SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama: SrI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
When asked “Though bhagavAn reveals SAsthram out of great concern towards chEthanas who are bound by the three qualities (sathva, rajas, thamas), if he reveals the bandhaka SAsthrams too which ordain the goal and means according to their taste, will they not be drowned in samsAram?” nAyanAr says that even those are stepping stones for their liberation eventually.
chUrNikai 15
adhu thAnum Asthikya vivEka anyaSEshathva svasvAthanthrya nivruththi pArathanthryangaLai uNdAkkina vazhi
Simple Explanation
Even that is a way organised by bhagavAn in a step by step manner through Asthikya (becoming theistic), vivEka (knowledge to discriminate), anyaSEshathva nivruththi (elimination of subservience to others), pArathanthrya (total dependence).
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
That is – Instead of revealing SAsthram which leads to mOksham only, bhagavAn reveals SyEnavidhi (black magic rituals) etc which lead to bondage. This is because,
- If mOksham is ordained to those who have abundance of thamas (ignorance), are atheistic (not having faith in SAsthram) and going around harming others for the purpose of accumulating wealth, they will not like that; hence, he ordains them SyEnavidhi which causes harm to others as said in Apasthamba sUthram “SyEnEna abhicharan yajEtha” and as they see the benefit in engaging it, they become theistic (having faith in SAsthram) and accept that SAsthram is present, by bhagvAn’s effort.
- After such a person becomes theist, bhagavAn ordains him goals such as svarga (heaven) etc and their means, as said in “jyOthishtOmEna svarga kAmO yajEtha” (One who desires to reach svarga should engage in jyOthisthOma). Through this, the person gets to know the difference between prakruthi (matter) and AthmA (soul), by bhagvAn’s effort.
- After such a person knows the difference between prakruthi and AthmA, bhagavAn shows him the means for enjoyment of AthmA (self). Through this, AthmA acquires anyaSEshathva nivruththi (abandoning servitude towards everyone else other than bhagavAn), by bhagavAn’s effort.
- Through this, bhagavAn shows the greatness of enjoying bhagavAn and the means for that, i.e. bhakthi yOgam. Through this, the elimination of independence happens, by bhagavAn’s effort,
- Subsequently, when such a person becomes weak thinking about the difficulty in pursuing other upAyams etc, bhagavAn engages such a person in prapaththi which means giving up one’s efforts. Through this, he acquires pArathanthryam which is the true state of the self.
- In this manner, bhagavAn arranges the setup, such that they can progress in a step-by-step manner.
In this manner, from chUrNikai 11 “ivai kittamum vEttuvALanum …“, up to here, the following aspects were explained.
- The effects of AthmA’s relationship between achith (matter) and ayana (bhagavAn) which are the ultimate states in the cause for samsAra and mOksha,
- in these, relationship with achith is temporary but with ayana is permanent.
- The relationship between bhagavAn and AthmA is the reason for revealing SAsthram
- In that, instead of just revealing SAsthram which leads to mOksham, he reveals SAsthrams which lead to bondage as well, due to being the mother of all, as per the taste of chEthanas.
- Subsequently even those SAsthrams will lead him to liberation, in a step-by-step manner.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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