[Advaita-l] Discussion on sAxI and sAxyam

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

On Fri, 3/21/14, Venkatesh Murthy <vmurthy36 at gmail.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Discussion on sAxI and sAxyam
 To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 Date: Friday, March 21, 2014, 8:17 AM
 
 Namaste
 
 Clear explanation. Thank you.
 
 But sometimes Ishwara is also called Sakshi. Is this
 correct? If he is
 giving Karma Phala to all he is also doing some Karma. We
 have to admit
 Karma Phala is coming from Ishwara otherwise it will not be
 according to
 Adi Sankara's Sutra Bhashya. Then how can Ishwara be a
 Witness only?
 
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Shree Venkatesh Murthy - PraNAms and thanks for your kind comments.

Iswara is called sAkshI in the sense he does not participate in the actions of jiivas while he is present as karanam kaaranam kartaa, etc. In Geeta 13th Ch. Krishna says - upadraShtaanumata ca bhartaa bhoktaa etc. He is essentially standing behind yet not accountable for actions since jiiva has the will power to do or not to do or to do another way. Hence is is karma adhikaari and is accountable. Iswara give the results impartially depending the action and the motivation behind the action. In that sense he is Witness.

However from advaitic perspective He is sat chit ananda saruupa only and thus witnessing consciousness witnessing the activities of all jiivas.

Hari Om!
Sadananda