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SvarUpa and dharma bhUta jnAnAs

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Maruthi Pavan • April 12, 2002 


Jai SrIman Narayana

There were mails earlier on this list about the dharma
bhUta and dharmi jnAna. 

A couple of years back, I had a discussion with my
friend Suresh ( a member of this group ) and had posed
the same question to my father for explanation. At
that time, He blessed me with the following
upaniShadic quotes which clearly explain the
classification of knowledge as svarUpa jnAna ( the
essential nature of soul ) and the dharma bhUta jnAna
( the attributive consciousness ) as explained by Sri
Ramanuja.

It has to be understood that these words dharma and
dharmi jnAna do not appear in the following
upanishadic quotes, but the meaning of the quotes
explains the classification clearly. These words could
have been coined to explain them crisply. Clearly,
attribute of something is called its dharma and its
essential nature is its svarUpa. 

For example, saltiness is the essential nature of
salt, where as being white or being in powdered form
or in rock form is its attribute.

For completeness sake, I restate the best example in
this context :

jnAnam ( knowledge ) is both svarUpam ( dharmi ) and
dharman of Atma. Example : jvAla (flame - svarUpam )
and its prabha ( effulgence ) is its dharma. Both of
these make the lamp. Prabha is the attribute of jvAla.
Likewise, the svarUpam of Atma is jnAnam ( like jvAla
for dIpam ) and he has also spreading jnAnam as his
dharma like the prabha for dIpam.

As stated by the mantra puShpam,

'nIvAra SUkavattanvI pItAbhAsyAttanUpamA'

The size of Atma is aNu. He stays in the heart.
Through his dharma bhUta jnAna, he has links with each
and every part of the body in which he is staying.

yESha hi draShtA, spraShtA, SrOtA, rasayitA, ghrAtA,
mantA bOddhA kartA vijnAnAtmA puruShaha

His svarUpa jnAna makes him nitya and bhOkta.

Another example which comes to my mind is :

Take a lake which is full of water ( its svarUpa ),
from it water flows into it or out of it through
streams. The water coming into it and joining it can
be considered as the the jIva knowing things (
receiving knowledge or perceiving things or
understanding external things - dharma bhUta jnAna ).
The water flowing out of the lake can be considered as
the attributive consciousness ( dharma bhUta jnAna )
of the jIva with which He is transmitting His
knowledge to others ( Other lakes - other jIvAs ).

In this example the dharma bhUta jnAna can be
considered as the streams which carry the water in and
out of the lake to other lakes ( imagine a connected
set of lakes through streams ). It has to be noted
that the svarUpam of all the lakes is water only and
the water in the streams is not coming out of the
blue. There is a repository of knowledge and that
collects and also transmits knowledge. That repository
is soul. Through this example, the next explanation
becomes more clear :

samsAra is said to be a result of the contraction of
dharma bhUta jnAna ( flowing knowledge for example )
and the opposite implies release. Now should the
contraction and expansion of jnAna be taken in the
literal sense or what exactly is the mode of
contraction and expansion of jnAna by karma with
respect to jIvAtman?.

Answer : This happens through indriyAs ( sense organs
). Atma becomes the karta when he enters into the dEha
( body ) and becomes kShEtrajna. Due to his karmAs,
either the contraction or expansion to his indriyAs
occurs. Even though, knowledge ( jnAna ) is unlimited
and eternal, its flow ( expression of knowledge )
increases or decreases depending upon the expansion or
contraction of his indriyAs and the later is linked
with his karmAs ( sAtvik, rAjasik and tAmisic ).

Example : In the above example, lets assume all lakes
(jIvAs) were connected by streams and there was an
uniform flow of water ( knowledge ). These lakes can
be related to mukta jIvAs in whoom there is no
contraction in the flow of knowledge ( dharma bhUta
jnAna ).  Now lets add bodies to the souls ( i.e., let
us talk about the baddha jIvAs ). In the example of
lakes, let us add some variations - like the contour
of the land - some lakes are on a high plateau and
some are on low level areas. So the lakes which are on
a high land can transmit knowledge fully ( jIvAs with
sAtvic nature ). Now lets not get distracted to the
loss of water in these lakes due to their
transmission. If that has to be paid attention, then
lets assume that such lakes on a high land get water (
or receive water ) from rainfall and transmit to the
lakes on lower land. This can be related to sAtvik
jIvAs who are dependent on the Lord ( rainfall ) for
their knowledge and impart it to the world selflessly.
However, for some such lakes, we may consider some of
the streams which carry their knowledge to have
obstructions due to accumulated sand or other dirt. So
the flow is obstructed. These lakes can be considered
as those jIvAs who have good knowledge, but cannot
express it ( either due to mental or physical
disability or lack of communication skills or due to
selfish motives ). The lakes on the lower end on the
other end, though have water as their svarUpa cannot
transmit it and only receive it.

This is just an example explaining the dharma bhUta
jnAna ( attributive consciousness ) of the dharmi (
jIva who has the knowledge as his svarUpa ) and its
expansions/contractions. This example is just my
imagination. Forgive me for errors in this.

Now coming back to the ShAstra pramANAs :

My father gave the pramANAs both with respect to the
jIva and paramAtma.
 
Here they follow :

Kindly note that they are only meant to delineate the
underlying concept of classification of jnAna and are
not being meant for starting a discussion on each
vAkya.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What are the ShAstra pramANAs or proofs regarding the
classification of gnAna as Dharmi ( svarUpa jnAna ) or
Dharma-bhUta ( attributive consciousness ) with
respect to jIva and IShvara according to the
viShistAdvaitic vEdAnta view?.

Part1 ) ShAstra pramANAs regarding the classification
of jnAna as Dharmi and Dharma bhUta with respect to
jIva.

1) How is jnAna in the soul. Whether inside or
outside..or what is the soul made up of?.

Answer:  It is like saltiness in salt. Knowledge is
everywhere in Atma.

sayadhA sIndhavaghanO 2 nantarO 2
bAhyah krutsnO rasaghana Eva
Evam vA arE 2 yamAtmA 2 nantarO 2
bAhyah krutsnah prajnyAna ghana Eva 
( bruhadAraNyaka - 3-9-14 )

2) vijnyAna ghana Eva = one mass of knowledge. (
bruhadAraNyaka - 2-4-12 )

3) atrAyam puruShO svayam jyOtirbhavati = Here this
puruSha becomes self luminous ( bru - 4-3-9.14 )

4) nahi vijnyAtuh vijnyAtEh viparilOpah vidyatE ( bru
- 4-3-30 ) = There is no disappearance of the
knowledge of the knower. When the term knower appears,
it has to be understood that 'to know' is an attribute
of Atma. It is the attribute or the dharma of the
dharmi ( the flowing knowledge or the dharma bhUta
jnAna ).

5) adha yO vEdadam jighrANIti sa Atma (
chandOgyOpaniShat - 8-12-4 ) = Then, who ever feels 'I
smell', this is Atma. ( about the dharma bhUta jnAna )

6) katama AtmEti. yO 2 yam vijnyAna mayah prAnEShu
hrudyantarjyOtih puruShah ( bru - 4-3-7 ) = Who is
soul?. He is that person who is luminous, near the
prANAs in the heart and wholly consists of knowledge.
( svarUpa of the soul - dharmi ).

7) ESha hi draStA srOtA ghrAtA rasayitA mamtA bOddhA
kartA vijnyAnAtmA puruShah ( Pra - 4 - 9 ) = He is the
one who sees, who hears, who smells, who tastes, who
thinks, who knows, who works and who is made up of
intelligence. This is talking about both the svarUpa
of Atma and his ability to know ( dharma ). This Sruti
rejects the arguments of both tArkiks saying Atma is
not jnAnam and of midhyAvAdIs saying that Atma is not
having jnAnam.

8) vijnyAtAramarE kEna vijAnIyat ( bru - 4-5-15 ) = He
is the knower. By whom, he is known?. ( dharma bhUta
jnAna ).

9) jAnAtyEvAyam puruShah = This person ( Atma ) surely
knows.

10) sa paShyO mrutyum paShyati na rOgam nOta duhkhatAm
( cha - 7-26-2 ) = Whoever sees ( that one ), he will
not see death, nor even sorrow. ( Here the dharma is
the ability to see or perceive ).

11) tasmAdyA EtasmAnmanO mayAt anyO2antara AtmA
vijnyAnamayah ( tai - 2-4-1 ) = Different from this
manOmaya is the soul who is wholly knowledge. (
svarUpa of Atma - dharmi ).

12) AtmAvA arE drusTavyaha srOtavyaha mantavyaha nidhi
dhyAsitavyaha ( bru - 6-5-6 ) Self is to be seen; to
be heard; to be reflected and to be steadily meditated
upon.

13) vignyAya prajnyAm kurvIta (  Bru - 6-4-21 ) -
After knowing ( upAsanA is to be done ) practice.

14)  jnyOta Eva ( Sha - 2 - 3-18 ) = Due to these
reasons only, soul is the knower.

Thus soul ( Atma ) is not only the knowledge. He is
the knower also.

Proofs :

1) Svayam prakAShatvam cannot exist without any
ASrayam ( support ). The self is knowledge and is the
ASrayam for knowledge.

2) The synonyms for jnAnam ( like samvit, anubhUti )
relate to karta or karma.

3) How can we say that the adjective or attribute (
jnAnam ) is satyam ( real ) and the possessor is
asatyam?. ( Some schools which do not accept
attributes to the jIva, do not accept his state as a
knower. )

Part2 )  ShAstra pramANAs regarding the classification
of jnAna as Dharmi and Dharma bhUta with respect to
IShvara :

ParaBrahma is not only jnAna svarUpa. He has jnAna and
all other virtues. He is not having any bad quality (
hEya guNa ).

1) nityO2nityAnAm chEtanaSchEtanAnAm EkO bahUnAm
yOvidadhAti kAmAn ( kathOpaniShat -5-13 )
He is nitya (eternal) in anityAs (temporary things).
He is AtmA for AtmAs, He is one in many. He is
fulfilling the desires

2) jnA jnOu dvAvajA vISha nIShou (
SvetASvatarOpaniShat - 6-7-8 )
There are two. One is paramAtma and the other one is
Atma. ParamAtma knows. Atma does not know. ParamAtma
is the controller. Atma is the controlled. Both are
not having the birth.

3) tamISvarANAm paramam mahESvaram
tam daivatAnAm param ca daivatam
patim patInAm paramam parastAt
vidAmadEvam bhuvanESha mIdyam (SvetASvatarOpaniShat )
He is the controller of the controllers. He is the
great God of Gods. He is the great ruler of rulers. He
is greater than the great. He is the Lord of the
worlds. He deserves praise. We are knowing (or
meditating) on that dEva.

4) sa tasya kAryam karaNam ca vidyatE
na tatsamaSchAbhyadhikaScha vidyatE
parA 2 sya Shakti rvividhaiva SrUyatE
svAbhAviKI jnAna bala kriyA ca ( SvEtASvatarOpaniShat
- 6-7-8 )
He need not do anything. He needs no instrument to do
anything. There is no one either equal to him or
greater than him. He has great power known in various
forms. His knowledge, strength and actions are very
natural.

5) AnandO Brahma
SvarUpa of Brahma is Ananda.

6) sa EkO BrahmaNah Anandah (taittarIyOpanishat - a -
8-1)
That is the unit of the Bliss of the Brahman. Here,
'Bliss of Brahman' means that Brahma is having Ananda
as his dharma.

7) vijnyAtAramarE  kEna vijAnIyAt ( Bru - 2-4-14) - He
is the knower and who will know him.

8) yah sarvajnah sarvavit (He knows everything by its
svarUpa as well as dharma)

I had to compile this mail in a hurry as I have to
catch a train now. Kindly forgive me for any
typographical or self made mistakes.
Jai Sriman Narayana
Maruthi Ramanuja Das









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