World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 741

is indeed a doer. The cultivation leads to liberation; liberation does not spring from a vacuum. The moksa, comes as a culmination of the jīva's sustained efforts through lives, which is a matter of universal testimony. The agency of the jīva is real in both the states, the life here and hereafter. The next sūtra vyapadeśāt ca kriyāyām na cet nirdeśa viparyayath (II.3.36) Since the statement ātmānameva lokamupāsīt (Brihadāranyaka Upanişad 1.4.15) is clearly made, if the jīva is not a doer, the entire injunction would be futile. Also, the word atmanam is in the accusative and thus the object of cultivation and the subject, jīva must be the upāsaka or sādhaka, the spiritual cultivator. When one closely reads the relevant upanișadic passage, one realizes how the jīva has to be a knower of God, loko (the luminous one) and work out his salvation. If all this is taken into account, it is impossible to deny real agency to the jīva.
After affirming that the jīva is also a doer, the next three sūtras explain in what sense is God said to be the sole doer, Iśvarasyaiva Kartstvam, even when retaining the doership of the jīva. In a very telling analogy, the sūtra Upalabdhivad aniyamah (II.3.37) shows how the jīva's doing is perpetually imperfect. The bhāssya interprets the sūtra : yathā jñāne idam jnāsyāmi iti aniyamah pratīyate, evam karmanyapi jīvasya.12 As a jīva can never say confidently "I will certainly know this much, in the same way, he can never say "I will perform this action" (with absolute perfection).13 Human actions-are congenitally crippled by imperfection and indecision. It is almost invariably, the case of 'Man proposes, God disposes'. The sankalpa, the decisions, the targets are hardly fulfilled since he happens to be asvatantra, never a total master. The jīva can do as far as he goes, but he never goes far enough. Bșihadāranyaka Upanişad (3.7.1) says ya atmānam antaro yamayati, who controls the jīva from within, meaning thereby that the operations of the jīva are controlled, guided, by God, of course, as per the intrinsic substance of the jīva. The next sūtra clarifies further the jīva's handicap, saktiviparyayāt (II.3.38) by a kind of reversal, faltering of strength, the goal is never perfectly reached. Madhyāchārya glosses the sutra, alpaśaktitvāt jīvasyal4 because of the scantiness of human strength. Jayatirth further elucidates the statement by saying, īśvarasya pūrņasaktivāt svātantryam, jīvasya tadviparyayāt asvātantryam pratīyate iti bhāvah. God is omnipotent and so free. Jiva is otherwise, and so experiences his lack of freedom. The next sūtra, samādhānābhāvāt ca (II.3.39) which Madhvāchāıya glosses, samādhanabhāvāt ca asytāntryam pratīyate.16 The jīva experiences his dependence since he is never fully satisfied with what he accomplishes. Jayatirtha explains further that God has no problem with satisfaction since he is pūrnakāma, one whose desires, intents are fully satisfied.17 One may glance at the Taittiriya Upanișadic statement here : Yadvai tat sukrtam, raso vai sah (II.7.1) : what He has made is well done, He is quintessential bliss, which contrasts with the congenital anxiety of the jīva.
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