16. The Internal Ruler

Adhyaya 1 Pada 2 - AdhikaraNa 5


The Internal Ruler is the Supreme Personality of Godhead


Introduction by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


ViShaya: BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad 3.7.18 says:


yaH pR^ithivyAM tiShThan pR^ithivyA antaro yaM pR^itivI na veda yasya pR^ithivI sharIraM yaH pR^ithivIm antaro yam ayaty eSha ta AtmAntaryAmy amR^itaH


"He who stays in the earth, who is within, whom the earth does not know, who is the ultimate proprietor of the earth and the body, and who, residing within, rules the earth, is the immortal Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in the heart."


SaMshaya: In this verse is the ruler who lives within the earth and other places pradhAna, the jIva, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

PUrvapakSha: The ruler within may be pradhAna because pradhAna resides within. The cause is always woven into the effect. The cause is the controller if the effect. (Because pradhAna is the cause of the earth, pradhAna must therefore be the controller within the earth also.) Because it gives happiness the pradhAna may be figuratively called AtmA (the great self), or because it is all-pervading it may also be figuratively called AtmA (the great self). Because it is eternal it may also be called amR^ita (eternal).

Or the ruler within may be a certaim jIva who is a great yogI. With the yogic powers of entering everywhere and becoming invisible at will a great yogI may become the ruler (within) and with this ruling power, the ability to become invisible, and other yogic powers, he may be called AtmA (the great self), and amR^ita (eternal) in the direct senses of the words without resorting to figurative language.

In this way the ruler within must be either the pradhAna or a jIva.

SiddhAnta: The conclusion follows.


SUtra 18


antaryAmy adhidaivAdiShu tad-dharma-vyapadeshAt


antaryAmI—the ruler within; adhidaiva—the elements; AdiShu—beginning with; tat—of Him; dharma—the nature; vyapadeshAt—because of the description.


The ruler who resides within the elements (is the Supreme Personality of Godhead) because His qualities are described (in this passage).


Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


The ruler within described in these words of BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why? The sUtra says tad-dharma-vyapadeshAt (because His qualities are described in this passage). The Supreme Person is described here because the qualities of the person described here, which include being situated within the earth and all other material elements, being unknowable, being the supreme controller, and being all-pervading, all-knowing, all-blissful, and eternal, are all qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.


SUtra 19

na ca smArtam atad-dharmAbhilApAt


na—not; ca—and; smArtam—what is taught in the smR^iti; atad—not of it; dharma—the qualities; abhilApAt—because of description.


The ruler within is not (the pradhAna, which is) described in the smR^iti, because the qualities (mentioned in this passage) cannot be attributed (to pradhAna).


Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


For these reasons it may not be said that the pradhAna, which is described in the smR^iti, is the ruler within. Why? The sUtra says atad-dharmAbhilApAt (because the qualities mentioned in this passage cannot be attributed to it.

The BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad (3.7.23) says:


adR^iShTo draShTA ashruto shrotA amato mantA avij{.sy 241}Ato vij~nAtA nAnyato .asti draShTA nAnayto .asti shrotA nAnyato .asti mantA nAnyato .asti vij~nAtaiSha ta AtmAntaryAmy amR^ita ito .anyat smArtam


"Unobserved, He is the observer. Unheard, He is the hearer. Inconceivable, He is the thinker. Unknown, he is the knower. There is no other observer. There is no other hearer. there is no other thinker. There is no other knower. he is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the eternal ruler within. (The pradhAna) described in the smR^iti is different from Him."


The list of qualities here, beginning with being the observer, may be attributed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead only.


SUtra 20


sharIrash cobhaye .api hi bhedenainam adhIyate


sharIraH—the jIva; ca—also; ubhaye—in bothe recensions; api—also; hi—indeed; bhedena—by the difference; enam—this; adhIyate—is read.


The ruler within is not a jIva because in both (recensions of the UpaniShad) the jIva is described as different from Him.


Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


The word na (not) from the preceding sUtra should be understood in this sUtra also. For the reasons already given it cannot be said that a jIva who is a great yogI is the ruler within. Why? The sUtra answers hi, which means "because," ubhaye (in both), which means "in both the KANva and MAdhyandina recensions of the UpaniShad," enam (He), which means "the ruler within," bhedena adhIyate (is described as different).

(The KANva recension gives) yo vij{.sy 241}Anam antaro yamayati (The transcendental knowledge that rules within) and (the MAdhyandina recension, gives) ya AtmAnam antaro yamayati (The Supreme Personality of Godhead who rules within). In both readings is a clear distinction between the ruler and the ruled. Therefore the ruler within is Lord Hari, the Personality of Godhead.

In the Subala UpaniShad the KaThas say: pR^ithivy-AdInAm avyaktAkSharAmR^itaAntAnAM shrI-nArAyaNo .antaryAmI (Lord NArAyaNa is the ruler within the earth and other elements, within the unmanifested pradhAna, and within the unchanging, eternal jIva).

The BrAhmaNas say: antaH-sharIre nihito guhAyAm (The Supreme Personality of Godhead stays in the heart of the jIva), aja eko nityaH (The Supreme Personality of Godhead is unborn, eternal, and one without a second), and yasya pR^ithivI sharIraM yaH pR^ithivIm antare sa~ncaran yaM pR^ithivI na veda (The earth is His body. He stays within the earth. The earth does not understand Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead).