Semblances of the Soul: Jīva in the Introductions to the Saṃkalpasūryodaya and Śrīmadrahasyatrayasāra of Vedānta Deśika

Abstract Soteriology is a central subject in the prolific works of Vedānta Deśika, one of the foremost theologians of Śrīvaiṣṇavism. This essay examines his Saṃkalpasūryodaya (SS), an allegorical drama, and his Śrīmadrahasyatrayasāra (RTS), a pastoral theology. Introductions in Deśika’s works lay the foundations for the soteriological systems he expounds in the subsequent sections. The present study aims to examine Deśika’s contrasting depictions of jīva in these two works. In the SS, Deśika portrays the forces deluding jīva as malevolent agents subjugating a helpless soul. In the RTS, meanwhile, the agents hindering jīva’s path to liberation are benevolent, and liberation is said to be attainable through a combination of the soul’s autonomy, guidance, and God’s grace. This study contends that these modulations of agency belie Deśika’s tailoring of religious imagery to suit the soteriological content and polemic aims of each work. The SS’s introduction juxtaposes a helpless jīva with venerations of Vedāntic scripture, seemingly underscoring the drama’s aim to exclusively promote Deśika’s strain of scripturally enjoined prapatti (self-surrender). Meanwhile, the RTS’s greater emphasis on the soul’s agency anticipates a broader framework that accords soteriological parity to both prapatti and bhaktiyoga. This is, in turn, consistent with the RTS’s overall inclusivist project of reconciling Sanskrit and Tamil scriptures. The present study relies on the original-language versions of both texts. It analyses the SS in the Sanskrit and Prakrit, and the RTS in the Tamil, Sanskrit, and Maṇipravāḷam, a hybrid language that fuses Sanskrit with Tamil.