thathva thrayam (Commentary) – sUthram 38

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SrI: SrImathE satakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama: 

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sUthram 38

நியாம்யமாகையாவது  ஈஶ்வரபு3த்4த்யதீ3நமாக எல்லா வ்யாபாரங்களும் உண்டாம்படியிருக்கை.

niyAmyamAgaiyAvadhu  ISvara budhyadhInamAga ellA vyApArangaLum uNdAm padiyirukkai.

Meaning

Being controlled (niyAmya) means that all activities take place under the direction and will of the lord.

Explanation

The term niyAmyathva means being governed by the lord.

The lord eternally remains as the antharyAmi (inner controller) and regulates the individual soul from within. This is taught in the antharyAmi brAhmana [subAlO upanishadh] –

य आत्मनि तिष्ठन् आत्मनोऽन्तरो यमात्मा न वेद ।
यस्यात्मा शरीरम् । य आत्मानमन्तरो यमयति स आत्मान्तर्याम्यमृतः ॥

(ya Athmani thishtan AthmanO’ntharO yam AthmA na vedha |
yasyAthmA SarIram | ya AthmAnam antharO yamayathi sa AthmAntharyAmi amruta: ||)

“He who stands within the self, whom the self does not know, whose body is the self, who from within controls the self – He is the inner controller, the immortal one.”

Since the lord eternally controls the soul from within, the soul is said to be niyAmya (that which is controlled).

Just as all the activities of the body take place under the direction of the embodied self (SarIri), so too all the activities of this soul, which is the body (SarIra) of paramAthmA, take place under the direction of paramAthmA, who is its SarIri.

Thus, all the activities of the soul occur under the will and direction of the supreme lord.

However, although the soul is thus dependent upon him, it is not like an insentient body that cannot act on its own.

The soul possesses as its natural attributes:

  • gyAthruthva (knowerhood), 
  • karthruthva (agency), 
  • bhOkthruthva (enjoyership). 

Therefore it is capable of acting through knowledge, desire, and effort.

The soul first acquires:

  • gyAna (knowledge), 
  • chikIrshA (desire to act), 
  • prayathna (effort). 

Thereafter, taking into account this initial effort (prathama-prayathna) of the soul, the lord grants His sanction (anumathi), and the action proceeds.

Therefore there is no contradiction to the scriptural injunctions and prohibitions (vidhi-nishEdha-SAsthram).

The soul acts with knowledge, desire, and effort, while the lord remains the inner controller who permits and regulates all activity.

Thus both truths stand together:

  • the soul possesses real agency, 
  • yet all its activities remain under the lord’s control. 

adiyen vAsudhEva rAmAnuja dhAsan

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