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Re: Origins of the Jiiva

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Anand Karalapakkam • March 18, 1999 


Sri:
Sri Lakshminrusimha ParabrahmaNE namaha
Sri Lakshminrusimha divya pAdukA sEVaka SrivaNN-
SatakOpa Sri nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESikAya namaha

namO nArAyaNA.

 Bhagavad rAmAnuja's words on this issue :

 1. Sri BAshyam ( on 2.1.35). Here sUtrakArar (vyAsar) himself clearly
     establishes that karmA is beginingless for the (baddha)  jIvAtmAs.
     Obviously, rAmAnujar is only following it. In other granthams viz.
     vEdAnta sArA and vEdAnta deepA, rAmanujar again advances
     arguments with pramAnams to establish this point.

     sUtrakArar again establishes in the last sUtra "anAvrutti: SabdAt
      anAvrutti: SabdAt"  ( "No returning ; according to scriptures.
      No returning ; according to Scriptures " ), ie. those who have
      reached the abode of Brahman (ie. Sri VaikuNTham),
      _through the arcirAdi mArgA_  will never return (no more
     karmA; but may come with a suddha sattva thirumEni out of
     their will to perform some kainkaryam for Lord ).

  2. Bhagavad gItA bAshyam ( on 2.50) : ".....anAdikAla sancitE anantE
      bandhahEtubhootE ..  ( " He who is established .........relinquishes
      good and evil karmAs which have accumulated from time
      immemorial causing bondage endlessly ...".

     This issue of anAdi karmA is a very fundamental fact in vEdAntA.
     Fall down theory etc speculations are no where found in sAstrAs.

  Sri Gerald sUryA wrote :

>Madhva gives the same explanation and says further that the differences in the
>karmas are secondary to the intrinsic nature (anadi-svarupayogyata):   BNK
>Sharma says "The anaditva of samsara only means that the jivas must be anadi.
>But it does not explain why anadi jivas should differ to the extent of
>originating wide differences in their karmas--unless such differences are
>ingrained in them...

 Our AchAryAs have clearly refuted ( based on pramAnams ) this theory of
 madhvAchAryar, regarding  the differences between jIvAtmAs in their
  svaroopam itself. As stated above, the birth of this theory is more rooted
  in an yukti (logic) to answer the wide differences in karmAs. Anyway,
  the kartrutvA of jIvAtmA is there with the (limited) freewill given to it
  from beginingless time => these great differences in karmAs is not a
  bewildering one so as to accept some new theory. The pramAnams
  are towards the fact that the svaroopam of all jIvAtmAs are intrinsically
  same ; there are no differences in the svaroopam.

  Dwatins gets into the problem of accepting "AnandatAratamya" (
  differences in the bliss ) for jIvAtmAs which have attained mOksham,
  because of their theory about differences in  jIvAtmA (ie. presence of
  male jIvAtmA, female jIvAtmA etc categories).

  This reminds adiyEn of the debate between Srimad Injimettu
  Azhagiyasingar (42nd pattam) and Sri SathyAnanda theertar, the
   madhva matAdhipati of Udipi mutt. This debate was held in front of the
   ranganAchchiyAr sannidhi at Srirangam. Many vidvAns representing
  dwaita were present. Injimettu Azhagiyasingar won the debate and
   firmly established that the theory of "AnandatAratamya" is not
   supported by sAstrAs. Sri SathyAnanda theerthar himself accepted
   the defeat and out of his own will, gave it in writing also. This was
   infact published in the news paper of those times.

   Again, recently, the current Srimad Azhagiyasingar followed the
   footsteps of His preceptor and established this fact in the "MAlolan
   Vidwat Sathas" , wherein the vidvAns representing advaita
   and dvaita too were present.

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
ananthapadmanAbha dAsan
krishNArpaNam