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WHY OF CREATION - LEELA OR KARMA?

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jasn sn • May 29, 2002 


SRIMATHE    RAMANUJAYA    NAMAHA.

Dear devotees,

I am once again raking up the question of 'why'of
creation.
While the scriptures say in unmistakable terms that
Leela or a sportive impulse  is the cause of  creation
(refer my previous posting on this topic), there are
also references to karma as a cause of creation.
Unless questions on the role of karma are
satisfactorily answered, we will be once again beating
around the bush and fail to understand  what God has
in HIS mind - the clues about which are found in
plenty in scriptures.

In this post, I, with my very limited knowledge and
ability to understand / grasp the truth veiled in the
shastras, attempt to answer some of the oft-repeated
questions on karma in order to uphold the Leela factor
as the prime cause of creation.
I may be right or wrong in the following passages. But
what is fulfilling as far as I am concerned is that
the Lord has been kind enough to me, enabling me to
think about HIM. and what more, attempt to trace HIS
mind!

Contemplating on those  divine verses from
Thirukkurunthandagam,
"PESINEN   YESA  MAATTEN, PEDHAIYEN  PIRAVI 
NEETHTHARKU,
AASAIYO  PERIDU  KOLLGA  ALAI KADAL  VANNAR  PAALE.
let me proceed with what I understand.
I am mainly relying on the Vyagyanam given by Sri P.B.
Annangarachar Swamy, based on the interpretations
given by Sri Manavala maamunigal for 
'AACHARYA  HRUDHAYAM" written by Srimad Azhagiya
manavala perumal nayanar, the younger son of Vadakku
Thiru veedhi pillai.

On Karma :-
Question 1- IN MANY PLACES IN THE SCRIPTURES, IT HAS
BEEN SAID THAT KARMA IS BEGINNINGLESS ( ANAADHI).  IS
THIS THE FINAL WORD ON KARMA?

Answer:- At the out set, a  reading of  any scripture
leads us to think that creation has been effected
mainly to enable the Jivas work-out their balance of
karma but in the process they come to acquire new
karma which binds them into a vicious cycle of birth
and  death. 

e.g. Kathopanishad says, " SOME GO TO THE WOMB FOR THE
EMBODIMENT OF A CORPORAL BEING, OTHERS GO INTO WHAT IS
STATIOANARY, ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS, ACCORDING TO
THEIR KNOWLEDGE"

And in a number of other places too, it has been said
that the karma is anaadhi. We can understand if it is
said that the Jiva is Anaadhi, but how karma? The same
scriptures also say that in the beginning IT was there
and IT alone was there. Then where does the question
of characterizing karma as beginningless arise?
P.B. A. Swamy in his commentary offers an excellent
answer to this question.
(Refer ACHARYA  HRUDHAYAM (AH) 1 -12)
The prakaran runs thus :- pattru arukka meendu
ozhigaiyile- 
If karma can be cut off sometime in a prapannan's life
  ( meendu ozhigaiyil), it pre-supposes that it must
have had some beginning. If something has no beginning
then it can be assumed that it will have no end. If a
Jiva can be liberated someday  from  karma Bhandam
(pazhavadiye yendrum adondrume ozhikka ozhiyaadadu, AH
1-12 ¡VEverything else can be driven out, but not
¡¥pazhavadi¡¦ ¡Vsimilarly ¡¥undrannodu uravel namakku
ingu ozhikka ozhiyaadu¡¦), it is logical to think that
it happened to acquire karma sometime in the past.
There are innumerable places in NDP indicating that
karma came to cling to the Jiva.. e.g. " adainda varu
vinaiyodu allall noi paavam midaindavai meendu ozhiya"
Karma is said to come (adainda varu vinai - note:
according to Tamil grammer, varu vinai is a Vinaith
thogai, i.e., vanda vinai, vandu vitta vinai and
varappogum vinai, thus speaking of the three kaalam.
Perhaps this quality of ¡¥varu vinai¡¦ makes it
beginningless in the strict meaning of the term. But
the preceding word 'adainda'  characterises the ¡¥varu
vinai¡¦ as something that has come to occupy or hold
on to, irrespective of it being a vinai capable of
permeating the three stages of past, present and
future.) and cling (vanderi) to the Jiva.

 PBA swamy says, "karma is A-NITHYAM because it has
prakruthi sambandam" and 
"the pramanaas started calling the  karma as anaadhi
because we don¡¦t know the time (kaalam) when it came
to cling"
Also that which has prakruthi sambandam can not be
termed as anaadhi in terms of how we characterise Jiva
as anaadhi.
PBA swamy goes on to say that if it is possible to
remove the karma bhandam ( pattru arukka meendu
ozhigaiyile), it cannot be anaadhi. "vanderiyaana
prakruthi sambandaththai anaadhi endru solluvaanen?
Ennil, vanderina kaalaththukku adi theriyamaiyaale,
anaadhi endru pramaanangal sollugaiyaale,  sollugirom.
Adi theriyada podu, vanderi endru eppadi
sollalaamenil, oru naal varaiyile Emperuman arullal
adhu kazhiya kaangaiyale vanderiye"

>From the above passages, it can be assumed that karma,
though a valid cause for continuing janmas, can not be
the principal cause of ceation. To borrow the example
given  by Sri. V.N. Gopala Desikan in his book, 'A
dialogue on Hinduism' in a related context, if we
compare creation to the growth of plants, we come up
with two scenes.One is that all plants need water to
grow and this water is the general cause or the
principal cause. If we want a particular plant to
grow, we require both water and the seed of the
particular plant - the particular seed becoming the
particular or special cause for growth.
Similarly if Leela is the general or prime cause that
has triggered off creation, karma decides the
particular form of creation, thereby becoming the
particular or special cause. This can be substantiated
by  quoting a verse from  Brihadaranyaka upanishad, 
¡§The  unmanifest got manifested through naama (names)
and rupa (forms)"  - the names and forms getting
decided by past karma .

Question 2 :- IF KARMA  IS  A  'VANDERIA ONDRU'  (THAT
WHICH HAS COME TO CLING) WHY OR HOW DID IT HAPPEN IN
THE BEGINNING, IN THE UNFATHOMABLE PAST? 
WHAT WAS THE YARDSTICK USED TO ALLOT KARMA OR ALLOW
KARMA TO CLING TO?

Answer:- AH explains the process by which karmas are
'born' (!!!!) in the course of answering why God
created Shastras. But before we go into the details as
given by AH, it is imperative to note how creation
proceeded  as 'quintuplication' or ' panchi karana'.
  The following passage from Yatindramatadipita says
this, " The supreme person created the elements and
divided each element into two. Of theses two parts, he
reserved one part of its own nature and then redivided
the other part into four. Then he combined the four
sub-divisions with four other elements. In this
process when all the elements are created, one half of
each element retains its own nature, while the other
half is made up of the parts of the other four
elements. So there is the designation of 'earth' etc.,
since the portion of its own nature is more and that
of other elements is comparatively less."

Vishnu purana speaks about Sapti karana by  adding
mahat and Ahankara  too (and  more) in the division
and diffusion. 
 Diffusion of Bhutas take place during creation , so
also the mixing up of chit and achit in different
proportions , in different forms, with different
levels of the three gunas. (a relevant reference here
is the sloka 'Trigunna vishaya veda... ... BG - 2-45)
This results in Jivas coming to possess different
levels of vidya and avidya. 
According to AH, the distribution of the three gunas
at the time of creation and the resultant  absence or
the lack of 'Artha Panchka gyanam' gives  rise to
karma.
The five gyanams are 
# Paraswaroopa gyanam :- 'ninnai nenjil uiyum vagai
unarden' 
                   The a-gyanam of the same :-'
maranden unnai munnam'
# Athma swaroopa gyanam :- 'nindra ondrai unardenukku'
                   The a-gyanam of the same:- ' yaane
ennai arigilaathe'
# Virodhi vishaya gyanam :- ' agatra nee vaiththa
maaya vallai am pulangalaam avai                    
                                             
nangarinden'
                   The a-gyanam of the same :- vodiyum
uzhandru vuyirgale kondre 
                                             
unarvilen'
# Upaaya vishaya gyanam:- 'avanadarullalural poruttu
en unarvinulle eruththinen'
                    The a-gyanam of the same :-'piravi
noi aruppaanen elen erunden'
# Purushartha Vishaya gyanam :-'aam parisarindu kondu'
                    The  a-gyanam of the same :-'aazhi
am kai ammanai yeththaadu ayarthu'

AH says that the one who is blessed by the Lord at the
time of creation becomes saattvic (jaaya manam hi
purusham¡K), comes to possess the panchaka gyanam and
attains moksha (Nithya suris)
The route as outlined by PBA Swamy is this:-
--> Narayana sambandam  which is anaadhi is the basis
for Bhagavat Sowlabhyam
--> which is the basis for krupa
--> which is the basis for visesha kataaksham
--> which is the basis for sattva guna poorthi
--> which is the  basis for Artha Panchaka gyanam
-->  which is the basis for moksha sukham
Such a Jiva blessed by the Lord (avan kanngalaale
amalangalaaga vizhikkum- NPD)
goes back to HIM. 
A question comes why these Jivas are such a blessed
lot!!
It is because 
the ultimate choice lies with HIM!
"The self cannot be attained by any amount of teaching
or great intellect. It can not be known even by  a
wider learning. The self reveals itself to him WHOM
GOD CHOOSES" ( Kathopanishad) 
It depends on whether or not Bhagvat kataaksham falls
on you at the time of creation.
(¡¥Jayamaana kaalaththil nerum parama bhavanmaana
bhagavat kataakshame ¡Khetu ¡¥ ¡V PBA Swamy.)
By the logic of division, mixing and diffusion that
take place among chit, achit and the gunas, at the
time of creation, perhaps we can understand the birth
of Nithuyasuris or those blessed Jivas.

But what about others?
 The route given here is as follows:
# The connection with ¡¥achi¡¦ (achit sambandham)
gives rise to avidya.
„³ which in turn gives rise to karma
„³ which gives rise to janma
„³which gives rise to holding on to rajas and tamas
„³ which gives rise to lack of / absence of Artha
Panchaka gyanam
„³ which gives rise to samsara dhukkam

In the beginning these Jivas (us) must have failed to
rise to the occasion, and therefore fallen into the
spiral of karma.
Thus karma is a ¡¥vanderia ondru¡¦ and becomes a cause
for further creation and to sustain creation. 
The variety / division  in creation and the ever
growing multiplication of karma  from unfathomable
past have  made karma appear anaadhi and the sole
cause of creation after every pralaya.

Question 3:- IF LEELA IS THE PRIME CAUSE OF CREATION,
HOW CAN THAT BE PROVED?
The first proof is that scriptures say so.
Secondly, it must have been so ordained that each
must, at some point of time, come to realise / enjoy
the game with the Lord.
That is it is entirely upto each Jiva  to understand,
to know and to experience the Lord within himself.
The relationship between the Lord and the Jiva  can be
any of the following (as recognised by Sri Ramanuja)
Between 
# The master and the servant
# The owner and the owned
# the mother and the child
# The father and the son
# The nayaka and the nayaki

But what happens if the roles are inter- changed?
„³The master serving the Pandavas,
„³The owner asking for three foot-holds of land
„³The mother getting into the arms of the alwar and
frantically calling up the moon ¡V that   which
revolves obeying HIS command ¡V to come to play 
„³The  son  who till today stands as the only glorious
example for pithru vaakhya paripalanam
„³ and the nayaka (whom the Jiva  must cling to as  a
climber embracing the tree) who desires to take a
place in the hearts of the devotees ( panikkadalil
palli kollai pazhaga vittu, vodi vanden manakkadalil
vaazha valla  maaya manaala nambi)
 Are theses not reversal of roles?
If creation has not proceeded, how can HE enjoy these
roles?

If the  second set of Jivas (as told earlier) are not
left out of his kataaksham, can there be any
possibility of  going through this enjoyment. 
The first set  of Jivas are of course there to enjoy
themselves in HIM. But has HE not ordained them to be
born now and then ¡V in one instance as alwars ¡V and
enjoyed their bhakthi?
So we, the unfortunate lot are not really unfortunate!
¡¥naadi naadi narasingha endru 
vaadi vaadum ev vaanudale¡¦
We continue to long for HIM.
HE continues to have the Vaathsalyam of the mother (AH
1-14) like a mother who out of vaathsalyam allows the
child who wants to eat mud to eat the mud and then
brings it back and applys the remedy.  (
¡¥Evvuyurukkum thaayon)
 HE is like the same mother who on another occasion,
in a playful mood hides herself  waiting for her child
to find her out. She will wait till the child loses
its patience and starts wailing and then  will reveal
herself at the right moment.
If this is not Leela, what else is?

Some proofs from scriptures on these lines:-
In his interpretation of AH, PBA Swamy quotes
nammpillai ¡§Aanandam avan preethiai thulirezhuppa¡¨
and how can the Lord enjoy Aanandam  if the Jiva does
not reciprocate.  The Lord is the Bhokhtha and the
Jiva is the Bhokhya -vasthu ¡V Unless the Vasthu also
is capable of enjoying, it being the vasthu enjoyed by
the Lord, it will be like enjoying a wooden plank 
(manaikkattai) by the Lord.  The example quoted by PBA
Swamy is the ecstatic blare of Bhrugu (in Taiittriya )
¡§ahamannam and ahamanaadam in sama gaanam.

May I cite the other proof  as Naadanukku naaalaayiram
uraiththa  ¡§Kanninum siruththambu¡¨? 
Of interest are two questions that arise in this
context.
# Of all the paasurams why this paasuram became
capable of retriving the lost / not previously
accounted paasurams? 
# Why of all the other vibhoothis of the lord, HIS
voluntary submission to be tied by a thin thread has
been chosen to make the opening Vibhoothi of this set
of paasurams?

We are periodically coming across scholarly
explanations for these questions. ¡¥But to my humble
mind, it seems to tell what excites the lord more, of
being tied when he can not be grasped at all by
anyone!! 
If this is not leela, what else is?
(I think Krishnavatar is the one avatar that God would
have enjoyed  to his heart¡¦s fill!!- Making me say
this is also part of his Leela ¡V would he not enjoy
how the totally unfit person is squabbling to describe
his qualities in the fitness of things!)

Looking at NDP, how the paasurams that depict deeply
the complete reversal of roles (as child and mother)
has come to occupy the first part! The ordering of the
paasurams have been variously explained, one of which
can be found in Sri Madhavakkannan¡¦s prelude to his
vyaagyaanam to Perialwar thirumozhi. 
But in my eagerness to spot the leelavanthu kaivalyam,
may I say that since this part of NDP greatly
emphasises the leela of the Lord, this has been placed
first. There is the gradual transformation from child
and mother to owned and the owner as found in
Senniyongu paasurams. The ultimate enjoyment that the
lord finds in taking his abode in the Jiva.
If this is not leela, what else is?

The next to follow, Naachiyar thirumozhi seems to
proceed in this level of enjoyment. 
If the lord is ready to oblige when Andal sends an
ultimatum
¡¥¡¨Gathiendrum thaanaavaan karudadu,
vor pen kodiai vadai seidhan¡¨ ennum sol
vaiyagaththar madiyaare

is this not leela?

¡¥Ari sinaththaal eendra thaai agatridinum marru aval
than,
 arul ninaindu azhum kuzhavi aduve  pol ¡§
Iruukkum ennaiyum padaiththu 
and given me this  desire to talk about him¡X
If this is not leela, what else is?

Jayasree sarnathan



 




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