Essay name: Sankalpa Suryodaya of Venkatanatha (Critical Study)
Author:
R. Laxmi
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study of the Sankalpa Suryodaya—an allegorical Sanskrit drama by Venkatanatha, a distinguished philosopher-poet and dramatist of the Vishishtadvaita Vedanta tradition. This work of Venkata-natha (or, Vedanta Deshika). stands out for integrating allegory to convey moral and philosophical truths. The thesis examines its place in Sanskrit literature.
Chapter 5 - Philosophical doctrines
18 (of 28)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
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All Indwellership of the Lord is thus extolled "When Bhagavan is seen in the mirror
of the Vyāpaka - mantras which disclose His All - Pervasiveness, one will see that
the Universe (which we perceive with our senses) is absolutely dependent upon
Him for its existence, and continuance and, likewise, for its activity and the fruit or
result arising from it, since the Universe is supported and controlled by Him and is
also solely for the fulfilment of his purpose, one will understand that it is the body of
the Primeval Creator. By realizing this relationship of the Universe being the body
of the Creator, one is enabled to reach the heart of the Śrutis, which were not
composed by anyone and which have the deepest significance." 35
Also the Bhagvadgītā statement ते� विना तृणमपि � चलति [tena vinā tṛṇamapi na calati ] is illustrated in the
following verse:
"When the Lord does not permit, even the great storm of Pralaya, cannot
move a blade of grass. So also (when He does not permit) the fire at the end of the
Kalpa cannot consume the blade of grass. The other deitics are all below Him and
have their beginning and end and are subject to the pairs of opposites (heat and
cold, pleasure and pain etc.), Puruṣa now knows these truths and neither finds
pleasure in anything nor falls unto despair at anything." 36 This description signifies
the Lord as All-Controller. The Lord controls everything sportively. This idea is
brought out as below.
"The existence of all things mentioned below and other similar things, their
continuance and their activities are entirely dependent on the Lord's will and it is by
the encircling waves of His Leela that the wind blows strong, the stars move fast in
the sky, the fire burns, the ocean does not cause the earth to shake, and the earth
shows herself fit to bear things that move not and beings that move�.
37 35.
36.
37.
आधेयत्वप्रभृतिनियमैरादिकर्तु� शरीरं सत्तास्थेमप्रयतनफलेष्वेतदायत्तमेतत� �
विश्वंपश्यन्निति भगवत� व्यपकादर्शदृष्टे� गम्भीराणामकृतकगिरां गाहत� चित्तवृत्तिम� �
तृणोदं क्षेतु� प्रलयपवन� � प्रभवत� क्षमस्तन्निर्दग्धं यदनभिमतौ कालदहन� �
तदर्वाचस्सर्वानजहृदवधिदून्दूनियमान� विदन्नास� तृप्यत्य� � � विषादे निपतति �
[ādheyatvaprabhṛtiniyamairādikartu� śarīra� sattāsthemaprayatanaphaleṣvetadāyattametat |
viśvaṃpaśyanniti bhagavati vyapakādarśadṛṣṭe� gambhīrāṇāmakṛtakagirā� gāhate cittavṛttim ||
tṛṇoda� kṣetu� pralayapavano na prabhavati kṣamastannirdagdha� yadanabhimatau kāladahana� |
tadarvācassarvānajahṛdavadhidūndūniyamān vidannāsau tṛpyatyatha ca na viṣāde nipatati ||
] S.S. IX-32, p.774
S.S. IX-47, p.789
वायुर्दोधूयत� यद्यदयमुडुगण� बंभ्रमीति द्रुतं खे तेजो जाज्वल्यते यद्यदप� � जलधिर्माधवी� दोधवीति �
भूर्यद्व� बोभवीति स्थिरचरधृतये तच्च तादृक्� सर्व� स्वायत्ताशेषसत्तास्थितियतनपरब्रह्मलीलोर्मिचक्रम् ।। [vāyurdodhūyate yadyadayamuḍugaṇo baṃbhramīti druta� khe tejo jājvalyate yadyadapi na jaladhirmādhavī� dodhavīti |
bhūryadvā bobhavīti sthiracaradhṛtaye tacca tādṛkca sarva� svāyattāśeṣasattāsthitiyatanaparabrahmalīlormicakram || ] S.SIX 5, p. 751
