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Re: Prakruti body?

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Mani Varadarajan • September 4, 1998 


Sri Ananta Padmanabhan wrote:
> nArAyaNA is the "antaryAmI" of jIvAtmA means that He controlls
> it as if someone inside it will control it.  He needn't be
> physically inside an entity for Him to function as "antaryAmI".

Dear Ananta Padmanabhan,

Isn't this a very forced interpretation? I understand
the definition of SarIra (body) you wrote. This is what
Ramanuja proposes in the Sribhashya.  Ideally, don't you
think Brahman is best the "AdhAra" of a substance by 
pervading it? Therefore, shouldn't the antaryAmi (inner
controller) pervade the subtlest of substances,
including the jIva?

On the basis of this idea and many statements from the Veda,
I tend to think that Brahman indeed does pervade even the
jIvAtmA.  I realize the jIvAtmA is aNu (atomic); however,
Brahman is described by Vedanta as "aNOr aNIyAn" -- subtler 
than the subtlest.  

In other places, the upanishads teach:

     "Atmany evAtmAnam paSyet" -- one should see the (Highest)
                                  Self within one's own self.  

     "ya Atmani tishTan" -- [Brahman is] that which stands 
                            within the  individual self

and the Brahma Sutras as well

     "avasthiter iti" -- [Brahman] exists within.

How would these be explained otherwise?

Mani