53.Evam svaleelArThamEva jagathsrshtyAdhikaraNE krpayA jagathsrshtyAdhikam mOkshadhAnamapi kriyatha ithi vachasah nirvishayathvam.
If the activities like creation is for the sport of the Lord, to say that He is doing these and giving mukthi also out of mercy will have no meaning.
Desika says,
kreedEyam krpayAjushtA kreedayA duhkhadhAraNath
kreedAnubanDHiyukthAnAm apunarjananAdhapi
His leela is only filled with mercy. to remove the sorrow and also to give mukthi is all His leela only.
It is like a king giving payasam to the lame, blind etc for his own satisfaction. It is a playful action on the part of the king, that is, it is effortless but it is beneficial to the recipient.Similarly the Lord creates and sustains etc. He also gives the jnana to approach Him and removes the sorrow for those who surrendered to Him at the right time according to their karma.
54.nanu kaThamsarvavishyiNee krpA bhagavathah sambhavathi;bhagavalleelayA khalu madhukaitabha-hiraNya-rAvaNa-sisupAla-kamsa-narakAdheenAm maraNAni anishtAni prApithAni.
How can it be said that the mercy of the Lord extends to all as MaDhukaitabha and others faced death at His hands.
The reply is given by Desika as,
guNadhOshavyavasTHA hi lOkAdhEva avagamyathE
thasmAth dhandaDHarasyAsya sTHAnE dhandO guNAyathE
The gunas and dhoshas are to be understood as in the world.It is a merit for the man of justice to give punishment where it is necessary. The chastisement by the father, for instance, of a son, is only for his own benifit. So too the retribution of the Lord is for redemption.
If there is no suffering there is no need for mercy. The Lord due to His mercy towards the good and the devoted, has to punish the wicked who torment them.The mercy is without a cause ,that is natural, whereas the punishment is for a purpose only.
If it is objected that to punish one to protect another does not absolve the Lord of cruelty,Desika says that even those who aspire for mukthi were once desirous of enjoying worldly pleasures and due to their suffering only they acquire the wisdom to strive from release from the samsara and hence to give suffering is also a way of correcting them and hence an act of mercy only. But the punishment lasts only till the jiva acquires jnana and hence the nigraha, retribution is only temporary whereas for the released and the eternally free souls the grace of the Lord extends forever making them enjoy eternal bliss and hence His anugraha is permanent.As the anugraha exists in this world which is His leelavibhoothi for His devotees and also in the state of release where they enjoy etenal bliss which is His bhOga vibhoothi, which is unconditioned by time or place.His nigraha on the other hand is limited to the existence in this world only and limited by time and place.
55. nanvEvamAsrithArTHanAm sarvavyApArANAm leelAthvE -------kAchith leelAvibhoothih aparAcha bhOgavibhoothih ithi vyavasTHA kaTHam ghatathE?
When everything is in the control of the Lord and all is His leela why should be there be a distinction between leelAvibhoothi and bhOgavibhoothi?
It is like this, says Desika.
avathAraih anEkaih svaih paravyAmOhanAth kvachith
leelAthvam itharathrApi bhOgO mOhanivAraNAth
By His incarnations he deludes others by His mAya.This is His leela.In the eternal state there is no delusion but only enjoyment. This is His bhOga.
As the actors put on different costumes the Lord makes the jiva put on different costumes as a deva, manushya etc. and act on in the world. Without knowing this the jiva is deluded into believiing that the body he is occupying is real.Similarly the Lord also puts different costumes and appears as Rama, Krishna etc. in His incarnations. and deludes the world. This is known as His leelavibhoothi. In bhOga vibhoothi the released and eternally free souls have their knowledge and bliss as their essence and there is no delusion but unalloyed bliss only This is His bhOga vibhoothi.
56.Evam sarvEsvarasya leelOpakaraNabhoothasya samsarathah jeevasya bhADhakathvEna avasTHithAnyEva mukthidhasAyAm anukoolathayA prathibhAsantha ithi ko ayam viruddhavadhah?
The same things that stand as obstacles to the jiva in transmigration become favourable to a released soul. Is this not self-contradictory?
No, says Desika.
puNyapApAnurODHEna prakrthih viviDHA purA
svAmi leelOpayOgithvasAkshAthkArAth sukhAyathE
The favourable and unfavourable quality of things is due to one's puNya and pApa. To the one who sees everything as the playthings of the Lord and perceives the Lord as the inner self of all, there is nothing but joy.
There is nothing exclusively favourable or unfavourable in this world.To the one who is in the midst of mist the rays of the sun gives comfort but the same in a hot afternoon is discomforting.Similary the food which gives happiness in hunger becomes unpalatable in illness.So the quality of giving joy or sorrow depends on the karma which is the cause of the situation one finds himself.On the other hand when the karma is exhausted and both punya and papa are extinguished, the same thing which gave suffering becomes enjoyable as in the case of one who is cured of bile, the milk becomes sweet again This is why in the state of release everything contributes to the joy of the soul through the grace of the Lord.
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