §abda (Verbal Testimony)—Veda Vedangas and Puranas Puranas and their Validity An example of a Sattvika Purana Itihasa (Epic) and its Validity Mahabhirata and its Validity Conclusion 114 117 121 124 127 130 134 137 140 143 146 148 151 154 156 159 163 165 168 171 173 176 179 182 185 188 191 193 196 199 201 207 211 tne eees at a PROLEGOMENA trayyantaih eka-kanthaih tad-anuguna- manu vydSamukhyoktibhisca, ‘ Sriman narayano nah patirakhila 7 tanuh muktido muktabhogyah (Paradevata Paramarthyadhikara—Rahasyatravasdra of Sri Vedanta Desika) - It is declared by all the Upanishads in one voice. and by Manu. Vyasa and other sages that follow the Upanishads. that qd) Narayana, the consort of Sri. is our-Lord. who has all (beings and things) as His body; (2) He gives the Moksa or release from bondage: and (3) He is the object of the blissful enjoyment for those who have attained Moksa. This gives in a nut-shell the fundamental doctrines of our philosophy known as Visistadvaita, which from time immemorial has been handed down through unbroken spiritual tradition, and which in mediaeval age has been promulgated by Bhagavan Sri RamAnuja with great devotion and fervour and which is being taught to us by our’ Acdryas even today. The name Visistadvaita shows that it is neither pure Dvaita. nor pure Advaita. The Dvaita philosophy promulgated by Sri Ananda Tirtha (Madhvacarya) teaches that Hari is greater than the great, that the Jivas are real and that they are absolutely distinct from Hari. The Advaita philosopny propounded by Sri Sankaracarya holds that Brahman is the only true really-existing Being and all the rest are illusory. V: vaita teaches that the sentient souls (jivas) and the non-sentie: objects (acetana) are as real as Brahman, but both of them are only a mode (i.e., a Vigesana or an attribute) of the Parabrahman and are not independent of the Brahman as the Dvaitins hold. Brahman is the Supreme Godhead without a second. and it has innumerable and auspicious qualities and attributes, and not nirguna or nirvisesa (devoid of all attributes) as the Advaitins say. So this philosophy goes by the name of Visistadvaita which can be translated in2 Visistadvaita English as Pan-organismal Monism. This term has been coined and given currency by the great philosopher Prof. P. N. Sriniva- sacharya and we shall adopt it in preference to ‘Qualified Monism” which was in vogue before. Now we shall explain the significance of the several words of the verse quoted above and then proceed to deal with the ideas imbedded therein in some detail as separate topics under different headings. trayyantaih ekakanthaih— “By all the Upanishad: in one voice”. This phrase gives us the pramana (the means of valid knowledge) by which Brahman is known. The three Vedas-Rig. Yajus and Sama. are the Trayi and the Upanishads are their crown. the trayvanta. The Upanishads are many and they speak about Brahman. The first part of the Vedas known as Karmakan- da describes the sacrifices and their performance. the object of which is the propitiation of Brahman directly or through other {Gods as intermediaries. The second and the last part is known as Jianakanda and it teaches the true nature of Paramatma, of Jivatma and of the world and therefore forms the source for all theistic systems. of Indian Philosophy. There appear to be some contradictions in the Upanishads. but they are only apparent and may be easily reconciled. Properly interpreted. all the Upanishads proclaim in one voice the same truth about God and the world. tad-anuguna-manu-vydsa-mukhyoktibhisca.— The teachings of the Upanishads are explained and co-ordinated by the writings of the sages like Manu and Vy who follow the path of the Vedas. So the works of these s also are sources of valid knowledge. The smrtis. written by Manu. Yajhavalkya and other sages. describe and prescribe the rites and rituals for the worship of the gods and the God of gods and are therefore said to expound the Karmakanda of the Vedas. They also lay down the laws: ind social to be observed by people under different rding to their birth. equipment or capacity. moral. ethical ai categories acco! Vyasa. Parasara and other sages have given us the Puriinas which explain the profound and subtle thoughts of the Up- anishads-the Jnanakanda of the Vedas. Vyasa is specially men- tioned here as his is the greatest gift and service to humanity. He has written the Mahabharata, which is called the Fifth Veda andProlegomena 3 the Brahma Stiras which lay down the rule of interpreting the Upanishads in a scientific manner. The Alvars or the Mystic Saints occupy an important position in the philosophy of Visistadvaita. The songs which are the outpourings of the divine ecstacy of these God-mad mystics are accepted as authorities equal in validity to the Vedas. We may say their songs are a bit nearer to us as they depict God when He came amidst us in His incarnations. The language chosen by them is Tamil and so the appeal is strong and personal. It is because of the unique position that the Alvars and their songs occupy in this system that Visistadvaita is often referred to as Ubhaya Vedanta— one Vedanta seen through two eyes, viz., Sanskrit and Tamil. The cult of the Ubhaya Vedanta, therefore, is peculiar to Visistadvaita and is not found in any other system. The sum and substance of all that is taught by all these pramanas is given by the second line of the verse quoted in the beginning. It mentions three things. a knowledge of which is said to be necessary for a person who wants to do what is good to himself and to all, here and hereafter. They are: I. Tattva (the - Hita (the means to the end): 3. (Purusartha) goal of all ns and endeavour. The Tattva is Sriman Narayana. who is our Lord and who has all as His body. Sriman—narayana has $ri as His Consort. The Purusa Sikta which teaches that Purusa is the cause of the entire creation concludes by proclaiming that Sri Devi is His Consort. The conclusion is~Sri and Narayana, the Divine Couple, are the cause of the Universe (Jagatkarana). Narayana—narayana is the name proper and the proper name of Visnu and it is pregnant with meanings which establish His superiority over all other things, ‘Nara’. the first part of the word means sentient beings. and als auspicious qualities ‘Ayana’, the second part, means the supporter. Therefore the word ‘Narayana’ denotes the God who is the supporter of all things and the repository of innumerable auspicious qualities. God is Narayana who is ever inseparable from Laksmi’ and His essential nature is infinite bliss and infinite knowledge.4 Visistadvaita Nah patih—Our Lord. This phrase denotes that the Divya Dampati—the Divine Couple-are together our Lord for whose purpose and glorification alone all others live. move and have their being. . Akhila-tanuh—Sriman Narayana has all beings and things as His Body (Sarira) and He is the Soul (Atma). This relationship of Body and Soul-Sarira-atma-bhava as it is called—is peculiar to our philosophy and distinguishes it from all other systems. In fact the Brahma Sutras of Vyasa Bhagavan are known as Sariraka Sastra. because they teach Brahman as the Soul of all—the sentient beings and the non-sentient things. Thus the tattvas are three: cetana, acetana and Isvara. The knowledge of the Tattvas, to be fruitful, must lead one to adopt the means or the upaya. That upaya is denoted by the next word—muktidah—the grantor of Moksa. Sriman Narayana-the Divine Couple alone can bestow the highest Purusartha, viz.. Moksa. To earn Their Grace and favour, several ways are prescribed which are known as Karmayoga, Jianayoga, Bhak- tiyoga and Prapatti. A practice of one or other of these upayas, which are only mediate, will bring us Their grace which alone is the direct means of all human ends, including Moksa. That the Divya Dampati are the Supreme goal or Purusartha is denoted by the last word in verse, mukta-bhogyah. It means Narayana and Sri are again the object of the blissful enjoyment of those who have attained Moksa—an enjoyment which finds its fruition in eternal service to the Divine Couple. To conclude, the verse given at the outset states that the Upanishads and the works of the Sages who follow them teach us that the Paratattva (the Supreme Reality), Paramahita (the ¢ means) and Paramapurusartha (the highest goal) are the greates' “ Divya Dampati—Laksmi and Narayana.I THE TATTVAS A. Acetana Tattva 1. Prakrti In the Prolegomena we saw that the acquisition of the knowledge that Sriman Narayana is the Tattva. Hita and Purusartha is the end of all learning. Now we shall proceed to know something about the Tattvas. Prakrtyatma bhrantih galati cidacid-laksanadhiya Tatha Jivesaikya Prabhrtikalahastadvibhajandt, Ato bhokta bhogyam tadubhaya niyanteti nigamaih Vibhaktam nah tattvatrayam upadisanti aksatadhiyah —Rahasyetraya Sara, Tattvatrayachintana adhikara. [The delusion that the atma (soul) is nothing but the body (prakrti) disappears when one has a knowledge of the distinctive features of sentient beings and non-sentient objects. So also the disputes on such questions as the identity of the Jiva and Isvara will no longer continue when the characteristic features of the two are learnt. Our Acaryas, possessed of faultless learning. teach us about the existence of the three realities (Tattvas) classified in the Sastras as 1, Bhokta (the souls that experience and enjoy): 2. Bhogyam (the ob jects that are experienced and enjoyed); and 3. Isvara (He who rules over both of them)] Sri Desika Succinctly states in this verse that there are two delusions which are haunting the mind of a man in bondage in this world and their removal alone will make him god-minded and godly; and they are: 1. The delusion that 2. The delusion that t God). the body is itself the Atma; and he Atma is itself the Isvara (Supremea 6 Visistadvaita If one understands the essential nature of the body which is non-sentient and the Atma which is sentient. the first delusion will be destroyed: and if he understands the essential nature of the Atma embodied and Igvara the Supreme Controller. the second delusion will be dispelled. So to get over this delusion and the bondage in Sarhsara, one must acquire a knowledge of the Three Tattvas; viz. Acetana. Cetana and Isvara. _ The Acetana is a Substance which is devoid of knowledge (caitanya). It cannot know a thing, nor can act of its own accord. nor enjoy the fruits of such action. This acetana tattva is of three kinds-Triguna (Prakrti-inanimate Matter), Kala~Time. and Sud- dha Sattva (-the unalloyed and self-luminous sattva). If we get a clear knowledge of the Prakrti with its three gunas which is said to evolve into twentyfour tattvas. it will help us understand the nature of Jiva who is the twentyfifth and so is over and above the twentyfour tattvas. A study of the nature of Kala (Time) will bestow on us a knowledge of the evanescent nature of the things here. create a thirst for things which are beyond the sway of Time. and also induce us to do in time what a wise man should do here and now to get redemption. A study of the Suddha Sattva, the third kind of Acetana, is necessary and useful to know the things pertaining to [gvara who is at once our prapaka and prapya (means and goal). Triguna ( Prakrti or Primordial Matter) 1 the Triguna amongst the three Acetanas (non- tient objects). Triguna is called as such, because of the three sen! which are in it. It is responsible for concealing the nature of unas an from the bound souls and drawing them towards itself. Braga e ajes and Tamas are the three gunas. Of these Sattva is Sattva. aynich is conducive to right knowledge and happiness, the aan redominant, works up for the release of the souls in and whe Rajas is responsible for attachment and sorrow in men, bondage. tas is the cause of lethargy and sleep. When these whereas evenly balanced. it is the period of the great deluge three sun a), But when they are uneven and one is predominant (mahaprany™ two subsidiary, then it is the beginning of creation Eee eae undergoes modifications into mahan and the like. and erti (matter) is constantly subject (0 modificatior! (parinama). Now abou!1. Prakrti 7 At the time of deluge there is a succession of similar and identical modifications when Prakrti is known as avyakta, (Unmanifest), whereas during creations it undergoes dissimilar modifications which are known as vyakra (Manifest). This vyakta is classified by the Sastras as twentythree tattvas, beginning with Mahat and ending with Prthvi. The region of Prakrti which is not modified and the region which has been modified are compared respectively to a sea motionless in one place and full of waves in some other Place Period of Creation When there are dissimilar modifications and therefore the creation begins, the first thing evolved is known as Mahat. It is this Mahat that helps the Atma take a decision about a thing. It is also known as Buddhi or Intellect. This is again classified as Sattvika, Rajasa or Tamasa according to the predominance respectively of the three qualities Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. | Out of this is born another Tattva known as Ahathkara which derives its name because of its influence over the Manas that makes one mistake the body which is non-atma to be atma. This Aharhkara also is of three kinds, viz.. Sattvika ahamkara known as Vaikarika, Rajasa aharhkara known as Taijasa, and Tamasa ahamkara known as Bhitadi. The Rajasa aharnkara helps the other two aharhkaras in the Process of their modification. Helped by it the Sattvika aharhkara generates the Indriyas-the sense- organs. The Indriyas can be classified under two heads as bahya (external) and antara (internal). Manas (mind) is the internal sense-organ. It is because of this that we are able to do the function of willing and remembering and because of this again that the outer sense-organs are able to function. This manas again assumes different names according to the several functions it performs. It 1s known as Buddhi when it helps us to arrive at a decision, as Citta when it helps us think, and Aharhkara when it causes abhimdna (attachment), The Manas is a very important sensc-organ as it leads to bondage when attached to things earthly and leads to salvation when attached to proper things being drawn away from worldly things.8 Visistadvaita The outer sense-organs are ten in number and they are divided into two groups of five each. known as karmendriyas (the senses of action) and jfanendriyas (the senses of knowledge). The five karmendriyas and their functions are: (1) Vak (sense of speech) for speaking; (2) pani (hand) for grasping: (3) pada (foot) for movement; (4) payu (sense of evacuation) for expelling urine and other such filthy matter; (5) upastha (sense of generation) for purposes of enjoyment. The Jfanendriyas and their functions are: (1) srotra (ear) for hearing; (2) tvak (skin) for touching; (3) caksuh (eye) for seeing; (4) rasana (tongue) for tasting: and (5) ghrana (nose) for smelling. These five indriyas derive their nourishment respectively from the five bhitas (elements) akasa. vayu. tejas. jala, and prthvi (ether, air. fire, water and earth). These pafica maha bhitas (five elements) take their origin from Tamasa aharhkara which is helped by Rajasa aharnkara with the five Tanmtras (subtle elements) as intermediaries. The nature of the five Tanmatras is very much like the Semi-solid state of milk in the process of its change from the liquid state of milk to the solid state of curd. The names of the five Tanmatras are: qd) Sabdatanmitra, (2) sparSa tanmatra, (3) rapa tanmatra, (4) rasa tanmatra and (5) gandha tanmatra. This process of evolution beginning with Prakrti (Primordial Matter) and ending with Prthvi (Earth) is known as the Samasti Srsti (Primary creation) and with that the evolution of the Twenty-four Tattvas is complete and any further modification does not add to the number of the Tattvas. The twenty-four Tattvas are: Prakrti, Mahat, Aharhkara, Manas, Five senses of Action, Five senses of knowledge, Five tanmatras (Subtle elements) and Five Mahabhitas (gross elements). The samasti srsti or the evolving of the twenty-four tattvas may be compared to the stocking of slaked lime, sand and other building materials for the construction of a mansion. After that comes the Vyasti srsti (secondary creation) which is like the mixing up of these materials in proper proportion to begin the construction. The first act in this process is known as Paficikarana or quintuplication. This is effected in the following manner: each one of the five mahabhitas is divided into two halves. Keeping aside one half, the other half in each of the elements is divided into four parts. With one half of euch bhiita kept aside, 2 quarter of the other half of the other four bhitas is a1. Prakrti 9 mixed so as to have in every bhita one half of itself and four one-eighth parts of the other four bhitas. After this Process -of Paficikarana (quintuplication), akaéa will have fifty per cent of the original akasa and 12% per cent of each of the other four bhitas, viz., Vayu, Tejas, Jala and Prthvi. Vayu will have 50 per cent of Vayu element and 12% per cent of each of the other four elements. The same will be the case with Tejas, Jala and Prthvi. Though all the elements may thus have parts of all the elements, still an element gets the name of akaéa, vayu etc. because of the major part of that particular element in it. All the objects in this world are known as paiicabhautika as they are made up of the five elements and are known as Prakrta, as Prakrti is the ultimate cause. Out of these twentyfour Tattvas, Prakrti, Mahat, Aharnkara, and Pajficabhitas are known. as the upadana karana (material cause) for the body of all beings, while the eleven sense-organs which are infinite in number find a place in the body of. every being and are much like the sparkling gems set in a jewel. Thus we see that the bodies of all beings consist of these twentyfour tattvas. We shall conclude with a note on the definition of the body according to our Siddhanta. All beings, we know, Possess bodies; but the body of a human being is different from that of arranimal, and the body of an animal from that of a bird or a serpent and the body of a bird again differs from that of a tree or a creeper. So we must arrive at a definition of the body which will be applicable to all these objects. Atma or Saririn is so called because it is always the supporter (@dhdara) and controller (niyanta) of another and it uses it for its own satisfaction (Sési). The Sarira is so called by reason of its being in its entirety the ddheya (which is supported), the niyamya (which is controlled), and sesa (which is used. for the other’s satisfaction). It is inseparable from the Satirin and forms its mode (prakara) or inseparable attribute (aprthak siddha visesa- na). Any substance which a sentient self can completely control and support for its own purposes and which stands to the self in an entirely dependent relation is called its garira. All sentient and’ non-sentient beings constitute the arira of Paramatma, for they live, move and have their being in Him and exist for his satisfaction and glorification. The Jivatma is both éarira and Saririn as it ensouls its body and is ensouled by its inner Ruler.10 Visistadvaita 2. Kala = (Time) and Suddha Sattva - Of the three tattvas that are acetana (non-sentient), Kala or time is the second. Kala is a substance which is eternal and infinite. It is eternal, because there was no time when time did not exist, nor will there be any time when it will not exist. It is infinite as there is no place where it does not exist. It is devoid of the three gunas Sattva, Rajas and Tamas which are found in Prakrti (Primordial Matter). How then. it may be asked. do they speak of Kala as being Sattvika, Rajasa or Tamasa? These qualities exist only in the beings which exist in time and from those beings the qualities are loosely spoken of’as pertaining to Kala itself. Time has its own several divisions beginning with nimesa (winking of an eye or a second) and going up to yuga. Katha is about two seconds; thirty kasthas make one kala: a muhirta consists of 48 minutes or two ghatikis. Then we have the day, month. R.itu, (season), Ayana, (period of six months), year and finally Yuga. There are four yugas: Krtayuga. when dharma is in its full measure (four quarters). consists of 17,28.000 years: Treta yuga. when dharma is only in three quarters. has 12,96,000 years: Dvaparayuga. when dharma is only in two quarters. has 8.64,000 years; and the fourth and the last Kaliyuga, when only one quarter of dharma is prevalent. has 4.32.000 vears. Thus there are 4.320.000 years in one caturyuga. One thousand such caturyugas constitute one day of Brahma. the four-faced creator. and another one thousand One night. Three hundred and sixty five Brahmic days constitute one year of Brahma and the age of Brahma is one hundred Brahmic years and it-is known as dvi-parardha (i.e.. two parardhas). We are said to be in the second parardha of the life of the present Brahma—as we say at the time of Sankalpa before a religious ceremony is begun. One day of Brahma is divided into fourteen Manvantaras. each of which consists of nearly seventy- two caturyugas and is presided over by on: Manu. The Manus are fourteen in number. We are now in the epoch presided over by Vaivasvata Manu. One month of the huntan beings is said to be equal to one day of the Pitrs and one year by the human measure to one day of the Gods. The day of the Gods begins with the beginning of the ayana of the human beings i.e.. month of Thai: and our Margali month is the dawn of the Gods and hence its sanctity. The Gods too have death even as they have birth. They are called2. Kala = (Time) and Suddha Sattva 11 immortals. not because they are deathless. but because of their longevity which is greater than that of other beings. So all the beings of this universe including the Gods are subject to the control of Time and are therefore created and destroyed by one Supreme Being (Parabrahman) which is without birth ‘and death. The destruction or pralaya as it is called, is classified under four heads: 1 Nitya pralaya is the sleep or death. 2. Naimittika pralaya is the disintegration of the three worlds (Bhah, Bhuvah and Suvah) at the end of a day of Brahma. 3. Maha pralaya is the great deluge at the end of the age of the four-faced Brahma i.e., at the end of one hundred Brahmic years. 4. Atyantika pralaya is the final’ deliverance or the attain- ment of salvation by a Jiva and after that the Jiva is never again in the clutches of karma and in the wheel of Sarhsara (birth and death). As Kala is omnipresent. it exists also in the Nitya vibhiti i.e.. Sri Vaikuntha. But it has no power there and therefore does not bring about the growth. decay or destruction of anything. Nothing there is subject to Time as all things are eternal. Kala is useful there only to describe one action as taking place before or after another. For instance in the service that the Muktas do to $riman Narayana. they give a bath (snana) at a point of time previous to that in which they offer food (bhojana). It is all day. there for ever and there is no division into day and night. Kala is under the control of Sriman Narayana and He manipulates it as He likes. It is used as an instrument by Him in bringing about the modification of the various objects in Lila Vibhiti. Suddha Sattka—(Pure Sattvay Suddha Sattva is the third of the three Acetana Tattvas. It isa substance which is the abode of a unique Sattva guna. This is different from the Sattvaguna in Prakrti and is unmingled with Rajas and Tamas. Suddha Sattva is self-luminous and pleasing. It does not cause shrinkage of knowledge. nor does it cause hunger. thirst and other such drawbacks. its essential nature is bliss itself12 Visistadvaita and even the worlds of ‘Brahma and other Gods pale into msignificance and look like hell before it. Suddha Sattva is the constituent element of S Vaikuntha which abounds in objects of enjoyment. places of enjoyment and means of enjoyment and which is beyond the region of thought and word of even great yogins and sages. Just as Prakrti: which is the place of bondage of bound souls, is infinite on. all sides horizontally and downwards except at the top where it is limited by Suddha Sattva; Suddha Sattva. which is the place of release for them, is infinite on all sides and upwards except at the bottom where it is limited by Prakrti. This Universe of Suddha Sattva. known as Sri Vaikuntha is described in the Upanishads and the Puranas under various names and each name is indicative of one excellent quality or other possessed by it. For instance. it is called Paramapada. because it is the Supreme Goal of attainment for the souls. It is Anandamaya because of its essentially pleasing nature. It is known as Sadgunya- maya as it is helpful in realizing the sixfold divine qualities of paramatma,. viz.. jnana (knowledge), aisvarya (lordship). bala (strength), vi (valour). Sakti (energy). and tejas (splendour). This universe is indicated by the Paftcopanishad mantras and so it gets the name of Paficopanishanmaya. It is Paricasaktimaya. because its constituent elements are the five spiritual elements known as Pafica Sakti. Its name is Sri Vaikuntha (Spotless). because it is beyond the region of Tamas and Raja objects there are eternal and glorious: so it is Nitvavibhati (Eternal Spiritual Universe). The bodies of igvara and Nityas (Ever-free Angels) and of the Muktas (Released Souls): are composed of this Suddha Sattva and they are subject only to the eternal will of Paramatma. The Upanishads again teach that in this Spiritual Universe of Sri Vaikuntha is a city known as Ayodhya (Unassailable) and . Aparajita (Invincible) which abounds in mansions. towers, and pavilions. all charming and luminous. There is a mansion Ananda by name in which is a gem-set hall of great proportions and excellence supported by innumerable pillars which are transpa- rent. In this Hall is Ananta. the great Serpent of infinite knowledge and strength with his thousand expanded hoods. Sriman Narayana with His divine and auspicious form Divyaman- gala Vigraha is seated on it along with His consorts. Sri, Bhimi and Nila. His form is extremely beautiful and like His Svaripa. the a2, Kala = (Time) and Suddha Sata 13 more we enjoy it the greater is the novelty of enjoyment which never satiates and ever creates an eagerness to enjoy it more and more. To Bhagavan Himself this form is more pleasing than -His own Svaripa. It is His will that this form of His should be eternal in order that the Muktas (Released Souls) and Nityas (Ever-free Angels) may enjoy it for ever and for ever. This enjoyment of Bliss is common to, Paramatma. Nityas and Muktas and there is no difference or degree in the Bliss enjoyed by them. Again Suddha Sattva is the element which constitutes the forms that Paramapurusa takes when He comes to this world for the redemption of the souls. When He incarnates Himself in the Vibhava Avataéra as Rama and Krsna and when He manifests Himself as Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam or Lord Srinivasa at Tirumalai or in other places, all His forms are of the nature of Suddha Sattva and they are divine and auspicious. When we instal in temples or houses the idols of Rama or Krsna, Ranganatha or Varadaraja and consecrate them with the Mantras according to the dictates of the Sastras, the Lord in His Mercy assumes forms similar to the ones we have installed. out of Suddha Sattva element, and pervades and permeates them. Bimhakrtya atmana bimbe Samagatya avatisthate, karotyamirtam akhilam bhogasaktirn tu catmasat. — (Sdttvatasamhita, 6-22.) Though the Suddha Sattva form is invisible to the eyes of ordinary men, the Lord remains there for our uplift and redemption. The perfected Souls do realize and enjoy them as is evidenced by the experiences and works of the Alvars and Acaryas. According to Visistadvaita Siddhanta, Acetana, Cetana and Isvara (non-sentient matter, sentient being and God) are the three major Tattvas or Realities. The Acetana is classified under three heads as Prakrti, Kala and Suddha Sattva. Suddha Sattva or Unmixed Sattva is the glorious self-luminous and blissful subst- ance which exists in Sri Vaikuntha. The objects, materials, and places of enjoyment (Bhogya. Bhogopakarana. Bhogasthana) there are composed of Suddha Sattva only. Kala (Time) is a substance which is used as an auxiliary cause by Paramatma when14 Visistadvaita He creates, protects and destroys the Universe. Prakrti or Primordial Matter which has the three gunas-Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. evolves itself at the time of creation into twenty-three Tattvas. All the objects in the world are created by Paramatma, out of these twenty-four Tattvas or categories, viz.. Prakrti, Mahat, Ahamkara, the five jfanendriyas (cognitive sense-organs of hearing, sight, smell. taste and touch). the five karmendriyas ()conative sense-organs with the functions of the tongue, the feet, the hands, evacuation and reproduction). the five tanmatras (the essences of sound, touch colour, taste and smell) and the five Mahabhitas (the gross elements-earth. water. fire. air and ether. B. Cetana Tattva 3. Atma (Individual self) Let us now take up the Cetana Tattva which is also known by the names of Atm, Jiva and Purusa. The essential nature of Atma is self-consciousness (Jianasvariipa) and bliss (Anandasvarapa) and it is devoid of the three gunas of Prakrti. The Atma is sometimes referred to in the Philosophical literature as the twenty-fifth Tattva to show that it is different from the twenty-four Prakrti-Tattvas and different also from the twenty-sixth Tattva, the Paramatma. The Atma is distinguished from the other two Tattvas, viz., Acetana and Igvara in several ways: the Jiva or Atma is supported and ruled by another, exists and acts for the benefit of another whereas Iévara is self-supported, is not ruled by another and does not act for the benefit of another. All the actions of the Prakrti are invariably controlled by the will of another and those of Isvara are always self-controlled. But in the case of the Jiva some of its actions are entirely under the control of isvara and some under its own control. All the three kinds of Acetana are always the ‘Sarira’ (body) and Isvara is always the ‘gariri (soul), whereas the Jiva is both sarira and Sariri-Sarira (body) for Igvara, and éariri (soul) for the body that he is encased in. The qualities of the Atma have been succinctly stated by Sri Alavandar in his Atmasiddhi in the following verse: > |3. Atma (Individual ‘self 15 Dehendriya manah pranadhibhyo’nyo 'nanyasadhanah, Nityo vydpi pratiksetram atma bhinnah svatah sukhi. The Atma is different from the body, the sense-organs, the mind, the vital air and knowledge; it is cognised by itself, and it is eternal and subtle. It is distinct in every body and it is blissful by nature. The Atma is self-conscious and survives the body after its death. So it is not the body. Moreover the body belongs to the Atma and is not the Atma itself. In our daily life we come across such expressions as ‘my body’. ‘my senses" and ‘my mind’ . From this it is clear that over and above these. viz.. body. sense and mind. there is something which is indicated by the word ‘my’ here and which often calls ‘itself as ‘I, The sense-organs-five jfianendriyas and five karmendriyas—cannot be either severally or jointly the Atma. If each senseorgan is an Atma, then there will be a multiplicity of Atmas in one body (as there are ten indriyas). But this is not a fact. If it is contended that all the ten indriyas jointly are the Atma. then the eye must know what the ear hears and the ear must experience what the nose smells. Such is not our experience in the world and so the indriyas jointly too are not the Atma. 5 __ The mind is not the Atma as it is but an instrument for the Atma to know and remember things. Some say that Prana (vital air) is Atma because when there is Prana the Atma is alive and when there is no Prana the Atma seems to be dead. But this view is wrong. The Atma abides in its own being as a self-conscious entity and is different from Prana. Nor can knowledge be equated with the Atma in spite of its being an eternal and self-luminous substance: for it always appears as an attribute of the Atma in which it inheres, and not as a knower as the Atma does. The Atma is ‘ananya-sidhana’—not cognised by others, but cognised by itself. The essential nature of the Atma is self- consciousness. It shines by itself and does not stand in need of another object to make it shine unlike the non-sentient things which shine only with the help of others. It is like the Sun that is luminous and therefore shines by itself. In this self-cognition the Atma dlways appears as ‘aham’ (I). The Atma sometimes is cognised by others and then it is referred to as ‘you’ ‘he’ etc,16 Visistadvaita The Atma possesses as its attribute knowledge which is known as attributive knowledge (Dharmabhita-jiiana). The Atma acquires the knowledge of the objects of the world with the help of this dharmabhita-jnana (attributive knowledge). The attributive knowledge is luminous by itself (Svayarnprakaga) to the Atma that possesses it while revealing objects. When the attributive know- ledge reveals. for example. a pot to the Atma which possesses that attributive knowledge. it reveals its own existence as well. It does not require another knowledge to reveal it at that time. The attributive knowledge reveals itself and reveals the pot for the purpose of the Atma. Even when the Atma reveals itself, the benefit of its luminosity is enjoyed by itself. So the Atma is the recipient of the benefit of every object revealed or disclosed be it the object in general pr its own self. A common characteristic of the Atma (or svariipajfiana) and attributive knowledge is their both being of the nature of knowledge and being self-luminous, i.e.. being luminous without requiring anything else to light them up. The attributive know- ledge has the additional characteristic of revealing or disclosing objects other than itself (which quality is known as visayitva). The additional characteristic possessed by Svaripa-jfidna (or Atma) is subjectiveness or inwardness (Pratyaktva), i.e., shining for its own self. Though the svaripa-jfana (Atma)-and dharmabhita-jfiana ‘ (attributive knowledge) are both luminous by themselves, yet they are also capable of being apprehended by other forms of knowledge as being endowed with attributes like being et When we perceive an object. say a book, dharmabhita: contacts the object and reveals it to the Atma; but when the dharmabhita-jfiana becomes itself the object of knowledge, it is revealed to the self by a part of its own self. The Atma is nitya or eternal. It has no birth or death. Its attributive knowledge may contact or expand; that is, the Atma may know less or more. but its essential nature never undergoes any change. The different forms and names by which it is referred to donot belong to it. It assumes bodies according to its karma in the previous birth and in the embodied state it is said to be born or dead. young or old. Birth and death, youth and old age do not touch the Atma and they pertain to the body. Just as aman puts on a cloth and discards it when it gets torn, the Atma takes a body at birth and throws it away at death and it survives the body.3. Atma (Individual self) 17 The means of knowledge, viz., perception, inference and scripture help us know that the Atma is eternal. We see that the Atma is able to remember past experiences. This clearly shows that the Atma is a permanent entity, Which existed in the past when the experience first came to it, and which exists now when it remembers that past experience. The infant that is born takes to suckling without special training as a fish takes to water. From this we can infer that the infant should have had a previous birth when it had suckled and so in this birth it is able to do it as it brings with it the impressions from the previous birth. The Sastras clearly state that the Atma does not perish at any time, even at the time of the great deluge, and that nobody can destroy it. The Atma is so subtle that it can enter into anything, whereas all other things are gross and they cannot get into the Atma. Only when they enter into it and disintegrate it, they will be able to destroy the Atma, and this they cannot do. So weapons canot cut the Atma, fire cannot burn it and water cannot drench it. The Atma is of the size of an atom. Being subtle by nature it can enter into all things, and so it is called Vyapi. The word should not be taken to mean ‘all-pervasive’ as the Atma is only atomic in size. It pervades the body through the knowledge which is its attribute, and because of the pervasion of its attributive know- ledge it is able to experience the pain or pleasure in any part of the body eventhough it is located in one small part thereof. The Atma is like the flame of the lamp and its knowledge is like its lustre. There is one distinct Atma for every body and the Atmas are infinite in number. We see that the knowledge of one man is different from that of another and that one man is happy when the other is sorrowful. One does not know the feeling of another. If there were only one atma there cannot be the difference in knowledge and the ignorence of the feeling of one person in another. So we have to come to the inevitable conclusion that every body has a different Atma. The Atma is by nature blissful. That is, it is always pleasing to itself both by its essential nature (svariipa) and by its attributive knowledge. Like the Ever-free souls (the Nityasiris) who are experiencing Bliss in Sri Vaikuntha, all the Atmas have the right of the enjoyment of Bliss. But because of the beginningless Avidya and Karma, the jiva takes birth in this world and suffers from the 218 Visistadvaita sorrows of Sarnsara. It has got the qualities of knowing (Jnatrtva). willing (kartrtva) and enjoying (bhoktrtva). It is a free agent. It can remain bound or it can attain moksa; it has the freedom to lapse into hell or go heavenward. Isvara. out of Mercy, is ever eager to redeem the erring Jivas. and blessed are they that follow the path of virtue laid down by Him in the Sastras and attain the eternal Bliss in Heaven. 4. Cetana: (i) Baddha (or Soul in Bondage) The Jiva or Purusa is defined as a cetana who has the qualities of Anutva or being atomic and Sesatva or being subservient. He is differentiated from the Acetana or the Non-sentient Matter by the qualities of knowing._ willing and enjoying (jfatrtva, kartrtva, bhoktrtva). and from Isvara by the qualities of Adheyatva (being supported). vidheyatva (being ruled) and Sesatva (being subser- vient). The Jiva is self-luminous and is therefore expressed as caharn’ or I. The Jivas are infinite in number and they are divided into three groups: Baddha or souls in bondage. Mukta or freed souls and Nitya or Ever-free souls. The Baddhas are those that are associated with a body as a result of the karmas in the previous birth. and inhabit the fourteen worlds of the Brahmanda. All the Jivas from Brahma, the highest ‘among the gods, to grass. the smallest among plants. come under this group. They are classified under four heads: Sura or the divine beings. Nara or the human k or animals and Sthavara or stationary beings i.e.. ayana. the Supreme God. creates Brahma who, in turn, < like Rudra and Indra, yogins like Sanaka and plants. Nar. creates gods ; z c Sanatkumara. Devarsis like Narada and Atri, as well as patis like Daksa and Pulastya, Siddhas. Gandharvas. Kin- and Vidyadharas. all are of divine origin. The human beings naras 5 BI an ‘are divided into four castes -Brahmana. Ksatriya, Vaisya and Sidra. Beasts, birds. reptiles and the like come under the species animals. and trees. Creepers. bushes and grass are known as the + a of thé stationary’ (creatures). - 5 There are tour ways by which life evolves from the latent e patent: They are Udbhijja‘or. what, is produced ‘from ‘sprouts, Svedaja‘or what 4s born out of i: s4. Cetana: (i) Baddha (or Soul in Bondage) “19 warm vapour. Andaja or what comes out of the egg or oviparous being. and Jarayuja or what is born of a womb or viviparous being. The devas and men are born of the womb. But some gods like Brahma and Rudra. some Yogins like Sanaka and some human beings like Sita. Draupadi and Dhrstadyumna are Ayonija or not born out of the womb. Bhitas and Vetdlas i.e.. evil spirits and goblins also are not womb-born. Amongst creatures some. like the horses and lions. are jarayuja or womb-born. some like the birds and reptiles are andaja or egg-born. and some like the lice are svedaja or sweat-born. Trees and other plants are udbhijja or shoot-born. There are fourteen worlds that are inhabited by the Jivas and they are: Bhi-loka. Bhuvar-loka, Suvar-loka. Mahar-loka, Jana- loka. Tapo-loka, Satya-loka; Atala. Vitala, Sutala. Talatala. Mahatala. Rasatala and Patala. Bhiloka is the Karma-bhami where the Jivas acquire Punya or Papa. the fruits of which are enjoyed in the worlds, above or below. Bhuvar-loka is the world of ait and Suvar-loka is the Heaven or the world of Indra and other gods. Mahar-loka. Jana-loka and Tapo-loka are inhabited by yogins and mind-born sons of Brahma. Satya-loka which is at the top of all is the world of Brahma. the Creator. All these worlds are above, and Atala and others are Nether-worlds i.e.. below the Earth. All the fourteen worlds are within a Brahmanda-the Cosmic Universe in ege-form. The Puranas declare that there are myriads of such Brahmandas which are hanging in clusters from every hair on the body of the Virat-Purusa or the Cosmic Being like bunches of figs from the fig tree. Each Brahmanda has got its own worlds, the sun, moon and other planets. It is presided over by a Brahma who is helped in his work by the eight Dik-palakas or Divine Guardians of the Quarters and sages. All of them are ruled by Paramatma, who is above all, and whom they serve and subserve. The birth of the Jivas in the world is due to Avidya or Nescience in them. Avidya is the cause of Karma; repeated performance of karma by them. leaves Vasana or the latent “impression in their ‘mind, which in its turn.. generates ruci or propensity. to do an act. This leads to Prakrtisambandha or association with the Prakrti or the body. The embodiment gives tise to Avidya which is the cause of further karma. Thus all these20 Visistadvaita are working in a cycle. each one being the effect of the one that precedes and the cause of the other that follows. As in the case of the seed and the plant, we cannot say which is the cause and which is the effect. This has been going on from time immemorial meandering like a stream with neither beginning nor end. Every new birth, therefore, is the consequence of the past karma and is the seed of the future: Every karma thus produces its effect and the latter in its turn becomes the cause of the succeeding act and so on .adinfinitum. The law of karma works with relentless vigour and no man can escape the consequences of his karma. The Prarabdha karma or the karma that has begun to operate cannot be cured, but has to be endured with fortitude. It is like the arrow that has been discharged from the bow and cannot be withdrawn. But we can, by correct knowledge and virtuous deed, shape our future by arresting evil tendencies, and it is like the arrow that is yet to be discharged and can be withdrawn. The doctrine of karma solves the vexed problems of apparent- ly unmerited sufferings and inequalities in life. According to this, the inequalities and injustices that we come across in the world are put the result of conduct in a previous birth which has begun to give fruit. The doctrine of karma does not preach fatalism, nor does it lead to inaction or aversion to make effort on the part of a man to work for his redemption and uplift. It only declares that every man is the architect of his destiny and he can make his fortune or mar his future. Man has the faculty of reason by which he can reflect on his animal instincts and control them, whereas the animal acts according to its instincts. If the man conquers the animal inclination caused by his attachment to the body, he attains moral sovereignty. Not even a god can conquer him who has conquered himself. The wise man who controls his senses is like a skilful charioteer who has control over the horses and reaches his destination safe, but a morally weak man is like an incompetent charioteer who is drawn away by the unruly horses and thrown jnto a ditch. Jivas who do meritorious deeds on the earth go to Svarga and enjoy the pleasures there. When the effect of their Punya karma is exhausted, they return to the earth by the same path through the medium of rain-drops, The rain nourishes the plants and grains which supply food to animals and men, and the food is changed into life-giving germs. Then the Jivas are born as animals or men @4. Cetana: (i) Baddha (or Soul in Bondage) 21 according to their karma. The Jivas who go in the way of the body which is an admixture of the five elements viz., earth, water, fire, air and ether and do wicked deeds, go to Naraka (Hell) and experience untold sufferings there. When the effect of the Papa karma is spent, they are born again in suitable bodies. By good deeds a man can rise to the status of Brahma, the highest being; and by bad deeds he will descend into a human, animal or sub-human species. Though the Jivas are in the grip of karma and are under-going the throes of birth and death, it does not mean that they suffer from original sin or innate defect. Sin is something adventitious. If it were innate, it would be in the nature of the Jivas. In that case it cannot be removed and Mukti would be impossible. The scriptures specifically declare that the Jivas in the state of release are pure and perfect and have not even the shadow of karma. So the Jivas, who are pure and stainless by nature; somehow have come under the sway of karma. Though the contact of the Jivas with karma is beginningless, it has an end when they attain salvation ultimately. ‘Only two of the four classes of Jivas—the gods and the human beings—are subject to the Sastra. They alone have been blessed with the power to think and act, and so punya or papa karma can be postulatd only with reference to them and not with reference to the animals and stationary beings (Tiryak and Sthavara) which are not subject to Sastra and which therefore can do neither punya nor papa. Dharma is tha which is ordained by the Sastras; and the practice’ of the ordinance confers, punya and the violationof it papa. This will mean that the Sastra is the only authority by which we can say a particular act is the punya or papa. The goals of human endeavour or Purusarthas are said to be four in number: Dharma or virtue, Artha or Wealth, Kama or Pleasure and Moksa or Salvation. Artha and Kama are sought after by those who care more for bodily comforts and conveni- ences here, and Dharma by those who believe in the existence of a soul over and above the body, and long for pleasures in the other world. Moksa is the highest Purusartha-the enjoyment of eternal and ever lasting Bliss in Vaikuntha. Those who have, by a study of the Sastras at the feet of the Acaryas, have acquired correctly a knowledge of the nature of the body, Jiva and Paramatma, will go in for Moksa. The Jiva in this world who entertains a desire foroa 2 Visistadvaita Moksa is called the Mumuksu and when he attains it by the adoption of the means, he is known as *Mukta’. 5. Cetana (ii) Mukta (Freed Soul) We shall begin the chapter on Mukta with a well-known parable that illustrates the true nature and condition of the Baddha Jiva who is to become the Mukta or Freed Soul. Once a certain king went ahunting to the forest accompanied by his queen and his infant prince. There the king and the queen were much absorbed in sport and did not notice that their child had strayed away from the tent. They were not able to trace the child and so returned to the city with a heavy heart. The child lost in the forest was too young to realize and express that he was the prince of the country, and was wandering about helplessly. A hunter who came that way saw the child alone and took him home. He grew up in the hamlet along with other children, spoke their language as if it were his own, ate their food and lived their life. Thus having been brought up as a hunter's child, the boy found his good and evil, his joys and sorrows in gruesome things entirely different from ‘enjoyments befitting a prince. A few years later some sages happened to see the boy in the company of hunters. They were struck by the noble bearing and appearance of the boy not commonly found in hunters. From enquiry and from close observation of the marks of royalty on him they concluded he must be the prince lost in the forest years before. One day they approached him when he was alone and explained to him his true nature and the circumstances that had brought him there. The boy listened to their words and was slowly weaned away from the company of hunters. The sages gave him education and training suited to a prince; and by their own example and precept they made him give up the food and company of the hunters and created in him a desire for a cleaner and better way of life. They sent word to the sorrowing king that his son was alive and in a fit condition to be taken back. They informed the boy also that his father was the king of the country and he was eager to see him. When the kind sages took the boy and restored him to the king, both the prince and the king were happy at their unexpected union after a long time.” Jivas as their own and in an absolutely 5. Cetana (ii) Mukta (Freed Soul) 23 Let us now turn to the story of the Jiva. The Jiva nas a close relationship with Paramatma. He is described in the Sastras as the ‘Son’, ‘Disciple’ and ‘Servant’ of God, and as having a place in the bosom of Paramatma like the kaustubha gem. But somehow he forgets his divine home and heritage like the prince in the parable, wanders in the world, identifies himself with the body and subjects himself to the hardships of gestation, birth, old age and death. He becomes a prey to all the afflictions the flesh is heir to which are of three kinds (1) Adhyatmika or bodily sufferings like pain, disease, etc., (2) Adhibhautika or sufferings caused by other beings; and (3) Adhidaivika or those caused by divine agency like rain, thunder, fire, etc. He forfeits the estate of God-bliss. his rightful heritage, and is much in the same state as a boat struggling in the midst of a turbulent ocean beaten by the furious and unending waves of afflictions and sorrows. But the Paramatma will not leave the Jiva to sink and perish. He is ever watchful and is on the look-out for an opportunity to rescue and restore him to his rightful place. He. out of His Grace. sends some pious and holy men for the redemption of the erring Jivas. The pious men are themselves sympathetic and so go about this work with fervour and enthusiasm. They consider the good of isinterested manner teach them the true nature of the body, Atma and Paramatma. and create in them a dislike for the trivial and evanescent pleasures of the world and a longing for the attainment of Paramatma and the enjoyment of the supreme and eternal bliss. The men. who do the work of God for the redemption of the Jivas. are the Acaryas who have a unique place in religious literature. It is stated in the Sastras that a person gets an Acarya as a result of good deeds done by him in previous birth. Tsvarasya ca sauhardam yadrechasukrtam tatha, Visnoh kataksam advesam abhimukhyam ca sattvikaih. Sambhasanam sad etani hi Acarya -. prapti-hetavah. God's benevolence, good deeds done by chance, the gracious glance of God, freedom from hatred, willingness to learn and conversation with good men—these are the six causes that lead to the acquisition of an Acarya.24 Visistadvaita . The Acaryas reveal to the Jivas the intimate relation existing between the latter and Narayana, the Lord of Laksmi, who is the Lord and Ruler of the entire Universe. They try earnestly to help the Jivas attain the Lord and feel that the attainment of the glory of Moksa by the Jivas would give them as much delight as the sovereignty of Vaikuntha and of the whole earth. With the help of words, neither excessive nor defective, the Acaryas desire to remove the ignorance, doubts and erroneous notions of the Jivas. They teach them thé true nature of God, soul and body in the following way: ‘The‘body is not the Atma. but it belongs to it. The body exists and acts for the benefit of the Atma who controls it. The Atma is not Iévara or Paramatma, but only a mode or inseparable attribute of Paramatma. Paramatma is the Atma of all Atmas and also of the non-sentient’ objects. The relationship between Iévara on one hand and the world of sentient beings and non-sentient things on the other is the same as that between the soul and the body and this is known as Sariratmabhava sambandha (body-soul-relationship).’ This is the most important and unique doctrine of Visistadvaita. From the teachings of the Acaryas the Jivas acquire a knowledge of the true nature of enjoyment or experience in this world’as well as in Svarga and also of release from bondage. They also learn about the means that leads to Sarhséra and Muksa so that they can reject the former and adopt the latter. They get to know the routes by which the Atmas travel to their destined abodes and about the obstacles that stand in the way of salvation. They also learn that the attainment of Sriman Narayana in Sri Vaikuntha and service to Him is the highest end to be achieved (paramapurusartha). - When a person acquires, by the Grace of the Acaryas, a knowledge of the things detailed above, he becomes averse to earthly pleasures which always end in pain and longs for eternal Bliss and freedom from the trammels of Sarhsara. Such a person is called a Mumuksu or one desirous of release. Then he adopts the means for Moksa viz.. Bhakti-Yoga or Prapatti according to his equipment and capacity; and as a result of it he becomes free from Sarhsara and attains Salvation when he is called Mukta or Freed Soul. We shall now see how the Baddha becomes Mukta. However sinful the Baddha-Jiva may be. there does come a time in his @5. Cetana (ii) Mukta (Freed Soul) 25 career in this Universe when Destiny in the form of Divine Grace comes to him in an unexpected manner. God confers His blessings on him when he is in his mother’s womb and also when he takes birth. Later He comes to him in the form of Acaryas. They consecrate his body by imprinting on it the symbol of God's feet and lift him from the depths of the world by extending the hand of knowledge of the Sastras. The Jiva is rescued from the abyss of ‘I-ness and My-ness’ i.e.. the false notions that ‘] am the master’ and ‘all things are mine’. He realizes that Laksmi and Narayana are the two Paramount Deities and service to Them is the highest end to be achieved. Consequently he gives up his attachment to the earthly pleasures which are enjoyed by the senses and to the joy of Atma (kaivalyananda) which is trivial. though endless. He ‘comes to the conclusion that excepting Laksmi and Narayana no one can save him: and in proper time and at the earliest opportunity he surrenders himself at Their feet and seeks Their protection. He prays to Them that they, out of Their grace. should save him and cut asunder the deep root of the powerful Karma that has been holding him under control from time immemorial. He makes an appeal that he should no longer be allowed to be confused by Avidya (nescience), tempted by Kama (desire) and confined by Karma, but should be lifted aut of the wheel of Sarhsara (worldly life). As the Divya Dampatis (Laksmi and Narayana) have merci- fully taken upon Themselves the responsibility of protecting him. the Jiva is now free from all burden of saving himself. free from all fear of evil, and free from any doubt about the attainment of fruit. He eagerly awaits the time of departure from the body when all the Karmas will abandon him without a murmur. As the final moment arrives, God lovingly confers on him a vision of Himself and makes the Jiva think of Him. Then the Jiva begins his spiritual journey in the embrace of God, Who lives in the heart. He passes through the Brahmaran- dhra which is the main gate of the body known as Brahma-pura, and which is illumined for him by the in-dwelling Paramatma (Harda). The Jiva emerges from the body and soars gloriously to the world of eternal beauty and bliss by the straight and radiant path of gods (Devayana. Arciradimarga). He is escorted by Celestial Guides or Ativahikas and passes through a beautiful opening in the centre of the orb of the Sun. The making of a single6 Visistadvaita Mukta is a cosmic event and the gods hail the entry of the finite self into the Infinite and sing his praise. On the way. at every stage of the spiritual journey, he is welcomed and honoured by the cosmic Gods like Agni. Vayu. Varuna. Indra and Brahma in their respective regions. He soars higher and higher and goes beyond the universe which is in Egg-form. The Jiva escorted by the Ambassador of Eternity, Amanava at last enters and crosses by his will the River of Immortality, Viraja by name, which marks the boundary line or the transition between the empirical sphere of Karma and the transcendental sphere of Brahman. The waters of Viraja are cool. clear and gentle as God’s Mercy and are eternally flowing. By plunging into it the Jiva is purified and perfected; he goes to the other shore and enters his own Home of Paramatma where there is light without night or nescience. Now he is literally the Freed Soul. What the Mukta experiences thereafter is, in the words of $ri Vedanta Desgka, ‘a wonder that defies all description in words.’ 6. Mukta in Nityavibhiti (The freed soul in the world of Eternal Splendour) Alvars and Acaryas, who. came to this mortal world as messengers of God blesséd by Him with divine vision, have in their works bequeathed to us a vivid description of the spiritual enjoyments of Muktas in the World of Eternal Splendour (Nityavibhiti.) In the light of what they have left behind we shall try to have a glimpse of these wonderful experiences of the Muktas. The spiritual journey of the Mukta or freed Soul to the World of Eternal Splendour and his activities there are revealed to us by the Kausitaki Upanishad and the Hymns of the Alvars. Following them, Sri Ramanuja in his Vaikuntha Gadya and Sri Vedanta Deska in his Paramapadasopana have described them in great detail. The section that follows is based entirely on the authority of the works referred to. What we are going to read is completely supra-sensual and supra-mundane and the reader may feel amused or even sceptic if he does not bring some faith. Sri Vedanta Desika, the great philosopher-poet, has stated that these are things which will be clearly understood and realized only in the state of Salvation when the Mukta is himself the experiencer.6. Mukta in Nityavibhati 27 Vitamasi pade laksmikantam vicitravibhitikam Sacivagamitah sampadyavirbhavat sahajakrtih, Sphuta-tadaprthaksiddhih siddhyadgunastakatatphalo Bhajati paramarh. Samyam bhoge nivrttikathojjhitam. — Rahasyatrayaséra-pariptirna Brahmanubhava) [The Mukta is led by his guides to the Consort of Laksmi who is possessed of varied glories in the region beyond Prakrti and attains Him. Then he has his essential nature in full manifestation and realizes his inseparable connection with the Lord. As a consequence he acquires the eight attributes (of freedom from sin and the like) without any question of his returning again (to Sarhsara), and he attains, in regard to enjoyment, perfect resemblance to the Lord.] The Baddha or bound Soul, who has been wandering all these ages in the thorny path of Sarhsara enjoying fleeting pleasures almost unexpectedly comes across an Acarya who imparts to him right knowledge and puts him in the right path. On the advice of the Acarya, he adopts, according to his own equipment and capacity, Bhaktiyoga or Prapatti Yoga, the means for salvation. He is now a krtakrtya i.e., he has no more problems to solve or evil to subdue. He eagerly awaits the time of final departure as one does the arrival of a welcome guest, for, death tor him is no destruction, but an entry into the Realm of God. At the time of the dissolution of his body, which may happen anywhere, at any time, and in any manner, the Jiva withdraws from the gross body to the subtle state and. in the protective embrace of God in his heart, ascends to the Absolute by the straight and shining path of Arciradi. Mukti in the subjective aspect implies self-transcendence or mastery over karma, and in the objective aspect, going beyond the limits of space-time. He passes through all the worlds of the gods where he is welcomed and honoured, and at last plunges into the waters of the River Viraja from which he emerges purified and perfected. Then being escorted by Amanava, the Ambassador of the Absolute, he lands in the world of Transcendental Splendour (Nitya-vibhati or Sti Vaikuntha). He, who was a victim of Samsara, is now a victor thereof and is no longer subject to Vedic and Vedantic imperatives and determinations.28 Visistadvaita Then begins the glorious march of the Mukta into that world of wonder which is shining and eternal. which is ever the object of vision of the eternally Free Souls (Nityasiris) and which was the dream of his life ever since his initiation by the Acarya into the Spiritual Literature. First the Mukta beholds two oceans of Nectar ‘Ara’ and ‘Nya’ by name and beyond them mountains and gardens, streams and lakes-all blissful and divine in essence. He approaches then the Lake of Nectar, named Airammadiyam which looks'ike a vast reservoir of supreme Bliss and the Asvattha tree, Soma-savana by name which appears to be the stationary form of Paramatma and which is waited upon by Nityasiris. Five hundred divine damsels, in five groups of a- hundred each. sent by Paramatma from the City of Vaikuntha. come forward to receive him with the blowing of trumpets and beating of drums. They bear in their hands raiments and ornaments, .perfumed powder and collyrium and wreaths of flowers. To the flourish of trumpets the damsels give a royal welcome to the MuKta, as the attendants of a queen will to a prince, adorn him with the Brahmic decorations and exclaim “You are the chosen of the Lord. come and rule over Heaven.” The Mukta proceeds further; and as he draws near the Tilya Tree, Salajya Sarhsthdna or the Divine Shrine and the Aparajita Ayatana or the Hall of unsurpassed Majesty. the Brahmic fragrance, Brahmic flavour and Brahmic colour enter into him. His body becomes superb as though formed by the fusion of the fragrance of the Parijata (the Divine flower). the effulgence of the Sun, and the sweetness of Nectar. When he reaches the city of Vaikuntha which is far superior to the other Heavens ot Happiness, Joy and Bliss, the Nityasiris (the eternally Free Souls) with crowns on their heads come in groups to receive him and take him to the entrance of the city bedecked with banners waving aloft. When he nears the gate, Indra and Prajapati, the Divine Guards at the gate, step forward and greet him with the words: “Hail to thee! The servants of the Lord are our masters. Deign to enter our abode.” Then he passes through the gates of the City of Sri Vaikuntha ever open to the devotees of the Lord, and moves in procession along the broad streets. kept clean and decorated specially for the occasion, and flanked on either side with towering mansions sparkling with gems. Fresh batches of Nityasiris come now and in the streets wash his feet with reverence and love. They exclaim with joy that it is only by their goad fortune that the6. Mukta in Nityavibhati 29 Mukta has come to their world leaving the tempting human world where Mercy and other such lovable qualities of God shine to greater advantage. Celestial damsels with moon-like faces come forward carrying in their hands the Paduka or Sri Satari of the Lord-which is the greatest treasure for a devotee-fragrant flower- dust, water-filled pots and auspicious lamps. Taken by them in procession the Mukta comes near the Golden Hall when the Brahmic glory enters into him. And now he becomes the compeer of the Lord of Cosmic Repute. Then the Mukta arrives at the gem-set Hall of Bliss which is spoken of in the Upanishads as the ‘Audience-Hall of Prajapatis where he is received with pride and affection by the Lord's Guards and Retinue. The Dignitaries there. under the orders of Visvaksena, God’s Commander-in-chief. come to receive him. The Mukta, overwhelmed with joy and devotion, prostrates and rises again and again till he reaches the forefront of the gem-set Hall. There beholds Garuda, God’s Vehicle, who glitters like a winged mountain of burnished gold and who stands in a kneeling posture like mirror in front of ‘God. The Mukta offers his salutations to him all of whose limbs are said to be the various Nedas incarnate. From there he walks along the aisle on either side of which are assembled innumerable groups of Nityastris who are steeped in the enjoyment of the perfect form and auspicious qualities of the Lord. They are so much attached to God and so very solicitous about the safety of the person of God that even when they hear the singing of Hallelujah by devoted souls they are perturbed, and mistaking it for the war-cry of inimical Asuras, bestir themselves to protect the All protector in a world of perfect safety and peace Some delight themselves by conducting a debate in which they take opposite sides and try to establish the superiority of one quality of the Lord over others and in this debate defeat also is as pleasing as victory; for rancour, enmity and other such bad qualities are foreign to that World of Bliss and perfection. The age-long yearnings of the Mukta to become one of the company of the chosen devotees of God are realized and he joins their ranks. He beholds that God is waited upon by His retinue and attendants, and is bedecked by ornaments and weapons-all in their proper form and in their proper places. This vision increases his longings for the service of the Lord and he goes nearer.30 Visistadvaita Beside the Throne of God are seated the ancient Acdryas whose faces beam with joy at the sight of the Mukta. They are happy that the efforts of the Lord to redeem the Jiva through them have ultimately borne fruit. The Mukta bows to them in respect and expresses his gratitude by saying that they imparted “knowledge to him when he was ignorant, and weaned him away from evil propensities when he was in the mortal world. He prays to them to bless him further by placing their feet on his head. Blessed by the Acdryas, the Mukta draws near the Paryanka or.Throne of Unbounded Effulgence which no mortal eye has seen and of which till then he has had only fragmentary Sastraic knowledge. It is formed by the integration of all the Tattvas in the Nityavibhati and Lila-vibhati in its various parts. It has Dharma, Jaana, Vairagya and Aisvarya for its legs, and Adharma. Ajfiana and the like for planks. In the centre of the throne is a divine thousand-petalled lotus of marvellous lustre like that of a myriad rising suns. On eight petals in the eight corners of this lotus are eight angles Vimala and others by name. who are white like moonlight and who wave chowries which spread moonlight-like lustre all around. The sight of the service of these damsels fills the Mukta with hopes that his longing to serve the Lord with camara in hand will soon be realized. The pericarp of this lotus is of great proportions, being bigger than millions of golden mountains grouped together. On the Pericarp is the great Serpent Adisesa, of supreme wisdom and strength, whose milk-white body looks like the Milky Oceans of all the Brahmandas collected and arranged in layers. His body, full of fragrance, softness and purity, is coiled in circles so as to form a soft and lovely spring-cot for the Lord and His Consorts who shine with the freshness, charm and delicacy of flowers. The Mukta beholds the Serpent who bears on his lap the Lord who is infinite (Ananta). The thousand hoods of Adigesa serve as serried milk-white umbrellas for the Lord. The Mukta has a direct soul-sight of the Paramatma who is Parathjyotis or Supreme Light with a form more luminous than a million suns. The Mukta moves forward and slowly climbs on the couch placing his foot on the coils of Adi sega. The Lord receives him with open arms a§ a father would his loving infant and confers on him a status ir no way different from that of the Nityasiris6. Mukta in Nityavibhiti 31 (Eternally Free Souls) there. He is immensely delighted to see and get the company of the Mukta and He feels happy as though the acquisition of a Mukta is a great boon and benefit to Himself. Thus the Soul-hunger of the Paramatma and the God-hunger of the Jivatma are satisfied and the separate consciousness of both is swallowed up in the enjoyment of Bliss. The Mukta is accorded the seat of honour beneath the long-expected and hallowed feet of the Lord. He enjoys the perfections of Brahman with Brahman and enjoys everything everywhere by his mere will without any external aid or constraint. He wills the true and the good, and every wish is immediately fulfilled without the moral gulf between endeavour and end and between the apprehension of good and its attainment. Though he is the latest to arrive at the Hall of Bliss, there is no difference between him and the eternally present Nityasiris either in rank or in the quantity and quality of Bliss experienced. Nor is there any difference between the Bliss of the Mukta, the Self-ruler,.and God, the World-ruler. The two are alike in alt respects but for the acts of creation and rulership of the world which are exclusively God's. The bliss of union is ever fruitful and enhances the value of the released state. The Mukta dances and sings with joy as he serves, and serves as he dances and sings. As an outlet for his joy he renders without intermission all kinds of service to the Lord in all places, in all circumstances and at all times, Not content with that he creates by his will kinsmen and associates so that he may serve God more fully in their company. Like the cow that goes after her calf or the calf that runs after its mother. the Mukta ever follows the Lord as His shadow wherever the latter goes-be it Vaikuntha, the World of Eternal Splendour or Samsara. the world of mortals. While the ascent of the Mukta to the World of Eternity is an escape from the sorry scheme of Samsara, his descent into the finite world now expresses the cosmic freedom of the Mukta, whose all-pervasive consciousness destroys the barriers of time and distance. Once the Mukta attains the Nityavibhati, the world of Transcendental Splendour, there is no ‘cotnpulsory return for him from there to the mortal world and he remains there for all time doing service to the Lord and to the Fraternity of Free and Freed Souls. : See, .32 Visistadvaita The idea of Dasatva in Visistadvaita does not imply slave mentality extolled as a spiritual value, but brings out the infinite riches of the abandonment of egoism and the attunement of the Jiva to the cosmic purpose of universal redemption. Love is fulfilled in surrender and service which yield infinite joy and bliss. The Mukta enjoys all the perfections of Sri Vaikuntha. He achieves Salokya or identity of abode with the Lord. It leads to Samipya or proximity to the Lord, and Sarapya or similarity of form with the Lord and is consummated in Sayuja or the Bliss of Communion-Brahmananda. What we have striven to give here is the description of a thing which is indescribable; for a Brahma- jfani alone can give an experience-definition of the exalted state of Brahmananda which transcends the imperfect medium of thought and language. 7. Nityas or the Ever-free Souls The cetanas or Sentient Beings are classified under three heads; Baddhas or Bound Souls, Muktas or Freed Souls and Nityas or Ever-free Souls. It is true that the soul that-was once in bondage (and hence called Baddha) becomes a Mukta as a result of the adoption of the means for acquiring freedom and attaining Salvation, and so there need not be a special classification as Baddha and Mukta. But the nature of the Mukta in the state of Release is so superb and sublime that it looks as though he belongs altogether to a different species and hence the classification. When. the Mukta enters Sri Vaikuntha or the World of Eternal : he enjoys the essential nature, the form and the Splenee rapa, ropa and guna of $riman Narayana as well as gaits ona outlet for his overflowing bliss, he sings and oN es and begins to do service to the Lord. By all this he pleases oon ord: and by the pleasure of the Lord he feels pleased and be d. Once the Atma reaches Sri Vaikuntha, there is no viference between him and the Ever-free Angels Nityasiris, there on he is their equal. The Nityas or the Ever-free Souls are those who are in perfect joyment of the splendour and glory of the Lord in Sri Vaikuntha och is also known as Paramapada. They have not had even the wadow of the touch of the karma, and consequently have never peon the victims of Sarhsara or the empirical world of suffering.7. Nityas or the Ever-free Souls 33 They are sentient beings and are atomic in size. The Upanishads declare that they are free from sin and old age. from death and sorrow, and from hunger and thirst. They have complete fulfilment of their desires and accomplishment of their will. In the . possession of these qualities they are like the Paramatma Himself. But the only difference is that the Paramatma has these qualities by nature while the Nityas have them at His pleasure which. is eternally there. The Nityas are omniscient and omnipotent as well. They are subservient (Sega) to the Paramatma and are ever in the enjoyment of His blissful form and qualities. This enjoyment finds its fruition in service to the Lord. They assume different forms to serve Him. The tender creepers and beautiful plants, charming flowers and delicious fruits, warbling birds and frolicking deer—all, all are Ever-free Souls. Parks and gardens, lakes and streams, bowers and mansions are also the forms of the Nityas. They delight in serving the Paramatma and His Consort, Laksmi, and in seeing Them pleased. Their joy is infinite and unsurpassed. There is no difference between the Bliss of the worshipping Nityas and that of the worshipped Lord. In Sri Vaikuntha there is absolute equality in the attainment and enjoyment of Bliss, be he a Mukta or a Nitya or even the Paramatma. Even in the case of the Mukta, his enjoyment after reaching Sti Vaikuntha is equal in every way to that of the Nityas. The difference, if any, will be only in this that the Mukta attains that perfect Bliss at a point of time, and the Nityas have been having it from beginningless time. The Nityas are of two kinds—-Bhaktas who serve God directly and Bhagavatas who serve the Bhaktas and thus indirectly serve God. Ananta, Garuda, Visvaksena and the like come under the first group, and all the rest under the second. Ananta is Adisesa, the thousand-hooded mystic serpent. With Varuni and Kanta his consorts, he serves the Lord in several ways, assuming suitable forms for the occasion. Adisesa serves as an umbrella when the Lord is on the move, is a throne when He sits, and is the footwear when He stands. He is again the couch for the Lord to recline and also the cosy pillow. He adorns the Lord as the fine raiment of golden hue. He is called “Sesa” or the Subservient, because he serves and subserves the Lord every moment and at all times. He is known as Ananta (Infinite) as he holds in the midst of his coiled body the Infinite Paramatma. He is an ideal couch as he has the qualities of softness, coolness and fragrance (indispensable for a 334 Visistadvaita couch). He has also the wisdom and strength to adjust his body suitably to the comfort of the Divine Couple resting on his lap. The scintillating gems in every one of the thousand hoods shed a divine effulgence all round like the colour of a lotus, because of which the Paramapada itself is referred to in the Sastras as Pundarika (lotus). Nivasa-Sayydsana-padukarnsuko padhana-varsatapa-varanadibhih. Sarirabhedaistava Sesatam gataih yathocitam Sega itirito janaih. — Alavandar's Stotraratna—40 Garuda is another Nityasiri; and Rudra and Sukirti are his consorts. He is always on attendance with folded hands in front of the Supreme Lord. His several limbs are said to be the diverse branches of the Vedas. There is a propriety in this. He brings the Lord to us even as the Vedas do. His service to the Lord is also manifold..He acts as a servant and a friend, a vehicle and a banner, He also serves as a throne, a canopy and a fan. Dasas-sakha@ vahanam dsanam dhvajo yaste vitinam vyajanam trayi-mayah. Upasthitam tena puro garutmata tvadanghri-sammarda-kinanka-sobhina — Stotra Ratna-4} Visvaksena, is another Nityasdri who is the commander of the forces and the steward of the mansion of the Lord oe the entire responsibility of the administration of en — pail ied wields a divine staff, the insignia of office. lie eo the worlds in order and safety. He manages aati ae s ae perfection and justice that the Lord a ee He i of approval by His gracious glances on all his faa es i. re unique honour and privilege of having for etme s been offered and used by the Lord and so has the app n Sesasana (he that consumes what is left behind). Tvadiya-bhuktojjhita-Sesa-bhojina ; tvaya nisrstatma-bharena yad-yatha. Priyena senapatina nyavedi tat . tathanujanantam udara-viksanaih. — Stotra Rama-427. Nityas or the Ever-free Souls 35 Sitravati is his consort. Visvaksena has four Nityasiris who are his immediate attendants and subordinates: and they are Gajanana, Jayatsena, Harivaktra and Kalaprakrti. There are eight ‘commanders fully armed with weapons and each with his own vehicle and retinue on attendance; and their names are—Kumuda, Kumudaksa, Pundarika, Vamana, Sankukarna, Sarvanetra, Sumukha and Supratisthita. Canda and Pracanda, Bhadra and Subhadra, Jaya and Vijaya, and Dhata and Vidhata—are eight Nityasiris who keep watch at the gates on the four sides of the Lord’s mansion, two in each. There are divine !ady attendants who attend on the Lord with milk-white chamaras in their hands. They are Vimala, Utkarsini, Jiiana, Kriya, Yoga, Prahvi, Satya, sana and Anugraha. The first eight stand in the eight corners of the Lord’s couch and the last in the centre. All the above mentioned Nityas have some service or other assigned to them and they discharge it with great care and love. There are numberless other Nityas who are not doing service of any particular kind or nature. They behold the former with reverence and pride, and derive as much delight by that sight as that of those that are actually discharging that service. The joy of the Lord is their own joy and so long as the Lord is pleased they are also pleased and satisfied. There is no feeling of rivalry or jealousy in them. They do not for a moment think that some have the honour of doing a service which is denied to them. They derive greater joy by attending on those that serve the Lord direct. For it is the maxim of the Spiritual Universe that the joy one gets by being subservient and doing service to those who directly serve the Lord is in no way less, nay, is even more, than that of the latter. That is the secret of the doctrine of the master-servant relationship in the Spiritual World. The Sastras declare that there is desire for mutual service there among the Nityas and every one takes pride in being subservient to another. All the Nityas are of the same age as the Paramatma as. though in the bloom of youth. Their bodies are similar to that of the Paramatma, composed of the sublime Suddha Sattva material: Their heads are adorned by gem-set crowns, and their arms by Chakra and Sankha (discus and conch). Ali of them are perfect souls in the supreme enjoyment of the Heavenly Bliss vouchsafed ito them by the All-merciful Lord for ali times without any reserve or restriction.36 Visistadvaita The Nityas may occasionally come down to this world of ours either with the Lord or by themselves. If they do so, it is by their own free will tuned and attuned to that of the Lord, and not by the power of Karma. They come down to assist and continue the work of the Lord for the redemption of the souls in bondage. The Alvars. and the Aéaryas are said to be incarnations of one or other of these Nityas. When by their preachings and practice on the one hand and by composing literary pieces on the other. their work of redeeming the souls and establishing righteousness is over for the _ time. they withdraw into Sri Vaikuntha to their own place. It i true that they are not the victims to Karma when they are in this ~~ world. But having come to this world, they behave. like the Lord Himsclf. as if they are ordinary human beings subject to the rules and restrictions, sorrows and sufferings of the world. In their case, it is only the semblance of suffering on the stage of the world like that of a consummate actor on the stage. All this they do only to please the Paramatma which is their only end. whether they are there or here. % - When the bound souls are’ redeemed by the grace of the Acaryas and the Lord, they soar high and arrive at Sri Vaikuntha. There are Nityas in masculine and feminine forms who are ready tg séecive,and welcome them and who Iead them with great ito the Lord. From that time onwards, all differences lityas eternally tiving there and the Muktas newly arrived | sx.and all of them arc members of the: great ate) ‘Souls in Sri Vaikugtha, who revel and delight in the ‘enjoyradnt and service of the Supreme God Sriman Narayana. Févaras'‘The Universal Cause . ing-kalyanam anyamangalakarakam, dain advandvam dvandvam vandamahevayam. Laksmikalyana of Bhattar the: peerless’ Couple—Lakemi and Narayana— tigasness does not depend on others, who confer ess of all others, and who are the cause of the8. isvara: The Universal Cause 37 It has been stated (i) that there are three Tattvas or Realities—Cetana. Acetana and Isvara; . (ii) that the Cetana (the Sentient Being or Atmi) is of three kinds—souls in bondage, freed souls and.ever-free souls—baddha, mukta and nitya; and (iii) that the Acetana (or the non-sentient object) is classified under three heads—Prakrti or Primordial Matter, Kala or Time, and Suddha Sattva, the pure transcendental substance. The third Tattva is Igvara. He is the Supreme Self or Paramatma. He has under His control the essential nature. the continuance and the varied activities pertaining to the three kinds of Sentient Beings (Cetana) and the three kinds of non-sentient objects (Acetana)—(Svadhina-trividha-cetanacetana-svarapa- sthiti-pravrtti-bheda). The essential nature (Svaripa) of Igvara. on whom depends the existence of all substances, is Truth (Satyam). knowledge (Janam), Infiniteness (Anantam), Bliss (Anandam) and Purity (Amalatvam). He is opposed to everything that is of the nature of a blemish and has hosts of auspicious qualities (Akhilaheya- pratyanika and Kalyana-gunakara). qa) Isvara is the Soul or Atma of all substances because of three kinds of relationship that’ exist for ever between Him and them. , (2) isvara is the Cause of all things because of three kinds of activities that He adopts. . (3) The essential nature of Igvara is absolutely different from that of all beings and objects other than Himself. (4) Igvara is.connoted by all words as He is the Atma of aft substarices. ; (5) He is the Deity that is propitiated by all the rites and rituals laid down in the Scriptures: and He is the Deity that grants the fruits of all those acts. (6) Isvara is resorted to by the Mumuksus-those that are desirous of release: and Isvara is the object of attainment in the State of release. (Moksadaga).38 Visistadvaita Thus is Isvara revealed by the Upanishads of undisputed validity. ; Now we shall explain in some detail every one of the above statements: 1. Isvara is the Supreme Soul or Atma of all objects and things. This is due to the fact that there are three kinds of relationship that invariably exist between Him on the one hand. and the Cetana and the Acetana on the other. He always supports and directs them; and He is also their Master for whose purpose and benefit they always exist and act. All other substances are always supported and directed by Isvara: and they exist to serve His purpose. So they are His Sarira (body). These substances cannot exist without Him. So they are called inseparable attributes (Aprthak-siddha-visesana). They stand in the same relation to isvara as the qualities like beauty or purity stand with reference to aman. The only difference is that the latter come under the class of qualities (guna) while the former under that of substances (dravya). From a study of the nature of these substances and Igvara, our Acaryas have arrived at the definition of body and Soul in the following terms: ‘A substance that exists solely for the purpose of another and that is always supported and directed by that other is its body: and. that other for whose purpose a substance exists. and which supports and controls it. is the Atma (Soul). The bodies of all living beings.-be they gods. men or animals-satisfy this definition of Sarira: and the souls in them satisfy that of Atma. They are related as Sarira' and Atma. Both the body and Soul of all beings are Sarira for Isvara and He is their Atma. Without Him no substance can exist and without His will no action can take place. This relationship between Isvara on the one hand as Atma, and the bodies and souls of all beings as His Sarira on the other, is known as Body-Soul-Relationship (Sarira-atma-bhava-sambandha). This doctrine is most important and unique in the system of Visistadvaita. 2. Isvara is the Cause of all substances because of three activities in Him. When He creates the world, He acts in three ways. Therefore He is said to be the three kinds of causes, viz.. the sentient cause, the material cause and the auxiliary cause—Nimitta Karana, Upadana Karana and Sahakari karana. a, 8. Ivara: The Universal Cause 39 Let us now try to understand what these causes are with reference to some object in our daily life. say a mud-pot. It is well-known that a mud-pot is made of clay and that a potter makes it. He uses a wheel. a stick and the like in the Process of making the pot. The pot that is made by the potter is called the effect (Karya). The potter, the clay, the wheel and the stick—all play some part or other in bringing the pot into existence: they are known as causes. But each one of them plays a different part and therefore goes by a different name. He is called the sentient cause or Nimitta karana. Clay is the material out of which the pot is moulded and it is known as the material cause or Upadana karana. The clay, which exists in the causal state, continues to exist in the” state of the effect (karya), viz., the Pot. But its form is not the same as before; it has undergone some modification. Clay. the material cause, is non-sentient; and so is the pot, the effect. When the potter wants to mould the clay into a pot, he puts a lump of clay on a wheel’and rotates it with a stick. The wheel and the stick are helpful to the potter in making the pot and so they are also a kind of cause, but different from the other two. They are known as auxiliary causes or Sahakari karana. Thus we find that there are three kinds of causes that go into action when an effect is produced. The Sastras declare that Iévara is all the three kinds of causes in regard to the creation of the Universe at the outset. Iévara is a cetana or a Sentient Being. He wills and creates the world even as the potter does the pot. So isvara is the Sentient Cause (or Nimitta karana) Prakrti or the Primordial Matter is non-sentient subst- ance and that alone can be the Material cause (Upadana Karana) of the world which is also non-sentient. For as in the case of the clay and the pot, the material cause and its effect must be of the same nature i.e., non-sentient. But isvara is said to be the Upadana karana or Material cause also. Here a question may arise: Igvara is a sentient being; how can He be the material cause of the world that is non-sentient? This is the answer:—We have explained before and established that all things and all beings are the Sarira or body of Isvara and that He is their Atma: and that they cannot exist without Him, as they are inseparable attributes to Him. When we say *Prakrti is the caus it means “Prakrti which is the garira of igvara is the cause.” Prakrti is an inseparable attribute of Igvara. All words, whatever their40 Visistadvaita ordinary denotations may be, such as ‘cow’ ‘man’ and the like. refer ultimately to Isvara who is within them as their innermost soul. So the statement ‘Prakrti is the material cause’ actually means that “Prakrti with Isvara as its Atma is the cause.” It is equally correct to say that “Isvara with Prakrti as His Sarira is the material cause.” It is the convention to put a word denoting the body in grammatical apposition with a word denoting the Atma. and hence the usage *Prakrti is Ivara’. So we can say that Isvara is the material cause. But what we actually mean then is that Isvara. through His body Prakrti, is the material cause. Detects. like transmutation or modification. which pertain to Prakrti. will not touch Isvara even though He is the Material Cause. The modifications stop with Prakrti, the garira: they do not affect Isvara. the soul. in much the same way as infancy. boyhood. youth and old age are all modifications of sarira (the body) and do not touch the individual soul inside. He remains the same in all stages of man. The essential nature or svarupa of Isvara does not undergo any modification. So nothing of the nature of a blemish ever stains Isvara even though He is the material cause. and it is only Prakrti. that undergoes modifications, . : And now to Isvara as the Auxiliary cause. The creation. sustenance and destruction of the world ta place at some point of time and are governed by the will of Isvara. That is, isvara has chosen to adopt time as a cause in the creation etc, of the world. Time is not sentient and so it is not a sentient cause: it is not the material out of which the world is created and so it is not the material cause either. Therefore it is the third kind of cause—the auxiliary cause. Here again. Time is a substance which is the Sarira of isvara. The word "Time’ that denotes Kala also connotes Isvara who is its Atma. Hence the usage ‘Kala is Isvara.” We say that Igvara is also an auxiliary cause. because He is the Atma of Kala which he adopts as an auxiliary cause. To conclude: Isvara is the sentient cause. because He is essed of the will to create. He is the Material Cause. as He is po ima of Prakrti or Primordial Matter which is His Sarina, He is ee pale Cause. because Time and the like which are adopted ane au uxiliary causes are also His sarira and His inseparable by Hin’ “Therefore Isvara_is at once the three kinds of aoe Nimitta, Upadana and Sahakari karana of the world. cal °9. Isvara—Essential Nature and Qualities 41 9. Isvara—Essential Nature and Qualities Visvam subhasrava vad-[§a! vapu Sarva giras-tvayi patanti tato Sarve ca veda-vidhayas-tvadanugraharthah Sarvadhikas-tvam iti tattva-vidas-tad-ahuh. —Varadaraja-pancasat. All the World is, Lord, Thy form As Thy body, full of charm; All the words in Thee do end, Thou, wherefore, all objects art; To earn Thy favour is the goal - Of acts decreed by Ancient Lore; God Supreme, indeed, Thou art.— Thus proclaim the seers great. It was stated that Ivara is the Sariri or Atma or the Innér Soul of all objects. sentient and non-sentient. in the Universe. and they are His Sarira or body. This inner relationship between the sentient and non-sentient objects (Cetana and Acetana) on the one hand and Isvara on the other is known as the Body-Soul Relationship. It is regarded as the differentia or (Pradhana-prati- tantra) of the Visistidvaita School of Philosophy. In this connec- tion we shall. before proceeding further, make mention of some terms which are current in our philosophy and to which we may advert later. A substance that is a sarira or body cannot exist without its Atma or soul: and therefore the body is called an inseparable attribute’ or Aprthaksiddha vigesana of the soul. In the same way. the Cetana and Acetana are the attributes or sana of Isvara. Isvara, their counterpart, is known as Visesya tratum. An inseparable attribute is also called a mode or Prakara. and its counterpart Prakari. The body is the mode or prakara of the soul, which. therefore, is known as Prakari. Both the body and the soul are the mode or prakara of the Paramatma id prakara. as he is the mode of Isvara. It was also stated that with reference to the Universe. Isvara is all the three kinds of causes, viz.. the material cause. the sentient cause and the auxiliary ¢ + Nimitta-karana and Sahakari-42 Visistadvaita 3. igsvara is Truth. Knowledge. Bliss and Infinite-Satya, Jana, Ananda and Ananta. The essential nature or svartipa of Igvara is absolutely different from that of all substances other than Himself. The Acetana or non-sentient matter undergoes modifica- tions in its essential nature as the clay that gets changed into pots and pitchers. This is called modi tion in essential nature or svariipa-vikara. The Cetana or sentient being does not undergo any change in his essential nature, but his qualities change. His attributive knowledge gets limited by Avidya and karma. and it contracts and expands. This is known as modification in quality or svabhava-vikara. These two kinds of modifications or vikara, in essential nature and that in quality are not found in Isvara. He is Satyam or Truth, because He-does not undergo any change. either in svariipa or svabhava. He is Jnana or Knowledge. because his essential nature is self-luminous and does not depend on any external aid for being so. He is Bliss because of his perfect and unexcelled blissful nature. Isvara is Infinite or Ananta. He is neither bound by space, nor limited by time, nor circumscribed by objects. Isvara is omnipre- sent and it cannot be said of Him that He is here. and not there. So He is not limited by space. There was no time in the past when Isvara did not exist, and there will be no time in the future when He will not exist. It goes without saying that He does exist in the present. He is ever-existent. and so not limited by time. Isvara is not limited by objects either. We can speak of Him in. Isvara. and all the following terms: ‘Man is Isvara. the cow is I: things are Isvara’. That is to say there is no object in the world which cannot be put in grammatical apposition with Isvara. The same cannot be said with reference to the other things in the world. Such statements as ‘The man is a cow’ or ‘The cow is a bird’ do not make sense. Such a grammatical co-ordination is possible in the case of [gvara. because He is immanent in everything. He supports and directs everything from within for His own purpose. He is their Atma and they are His sarira. We can rightly say that all things are Igvara. Hence it is stated that Isvara is infinite in every way: He is not limited by space. time or object. Isvara is Amala or free from all defects. He is often referred to as being Heya-pratyanika or opposed to everything that is of the nature of blemish. It means that not only is He, by nature, free9. isvara-Essential Nature and Qualities 43 from all blemishes, but He is also capable of removing blemishes in others. These five qualities of being true. knowledge. blissful. infinite and blemishless are called the Svardpa-niripaka dharma because they define’ the nature of Igvara and distinguish Him from all other things. Besides these there are in Iévara hosts of innumerable qualities—all perfect and auspicious. These are known as Niripi- ta-svariipa-visesana or qualities that are in Him when His svarapa has been defined. These are classified under two ‘hi as svardpaguna and vigrahaguna or qualities of nature and qualities of form. Knowledge. strength. lordship and the like are svaripa- gunas: beauty. fragrance. lustre and the like are vigraha-gunas. All the qualities are natural to Him and are of unsurpassed excellence Though ail the qualities are ever present in Him, He manifests some quality or other as occasion demands. For instance. knowledge and power are manifested when- ra creates the world. and Mercy and kindness when Hé saves the devot. Among the innumerable qualities. six are considered spe: important as they are said to contain all the other qual themselves; because of them [svara is known’ in the Sastras as sadgunyavapuh. The six qualities are: Jnana or Knowledge: Bala or strength, Aisvarya or lordship, virya or virility, Sakti or potency and Tejah or prowess. The possession of all these countless qualities of un-excelled perfection and auspiciousness. as well as His essential nature of being true. blissful, infinite and flawless distinguish ISvara from all other objects in the universe. 4, Isvara is connoted by all words as He is the Atma or Inner Soul of all substances. In other words, He is Sarva-Sabda-vacya or the primary and direct meaning of all words. This is due to the unique doctrine of the Body-Soul-Relationship or Sarira-sariri- bhava-sambandha that exists between Igvara and all.other things. The individual soul is related to Igvara as an inseparable attribute or (Aprthak-siddha- visesana) like the light to a luminous body, the fragrance to a flower and the body to the Jivatma. The non-sentient world of matter is likewise an attribute of Isvara as it cannot be apprehended apart from Him. Iévara is therefore the Vigesya or substratum; and the matter and the self are Vigesana or attribute. The Jati or genus is vitally related to the Vyakti or individual, and the guna or quality is embodied in the guni, its subject. Terms44 . Visistadvaita denoting the genus and quality, or Jati and guna, connote also the individual and the object (vyakti and guni) according to the rule of grammatical co-ordination. “Whenever a thing (whether species or quality or substance) has existence as a mode only—-owing to its proof, existence and conception being inseparably connected with something else-, the words denoting it enter into co-ordination with other words denoting the same substance as characterised by other attributes.” As the body is the mode of the embodied self, a word which denotes the body will connate also the individual Soul or Atma in the body. Such words as god, man, cow and bird denote not only the respective configurations, byt the individual souls also to which the bodies belong. Likewise words connoting the Prakrti and Purusa (non-sentient matter and sentient soul) connote also the Paramatma or the Highest Self of whom they are modes or Prakara. The body is a mode of the Jivatma, and the latter is a mode of the Paramatma. Thus the Jivatma is both Sariri and Sarira—Sariri. as he ensouls the body, and Sarira, as he is ensouled by Isvara. All substances, sentient and non-sentient, are the modes of the Paramatma; because the Paramatma with His energising will enters into the aggregate of matter with the individual, soul as His Sarira, and becomes the soul and the material things, and thus evolves the heterogeneity of names and forms that constitute the Universe. Owing to the entry of the Paramatma into the Jiva as his Antaryami or Inner Ruler and the evolution of names and forms, each term that denotes the body or Sarira of the Paramatma connotes also the Paramatma, the Sariri. Those who have not studied Vedanta do not realize that all Non-sentient things and all individual souls have the Paramatma as their Inner Soul. They think that the signification of words is confined to the respective objects which however, are only a Portion of what is expressible by them. Those who have studied Vedanta are on the other hand aware, that, since all things are the body or farira of the Paramatma and have Him as their Inner Ruler or Soul, all words signify [vara who has all substances as His modes or attributes (Prakara). As all substances and Ivara are thus vitally related as body and soul, all of them can be co-ordinated with Ivara, and all words put in grammatical apposition (Samanadhikaranya) with Him, as for example, ‘I am Isvara’, “You are Isvara’, ‘Man is Iévara’ and ‘The cow is Iévara’. The term ‘You are Ivara’ states the Vedantic truth that the9. ISvara~Essential Nature and Qualities 45 Paramatma is the same as the inner self or Sariri of the Jivatma connected with the body connoted by the term *You’. It stresses the intimacy between the Paramatma, the Supreme Self and the Jivatma. the individual self. As Igvara is thus the Atma or the Inner Soul of all substances, He is connoted directly by all words i.e., sarva-Sabda-vacya. 10. isvara—The Ultimate Object of Worship Sakalagamanam nistha Sakala-suranam apyantara atma, Sakalaphalaném prasitih Sakalajananam samah khalu natasatyatvam. —Achyuta Sataka, 20. The end supreme of all the Vedas sacred, The Soul immanent of even all the gods, The source that yields the fruits of diverse kinds, And to all the beings just and impartial; Thou art, O Lord, the True to the Devout. 5. Isvara is the Supreme Deity that is propitiated by all the rites and rituals laid down by the Scriptures and that grants the fruit of all such acts. - _Every man‘in this world has some desire or other and tries to realize it. Such desires have been classified under four heads as Dharma or Righteousness, Artha or Wealth, Kama or love and Moksa or Salvation. Where are we to look for the means of attaining these desires? The Vedas are common to all human beings and therefore. like a loving mother. they cater to the wishes: of all of them. If one wants a son or a cow in this world, or happiness in Svarga. one has only to turn to the Veda; and it prescribes the means. viz.. a sacrifice. Gods like Indra. Agni. Rudra or Varuna are propitiated by the sacrifices and they bestow the fruit on the one that performs the sacrifice. But is it the fact that these gods are propitiated and they themselves confer the fruit? It is not so. We have established already that the Paramatma is the object of connotation of all words; words like Indra. Agni and Rudra denote first the gods who go by those names and who are the. modes of the Paramatma:. and the words ultimately connote the Paramatma who is their Inner Ruler. So the 7 Propitiation of these gods is actually the propitiation of the46 Visistadvaita Paramatma. In the world we see that it is the man who feels honoured even though the garland is put on his body or even on the coat lie has put on. To give an illustration from our religious rites: we propitiate the Pitrs or the Manes of the departed ancestors by the performance of Sraddha, i.e.. the ceremony on the death anniversary of deceased parents. The offerings are to be made on that occasion with the chanting of the mantras to the Pitrs; but they are actually given to the person before us representing the Pitrs. The ultimate purpose of the offering of the consecrated food is the satisfaction of the Pitrs. though it incidentally affords satisfaction to the Brahmins also who officiate and stand for the Pitrs. In the same way the Paramatma. who is the Inner Soul of all gods is propitiated by all sacrifices. though the gods also may derive some satisfaction. That this is the truth is vouchsafed to us by Sri Krsna in Bhagavad Gitd in the following words: Aham hi sarva-yajnanam bhokta ca prabhureva ca. [I am, indeed, the enjoyer of the oblations offered (to the gods) in all sacrifices and I am again the master (that grants the fruits through those gods as the medium).] 6. Isvara is resorted to by the Mumuksus—those that are desirous of telease; and Igvara again is the object of attainment in the state of Release. _, All the Upanishads in one voice declare that Moksa is the highest of all the human goals. The attainment of Moksa alone must therefore be the goal of the endeavour of all beings possessed of correct knowledge and discrimination. Again the Paramatma is the only God who can confer Moksa or Salvation on those who adopt the means for its attainment. The means or the Upiya for Moksa is the performance of one or other of the Brahma Vidyas taught by the Upanishads. Only those persons are said to be eligible to adopt the Brahma Vidyas who possess some qualifica- tions. And for those that are bereft of the qualifications. there has been prescribed another Upaya which goes by the names of aranagati or Prapatti. We shall take up later this topic and deal in some detail with the Brahma Vidyas or Upasanas. the qualifications of a person for aN10. isvara-The Ultimate Object of Worship 47 adopting them, and also about Saranagati, the-chief and important subject for us, men of less knowledge and lesser ability. Paramatma is ‘also the object of attainment in the State of Release. That is because the Paramatma or the Para Brahman is the one object that exists for all time and it is only He that can be therefore attained at all times. Other objects or lesser gods exist only for a limited period and so they cannot be the eternal goal. Again these gods are.under the control of Punya or-Papa Karma and they have first to release themselves from the bondage of Karma. Moreover they attain their status by doing’ severe penance and austerities and pleasing the Paramatma who js their Overlord and who grants them power ‘and status, Eventhough they have been granted the power of satisfying some of the desires of their votaries, the power of granting Moksa rests with the Paramatma alone. Other gods may act as intermediaries and lead their devotees to the Paramatma so that they may earn His favour and get Release or Salvation. The Paramatma has a divine and auspicious form, Divya- mangala-vigraha, which is said to be the support of all the twenty-four Tattvas or Realities which are found in Him as - ornaments and weapons. Vedanta Desika has beautifully de- scribed this form of the Lord in a verse in Rahasyatrayasara as follows: The Self or the soul is the superior gem Kaustubha: the eternal Prakrti or Primordial Matter is the mole on the Lord's body Srivatsa; the Tattva known as Mahat is His club Kaumodaki; knowledge and ignorance are His sword Nandaka and its sheath respectively; the ahatkaras are His bow and conch Sarnga and Paricajanya; the mind is His discus cakra called Sudargana: the five jhanendriyas and the five karmendriyas are arrows; the (five) tanmatras and the (five) bhitas or elements form His Vanamala (known as Vaijayanti); Sri. Krsna. the object of description in the Veda, which is in the form of Garuda, is endowed with these and protects all from the top of Hastigiri. —Tattvatrayacintanadikdram in Tamil48 Visistadvaita ll. Isvara—His Manifestations There are five aspects or manifestations of the Paramatma, every one of which is endowed with ornaments and weapons as detailed above. The five aspects are: . Para or the Transcendent; . Vyaha or the Emanating; . Vibhava or the Incarnating: . Antaryami or the Immanent; and . Arcavatara or the form of the consecrated image. UPON Of these the Para-ripa or the Transcendent aspect is Stiman Narayana Himself variously called by the names Parabrahma, Paramatma, Paramapurusa, Vasudeva etc. He is in the company of His Divine Consorts Sri, Bhami and Nila. He is four-armed, adorned by the Divine Weapons Cakra, Sankha etc., and bedecked with the Divine Ornaments crown, Kaustubha, Vai- jayanti etc. Beaming with His beatific presence, He is seated on Adigesa spread on the throne which is poised on its legs Dharma etc., and which is placed in the gemmed pavilion in the Divine Hall of Thousand Pillars in that World of Eternal Splendour known as $ri Vaikuntha. Jaya, Vijaya etc., are the sentries; Kumuda, Kumadaksa and others are the city-keepers, all of them divinely adorned and armed. Sriman Narayana—the Pararipa—is the object of enjoyment of the Ever-free Souls, Ananta, Garuda and the like as well as the Freed Souls who go there shedding their bonds. He has numberless qualities, some associated with His nature as the Supreme Being and some which make Him easily accessible to all. The secand of the Five Manifestations of the Paramatma is Vyuha or Emanations. The vyihas are said to be four in number: Vasudeva, Sahkarsana Pradyumna and Aniruddha. The para- ripa is the source from which the vyiha emanates; and among the vyihas, the preceding one is the source of the succeeding one. Though all the auspicious qualities inhere in them, still for purposes of meditation it is stated that every one of them has specific qualities and activities. Vasudeva is endowed with all the six chief qualities: Jnana or Knowledge, Sakti or ability, bala, or strength, aisvarya or lordship, Virya or virility, and Tejas ot splendour. He is the object of blissful enjoyment for-those that have attained mokga. Sathkarsana, is endowed with knowledge and11. Isvara-His Manifestations 49 strength; He promulgates the Astras, and destroys the Universe. Pradyumna is possessed of Lordship and virility; He creates the Universe and makes Dharma prevail. Aniruddha, with the two qualities of virility and splendour, protects the world and propounds the Truth. This has been beautifully expressed in one Sloka by Sri Bhattar im his Srirangaraja Stava (2.39): Sadgunyat vasudevah para iti sa bhavan mukta bhogyo baladhyat- Bodhat samkarsanastvam harasi vitanuse Sastram ai§varya-viryat, Pradyumnas-sarga-dharmau nayasi ca bhagavan Sakti-tejo aniruddho- Bibhranah pasi tattvam gamayasi ca tatha vyithya rahgadhiraja Gunaih sadbhis-tvetaih prathamataramirtis-tava babhau tatas-tisras-tesam triyuga! yugalair-hi tribhir-abhih. Vyavastha ya caisa nanu varada! saavigkrtivasat Bhavan sarvatraiva tvaganitamahamangalagunah. Varadaraja stava—16 Lord Varada possessed of three two-fold (six) qualities! Thy original form shone with these six attributes; then came three forms of Thine which had, each of them, a couple of these attributes. This restriction (in regard to the number of attributes in each) is because of the manifestation of those qualities only. But Thou art always and everywhere possessed of innumerable sublime and auspicious qualities. Vyiihas are four, it is stated by the Sastras in some Vyahas are three. Then they count the Para Vasudeva (or the Supreme form) and the Vyaha Vasudeva (or the first Emanated form) as one. This is due to the fact that both o! them alike have all the six qualities. On the other hand the other three Vyahas have each only a couple of these qualities. The $astras also declare that in the four yugas,—Krta, Treta, Dvapara and Kali—the bodies of all the four Vyahavataras assume respectively the four colours—white, d blue. 4 Though the places that the ruddy, tawny an50 ViSistadvaita (ii) (b) Vyahantra There are twelve other forms known as Vyihantara which emanate from the four Vyiha forms, three from each. Kesava, Narayana and Madhava take their origin from Vyitha-Vasudeva. Govinda, Vishnu and Madhusiidana come out of Sarhkarshana. Trivikrama, Vamana and Sridhara are born of Pradyumna. HrsikeSa.., Padmanabha and Damodara emanate from Anirud- dha. Every one of the twelve deities has some special features and weapons and is to be meditated upon having a fixed place on the human body where the twelve caste-marks (Urdhva-pundra) are to be worn. And here is the description of the twelve vyahantaras: KeSava is of golden hue and has four cakras (or discuses) as weapons in His four hands. Narayana has the blue colour of the cloud and four conches. Madhava is represented as being gem-coloured and wielding four maces. Govinda is moon-coloured and bears four bows. Visnu has the colour of the lotus-filament and holds four ploughshares in his hands. Madhusiidana is lotus-coloured and is characterised by the possession of four pestles. Trivikrama sparkles like fire and wears four swords. Vamana has the hue of the rising sun and is bedecked by four vajras (thunderbolts). Sridhara, lotus-coloured, bears four shields. The colour of HrsikeSa, is like that of the lightning and He has four hammers. Padmanabha has the lustre of the sun and wields five weapons. Damodara. with the colour of the insect Indragopa (or Silk-worm), is represented as having four nooses in four hands. The forms, the colour and the weapons of the twelve deities and the parts of the human body over which they preside on the painted caste-marks have been described by Sri Desika in a Tamil poem which goes by the name of Pannirunamam. Figures answering to the above description are found carved at the top of the wall near the western entrance to Candra-puskarini (the sacred Tank) in the temple of Sri Rafganatha at Srirangam. The four vyihas are meditated upon in four divine planes with attributes and qualities suited to eaclr. The four planes, which are like the four states in the life of the human beings, are: 1. Jagrat or the Waking State, when the senses are function- ing; 2. Svapna or dream state, when the mind alone is active; 3. Susu, .. or the state of dreamless sleep, when even the mind does fot function. ey11. §vara-His Manifestations 51 4. Turiya or the fourth, when even the breathing is suspended as in a state of unconsciousness. The differences arising from planes like the waking state have been summarized by Bhattar in his Srirangaraja Stava thus: Jagrat-svapna-atyalasa-turiya praya-dhyatr-kramavad upasyah. Svamin! tattad-guna-paribarhah caturvyaham vahasi caturdha. O Lord! Of those that meditate on Thee, some are like those in the waking state, some like those that dream in sleep, others like those that sleep without dreams, and others still are like those that have fallen into a swoon. In the same way, O Lord, Thou art in four forms and dividest Thyself into four forms and are meditated upon with attributes and weapons suited to each. “The idea of this sloka is based on the concept of the “Visakha-stambha’ described in the Paficardtra Sarnhitas like Sattvata Sarnhita and the Laksmi Tantra. In the region of Eternal Glory (Nitya vibhiti), there is a huge column constituted of Suddha Sattvam. It is a special form in which Bhagavan manifests Himself there. This column or pillar is called Visakha-yapa. The column consists of four parts called respectively Jagrat (the waking state). Svapna (the dream) Susupti (dreamless sleep), and turiya (the fourth stage) counting from the bottom upwards. In the part called Jagrat-sthana, which is somewhere above the base of the column, there are four divine forms on the four sides called respectively Vasudeva, Sarhkarsana. Pradyumna and Aniruddha facing the east. the south, the west and the north, and shining like branches around that part of the column. This collection of four forms is called ‘Jagrat-Vyaha’. The activity of this Vyiha is creation, maintenance and destruction of the world. The four forms are bright in colours white, red and the like. They have also arms or weapons. Above this part of the column is the part called ‘Svapna- sthana . Here too there are four divine forms Vasudeva, Sarhkar- sana. Pradyumna and Aniruddha shining like branches and facing as before the east. the south, the west and the north. This collection of four Vyihas in the second part of the column from52 Visistadvaita below is called Svapna-Vyaha. These four forms have no activities like creation and maintenance, but have only the will to do so. Their colours, too, are not so bright as those of the lower Vyihas. They have weapons, but no banners and other accessories. Above the Svapna-sthana which is the second part from below, is the third part or Sthina called ‘Susupti-sthana’. Here too there are four divine forms with the same names as in the two other parts already described and in the same order. This collection of four forms is called ‘Susupti-Vyiha’. These forms have neither activities, nor even the will or the desire to act. They have just the experience of their own bliss and nothingelse. In the form of Vasudeva which is like a branch of the column shooting on the eastern side, there is no such thing as a body with limbs and the like, and it shines with all the six qualities. The other three forms, Sarhkarsana and the like on the other three sides have a body with - hands, feet and the like. But they have no weapons; on the palms they bear lines resembling the conch and the weapons. These forms have no colours. The uppermost or fourth: part of the column known as ‘Turiya-sthana’ has also similar four forms with the same names as in the former parts. This collection of four is the Turiya Vyiha. They have no bodies with limbs and the like, but resemble the Vasudeva-form of the Susupti Vyaha. They have no activities, no will, no weapons and no lines on the palm resembling weapons. All the six qualities shine in the form called Vasudeva, and the other three have, each, only two of these qualities. The names Jagrat, Svapna, Susupti and Turiya are given to them on the analogy of these states in man in the ordinary world, according to the greater or lesser activity found in each. The Turiya state is like that in a swoon when even the breath is suspended, whereas in the Susupti state the man just breathes in or breathes out; in the Svapna his external senses cease to act, only the mind is active; in the Jagrat state both the mind and the external senses act. ‘These four parts with four Vyihas in each correspond to the four stages of development that may be found in the worshipper who meditates on them On the lowest stage of meditation, there is no full control of the-external sertses and the mind. In the second11. Isvara-His Manifestations 53 stage of development, control of the: external senses has been obtained, but not of the mind. In the next stage, the mind too has been controlled and the man who meditates is seen just breathing in-and breathing out with no other activity or sign of life. In the last or perfect development of meditation, he is like one in a swoon, not even breathing in or out. In the temple of Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam. the pillars of Arjuna Mandapa (in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum) and of Revati Mandapa (to the east) have been so carved as to represent the four stages mentioned above and are therefore suggestive of the Visakha-stambha described in the Laksmi Tantra.1. (iti) (a) Vibhava—Incarnations The next is Vibhava-avatara or Incarnation.. Vibhava is that manifestation of the Paramatma in which He comes down with forms similar to those of the creatures in the world, like fish, tortoise etc. He lives amongst them and moves with them as one of their own species, The Lord acts and lives, enjoys and suffers as they do. But He is not subject to the law of Karma as other beings are; He comes out of his own free will for the redemption of ‘the world. Those, who are not in the know of things, take or mistake Him as one of their genus subject to Karma. So they do not show Him the honour due to Him as God. But saints and sages, who are aware of the true nature of the Incarnations, are lost in admiration and devotion. They are moved to tears when they think of the generous and merciful nature of the Lord, who, though Supreme, descends to the level of the meanest.creature and chooses to live amidst them as one of themselves. Padmanabha and the like are other Incarnations and they are more than thirty in number. Out of them ten are chosen with a purpose and grouped together as Dasavatara. They are: (1) Matsya or Fish; (2) Karma or tortoise; (3) Varaha or Boar; (4) Narasimha or Man-Lion; (5) Vamana or Dwarf; (6) Parasurama or Rama with the axe; (7) Rama; (8) Balarama or Rama with the Plough; (9) Krsna; and (10) Kalki. The Paramatma came as Matsya or Fish in order to recover the Vedas seized and carried away by the Asura and-to restore them to Brahma for promulgating them. The Kirma avatara or Tortoisé Incarnation was taken by Him to keep in position the Mandara Mountain when it began to sink while34 Visistadvaita churning the Milky Ocean. Then He also helped the gods get the nectar. He incarnated Himself as Varaha or the Boar to slay the Asura Hiranyaksa who carried away Bhimi Devi to the Patala Loka and rescue her from his hands. He sprang forth as Narasirhha out of a pillar in order to save the boy Devotee Prahlada from the tortures of his own father, the Asura, Hiranyakasipu. He took birth as Vamana in order to restore his kingdom to Indra which had been wrested from him by the Asura chief, Mahabali, and also to purify the world with the holy waters of the Ganga flowing from His feet. He came and moved about as Paragurama for exterminat- ing the haughty Ksatriyas who had become wicked and tyrannical. The Paramatma took birth as Rama to save the world from the havoc done by Ravana by killing him and also rescue Sita from his hands. He was again born as Krsna to destroy the Asuras and teach the means of obtaining Him through the Gita Sastra. The Kalki incarnation, which is yet to come, is intended to root out Adharma which will become widespread and to establish Dharma once again in power. (iti) (b) Vibhavantara ~The forms that came out of the Vibhava avatara are known as Vibhavantara. or other Incarnations. The body of Trivikrama which grew from Vamana and the several forms that Krsna assumed at the time of the Rasa Krida so as to be by the side of every one of the thousands of Gopis come under this class Sometimes the Lord enters into some Jivas with His own specific form and into others with His energy (Sakti), and accomplishes wonderful things. They are known as AmSavatara or AveSa- avatara. In the ‘Vibhavavatara the Lord, according to His will, conceals or manifests qualities suitable to, and necessary for, the fulfilment of the mission undertaken by Him. The Lord disappears from this Earth when the purpose has been accomplished. (iv) Antaryamyavatara or The Immanent Phase The Antaryami avatara or the Immanent Phase of the Lord abides in the regions of the heart of the embodied Soul and is tealizable only by Yogins. Though He dwells there as the eternal partner of the Soul, He is not tainted by its defects. This form is subtle and perfect in every way, and is beautifully portrayed by Nammiilvar as follows:11.. Ivara-His Manifestations 55 “The Lord, in truth, blue and generous like a cloud; With eyes ruddy and large, and lips rosy and smooth, With teeth that are white and gleaming, With ears bedecked by ear-rings dangling and beaming; And with a crown on head sparkling with gems; Four arms He has adorned by the shining bow, the conch and the mace, the sword and the Discus; Thus resides the Lord in the heart of mind, His slave.” —Tiruvaimozhi, 8-8-1, Meditation on this form of the Lord has been prescribed as the means which enables those who wish to enter into the meditation of the Divine All-pervading svarapa of the Lord i.e., the Sarvantaryami. Therefore this form is known as Antaryami Ripa. 12. ISvare-Arcavatara It was stated that Paramatma, out of His innate Mercy, manifests Himself in five forms as Para, Vyaha and others. In moments of moral crisis in history He comes down in the Vibhava or incarnatioral form with a view to arrest the progress of social disruption, to redeem the sinner from his sinfulness and to commune with the devotee who thirsts for His presence. The Arcavatara or Consecrated image is the fifth of the manifestations. The devotees mould a beautiful image of Vishnu with lovely face and form out of gold, silver or any other metal, or even stone. Surupam pratimam visnah prasannavadaneksanam Krtva“atmanah pritikarim suvarna-rajatadibhih. = Visnudharma, 103—16 The image may be like that of Para Vasudeva, or Vyahas (Emanations), or Vibhavas (Incarnations) according to the choice and taste of the devotees. When the image is installed in a temple, in a house or in any other place, and when it is consecrated by Mantras according to the Sastras, the Infinite Paramatma takes a similar form and enters into the infinite forms without losing His Infinity and Lordship. Out of His own will He assumes the form36 Visistadvaita and name which the devotee chooses to give Him and mixes with the earthly material of the image to gratify the devotee. He is the image and not in the image. His form is not a product of Karma, but is self-determined and self-evolved. It is Aprakrta and is not affected by the changes of mundane matter. Unlike the Vibhava-avatara which appears at one time and then disappears after the achievement of the purpose, the Arca is a Permanent incarnation which is with us now and here in the world of sense-perception. It is not ‘like the Vyiha in a far-off place beyond our reath. Nor is it removed from us by time like the Vibhava—Rama or Krsna Incarnations—which took place in times of yore. This divine Arca form is the concrete embodiment of the will-of God to save the humanity and of His Mercy to redeem it. So long as there are souls to be redeemed the Arca continues, There are several varieties of the Arcivatara known as Svayatnvyakta, Divya and so on. Svayathvyakta means ‘Self- manifest.’ That is to say, the Transcendental Beauty beyond the Phenomenal world enters into the chosen forms of Prakrti as Vigraha by Itself, i.e., without being installed or consecrated by others. It is considered supreme amongst the Arca forms, because by its very presence it sheds its power and sanctity over a wider area. It is capable of redeeming even those who dwell far away from the sanctum sanctorum. Not only those who are near, but those at a distance also come within the range of His Mercy, The images of the Gods at Sriratgam, Tirupati, Kanchi, Srimusnam and the like come under this class. The salagrama forms that are daily worshipped in houses and temples are also svayantvyakta. They are taken from the bed of the Gandaki river in Nepal, where Y are found, and are straightway worshipped without any Special consecration. Some images have been installed and consecrated by the gods like Brahma, Rudra, Indra and so on. The manifestation of the Paramatma in such places is known as Divya or of divine origin. Arsha is another variety of the Arca which owes its origin to. the consecration by the sages, Markandeya, Bhrgu and the like. There is yet another kind known as Manusa. They are those that are installed and consecrated by ordinary human beings like us. The unique feature of the Arcdvatara is that there is a harmonious12. I§vara—Arcavatara 57 blending of the qualities which are generally opposed to one another. For example the Arca is both the Sesi and Sesa—Master and property. It is our Sesi or master, as it is the object of our adoration and worship and commands our respect; at the same time it is Sega or possession, as we claim it as our share in a property along with other objects where there is a division of property between brothers or relatives. It is in the Aca that the tenderness and compassion of the Lord are secn to the fullest extent beside His majesty and lordship. Such self-limitation enriches the Divine nature instead of conditioning it or dimi- nishing its contents. Therefore the Arca in general is considered to be of greater value for us than the other forms of God. The Alvars and Acdryas have sung about the greatness of ‘Arca and also about its beauty and accessibility. Their love for the Arca is almost a passion. They go to the extent of saying that they would prefer to continue in this world in spite of all the attendant miseries therein if the enjoyment of the Arca is vouchsafed to them here, and that they would never think of a world beyond, however pleasing it may be—be that world Svarga or even Sri Vaikuntha. The Scriptures declare that the Worship of, and meditation on, the Arcavatara dispels all the sins of a person and leads him easily to Moksa; for, the Arca is none other than the Supreme God, Para Brahman. _ There is a classic Sloka of Bhattar in his Srirangaraja Stava which portrays the distinctive excellence of Arca in the form of Lord Ranganatha, who, the Vaishnavites hold, is the root and representative of all the Arcas in the world. 0 Lord of Ranga famed! Countless are Thy qualities re; And all of them they say, are good and pure; Wherefore, births numberless Thou dost take. Them, for the nonce, leave we shall. Condescend Thou dost, and indeed descend To dwell on Earth in temples big, In tiny houses and lonely bowers, In all such places where Thee they choose to call. True, Thou comest, our worship, here, to accept; But discomforts to Thee do come in hundreds there, Which. without murmur, Thou dost endure.58 Visistadvaita Nay, even more: into the Hands of those that worship, Abandon Thou dost Thy self and all of Thine. And upto them dost look for Thy existence entire — A delight in this dost Thou take for ever. When they, of tender hearts do think of this, Thy nature, Lost are they in wonder and praise; Their hearts do melt and flow; And tears of joy and pride from their eyes do stream.” Astam te gunardasivat Sunaparivahatmanam janmanam Sarnkhya bhaumaniketanesvapi kutikunjesu rangesvara, Arcyas sarvasahisnur a@rcakaparadhinakhildtmasthitih Prinise hrdaydlubhis-tava latah Sildjjadibhiyate. Before concluding this chapter we would like to advert once again to an important fact about these manifestations of the Lord, which are known as Avatara Rahasya or the Mystery of the Avatara. In every one of the five manifestations. viz., Para, Vyiha, Vibhava. Antaryami and Arca, the Paramatma has a transcendent, suprasensuous, divine and auspicious form. These forms bear on them all the Tattvas like the Purusa, Prakrti and so on in the form of weapons and ornaments. The forms are all real and not illusory. Knowledge and other qualities of igvara are Perfect in them and they do not undergo contraction. Suddha Sattva is the substance that constitutes the body of [svara in Avatara. The reason for the Avatara is Lord’s will and not Karma. The purpose is the protection of the good and the destruction of the evil. The time of manifestation is the time when there is a moral crisis in society. Such is the Mystery of the Avatara. Such is the Mystery of the Avatara which has been revealed by Sri Krsna and beautifully summarized by Sri Vedanta Degika as follows: Avatdrasya satyatvam ajahat-sva-svabhavata, _ Suddhasattva mayatvam ca svecchamatranidanata. Dharmaglanau samudayah sadhusarnraksha-narthata, Iti janmarahasyam vo vetti nasya punarbhavah. He who knows the secret of incarnation to consist in its being Teal; in the incarnation continuing in its real nature (as Bhagavan) though incarnating in lower forms; in its being constituted of the12. isvara-Arcévatara 59 (transcendental) substance called Suddha Sattva; in its being caused only by Bhagavan’s own will or desire (and not by Karma); In its occurrence at a time when there is decline of dharma; and in its being occasioned for the purpose of protecting the good—(he who knows all this) will never be born again. Again the Lord is always with Laksmi. His Consort, who in every form and in all situations. participates in all His actions. In all the acts of the Lord there is always the sanction as well as the co-operation of Laksmi. The creation will cease to be a recreation or Krida if there is no unanimity between the Two—lIsvara and igvari of the world. She follows Him in all His Avataras taking a suitable form. She is inseparable from Him like the fragrance from the flower, like the lustre from the Sun. The Two together rule the world and redeem it. ISvara rules by law and Laksmi rules by love. The love of law and the law of love are vitally intertwined in the divine nature. As the link of love Laksmi mediates between the Lord who is omnipotent and the Jiva who is impotent, and transforms the majesty of Law into the might of Mercy. She has supernal beauty and sweetness. She lures the Lord by her beauty and turns Him into the saviour; she draws the sinner by her sweetness and transforms him into the penitent seeker after pardon. So it is the conclusion of the Sastras that the Two together are the ground of existence. means of attainment and goal of endeavour—Tattva, Hita and Purusartha. The Divya Dampatis or the Divine Couple are—Sesi Dampati and Saranya Dampati. or the Twin-Masters and the Twin-Saviours of the Universe. a 13. i$vara—The Supreme Deity Samanya-buddhi-janakasca sad-a tattvantara-bhrama-krtasca $i Naréyane tvayi karisa! vahanti ananyam anvartha-vrui-parikalpitam aikakanthyath. —Varadaraja Paicasat-15. Sat and the like words give rise to a knowledge which signifies a generic object (as the cause of the Universe): Siva and other such names create a misapprehension that a (specific) object other than the Tattva (is the cause). But. by the canon of interpretation0 Visistadvaita known as the resultant import of all the branches of the Veda, all the words, whether generic or specific, connote, O Lord of Hastigiri, in one voice, Thee in the form of Narayana (as the cause) since Thou hast in Thee all the characteristics denoted by those terms. On the authority of the Upanishads it is accepted by all that for the attainment of the highest goal, viz. moksa, one should meditate upon the Supreme Tattva (Para Tattva). Para Tattva is that which is the origin of the Universe; and that is Brahman. A. knowledge of the Brahman can be had only from those sections of the Upanishads which deal with the creation of the Universe and which are therefore known as Karana-vakyas. All Upanishads, in one voice, declare that at first before the creation of the world there was only one object which was the origin of everything. But that cause is mentioned by different names in different Upanishads which appear to be conflicting. Some mention the cause by generic terms like Sat, Brahma, and Atma. The Candogya Upanishad says: “At the beginning this world existed as Sat alone, one; without a second.” Aitareya Upanishad states: “Atma alone existed.” Brhaddranyaka Upanishad declares: “Brahman alone existed.“ Other Upanishads mention the cause by specific names as follows: “One should meditate on isana”; “Only Sambhuis fit to be meditated upon”: “Neither sat, nor asat existed; Siva alone existed.” When we come across such passages, naturally the doubt arises if the origin of the Universe is one substance or many. There cannot be many causes as the ultimate cause, which is supreme, must be only one. If so what is that cause? And how to explain and reconcile the several passages which mention other things as the cause? We shall first take up the passages that refer to the cause of the world (Jagat-karana) by generic terms and examine them. One karana-vakya was—“There was Sat in the beginning.” ‘Sat’ means ‘existent’ and it is an extremely comprehensive word. It reveals that the cause of the world is an object which has existence and is not a non-existent entity—Sinya. But it does not clearly say whether the cause that is existent is big or small. The Sruti- vakya—“Brahman alone existed"—clarifies the doubt. It says the cause is big. For the word Brahman means ‘big’. There is still another doubt whether the cause, existent and big. is sentient or13. Isvara-The Supreme Deity 61 non-sentient. Then comes the Mantra: “Atma alone existed” which rules out the non-sentient object from being the cause. The word ‘Atma means a sentient being. From all this we come to the conclusion that the Cause of the Universe (Jagat-kirana) is Existent. Big and: Sentient—Sat, Brahman and Atma—a Tattva which is big and which wills and evolves itself into the objects of the world. The word ‘Atma’ is again a generic term which can denote a Jivatma (the individual self) and Paramatma (the Supreme Self). It does not specify any particular deity as the Jagat-karana. On the other hand there are passages in the Upanishads which refer to the cause by specific names such as ‘Sambhu’, ‘Siva’, ‘igana’ and ‘Narayana’. The words Sambhu and Siva denote by convention Rudra, and Narayana denotes the Lord of Sri. Rudra and Narayana are not identical and so the question remains as to which of the two is the Jagatkarana and therefore Para Tattva. Here the Mimarnsa Sastra comes to our help. It states that when there is such a conflict between passages in the Veda, they must be reconciled by proper interpretation. The principle of interpretation enunciated by the Mimarhsa Sastra is as follows; When, in a context, a number of words of which the earlier ones are generic and the latter specific, are employed to denote a thing, the generic words must-be taken to refer only to the thing denoted by words which are specific, and among the latter the less specific refer to that denoted by the more specific word. In the present context Sat, Brahma and Atma are such generic words and they must be taken to refer to ‘Narayana as the cause since He is eternally existent. He is the greatest of all, and He alone pervades all the objects of the worlds, Though Sambhu, Siva and Isana also are specific names. the conventional meaning of these words as Rudra does not fit in with the context. So they have to be so interpreted as to denote Narayana. This is done by giving the etymological meanings of those words. which then arc taken as common nouns (and not proper names). ‘Isana’ means ‘ruler’ and that can very well denote Narayana who is the Supreme Ruler of the Universe—patith visvasya. as the Srut Sambhu’ means the ‘bestower of happiness’ and that also signifies Narayana the Supreme Deity, who alone confers the highest Bliss (Moksa). The word ‘Siva’ means ‘auspicious’. As Narayana has qualities of unsurpassed auspiciousness, the word Siva also may with propriety refer to Him. The Visnu-sahasranama also states that Siva, Sambhu and Sthanu are the names of Vignu..62 Visistadvaita It may be asked if the word Narayana also cannot be given an etymological meaning and then made to denote some deity other than the Lord of Sri. The Vyakarana Sastra (Sanskrit Grammar) declares in unequivocal terms that the word ‘Narayana’ is. a proper Name and it can be employed to denote only one God. viz.. The Lord of Sri; and the principle of etymological interpretation cannot be applied to the word Narayana. If an etymological interpretation is desired to be given. the form of the word will not be Narayana, but will be Narayana which is not the case. So the word Narayana is a proper name and denotes only Visnu, the Lord of Sri. Thus even the specific words like Sambhu and Siva in the Karana-vakyas have to be taken as generic words and given etymological meanings so as to connote Narayana. the Para Tattva. 14. Isvara Tattva—Sriman Narayana It was stated that the Upanishads reveal that Narayana is the Origin of the Universe and is therefore the Para-Tattva—the Supreme Reality. The generic terms like ‘Sat’, ‘Brahma’ and ‘Atma’, as well as the specific names like ‘Sana’, ‘Sambhu’ and ‘Siva’ mentioned in the karana-vakyas of the Upanishads connote only Narayana as possessing the respective qualities denoted by them. The conclusion was based on the rule of interpretation enunciated by the Mimarhsa Sastra and the rule of nomenclature Propounded by the Vyakarana Sastra. Now we shall proceed to adduce the Narayana Anuvaka of the Taittiriya Upanishad in support of the conclusion we have arrived at. The mantras of Narayana Anuvaka explicitly state that Narayana is the ultimate cause of the world, the Supreme Soul of all, and the Para Tattva. Sahasra-Sirsam devarn visvaksam visva-Sambhuvarh, / Visvam narayanam devam aksaram paramam prabhurn. Visvatah Paramam nityam visvam ndrayanam harim, Visvam evedam purusah tad-visvam upajivati, Patim viSvasya atmesvaram Sasvatam Sivam acyutam. Narayanam mahéa-jneyam visvatmanam pardyanam, Narayana param brahma tattvam nardyanah parah. Narayana paro jyotih dtma narayanah parah.14. I$vara Tattva-Sriman Narayana 63 Yacca kificit jagat yasmin drSyate Sriyate ‘pi va. Antar-bahi§ca tat sarvarh vyapya narayanah sthitah. Anantam avyayam Kavim samudre’ntam visva-Sambhuvam. Sa brahma sa Sivas-sendrah so’ksarah paramah svarat. —Narayana, Anuvaka. Thus begins the Narayana Anuvaka: “He is the thousand- headed God; He sees all things; and He is the source of the welfare of all Universe. Narayana is the world; He is the unchanging master. The Purusa is the Universe, because it depends on Him for its existence. He is the Master of the Universe over Whom there is no master. He is eternal and auspicious. He is the supreme object to be known. He is the soul of the world; and He is the supreme goal. Narayana is the Para Brahman; Narayana is Para Tattva. Narayana is the Supreme Light; Narayana is the Paramatma. In short, whatever is seen and whatever is heard in this world, all that, Narayana pervades inside and out. He is the infinite and changeless seer who resides in the, Ocean. He confers benefits on the world.” And with these words the Anuvaka ends: “ He is Brahma, He is Siva, He is Indra, He is the freed soul; He is the supreme ruler with absolute sway.” . After a careful study of the context in which Narayana Anuvaka occurs, all have come to the conclusion that it is solely intended to determine the nature of the Para Tattva and it does not prescribe anything here. It can be seen that Narayana is equated here with all the different words used in the karana- vakyas to describe the ultimate cause of the Universe. Para Brahma, Para Tattva, Paramjyotih, Paramatma are the words used here. That shows that whatever be the term in the karana-vakya that denotes the cause, all those refer only to Narayana. Narayana is the Atma of all objects in the world and confers benefits on all. The statement in the Anuvaka that He is Brahmi, Siva and Indra should not be taken to mean that all are one, but it means that Narayana is the Atma that supports and controls Brahma, Siva and Indra who are only His Sarira (body). That this is the meaning can be understood from the earlier mantra which states that the Universe is Narayana. Nobody will ever sav that the non-sentient universe is identical with Narayana, the Supreme Sentient being.64 Visistadvaita Thus an impartial and all-comprehensive study of the Up- anishads leads us to the unavoidable conclusion that Narayana is the Igvara or the Supreme Deity (Para Devata): He alone is the ultimate cause which has to be meditated upon for the attainment of Moksa. Therefore there is no mutual contradiction in the Vedic passages and all of them agree in referring to only one deity as the Jagatkarana. That deity is Narayana. The truth of this conclusion is substantiated with arguments and illustrations by Itihasas like Ramay: and Mahabharata. and Puranas like Visnupurana and Visnu Dharma. The purpose of all these is said to be the expounding of the teachings of the Upanishads. They first lay down: that Moksa is possible of attainment without delay to no one but the exclusive devotee of the Supreme Deity. To become.a devotee of that deity one must know which particular god is that Supreme Deity. Though there are several gods in the divine hierarchy. only three stand in the first rank, Brahma Visnu and Siva, who ate known as the Trinity, One must decide which among the Thred is supreme. A study of the Itihdsas and Puranas reveals that Brahmé and Rudra are created beings like other gods and men. and they are also subject to the law of Karma which is not the case with Nai na. who, therefore, is the Para Devata. Varaha Purana states: Paro narayano devah tasmat jataschaturmukhah Tasmat rudro’ bhavat devi... ooo . (90-3) “Narayana is the Supreme Deity; from Him was born Brahmi, the four-faced; and from Brahma arose Rudra.” Another Purana, Visnu Dharma, by name declares: Abrahmastambaparyantah jagadantar-vyavasthitah, Praninah karma-janita-sathsdra-vasa-vartinah. : (104-23) “From Brahmi to the blade of grass—from the highest among the gods to the lowest among the plants—all beings that have their existence in this world have had their births as a result of karma and are subject to the cycle of births and deaths.” Hiranyagarbho bhagavan vasavo'stha prajapatih, Asgiddhds te samastas tu devadyah karmayonayah. —(Visnu Purdna 6-7-56-57)14. ifvara Tattva-Sriman Narayana 65 “Brahma, Indra and other gods are impure as their births are due to karma.” Nityam hi nasti jagati bhitam sthavara jangamam, Rte tamekam purugam vasudevam sandtanam. —Bharata-Santiparva—347-32 “There is no being in the world that is eternal either among those that move or among those that do not move, except that one Primeval Purusa called Vasudeva”— (Mahabharata). That Brahma and Rudra attained their high status because of having worshipped the Lord of all with special rites. is stated by Mahabharata: ° Yugakoti-sahasrani visnum dradhya padmabhih, Punas-trailokya-dhatrtvam praptavan iti Susruma. —Bharata-Kundadharopakhyanam “Brahma, the Lotus-born, worshipped Vishnu for thousands of crores of Yugas and obtained again the position of the creator of worlds.” Mahddevas-sarvamedhe mahdtma hutva dtmanam devadevo babhiiva. —(Bharata-Santiparva 20-21) “Mahadeva offered himself as on oblation in the sacrifice * known as Sarvamedha and became the god of gods.” The glance of these deities on a person at the time of birth has different effects. Jayamanam hi purusam yam pasyen madhusidanah, Sattvikas-sa tu vijieyah sa vai moksartha-cintakah. Pasyatyenam jayamanam brahma rudro ’thava punah, Rajasa tamasa casya manasam samabhiplutam. —(Bharata-Santiparva 358-73,77) “He, who is looked at by Madhusiidana just as he is being born, should be considered as a Sattvika (pure soul) and he will ever think of the goal of Moksa. If, on the other hand, a person is looked at immediately at birth by Brahma or Rudra, his mind will be overcome by Rajas and Tamas (passion and ignorance).” If Narayana, whose will is irresistible, decides that some one deserves punishment, no other god can save him and similarly no god can harm him whom Narayana has taken under His protection. 566 Visistadvaita The Puranas state further that Brahma, Rudra and other gods are under the sway of the Maya of Sriman Narayana and their knowledge is not perfect, but subject to contraction and expan- sion. All of them exist solely for the fulfilment of the purpose of Narayana and He is their Sesi. They are His modes who has them as His body. They render service to Narayana who is their Inner © Self. They are not objects of spiritual meditation for those who aspire for release from the bondage of:Sarhsara. These gods, if Propitiated, can give only limited fruit, and that, too, they do under His direction. They cannot give Moksa even after a long time, whereas Narayana, the Lord of all, bestows not only Moksa, but even other fruits like wealth. For all these reasons set forth in the various Puranas and Itihdsas of undisputed authority, Narayana, the Consort of $rj is the Para Devata and He alone should be meditated upon by those that are desirous of release (Mumuksus). . This conclusion has the support of the Alvars also, who are not mere human beings, but who are the incarnations of Nitya-siris or Ever-free Souls. They are blessed with perfect knowledge and divine vision and are the chosen devotees of the ‘Lord. They speak in clear terms that Narayana is the Para devata, and all others depend upon Him for their existence and power, The Alvars sing in their hymns: “The gods are only the food eaten (during Pralaya or deluge) by Bhagavan, and vomited after creation. Are there anv gods that are not of the nature of this vomit?” —(Peria Tirumozhi 11-6. ) “Visnu is the original bulb of lotus of the Navel from which arose Brahma, Siva and others who worship Him with reverence.” Gods themselves accept Him as Supreme and praise Him. —(Tiruvoymozhi 410-10-3,) “All the gods meditate with earnestness and sincerity on this lotus-like feet and go about praising Him.” —(Tiravoymozhi 3-6-4.) About the ability-or rather the inability-of these gods to confer Moksa, the Alvars say:14. isvara Tattva-Sriman Narayana 67 “Neither Siva, the bull-bannered, nor Brahma, nor Indra, nor any other god knows the remedy for the disease called birth i.e., sarhsara”. . —(Periyalvar Tirumozhi 5-3-6.) Their conclusion, therefore, is that Sriman-Narayana alone can bestow Moksa. While speaking of the Para Devata, special mention must be made of one point which is hinted at by the Vedas, which is expounded by the Puranas and Itihdsas and which has been expatiated upon by, the Alvars. Bhagavan must always be meditated upon as being the Lord of Laksmi, both in the state of upaya and upeya (means and goal). In short, Laksmi and Narayana—the Divine Couple, (Divya Dampati)—are the Para Tattva, the Supreme Reality; They are our refuge; and They again are the goal in which state we enjoy and render service to Them. To sum up: Tattvas are three in number—Cetana, Acetana and Isvara. Cetana or the sentient being is of three kinds: Baddha (the bound soul), Mukta (the freed soul) and Nitya (the Ever-free soul). Acetana also is of three kinds: Prakrti (Primordial Matter made up of the three gunas—Sattva, Rajas and Tamas); Kala (time); and Suddha Sattva (Matter of Eternal Splendour). Isvara is Sriman Narayana who is the Atma of all the cetana and acetana which are His body. Laksmi and Naravana together are our refuge and goal. Before conclusion we can do no better than quoting a Sloka of §ri Vedanta Desika in full with which we began and which will be a good resume. Atmaikyam devataikyam trikasamadhigaté tulyataikyam trayanam Anyatraisvaryam ityadyanipunaphanitiradriyante . Na santah; Trayyantair-ekakanthaih tadanuguna- manu vydsa-mukhyoktibhisca Sriman nérayano nah patih akhilatanuh muktido muktabhogyah. —Paradetata’ Piexmérthyadhikera, (Those who are not proficient in the Sastras say—that there is only a single self; that all deities (like Indra, Agni and so on) are68 ~ Visistadvaita only one; that the three deities (Brahma, Visnu and Siva), are alike and of equal rank; that these three deities are only one deity Gin three forms); and that the Supreme Deity is someone other than these three; and they hold other such (erroneous) views; But those, who have discrimination entertain no regard for these (divergent views). The Upanishads, with one voice, and also Manu, Vyasa and other following the Upanishads, proclaim that riman Narayana is our lord Who has all (things and beings) as His body, that He alone can give Mukti, and that He is the object of blissful enjoyment for those who have attained Moksa.)Il. HITA OR THE MEANS Introduction The first section was devoted to the treatment of the Tattvas or realities, which, according to Visistadvaita, are three—Cetana, Acetana and Ivara. Cetana is the sentient being who knows, wills, acts and enjoys. The cetanas are of three kinds: 1. Baddha or the Souils in bondage, 2. Mukta or the Freed Souls, and 3. Nityas or the Ever—Free Souls. Acetana is non-sentient substance. This also is of three kinds: 1. Prakrti or the Primordial Matter which is the material cause of the Universe; 2. Kala or Time which is an auxiliary cause in the acts of creation and destruction; and Suddha Sattva or Transcendent Matter of Eternal Splendour which is self-luminous and blissful by nature. The third Tattva is Iévara. Igvara is the Lord who pervades and controls the Universe and all the sentient beings and non-sentient things. He is their Atma and they are His body. He is Sriman Narayana and it is He that is referred to by various names like Sat, Brahman and Atma in different Upanishads. The knowledge of the Tattvas must be acquired by a man from the Acharyas. Such knowledge will help him, if he is wise, to tealize the deplorable state of his existence, and induce him to adopt the means for his improvement and redemption. The means is known as Hita or Upaya in philosophical literature. And this topic is dealt with now in the Second section. 15. Mumuksu Seeker after Release Kalavartan prakrti-vikrtih kama-bhogeshu dosan Jvalagarta-pratima-duritodarka-duhkhanubhitim, Yathdtathyam sva-para-niyatam yacca divyam padam tat Karakalpam vapur-api vidan kas-titikseta bandham. [Who indeed is there that will bear the bondage of Sarhsara— who that has unaerstood the revolutions uf Time, the nature of Prakrti, and its evolutes or modifications, the evils attendant on the enjoyment of the pleasures of this world and the Svarga, the experience of sufferings resulting from sins which resemble a pit of70 Visistadvaita fire, the true relationship that exists necessarily between himself and the Supreme Being, the region of Divine Bliss, and also the nature of the body which is like a prison—house?] By the instruction of the Acaryas, a person may know the distinction between the Para-tattva and Apara-tattva, the Higher and the Lower Realities. He may come to the conclusion that Sriman Narayana is the God who atone can save him and none else including himself can be his saviour. He may also know that the Jivatma is essentially free and eternal, and that it lives, moves and has its being in the Paramatma, who is its Atma. But he finds that somehow the Jivatma has identified itself with Prakrti. Though it is a mode or Prakara of Brahman, it imagines itself to be the mode of Prakrti. It is like the prince who, forgetting his royal descent, lives as a hunter with other hunters in the woods and is providentially restored to his father’s kingdom. Similarly the. man has to adopt some means to redeem himself and become restored to the Paramatma. Before a person can adopt the means, he must have in him some qualities which are indispensable. They are: despondency due to past sufferings, non-attachment to worldly objects at the present and dread of distress in future. If he has these qualities, he is qualified to adopt the means for his redemption. Such a person is called Mumuksu (or Seeker after Release). When a person looks back upon his lives and begins to think of the acts of commission and omission he might have indulged in, and of the consequent cycle of births and deaths. pleasure and pain he has gone through. he is sure to be overwhelmed with a feeling of despair and despondency (Nirveda). All his adventures in various births move kaleidoscopically before his mind's eyé. He forgets his divine heritage and enters into the body of every kind of living being—human, sub-human or super-human (celestial). When he takes birth. he does not lead a life of wisdom and restraint; but he goes the way of the flesh. He runs after the earthly pleasures which are fleeting and trivial, and which always end in pain. . If the Sastras declare that a man is the servant of God, he refuses to accept it. He willingly becomes a slave of the Indriyas and thereby works his way to Hell: and there he is the slave of Yama-kinkaras (servants of Yama) who inflict all kinds of torture on him as a punishment for his evil acts. If he performs someJS. Mumuksu Seeker after Release n meritorious acts here like sacrifice, gift and penance (yajfia, dana and tapas), he goes to Svarga. It is true hie avoids the Hell. But his pleasures in the Svarga are limited both by quality and quantity. He is used by the gods there as a beast of burden to satisfy their wants. In addition to all these drawbacks, he cannot have a permanent abode there. For the Punya or virtue which took him there, gets exhausted with the enjoyment of its fruit. Then he is hurled down to the earth to take birth as a man, animal and so on according to the Punya or Papa standing to his credit. Even after being born, he can redeem himself by doing virtuous acts and meditation on God; but he wastes his time and life by indulging in theft and robbery, vice and evil. He commits heinous sins that cannot be wiped out by expiation or washed away by untold sufferings even for innumerable ages. When a person realizes the pitiable condition to which he has reduced himself by his own acts of ignorance, conceit and ill-will, he will feel sorry and repent. He will begin to entertain a feeling of disgust for himself and his actions. The casual company of the good and their conversation will help the feeling to take root. He will resolve to lead pure and virtuous ‘life, avoid the desire for wealth and women of others and begin to control his senses. He will make up his mind to walk in the footsteps of men of virtue and devotion. There is such a change in his nature now that he himself abhors the forbidden path. He is ashamed of his own previous sinful acts and a feeling of despair and despondency creeps over him. This will be a healthy sign provided it does not turn him into a pessimist, but helps him work for his uplift. Non-attachment or Vairagya to worldly objects is another essential prerequisite for the seeker after Release. Vairagya will arise when a person is able to know the defects and demerits of the objects like body and wealth, worldly happiness and celestial joy in Svarga. And what are the defects? The Vedas themselves declare that the body is made up of flesh, blood and filthy matter. Disease and old age are natural to it. Even great kings with all their power and wealth have vanished. So kingship has no attraction. The happiness of Svarga will cease to have any charm for a person if he should think of the troubles he has to undergo for acquiring it, and also while enjoying it. Again at the end of the acquired Punya he has to come down in an unidentified form along with smoke. cloud and rain. He passes through the stage of a plant72 Visistadvaita and its seed and enters the body of a man as his food where he is transformed into the vital fluid. From there he passes into the womb of a woman to be born as a human child. His sufferings in the womb of the mother in the course of pregnancy are innumerable—narrow space, filthy atmosphere, disaggreable ob- jects which may come in as the food of the mother. His exit therefrom through a narrow hole is another spell of pain. Then comes the period of infancy when he has to depend on others for everything; as a boy and youth he is a victim to the vicissitudes of life; then the inevitable old age sets in when he is a prey to senility. All this is rounded off by death only to go again through the same cycle of sufferings. Such is the experience of the Jiva in the course of his wanderings between birth and death. The state of gods in heaven, which is hankered after by men as a place of happiness, is in no way better. The Puranas are replete with the stories of gods who are ever in dread of the powerful Asuras and Raksasas and who suffer humiliation and defeat at their hands by losing their kingdom, home and even their wives at times. Brahma, Rudra and Indra are no exception and they too have their tales of woe and sorrow. Thus perfect unalloyed happiness is not to be had in the Universe anywhere. The joy, if any, is like fetters of gold. As contrasted with all this, Kaivalya or the happiness enjoyed by the realization of the Atma(Atmanubhava) is said to be eternal and unmixed with sorrow. But when compared with the Bliss of Paramatma this is almost nothing and so a man of discrimination will not choose Kaivalya. Thus there is no happiness in the Universe either of the Prakrti or of the Atma that can be preferred to the Supreme Bliss of Paramatmanubhava. Naturally the realization of the defects in them will induce a man to cultivate a Spirit of non-attachment towards worldly objects. When he sees the merits in Paramatma, he is drawn towards Him and seeks Him. By the feeling of despondency (Nirveda) a man ceases to commit the acts prohibited by the Sastras; by the feeling of non-attachment (Vairagya) he avoids acts that will yield limited happiness. There is still the store of Karma which has been acquired by him in the course of the series of births from beginningless time. He must settle accounts with this. The fruit of the Karma may be anything—birth, death, suffering and sickness15. Mumuksu Seeker after Release 73 here, torture in Hell, or fleeting pleasures in Svarga. A thought of this Karma will fill a person with dread for lives to come. When a man becomes thus overwhelmed with feelings of despondency, non-attachment and fear, he is eager to go in search of that which will offer him refuge. He becomes qualified to seek the help of God who ‘lone can confer on Him perfect and eternal bliss i-e-, Moksa or Salvation. Such a seeker after Release is known as Mumukshu. And the means the Mumukshu adopts to win the Grace of God is the upaya. 16. Karmayoga Upayas-svaprapter-upanishad-adhitas-sa bhagavan Prasattyai tasyokte prapadana-nididhyasanagati. Tad-arohah pum-sah sukrta-paripakena mahata Nidanam tatrapi svayam akhila-nirmana-nipunah. —Rahasyatrayasira, upayavibhagadhikara. [Bhagavan is declared in the Upanishads to be Himself the means (upaya) of attaining Him. The ways of Bhakti and prapatti are prescribed for winning His grace. The adoption of these ways is the result of the great ripening of meritorious deeds (done in the past) and, even for this, Bhagavan, who has the ability to create everything, is Himself the cause]. The Sastras declare that Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksa are the four Purusarthas or ends of life. From a study of the scriptures at the feet of the Acarya, a wise man learns that the highest end of life is neither the performance of moral duty (dharma), nor the acquisition of wealth and power (artha), nor the satisfaction of desires (kama); but the realization of Brahman (Moksga) is the highest good, supreme duty and infinite bliss. When he looks back upon his previous births from beginningless time, he gets a feeling of repentance as well as disgust against himself for having foolishly wasted all his lives in the pursuit of useless things. He begins to cultivate non-attachment to the terrestrial and celestial pleasures which are insignificant and evanescent. When he thinks of the future births he may have to take as a result of his karmas, he is filled with a dread of the sufferings in store for him. A man in this state of mind is qualified to aspire for Moksa and he is the Mumukshu. He eagerly looks for14 Visistadvaita the means to attain the supreme goal. Scriptures like Bhagavaa - Gita prescribe Bhaktiyoga and Prapattiyoga as the only two ways for the attainment of Moksa, the highest end of life. The person will realize that Bhaktiyoga is too difficult for him to adopt and he must well equip himself by training and discipline before he can take to it. He must pass through the stages of Karmayoga and Jfianayoga. Karmayoga is the practice of Karmas by a man with a particular mental attitude as a result of the knowledge acquired by him in regard to the nature of the individual self and Supreme Self (or Jivatma and Paramatma), What is the difference between Karma and Karmayoga? Karma is the name given to the various duties and rites prescribed by the Sastras with reference to men according to their caste or varna, stage of life of arama and equipment or adhikara. These duties are classified under three heads as nitya, naimittika and kamya. Nitya karmas are the regular duties to be performed compulsorily (like the daily sandhyd-vandana). Naimittika-karmas are those that are to be compulsorily performed on specific occasions (like the lunar or solar eclipse). Kamya-karmas are optional and are connected with a wish to be fulfilled (for instance, a sacrifice for the attainment of svarga). As the first two or compulsory, the non-performance of the same will be a transgression of law, and will be visited with punishment. The third is only optional. If a man wants a particular fruit.-he adopts the means to acquire it. Otherwise he need not. Karma as voluntary action is purposive and involves the idea of end which is called kama or desire. None in the world is free from Karma. The jfiani too has got to maintain his body by activity. Even gods have to do their duty in the interests of world welfare. So cessation from karma in thought, word or deed is a psychological impossibility. On account of the age-long identification with Prakrti, the Jiva can never escape from the wheel of Karma as long as he is in the world of Sarnsdra. When he does a deed. as the doer he is externally determined by the gunas of Prakrti. He is never free from the domination of the gunas. If his mind is clear and serene. he can infer that Sattva-guna is predominant: if he is restless and unhappy, Rajoguna has the upper hand: and if he is ignorant and lazy. he may know that Tamoguna dominates. From all this the Karmayogi concludes that all Karmas are determined by the gunas of Prakrti, and not by the Atman though he is really the doer.16. Karmayoga 75 In the case of Karmayoga, a person performs all the karmas i.e., rites and duties prescribed by the Sastras as any other man does; but the difference lies in the particular mental attitude with which he performs them. First he does not think of the fruit of the action. His action is called niskéma-karma or action without the desire for the fruit thereof. He renounces the fruit, but not the Karma as such. So Karmayoga is renunciation in action, as opposed to renunciation of action as the ideal of conduct. Karmayoga again consists not in abandoning the deed, but the doer-consciousness. The kind of rites and duties may be deter- mined by one’s temperament and station in life; but the nature or inner motive of Karma is the same in all, viz., duty for duty’s sake, irrespective of inclination within and utility without. The act of a karmayogin may ve described as being neither karma or action nor karma-sannydsa or abandonment of karma. He steers clear of the fruit due to the performance of the karma and of the punishment resulting from its abandonment. He follows the middle course between the active and the contemplative life as it is more easy, natural and conducive to spirituality than Karma or karma~sannyasa. Another special feature in Karmayoga is that the Kar- mayogin, even while doing the act, entertains the thought that Paramatma is the source of all acts, and that neither is he the doer nor the gunas of Prakrti that determine his acts. For he knows that Paramatma is the Atma of all things in the world and He alone controls and directs everything—the gunas, their substrate Prakrti and Jiva in both the embodied as well as the disembodied states. Karmayoga is of different kinds, and one can choose any of them according to one’s taste or inclination. The following are some of its varieties taught by Bhagavad Gita: the adoration of gods or Devdrcand, the performance of austerities or tapas, pilgrimage to sacred places or tirthayatra, giving in charity or dana, sacrifices or yajfa, control of the mind and the senses or indriya-nigraha, the chanting of the Vedas or svadhydya, and the study of the meaning of the Vedic passages or jri@na-yajha. One can see that these are the same as the karmas that men normally do in their daily life. As they are prescribed as a part of Karmayoga, it will be easy for men to adopt them and succeed in their efforts.76 Visistadvaita Karmayoga is not the performance of mere Karma, for there is some knowledge involved in it. The karmayogi has the knowledge of the true nature of the Atma that when he does an act, he is not really the actor, but his actions are conditioned by the three gunas of Prakrti. His knowledge is further enriched by the thought about Paramatma that ultimately it is the Paramatma that acts. Karmayoga has an additional merit of yielding both the jfianayoga and its fruit. Normallly a person practises Karmayoga and gets self-purification. It gives him the competence or adhikara tor the performance of jiianayoga, which is the direct means for the attainment of self-realization or Atmavalokana. It is also stated that the continuous performance of Karmayoga will confer self-realization itself on a person without his going through the stage of jrdnayoga. Men of great learning and ability, who guide others and whose actions are likely to be imitated by others, must Practise only Karmayoga and not Jfanayoga, even though they may have the capacity to adopt the latter. For ordinary men doing Karma will feel happy and secure that they are going in the foot-steps of great men who practise Karmayoga. They will be content to practise Karmayoga in which they will succeed, instead of taking to Jianayoga which will be beyond them and they will not meet with failure. We come to know from the Puranas that great Yogis like Janaka practised only Karmayoga. and attained self-realiza- tion through it. Karmayoga is superior to jflanayoga for the following reasons : Karmayoga is easy to perform as it is in a line with the daily practice of the Karmas; there are not chances of failure in its performance; it gives the competence or adhikara for Performing Janayoga to those who wish to adopt it: and it also confers straightaway self-realization or Atmavalokana without going through the process of Jnanayoga. Therefore it is that Lord Krsna, Gitacharya, recommends to Arjuna, Karmayoga in preference to Jiianayoga, 17, Jndnayoga It was stated that the practice of Karma without commercial views and without the egoistic feeling of Aharhkara is Karmayoga.