Essay name: Srikara Bhashya (commentary)
Author: C. Hayavadana Rao
The Srikara Bhashya, authored by Sripati Panditacharya in the 15th century, presents a comprehensive commentary on the Vedanta-Sutras of Badarayana (also known as the Brahmasutra). These pages represent the introduction portion of the publication by C. Hayavadana Rao.
Page 598 of: Srikara Bhashya (commentary)
598 (of 953)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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.742 INTRODUCTION 537 it is said that karma is subordinate to I艣vara's prompt-
ings, that I艣vara is its prompter, and that karma itself
(which prompts action) is eternal (an膩di) and that the
result of actions done by both classes of j墨vas goes to none
other than I艣vara, then the answer is "It is not so". Be-
cause the jivas unlike I艣vara, though devoid of all knowledge
and all power, yet they are not as lifeless as ghata and pata
and are not ja岣峚padarthas (motionless matter). But still as
a servant behaves towards his king in his subordination, and
acts agreeably to the king's commands, though his power of
action within the pale of a servant cannot be denied to him;
in the same manner, within the pale of their subordinate
position, even though their liberty of action be
very small,
j墨vas do enjoy the effects of their actions resulting in punya
and papa. The Sruti texts Jyotisht艒m膿na svargak膩m艒
yaj膿ta; Karmachit艒 l艒ka岣� kshiyate, punyachit艒 l枚ka岣�
ksh墨yat膿 Par墨kshya l艒k膩n karmachit膩n Br膩hma峁嚺� nirv膿da-
m膩y膩t; Satyam vada dharmam chara, 743 etc., and hundreds
of others similar to them declare clearly that the jiva
is one having some small right to action (kinchit
kartrutva), some small knowledge (kinchid gnanatva), and
possessing a body fettered in eternal subordination (kinchit
kartrutva, kinchid gnanatva baddh膩n膩ditva sar墨ra岣�). Sruti
texts like Iksha峁嚹乨i prav膿艣膩ntam srishtiris膿na kalpit膩
J膩grad膩di prapanchasya srishtir j墨v膿na kalpit膩 | iti, etc.,
clearly state that beginning from the time the jiva desired
to view the world, etc., until the jiva enters the final stage
(墨ksha峁嚹乨i prav膿艣膩ntam), his creation rested in the respon-
sibility of Isa.
Thereafter his (the jiva's) wakefulness
(j膩grati), etc., (i.e., after he came into the world) was of his
own responsibility. This shows clearly that jivas have their
part of kartrutva, though it is minute in its character. The
Sun whose action results in the day dawning and the night
following and also the actions of pa艣u, pakshi and mriga
and the smaller creatures such as insects, etc., have
within their own sphere their independence of action,
742 Mund. Upa., I. 2. 12.
743 Taitt. Upa., I. 15.
