[Advaita-l] Advaita Jnanavs Bhakthi

[Ramanan Subramanian]

On Sat, Aug 6, 2011 at 2:29 PM, Srikanta Narayanaswami <
srikanta.narayanaswami at yahoo.com> wrote:

> With reference to the above,It is said in this list by some that giving
> jnana also is under the governance of Ishwara.then,that means Ishwara is
> partial to some and not partial to some.Only if some prays to him he will
> give whereas he will not bestow to some who does not pray.Which means it is
> completely under his "Suzerainty".Like the present day leaders and
> politicians,or offices,only if one grease his palm he will give.That is too
> bad.should some one appoint a "Lokpal"or "Lokayukta"to check on Ishwara?
>

The above is incorrect. Shankara does assert that it is only by Ishvara
prasAda, jnAna leading to Moksha is possible.  Shankaracharya asserts it
very clearly in Gia 2.39:
कर्मबन्धः तं प्रहास्यसि ईश्वरप्रसादनिमित्तज्ञानप्राप्त्यैव इत्यभिप्रायः

and in BSB 2.3.41....

"But from the highest (Lord there result sa*m*sâra and moksha), because
scripture teaches that."

Commentary:

"Setting aside this primâ facie by means of the word 'but,' the Sûtrakâra
asserts 'from the highest.' For the soul which in the state of Nescience is
blinded by the darkness of ignorance and hence unable to distinguish itself
from the complex of effects and instruments, the sa*m*sâra-state in which it
appears as agent and enjoyer brought about through the permission of the
Lord who is the highest Self, the superintendent of all actions, the witness
residing in all beings, the cause of all intelligence; and we must therefore
assume that final release also is effected through knowledge caused by the
grace of the Lord.

"Why so?--'Because scripture teaches that.' For although the soul has its
own imperfections, such as passion and so on, for motives, and is furnished
with the whole apparatus of action, and although ordinary experience does
not show that the Lord is a cause in occupations such as ploughing and the
like, yet we ascertain from scripture that the Lord is a causal agent in all
activity. For scripture says, 'He makes him whom he wishes to lead up from
these worlds do a good deed; and the same makes him whom he wishes to lead
down from these worlds, do a bad deed' (Kau. Up. III, 8); and again, 'He who
dwelling within the Self pulls the Self within' (*S*at. Br. XIV, 6, 7, 30)."


The objection that it implies partiality on the part of the Lord is answered
by Shankara in the commentary to the next sutra.