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Re: nitya-kainkarya & jIva's kartRtva

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Malolan Cadambi • September 10, 2002 


Sri
Srimathe nigamantha mahadesikaya namaha

----- Original Message -----
From: "kuntimaddi sadananda" 
To: 
Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2002 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: nitya-kainkarya & jIva's kartRtva

> True. curious to know - What is Bhagavaan Ramanuja's interpretations
> for the two following slokas:

My notes are from The Gita Bhasya of Ramanuja translated by Prof.M R
Sampathkumaran. There is coherency of meaning in both as explained by
bhashyakarar.

> PrakRiti eva ca karmaani kriya maanaani sarvashhaH|
> yaH pasyati tat aatmaanam akartaaram saH pasyati||

Bh G (13.29)

He who sees actions universally as being done by the prakriti alone and the
**self similarly as not the agent** sees (the self as it is).

He who sees all actions as done by the prakriti, in the manner explained in
the statement, "The prakriti is said to be responsible for agency in
relation to the body and the sense organs (Bh G 13.20); who sees accordingly
that the self, being of the form of knowledge (Vedanta Desika in Tatparya
Chandrika notices another reading, ***jnAtakaram*** for ***jnAnakaram*** in
the bhAshya text) is not the agent: and who sees that this association with
the prakriti, it's ruling over the same and it's experience of the pleasure
and pain resulting from this are all brought about by ignorance in the form
of karma - he sees indeed the self as it is really is.

Bh G 13.20

kArye kArana krutatve hetuhu prakruthiruchhyate
purushashusukhadukhAnAm bhOOktrutve heturuchhyate ||

The prakriti is said to be responsible for agency in relation to the body
(kArya) and the sense organs (karanA). The self  is said to be responsible
for the experiencing of pleasure and pain.

The kArya(or the effect) is the body. The kAranA are the sense organs of
perception and action, along with the internal organ of perception. In their
being performers of work, the prakriti , rule over by the self, is alone
respnsible.

Sri Shankara reads kArya karana kartritve, though he also notices karanA as
a variant reading. kArya, in his view, is the body: The kArana are the ten
sense organis, manas, buddhi and ahankAra. The alternative reading also may
support this interpretation. Or it may mean that the kArya refers to the
sixteen principles which are modifications, namely the ten sense organs,
manas and the five objects of senses. The kArana whould be the seven
principles each of which is a modification of the five tanmataras. These are
called prakriti-vikritis. Tatparya Chandrika, written by Vedanta Desika also
notices another interpretaion that the karya is the five elements and
tanmataras and the kArana, the ten senses, the manas, the buddhi and the
ahankAra. Both wors, *kArana* and karana may be taken to mean senses.

The meaning is that their activities, which are the means of experience have
their basis in the prakriti which has evolved into the form of the body
ruled over by the self. In regard to the self, there is only the state of
being the ruler. Whit reference to this, the aphorisms, "The agent of
actions is the individual self) beacause the scripture has to be supportive
(Vedanta Sutras II.3.33) and others have been taught. The agency of the self
is really it's being responsible for the activity of the will in ruling over
the body. The self, while in association with prakriti, is responsible for
the experience of pleasure and pain. The meaning is that it is the seat of
experience of pleasure and pain.

Thus the distiction in the functions of prakriti and the self when in mutual
association has been stated. Our actions are physiscal and determined by
physiological needs. "But that which experiences pleasure and pain cannot be
the prakriti which is jada or inert. Experience has no meaning except in
relation to one who is conscious of it. The power to enjoy  and experience
belongs to the soul, while the raw matter of experience owes it's origin to
the association of the body with the soul" The self prompts and experiences,
the body works. Sri Krishna now proceeds to state that the self is the cause
of the experience of pleasure and pain arising from the sense objects, even
though, by itself, it's experience of itself is nothing but joy.

> prakR^itaiH kriyamaaNaani guNaiH karmaaNi sarvashaH|
> ahankaaravimuuDhaatmaa kartaaham iti manyate||

Prerequiste understanding : It is very well established by the entire
prasthana traya that prakriti is made up of Gunas just as tissues are made
up of cells and organs are made up of tissues.

(Bh G 3.27)

Actions are being done in every way by the gunAs of prakriti. He whose
natures is led astray by egoism thinks, "I am the agent".

(I could not post the series on Gita Sara last weekend as I was caught
neckdeep in assingments. Will post it over this week). One should also
understand that the concepts of gnAtratva, kratatva and bhogtratva are not
easy to understand. Traditional nearning under the feet of an acharya is the
only way out.

The Bhagavad Gita is to be understood under five broad topics called Artha
Panchakam by Ramanuja. These are nature of God, the nature of the individual
soul, the state of final emancipation and the beautitude, the proper way of
attaiment and finally the realisation.

Ramanuja's Gita Bhasya is more of an exposition and explanation of the Gita
based on concepts established in the Prasthana Traya. Tatparya Chandrika of
Vedanta Desika is the latter's commentary of the Gita Bhasya and a very
lengthy explanation with elements of polemics and dialectics.

Hope this helps.

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,

Malolan Cadambi




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