SrI: SrImathE satakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
sUthram 39
தா4ர்யமாகையாவது அவனுடைய ஸ்வரூப ஸங்கல்பங்களை ஒழிந்தபோது தன் ஸத்தை இல்லையாம்படியிருக்கை.
dhAryamAgaiyAvadhu avanudaiya svarUpa sankalpangaLai ozhindhapOdhu than saththai illaiyAm padiyirukkai.
Meaning
Being sustained (dhArya) means that if the lord’s essential nature (svarUpa) and his divine will (sankalpa) were absent, the individual soul itself would cease to exist.
Explanation
The meaning of dhAryathva
The individual soul (AthmA) is called dhArya (that which is sustained) because the lord eternally sustains and governs all sentient and insentient beings.
The scriptures declare:
एष सेतुर्विधरणः [bruhadhAraNyaka upanishadh]
(Esha sEthurvidharaNa:) “bhagavAn, he is the bridge that serves as the boundary to keep the leelA and nithya vibhUthis distinct”.
एतत्सर्वं प्रज्ञाने प्रतिष्ठितम्
(Ethath sarvam pragyAnE prathishtitham) “This entire universe is established in supreme consciousness”.
एवमेव चास्मिन्नात्मनि सर्वाणि भूतानि सर्व एवात्मानः समर्पिताः[bruhadhAraNyaka upanishadh]
(Evam Eva chAsminn Athmani sarvANi bhUthAni sarva EvAthmAna: samarpithA:) “In the very same way, all entities, entirely, are centered in this supreme self”.
एतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ विधृतौ तिष्ठतः[bruhadhAraNyaka upanishadh]
(Ethasya vA aksharasya praSAsanE gArgi sUryAchandhramasau vidhruthau thishtatha:) “Under the mighty rule of this imperishable, Oh gargi, the sun and the moon are held in their positions”.
These passages establish that the lord is the eternal sustainer and ruler of all chEthana and achEthana entities.
Therefore, the soul is dhArya, because the lord alone is its niyamEna dhAraka (constant sustainer).
The two ways the lord sustains the soul
The soul depends upon the lord in two ways.
1. Through His Divine Essential Nature (svarUpa)
The lord’s dhivyAthma svarUpa is the cause for the very existence (saththA) of the soul.
2. Through His Eternal Divine Will (sankalpa)
The lord’s eternal will (nithya ichchA kArya sankalpa) is the cause for the continued existence (saththAnuvruththi) or sthithi of the soul.
Therefore, if his svarUpa and sankalpa were absent, the soul would lose its very existence (saththA hAni).
Further explanation by the abhiyukthar [vEdhAnthAchAryar]
The abhiyukthar explains this principle in greater detail.
The lord is the direct substratum (AdhAra) of:
- His own essential attributes (svarUpa nirUpaka dharmas),
- His auspicious qualities (guNas) which qualify his established nature.
Likewise, he is the immediate substratum of all entities other than himself.
The qualities of every substance depend upon that substance.
Similarly, every substance ultimately depends upon the lord.
Different views of the AchAryas
Regarding the bodies sustained by the individual souls:
- Some AchAryas explain that the lord sustains the body through the jIva.
- Other AchAryas explain that, while using the jIva as the medium, he himself directly sustains everything through his own essential nature (svarUpa).
Dependence of everything on the lord
Everything exists as an inseparable attribute (apruthak sidhdha viSEshaNa) of its substratum.
Therefore:
- the existence (saththA) of every attribute depends upon its substratum;
- Likewise, the existence of every entity depends upon the lord.
Thus,
- non-eternal entities (anithya) come into existence through his will;
- eternal entities (nithya) continue to exist through his eternal will.
The abhiyukthar [kUraththAzhwAn] summarize this principle as:
इच्छात एव तु विश्वपदार्थसत्ता
(ichchAtha Eva thu viSva padhArtha saththA)
“The very existence of all entities depends solely upon his will.”
Existence and continuance depend upon the lord
From this it follows that:
- the existence (saththA) of everything,
- and its continued existence (sthithi, or saththAnuvruththi),
are entirely dependent upon the lord’s will.
Hence, everything is ISvara sankalpASritha (dependent upon the lord’s divine will).
Scriptural illustration
The scriptures also declare:
द्यौः सचन्द्रार्कनक्षत्रा खं दिशो भूर्महोदधिः ।
वासुदेवस्य वीर्येण विधृतानि महात्मनः ॥
(dhyau: sa chandhrArka nakshathrA kham dhiSO bhUr mahodhadhi: |
vAsudhEvasya vIryENa vidhruthAni mahAthmana: ||) [SrI sahasranAma adhyAyam]
“The heavens, together with the moon, the sun, the stars, space, the directions, the earth and the great oceans are all sustained by the power of the great vAsudhEva.”
This teaches that the lord holds every object in its proper place by his divine will.
A doubt
A question may arise:
If the existence, continuance and activities of all things depend upon the lord’s will, what purpose does the lord’s essential nature (svarUpa) serve?
Resolution
The lord’s will itself establishes every entity as resting upon his essential nature.
Therefore every object is simultaneously:
- ISvara svarUpASritha (dependent upon the lord’s essential nature), and
- ISvara sankalpASritha (dependent upon his divine will).
Worldly illustration
The same principle is observed in worldly life.
A body depends upon the embodied self in two ways.
- It depends upon the very existence of the self (svarUpASritha).
- It also depends upon the will of the self (sankalpASritha).
When the self departs, the body immediately perishes. This demonstrates its dependence upon the self’s very existence.
During states such as sushupthi (deep sleep), when deliberate will is absent, the body’s continued existence clearly demonstrates its dependence upon the self’s existence.
During the waking state (jAgrath), however, the body is sustained and directed according to the person’s will. This demonstrates its dependence upon sankalpa.
This principle is explained in detail in the rahasya-thraya-sAram [by vEdhantha dhESikar].
adiyen vAsudhEva rAmAnuja dhAsan
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