[Advaita-l] Question on BG 4.21

Murali Karamchedu murali_m_k at msn.com
Wed Dec 15 19:31:42 CST 2004


Dear List Members,

I have a question on Sankara's commentary for this verse (begining with 
nirAshIryatacittAtmA...). He says:

cittam. ant:karaNam. AtmA bAhya: kAryakaraNasam.ghAta:

Is there a reason that he specifically qualifies AtmA in this particular 
way? I tried to understand it by eliminating this qualification and ended up 
with this meaning - one who has restrained his cittA(no confusion here) and 
the AtmA. This lead me to the question, what does it mean to say one who 
restrains the AtmA? So, the qualification could mean, the AtmA, in avidyA, 
as the kAryakaraNasam.ghAta:, which in this sense is bAhya:. This has in 
turn lead me to two more questions:

1. Is one to understand therefore, that the complex of action and its 
results is a defining characteristic of this AtmA as the jIvAtmA?

2. Why would this not be a more appropriate qualification of cittA itself? 
or for that matter the sukshma sharIra rather than the AtmA?

Thanks!

-Murali Manohar





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