SrI: SrImathE satakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
sUthram 41
இதுதான் க்ருஹ க்ஷேத்ர புத்ர களத்ராதிகளைப்போலே ப்ருதக் ஸித்த்யாதிகளுக்கு யோக்யமாம்படியிருக்கையன்றிக்கே சரீரம்போலே அவற்றுக்கு அயோக்யமாயிருக்கும்.
idhuthAn gruha kshEthra puthra kaLathrAdhigaLaippOlE pruthak sidhyAdhigaLukku yOgyamAmpadi irukkaiyanRikkE SarIrampOlE avaRRukku ayOgyamAy irukkum.
Meaning
The soul’s relationship of SEshathva towards the lord is not like that of a house, land, son, wife and similar possessions, which can exist independently. Rather, it is like the relationship between the body and its indwelling self, where independent existence is impossible.
Explanation
A doubt
A doubt may arise.
A person possesses a house, land, son, wife and many other things, and all of these are said to be his SEsha (subordinate to him). Likewise, the body also belongs to him and is his SEsha.
If both are described as SEsha, in what way is the soul’s SEshathva towards the supreme lord different from the SEshathva of houses, lands and other possessions?
It is to remove this doubt that piLLai lOkAchAryar states this sUthram.
The meaning of “This”
The expression “இதுதான்” (idhuthAn) means:
“This very soul, which has just been established as the SEsha of the supreme lord.”
House, land, son, wife, etc.
The expression:
“க்ருஹ க்ஷேத்ர புத்ர களத்ராதிகளைப்போலே“
(gruha kshEthra puthra kaLathrAdhigaLaippOlE)
includes, by the word “Adhi” (etc.), wealth, grains, gardens, servants, maid-servants and all other possessions.
Meaning of pruthak-sidhdhi
The phrase
“ப்ருதக் ஸித்த்யாதிகளுக்கு“
refers to pruthak-sidhdhi.
pruthak-sidhdhi means the ability to exist independently, without requiring simultaneous existence (sahOpalambha niyama) with the owner.
A house can exist even if its owner is absent.
A field can remain even after the owner has departed.
Their existence is independent of a particular individual.
The word “Adhi” further includes another characteristic, namely being common to many persons (anEka sAdhAraNathva).
They can belong to many
A house, land, servant or maid-servant may successively belong to many different owners.
Likewise, a son serves many relationships simultaneously – father, mother, paternal uncle and others.
Similarly, a wife also has relationships recognised by the scriptures.
After marriage, the scriptures declare:
सोमः प्रथमो विविदे गन्धर्वो विविद उत्तरः ।
तृतीयोऽग्निष्टे पतिस्तुरीयस्ते मनुष्यजाः ॥
(sOma: prathamO vividhE gandharvO vividha uththara: |
thruthIyO’gnishtE pathis thurIyasthE manushyajA: ||)
Meaning:
“sOma first accepted her, then gandharva, then agni, and only thereafter did the human husband become her husband.”
Thus, even a wife is described as having relationships extending beyond merely one person.
Accordingly, all these are common (sAdhAraNa) forms of SEshathva.
The soul is not like them
The soul’s relationship with the supreme lord is not of this kind.
Instead, it resembles the relationship between the body and the indwelling self.
The body cannot exist independently of the self.
Nor can it belong equally to many selves.
Its existence is inseparably connected with one indwelling self alone.
Likewise, the individual soul is not fit to exist independently, nor is it fit to belong to anyone other than the supreme lord.
It is apruthak sidhdha (inseparable) and ananya arha (fit for no one else).
Alternative reading
Some texts read:
“ப்ருதக் ஸ்தித்யாதிகளுக்கு“
(pruthak-sthithyAdhigaLukku)
instead of pruthak-sidhdhi.
In that reading, the word Adhi includes independent manifestation (pruthak upalabdhi).
The meaning then becomes:
The soul is not like a house, land, son, friend or wife, which can remain separate and can also be separated from their owner.
Rather, like the body, it is incapable of both independent existence and independent separation.
The doctrine of SarIra–SarIri bhAva
This is precisely what bhAshyakArar teaches in the vEdhArtha Sangraham and the SrI bhAshyam:
अयमेवात्मशरीरभावः—पृथक्सिद्ध्यनर्हाधाराधेयभावः, नियन्तृनियाम्यभावः, शेषशेषिभावश्च।
(ayam EvAthma SarIra bhAva: pruthaksidhdhyanarha-AdhAra-AdhEya-bhAva:, niyanthru niyAmya bhAva:, SEsha SEshi bhAvaScha.)
Meaning:
“This alone is the relationship of body and indwelling self (SarIra-SarIri-bhAva): namely,
- the relationship of supporter and supported, in which separate existence is impossible,
- the relationship of controller and controlled,
- and the relationship between SEsha and SEshi.”
Again, bhAshyakArar states:
यस्य चेतनस्य यद् द्रव्यं सर्वात्मना स्वार्थे नियन्तुं धारयितुं च शक्यं तत् तच्छेषतैकस्वरूपं च तत् तस्य शरीरम्।
(yasya chEthanasya yadh dhravyam sarvAthmanA svArthE niyanthum dhArayithum cha Sakyam thath thach chEshathaika svarUpam cha thath thasya SarIram).
Meaning:
“Whatever entity can be completely controlled, supported and employed for the purpose of a conscious being, and whose very nature is SEshathva towards him, is that being’s body.”
Thus, the three relationships—
- niyanthru niyAmya bhAva (controller – controlled),
- AdhAra AdhEya bhAva (supporter – supported),
- SEsha SEshi bhAva (servant – master),
are all taught here.
Therefore, although not explicitly stated, the scripturally established doctrine that the individual soul is the body of the supreme lord, taught in Sruthi passages such as –
यस्यात्मा शरीरम्
(yasyAthmA SarIram)
and
यस्याक्षरं शरीरम्
(yasyAksharam SarIram)
is implied (arthAdh uktha) in this sUthram itself.
adiyen vAsudhEva rAmAnuja dhAsan
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