When the Supersoul is a judge, how is he neutral? And how is his role reconcilable with deism?
Transcription: Shalini Ahluwalia Mataji
Question: In your article on the glories of the Gita you mentioned that the Supersoul is neutral and so the Supersoul conception is compatible with deism whereas “Bhagavan” is reciprocal and that is more compatible with theism. We know that the Supersoul is also a judge, so if he is a judge then how exactly is he neutral?
Answer: A judge can be neutral and still do the work of judgement, in fact the judge is expected to be neutral. Neutral is not the same as passive, passive means one who does not do anything. Neutral is one who does not favour anyone. A judge is expected to hear both the sides, the litigant side and the plaintiff side. Plaintiff side is the defendant side. And then give an unbiased judgement based on the evidence and the reasoning. So Supersoul is not passive but is neutral. Neutral in the sense that the Supersoul does not favour anyone. “Na me dvesyosti na priyah” – Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita 9th Chapter 29th verse he says, “samo ham sarva bhuteshu” – I am equal to all and I am not biased towards anyone. “Udaseen v???” – he is detached but at the same time he is also :upadrashta anumanta” – overseer and permitter – and he gives permission that is based on his judging. This person has done this karma therefore this person is sanctioned to this or not sanctioned to this according to this he permits or doesn’t permit. So the Supersoul’s neutrality is basically that he doesn’t take the sides of anyone. And now how is this conception reconcilable with deism ? In deism the idea is that God is the creator but not the controller. So if Krishna is the judge is he still the controller? Yes and No. Krishna is the controller in the sense as Supersoul he oversees everything but at the same time we must understand that the Supersoul is also transcendental. Supersoul doesn’t exist in the material world and Supersoul does not act directly at the material level. Supersoul controls everything but controls through the agents. And in that sense, those agents, what is happening at the level of personal agency from the point of view of the demi-gods that is seen to happen from our perspective, from the perspective of modern science today, as laws. So we may find that there are certain laws that there is a particular PVT (pressure-volume-temperature) balance and the shift when clouds are formed and the clouds shift from here to here and then the clouds come and give rains. So we may see this in terms of a mechanism and that vision is proper but it is not complete. So we may find certain laws, certain equations that describe the, say the, formation of clouds and the distribution of rains. Of course, the natural phenomenon may not be so precise that you can make specific universal equations to describe these things but still even if we assume that there are certain natural phenomena which are governed by precise mathematical laws, still the point remains that the laws require a force. First the laws have to be made by someone and then they have to be enforced by someone. So the enforcers are the demi-god agents of the Lord. And beyond them the Lord is there. So the Lord oversees material nature and he acts as a judge but he does not get involved Himself in things and because he does not get involved himself he remains transcendental. But because by his will things are happening so therefore it is said that he is still the judge. He is still the overseer and the permitter. The example is given that “chayayevyasya bhuvani ??? durga” – “chayeva” – Durga devi moves as if she is his shadow. “iccha anuroop ???” – “Iccha anuroop” – just by “iccha” it happens – “sahaichchitaha” – Prabhupada gives this example that when some guests come to the house the husband signals with the eyes and the wife brings the refreshments. So there is no contact directly between the husband and the wife but the wife carries out whatever the husband is desiring or suggesting. Similarly with respect to the Supreme Lord he doesn’t contact material nature and in that sense he is transcendental. But still he is in charge and it is his will which is executed. So the point of saying that this is reconcilable with deism is that at the material level there are laws and it is an error to mistake that just because there are laws that means there is no controller. When we say something is happening automatically it doesn’t mean there is no controller it simply means that we don’t perceive the controller and there may not be moment to moment operation of the controller required. But still there is a overseer and there is a person who set up the system. Just that it is not visible moment to moment to us. So the Supersoul is in charge but the Supersoul is not visible to the eyes and the Supersoul does not get directly involved with material nature, the Supersoul remains transcendental even by acting in the material world. In that way the Supersoul despite being a judge is still neutral.
Thank you, Hare Krishna !