You are here: SriPedia - Oppiliappan - Archives - Apr 2006

Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00201 Apr 2006

 
Apr 2006 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


6.sarira-sariri bhava


        Sarira-sariri bhava is the key concept of Visishtadvaita. The 
vedanta sastra is known as saarirakasastra which indicates the sarira-
sariri sambhandha  advocated by Visishtadvaita. Ramanuja defines  
sarira as a substance which a sentient soul completely supports, 
aadhara-aadheya bhava, and controls, niyantha-niyaamya bhava for 
serving its own purpose and which is subordinate to the sentient 
soul, sesha--seshi bhava..

        The world of cit and acit  form the sarira of Brahman because 
they are supported, controlled and used by Brahman. The entry of 
Brahman into the cit and the acit in order to diversify them into 
name and form is supported by the sruti 'tadhaikshatha bahusyaam 
prajaayeya'  Hence they exist in an inseparable relation with Brahman 
similar to the body and soul. 

        Let me explain this. The body has no identity without the 
soul . So the soul is the supporter, aadhara and the body is the 
aadheya. Without the soul the body cannot function. Hence the soul is 
the controller, niyantha. The body exists for the soul and dependent 
on the soul  not vice versa as we imagiine! The last point may not be 
understood in the worldly sense but in spiritual aspect the soul 
takes the body to exhaust its karma and as soon as the karma for that 
particular embodiment is exhausted it leaves that body. So the soul 
is the seshi and the body is the sesha.

        Now Brahman being the antaryamin, the real self of all 
beings, everything other than Brahman form the sarira of Brahman. 
This concept is the pradhaanaparithanthra, the most important 
doctrine of Visishtadvaita. The inseparable relation, aprthaksiddhi, 
between the body and the soul is similar to that of substance and 
attribute which are inseparable. in the sense that one cannot exist 
without the other. So Brahman is the prakari and the world is the 
prakara, mode of Brahman. Hence all words that describe any sentient 
or insentient being has its connotation only with Brahman., their 
real and ultimate self.

        Ramanuja illusrtrates this by saying that the words cow, 
horse or man denote not their physical body but the sentient soul 
within their physical form. Since Brahman  is the real self of all 
beings all words connote only Brahman by saamaanaadhikaranya.

        The concept of  aprthaksiddhi emphasises both unity and 
difference between Brahman and jiva. The universe of finite and 
imperfect beings and the Brahman , infinite, truth and knowledge, 
form one organic whole. The entities which exist in  relation of 
aprthaksiddhi with each other are always cognised together as in the 
statement 'I am a human being.'  The unity here is not absolute but 
visishtaaikya.

        Sadvidya of the Chandogya is thus interpreted  in terms of 
the sarira- sariri  bhava by Ramanuja. Sadvidya states the cause of 
everything to be Brahman, by knowing which everythig else becomes 
known and this leads to the satkaaryavada, according to which both 
the cause and the effect are real.. Sat, Brahman, the only existence 
willed to become many and created the world of cit and acit, out of 
itself and entered into them to be their innerself and got 
differentiated into the world of names and forms. Brahman the case is 
real  its effect the world is also real because it arises from and 
ensouled by the infinite. Thus the sadvidya section of the Upanishd , 
the prormissory statement,'ekavijnaanena sarvavijnaanam' and the 
illustrations of mud , gold etc. therein imply only Brahman  to be 
the cause of the universe. 

        Ramanuja sums up the cosmological and ontological nature of 
Brahman in the Sribhashya thus: the terms satyam,  jnanam, anantham 
define the svarupa of Brahman as being distinct from everything else 
and the Brahman has already been shown as the cause of creation, 
sustenanace and annihilation by the causal statements of the sruti, 
yatho vaa imaani bhoothaani jaayanthe yene jaathaani jeevanthi yasmin 
abhisamvisanthi thadvijinjaasava thadbrahma'  Then Ramanuja proceeds 
to define Brahman and to show that Brahman is synonymous with Narayana


















------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing
http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/XUWolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 



[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list