Need help on Gita chapter 13 verse 22

Question

It is mentioned in Gita ch. 13 verse 22, that the supreme purusha (paramatma) is a upadrashta (witness), anumanta (permitter), bharta (supporter) and bhokta (experiencer).

I agree that It is a witness, but how can It be at the same time, a permitter and experiencer? 

If paramatma is actionless and simply remains as a witness, (as per advaita) then how does it permits and experiences? 

Swami ChidbhavaNanda (an advaitin) mentions in his gita commentary, that the paramatma witnesses the activities of the jivatman, knows them in their true perspective and permits those activities which are good for the progress of the jivatman.

But according to advaita, the paramatma IS the jivatman, then why would IT permit ITSELF? ...  Also being an actionless entity why would the paramatma experience or feel the world?

Can someone please explain these things to me. Thanks.

Answer 1

The paramatma is the witness. However, it may be thought of as permitter, supporter and experiencer because a jiva experiences everything due to the presence of the atman in him.

Thus the transmigratory existence of the Purusha is due to want of discrimination with respect to Prakriti, and not by itself. To bring this out the essential nature of the Purusha is being set forth: The supreme Purusha, etc. Though the Purusha resides in this body, which is a product of Prakriti, yet it is supreme, quite different from it, that is to say, it is not associated with its qualities. The reasons are: Because it is called the Onlooker, being a distinct entity, it only watches as a bystander, i.e., a witness; similarly the Permitter, it helps by the mere presence like one who approves. .............

Srimad Bhagavad Gita 13.22 with the gloss of sridhar Swami translated by Swami Vireswarananda

Answer 2

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्।

कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु।।13.21।।

Because purusa (enjoyer, jiva) obtains in prakrti, (he) enjoys the attributes born of prakrti. His attachment to the attributes is the cause for births in higher and lower wombs.

Since the identification of the puruṣa, due to ignorance, with the modifications of the gunas, is called samsara, it is clear that samsara does not belong to the purusa who is atma. Prakrti cannot have samsara because it has no bhoktrtva. Only atma can be a bhokta, because it alone is conscious; but being asanga and nirguna how does atma become the bhokta with reference to the gunas of prakrti? It is only because of identifying himself with them due to avidyā. The negation of samsara takes place when this false identification resolves in the wake of knowledge.

Therefore, knowledge of the purusa is necessary and that is given in the following verse.

उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः।

परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः।।13.22।।

Here Sankara writes in his commentary as

प्रवृत्तान् स्वव्यापारेषु तत्साक्षिभूतः कदाचिदपि न निवारयति इति अनुमन्ता। - He is the anumanta because, when the body and organs are engaged in their own functions, He remains as a witness and never dissuades them.

It does not stand opposed to anything but is the great permitter, the one who does not resist at all. If the mind is restless dtma will light up the restlessness. When the mind is pleased, it will light up the pleased mind. It is not against any condition because its nature is luminosity like the Sun.

भरणं नाम देहेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धीनां संहतानां चैतन्यात्मपारार्थ्येन निमित्तभूतेन चैतन्याभासानां यत् स्वरूपधारणम्? तत् चैतन्यात्मकृतमेव इति भर्ता आत्मा इति उच्यते। - Bhartā is the one who sustains. The body, mind and senses exist and are conscious due to ātmā. The eyes function as instruments of sight and the ears as instruments of hearing because of ātmā. It gives existence not only to this body but to the entire prakrti. That prakrti, which is the cause of everything, is sustained by the purusa who is caitanya-ātmā. This consciousness is the sustainer of not only this body-mind-sense complex but of the entire creation.

Bhoktā means the one who finally enjoys everything, being the very svarupa of the bhoktā. If ahamkāra is the bhoktā, purusha is the one that sustains that bhoktā. Another meaning is, the one who devours everything, samharana-kartā. Everything is dissolved in deep sleep, except purusha and also at the dissolution of the entire creation, everything is resolved into the purusha. All the names and forms are resolved into the prakrti-upadhi, which is rooted in the purusa. Therefore, purusa is called bhoktā, the devourer, samharana-kartā.

Hope this helps