Dramidopanishat Prabhava Sarvasvam 10

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Narayana as the Supreme Controller

Bhagavad Rāmanuja identifies the Supreme Brahman manifest as Periya Perumāḷ in Srirangam as the supreme controller of all sentient and non-sentient entities.

Sriranga Gadyam starts off with

“svādhīna-trividha-cetanācetana-svarūpa-sthiti-pravrtti-bhedam”.  

Nārāyaṇa is the supreme controller of the souls (cetana) and the non-sentient universe (acetana).

Namperumal – The Highest Truth, The One Governor of Universe

It is because of the immanence of Nārāyaṇa that the souls are souls and the universe is universe.  Their existence and nature (svarūpa) is subordinate to His will.  It is due to the protection of Nārāyaṇa that the universe and individuals are sustained (sthiti) in the current form.  The actions (pravrtti and inertness – nivrtti) of all beings are subordinate to the divine will of Nārāyaṇa. The nature, the existence and the functioning of the universe and individuals are ruled by Nārāyaṇa.

This idea is expressed in several places in the Vedas, notably in the Upanishad sections, as well as in other authoritative works of the sages.  Though it is easy to find several sections that match the words of Swami in import, it is hard to find sections that also match them in presentation.

 

Azhvar – The guiding force behind the works of Svami Ramanuja

   That the svarūpa, sthiti and pravrtti of all cetana and acetana entities are subject to His will can be found in Tiruvāymozhi, sequenced in the same order as presented by Swami.

The portion of Tiruvāymozhi that is relevant here is the first decad of the first centum.

 

 

 

svarūpa

The fourth hymn is,

nām-avan-ivan-uvan avaḷ-ivaḷ-uvaḷ-evaḷ

tām-avar-ivar-uvar aduv-idu-vudu-vedu

vīmavai ivaiyuvai avainalam tīṅgavai

āmavaiyāy avaiyāy ninḍṛa avare

All the individuals and objects of the universe known to us as I, he, she, it, they, these, those, etc, owe their existence and nature to the Lord.

Narayana as svādhīna-trividha-cetanācetana-svarūpaḥ

Swāmi Thirukkurugaippirān Piḷḷān explains,

“vividha-nirdeśaṅgaḷālē nirdiśyamāna samasta-vastukkaḷinuḍaiya svarūpam bhagavad-adhīnam enḍṛu sollugiradhu“.  

It is said that the existence and nature of all real entities known to us by various references are subordinate to the will  of the Auspicious Lord.

sthiti

The fifth hymn is,

avar-avar tamatamadu aṛivaṛivagaivagai

avar-avar iṛaiyavar ena aḍi aḍaivargaḷ

avar-avar iṛaiyavar kuṛaivilar iṛaiyavar

avar-avar vidhivazhi aḍaiyaninḍṛanare

Differing in the level of realization of the truth, individuals seek various fruits by worshiping several gods.  They will certainly attain the fruits in accordance to the consequence of their actions.  This is because Nārāyaṇa resides in their gods and is ultimately worshipped by their actions.  He bestows the fruits through the gods worshipped by them.

Narayana as svādhīna-trividha-cetanācetana-sthitiḥ

Swāmi Piḷḷān explains,

“sarvakarma-samārādhyanāy sakala-phala-pradanāyirukkaiyāle jagadrakṣaṇamum tad-adhīnam engiradhu”.

 As He is worshipped by all actions and is the bestower of all fruits, the hymn says that the sustenance/protection of the universe is also governed by His divine will.

pravrtti

The sixth hymn is,

ninḍṛanar irundanar kiḍandanar tirindinar

ninḍṛilar irundilar kiḍandilar tirindilar

enḍṛum oriyalvinar ena ninaivariyavar

enḍṛum oriyalvoḍu ninḍṛavem tiḍare

The Supreme Person revealed by authoritative scriptures surpasses the scope of the mind and senses, and is the governor of all activity and inertness seen in the universe.

Narayana as svādhīna-trividha-cetanācetana-pravrttiḥ

Swāmi Piḷḷān explains this hymn as

“cētanācētanātmaka samasta vastukkaḷinuḍaiya samasta pravṛtti nivṛttigaḷum paramapuruṣa-saṅkalpādhīnam enḍru sollugiradhu”.  

The divine will of the Supreme Person governs the activity and inertness of all objects including sentient and non-sentient entities.

In summary, the three hymns state that the svarūpa, sthiti and pravṛtti of all real entities are governed by the divine will of Nārāyaṇa.  It can be seen that Svāmi Rāmānuja follows not only the import but also the order of these hymns when he says

“svādhīna-trividha-cetanācetana-svarūpa-sthiti-pravrtti-bhedam”.

adiyen ranganatha ramanuja dasan

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