The limited freedom of the
individual is explained as follows. The concept of
anumantha
as
outlined in Sribhashya of Ramanuja and in the Gita means
that The Lord who is the inner self of all promotes the action
and aids it by granting permission. Ramnuja explains this
by the analogy referred to earlier.(see chapter2 section1) He is the
anumantha
as
no action is possible without the will of the Lord, good or bad. As to why
He allows bad actions has been explained
above.
Further Ramanuja says that the
allowance of an action on the part of one who has the power to stop
it is not necessarily due to hard-heartedness.
It is said in the scriptures that the puNya and pApa
consists of the actions like worship etc which please the Lord and the
actions that displease HIm are pApa. His grace and retribution are the
fruits of action resulting in joy and
sorrow.
'Paramapurusha aArAdhana
rupEkarmaNee puNyApuNyE;thadhanu grahanigrahAyatt hE cha thathphale sukah
duhkE'
Hence the Lord who has infallible will, with no
desires, omniscient omnipotent and of the nature of bliss etc. is the
dispenser of the fruits of actions and bestows on all beings the body and
other instruments to work out their karma, as effortlessly as a sport. There
is no question of cruelty or partiality in administrating justice. As the
punishment for a crime is to check the tendency of evil, so too His
retribution is for redemption, as it is said in the Bhagavatgita,
'thEshAm sathatha yukthAnAm bajathAm preethipurvakam
dhadhami buddhiyogam tham yEna mAm upayAnthi thE;thesham EvAnukampArTHam
aham ajnAnajam thamah nAsayAmyAthmabhAvas THah jnANadheepEna bhAsvathA.'
(BG.X-10-11)
The Lord says that He gives jnana to those who
resort to Him with devortion by destroying their darkness of ignorance out
of compassion by the light of wisdom. (SB.II-2-3)
This leads to the discussion of karma and krpa
and how the retribution is for rendemption
Dr.Saroja Ramanujam