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From: Mani Varadarajan (mani_at_be.com)
Date: Fri Sep 04 1998 - 13:54:41 PDT
Sri Ananta Padmanabhan wrote:
> nArAyaNA is the "antaryAmI" of jIvAtmA means that He controlls
> it as if someone inside it will control it. He needn't be
> physically inside an entity for Him to function as "antaryAmI".
Dear Ananta Padmanabhan,
Isn't this a very forced interpretation? I understand
the definition of SarIra (body) you wrote. This is what
Ramanuja proposes in the Sribhashya. Ideally, don't you
think Brahman is best the "AdhAra" of a substance by
pervading it? Therefore, shouldn't the antaryAmi (inner
controller) pervade the subtlest of substances,
including the jIva?
On the basis of this idea and many statements from the Veda,
I tend to think that Brahman indeed does pervade even the
jIvAtmA. I realize the jIvAtmA is aNu (atomic); however,
Brahman is described by Vedanta as "aNOr aNIyAn" -- subtler
than the subtlest.
In other places, the upanishads teach:
"Atmany evAtmAnam paSyet" -- one should see the (Highest)
Self within one's own self.
"ya Atmani tishTan" -- [Brahman is] that which stands
within the individual self
and the Brahma Sutras as well
"avasthiter iti" -- [Brahman] exists within.
How would these be explained otherwise?
Mani