Dear Swamin: I hereby request Sri Sadagopan Iyengar Swamin, the author of the article to reply to your query. Moderator ===================================================================== Dear Swamin, Please clarify at your convenience: Is Dharma Bhootha Gnanam(DBG) same as Viveka. Why can't it be active in the state of asleep, to warn/caution us on bad dreams so that we are saved from ignonimy of acquiring sins while sleeping. Which drives this DBG to act? is it our prarabdha or God or both? Where at which point God enters to guide DBG? Because everything is as per His will, but we do acquire luggage in our life due to our own activities. Then at some point of our life, due to maya or whatever, we are disconnected with the God and engage/drive away our indriyas from God. How long this effort(error) does God tolerate in human being? I am very ignorant and have only gone through 5 pages of Sri Bhashyam, which is ofcourse very difficult to understand the way it is being taught by Srimadaacharya. Please pardon me for wasting your time. Sukumar -----Original Message----- From: ramanbil [mailto:Ramanbil@xxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2004 4:08 AM To: SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [SriRangaSri] SRS Vol.5.28 d/0915/04 3. DESIKAMRUTAM SRIMAD RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM BY SRI SADAGOPAN IYENGAR SWAMIN, SRIKARYAM OF BOARD OF ADVISORY CONSULTANTS OF SDDS/ SRS THE THREE TENETS-7 ------------------------------------------------- Swami Desikan continues with his exposition of the various components of Sri Ramanuja's Gadya phrase, "SvAdhIna trividha chEtana achEtana svarUpa sthithi pravritti bhEdam", ascribing to Emperuman the overlordship of the three classes of sentient souls and non-sentient objects, in all their states of existence and activity, as also of their essential nature. Thus far, the nature of the three types of souls, viz., the BaddhAs, the MuktAs and the NityAs, the three types of objects, viz., Prakriti, KAlam and Shuddha Sattvam, in their three facets, viz.essential nature, existence and activity, have been considered. Let us recap what Swami Desikan told us about the support for the bound soul's body, in the waking state:- When we come to "Pravritti" or activity engaged in by the human body, we are told that the same is due to the support provided by the Attributive Knowledge or Dharma Bhoota GnAnam, which is one of the principal characteristics of the Atma (as distinct from its essential nature or Svarupam). Thus when we walk, when we talk, when we engage in innumerable endeavours to achieve various goals in life, when we adopt appropriate strategies to ensure such achievement, etc.,it is Dharma Bhoota GnAnam or Attributive Knowledge, which supports us in all this. When we perform Bhakti or Prapatti for reaching the Lord, it is this Attributive Knowledge that makes this possible. We thus see that while the essential nature of the Atma ("SvarUpam") supports the body during sleep and similar states, in the waking state, it is the Dharma Bhoota GnAnam, which extends such support to the body. Thus, similar to "SvarUpam" or essential nature, "Dharma BhUta GnAnam" or Attributive Knowledge too is also a substance, as far as individual souls are concerned. This being so, why doesn't Sri Ramanuja mention this separately in the aforesaid phrase from the Gadya? Swami Desikan tells us that since Attributive Knowledge has been included as an attribute of the Soul, no separate mention has been made of it. What are the distinguishing traits of this Dharma BhUta GnAnam? The first and foremost is that it is luminous by itself to the soul, which possesses it, while revealing objects. For instance, when the soul perceives a pen, it is this GnAnam which reveals the object to the soul as a pen. Simultaneously, Dharma BhUta GnAnam reveals itself too to the soul. As far as the Lord and the NityAs are concerned, this Attributive Knowledge is all pervasive (nitya vibhu) and eternal. For the Bound Souls, as long as they are in the grip of SamsAra, this Knowledge expands and contracts variously, depending upon their Karma. Once they are liberated from their mortal coils, this Attributive Knowledge reverts to its original nature of being pervasive and serves them thus, thenceforth. So far we have seen the differences in the nature of Dharma BhUta GnAnam, depending on whether it belongs to a Bound Soul, Mukta, Nitya or the Isvara. Dealing next with the Pravritti or activity of this GnAnam, Swami Desikan lists its functions thus- 1. It illuminates objects and makes them amenable to perception by individual souls. 2. When the body makes an effort, Attributive knowledge directs the body and the senses therein. 3. When the soul is in a state of bondage, Attributive Knowledge undergoes expansion and contraction, as already pointed out, due to Karma. 4. It undergoes experiences, which reveal objects as favourable or unfavourable. What exactly is the nature of Experience? It is the process of feeling a particular object as agreeable or disagreeable, pleasurable or otherwise. All objects, which form the bounties of the Lord, are totally pleasurable and favourable to Him, to the Nityas and the Muktas. However, to the BaddhAs or Bound souls suffering in Samsara, objects afford pleasurable, painful or indifferent experiences. The type of experience derived from an object again depends upon the person, the time of experience and the place. Thus, the same object may afford pleasure to one person, while being extremely disagreeable with another. While Sugar is extremely sweet and brings a smile to a healthy child's face, to a diabetic, it is nothing less than poison. The same object may afford pleasure to one at a particular time and pain at another. Similarly, depending upon the place too, objects may turn out to be agreeable or disagreeable. A question arises here-how can the same object offer different experiences to different people and to the same person at different times and places? After all, the object is the same and does not change from person to person or from place to place or from time to time! Swami Desikan clarifies that the essential nature of the object doesn't change. All objects are inherently favourable only. It is the Karma of the Bound Souls that makes the object agreeable or disagreeable to the experiencing soul, as reward or retribution for its good or bad deeds, as ordained by the Lord. It is due to the Lord's ever-true will, that objects acquire agreeability or disagreeability, depending upon the soul's baggage of Karma. What are the qualifications that are present only in Bound Souls, that make them eligible for and subject to experiencing the sweet and bitter fruits of Karma? These are two-fold- 1. The essential nature of the JIvAs, as being subject to the will of another, Supreme Person. 2. Another and subsidiary reason is their engaging in sinful activities, resulting in offences against the Lord. Though the MuktAs and the NityAs too are subordinate souls, subject to IsvarA's will, they do not have the second qualification of sinning, making them ineligible for experiencing the fruits of Karma. The Lord too, being the Supreme Ruler of all, is neither subservient to another person, nor has any reason or occasion to transgress the commands of a suprerior, and is totally ineligible to be tainted by the stigma of Karma. ------------------------------------------------------- To Continue ======================================================= xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ======================================================= Yahoo! Groups Links ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/VkWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |