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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00190 Apr 2003

 
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> 
> Nirhetuka and Sahetuka krupai: The perspectives
> 
> Nirhetukam is the krupai of the Lord that requires no specific 
reason 
> to be attributed to granting anything(including moksham) to the 
> Jeevatma. 
> Sahetukam is the krupai of the Lord that gives some specific 
> reason(some effort put in by the jeevatma) to justify granting 
> anything(including moksham) to the Jeevatma.


> 
> Now, the perspective from which these concepts needs to be 
understood 
> are:
> 
> Sahetukam(from the perspective of the Lord) - A jeevatma 
> does "something" that "according" to the lord is a reason for 
> granting say "moksham". Even if the lord wants to grant moksham to 
> someone of his choice, he does not want to force it and hence 
> attributes the granting of moksham to some effort that was put in 
by 
> the jeevatma.

Dear Sriman Narasimhan,

If the God wants to give mOksha to the jIva, why would He expect 
something in return? He neither loses nor gains in the process.

> Nirhetukam(from the perspective of the Jeevatma) - The Jeevatma has 
> realized its swaroopam and has starting thinking Him all the time 
and 
> does everything as a kainkaryam to Him. This Jeevatma, having 
> realized its incapability to do anything, attributes the moksham it 
> is going to attain/has attained, to the Nirhetuka krupai of the 
Lord. 
> This Jeevatma cannot digest the fact that "it" did something. To 
this 
> Jeevatma, it did nothing to qualify for the moksham, and it is only 
> due to the Nirhetuka krupai of the lord that it attained the 
moksham.
> 

Unquote:
Acoording to the Alwars, that realization comes only out of His grace.

> 

.
> 
> Now let us try to switch the perspectives and see how it looks like:
> Nirhetukam(from the perspective of the Lord) - If the lord thinks 
> that HE gave moksham only because of HIS swathanthryam and not 
> because the jeeva wanted the same, then it is compared to a husband 
> who forces his love on his wife. It is considered to be a wrong 
act. 
> The lord will not think that way, and we should not even 
imagine "HE" 
> attributing this moksham to HIS own swathantharyam. (This is 
> an "izhivu" for the lord if we say HE thinks so)

Unquote:
There are some obstacles in His getting us to His abode, which are 
again there due to His lIlA. Thes obstacles are our ahankAram and 
mamakAram. A jIva who is not willing to go therE will not go. But 
will a jIva without any ahankAra, mamakAra, be unwilling to be placed 
there? No. Who has to drive away these two enemies i.e. ahankAra and 
mamakAra (virOdhi nirasanam)? It is God only, according to Alwars. So 
it is He who creates the mind set that we are subservient to Him and 
takes us to Him.

> 
> Sahetukam(from the perspective of the Jeevatma) - If the jeevatma 
> thinks that he got the moksham only because of his own efforts and 
> not because of the Lord, then this feeling causes damage to the 
> lord's Nirhetuka Krupa. Except prappanas, those who use the other 
> margams including bhakthi margam as a "Upayam" to attain moksham 
> would feel that it is Sahetuka krupai of the lord that granted the 
> moksham i.e the jeeva thinks that the lord gave moksham only 
because 
> it did bhakthi etc. (This is an "izhivu" for the jeevatma as well 
as 
> the lord and is compared to a wife who thinks that the 
> husband makes love to her only because she attracted him).

I agree with you.

> 
> To summarize:
> Sahetukam(from the perspective of the Lord) & Nirhetukam(from the 
> perspective of the Jeevatma) - Upayam[Means], (credits to his 
> Nirhetuka Krupai) is the lord and Upeyam[End Result] is the lord 
too -
> Prapatti and Prapanna philosophy.

So, where is the hEtu above from the perspectiuve of Lord?

> 
> 
> > For Prapannas -
> 
> So, Nirhetukam has to be understood and considered only from the 
> Jeevatma perspective and thus this justifies all the act of the 
Lord 
> including granting of mokshams to Azhwars, Acharyas and Ajamilan. 
> I.E, according to the jeevas, i.e us, the lord sees no difference 
> amongst the Azhwars, Acharyas for that matter any living being and 
> pours his unconditional grace. 
> 
> This justifies the perspective of Azhwars who say that they did not 
> do anything to attain the lord and it is all due to HIS krupai that 
> they have attained this level.While, this is so, Sahetukam has to 
be 
> understood and considered only from the perspective of the 
Paramatma. 
> He does not use HIS swathanthryam to award any moksham. He wants US 
> to change our mind and turn towards HIM and hence, HE calls it 
> Sahetukam and gives dumb reasons to justify granting of moksham 
> even to people like Ajamilan.

Unquote:
Alwars want us to be selfless and not have the slightest trace of 
ahankAram ("nIr numadhennivai.." someone may please post the meaning 
according to commentators). This is not just out of immense love for 
Him but with the wisdom of giving a practical philosophy (in addition 
to their love for the Supreme) for our anushtAnams (practices). So, 
once He changes our mind set and make us accept Him as our master, we 
need not do anything for our mOksha (even otherwise we need not), but 
simply think of His qualities and be useful to others (bhAgavata 
SEshatvam). On the other hand, if we believe in self-efforts, 
everybody will be busy with his own efforts and there will not be any 
concern for the fellow human beings. 

Adiyen Ramanuja DAsan
Srimahavishnu Vinjamuri





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