SrI: SrImathE satakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
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sUthram 31
சிலர், குணங்களுக்குே கர்த்ருத்வமுள்ளது, ஆத்மாவுக்கு இல்லையென்றார்கள்.
silar, guNangaLukkE karthruthvam uLLadhu, AthmAvukku illaiy enRArgaL.
Meaning
Some, namely the SAnkhyas, hold that agency (karthruthva) belongs only to the guNas (prakruthi) and not to the individual soul.
Explanation
Having established that karthruthva is natural to the soul, the author now presents the sAnkhya view in order to refute it.
The word “சிலர்” (silar) is deliberately used to indicate the author’s disregard for that doctrine.
According to the sAnkhyas, there is no essential difference between guNas and prakruthi. Therefore, instead of saying “prakruthi alone possesses agency,” the sUthram says “the guNas alone possess agency.”
Their doctrine describes prakruthi as: [in SrI bhAshyam]
मूलप्रकृतिर् नाम सुखदुःखमोहात्मकानि लाघवप्रकाशचलनोपष्टम्भनगौरवावरणकार्याणि अत्यन्तान्तरियाणि कार्येषु निरूपणविवेकानि अन्यूनानतिरेकाणि समतामुपेतानि सत्त्वरजस्तमांसि द्रव्याणि।
(mUlaprakruthir nAma sukha dhu:kha mOhAthmakAni lAghava prakASa chalanOpashtambhana gauravAvaraNa kAryANi athyanthAnthariyANi kAryEshu nirUpaNa vivEkAni anyUnAnathirEkANi samathAmupEthAni sathva rajas thamAmsi dhravyANi)
Thus they hold that the three guNas – sathva, rajas, and thamas—are responsible for all activity.
They further support their view using scriptural passages.
From the kata upanishadh –
न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चित्
(na jAyathE mriyathE vA vipaSchith)
“The conscious self is neither born nor does it die.”
Again:
हन्ता चेन्मन्यते हन्तुं हतश्चेन्मन्यते हतम् ।
उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ॥
(hanthA chEnmanyathE hanthum hathaSchEn manyathE hatham |
ubhau thau na vijAnIthO nAyam hanthi na hanyathE ||)
“If one thinks the self kills or is killed, both are ignorant; the self neither kills nor is killed.”
Since actions such as killing are denied of the self, they conclude that the self is not an agent.
They also cite the SrI bhagavath gIthA 14.19
नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति
(nAnyam guNEbhya: karthAram yadhA dhrashtAnupaSyathi)
“When one sees no doer other than the guNas…”
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते ।
पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥
(kArya kAraNa karthruthvE hEthu: prakruthir uchyathE |
purusha: sukha dhu:khAnAm bhokthruthvE hethu: uchyathE ||)
“prakruthi is said to be the cause of agency with respect to actions and instruments; the purusha is said to be the cause of experiencing pleasure and pain.”
Based on such statements, they argue that karthruthva belongs only to prakruthi (the guNas), while the soul possesses only bhOkthruthva (experiencership).
adiyen vAsudhEva rAmAnuja dhAsan
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