SrI: SrImathE satakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
sUthram 32
அப்போது இவனுக்கு சாஸ்த்ரவச்யதையும் போ4க்த்ருத்வமும் குலையும்.
appOdhu ivanukku SAsthra vaSyathaiyum bhOkthruthvamum kulaiyum.
Meaning
If agency does not belong to the soul, then its subjection to scripture and its experiencership will both be lost.
Explanation
The sAnkhyas maintain that karthruthva belongs only to prakruthi (the guNas) and not to the individual soul. If that is accepted, two consequences follow.
First, the soul can no longer be subject to scriptural injunctions and prohibitions. The vEdhas prescribe actions only to one who is capable of acting. If the soul is not an agent, it cannot be the adhikAri of scriptural commands.
Secondly, its bhOkthruthva (experiencership) also collapses. Pleasure and pain arise from actions performed in accordance with or contrary to scriptural injunctions. If the soul is not the doer, it cannot become the experiencer of their results.
Hence it is said:[in pUrva mImAmsA]
शास्त्रफलं प्रयोक्तरि
(SAsthra palam prayOkthari)
“The fruit declared by scripture belongs to the performer.”
Likewise: [in uththara mImAmsA – brahma sUthram]
कर्ता शास्त्रार्थवत्त्वात्
(karthA SAsthrArthavathvAth)
“The soul must be an agent, since otherwise the purpose of scripture would become meaningless.”
Scripture itself enjoins action upon the one who seeks a particular result.
For example: [in yajur vEdham]
स्वर्गकामो यजेत
(svargakAmO yajEtha)
“One who desires heaven should perform sacrifice.”
The person who desires heaven is the very person commanded to perform the sacrifice.
Similarly:
मुमुक्षुर्ब्रह्मोपासीत
(mumukshur brahmOpAsItha)
“One who desires liberation should meditate upon brahmam”
Here too, the seeker of liberation is instructed to undertake the means.
Therefore, the one who enjoys the fruit (bhOkthA) must also be the one who performs the action (karthA).
If agency belonged only to the insentient pradhAna (prakruthi), scriptural injunctions directed towards conscious beings would become meaningless.
The commentators therefore state:
शासनाच्छास्त्रम्
(SAsanAch chAsthram)
“It is called SAsthram because it instructs and directs.”
Instruction (SAsana) can operate only upon a conscious being capable of understanding and acting. The insentient pradhAna cannot be instructed, taught, persuaded, or motivated.
Therefore, since scripture teaches, commands, and directs the conscious self, agency must belong to the conscious soul itself.
Keeping all these considerations in mind, the author concludes:
“அப்போது இவனுக்கு சாஸ்த்ரவச்யதையும் போக்த்ருத்வமும் குலையும்.”
appOdhu ivanukku SAsthra vaSyathaiyum bhOkthruthvamum kulaiyum
adiyen vAsudhEva rAmAnuja dhAsan
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