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Jagadish Chandra Chatterji
Hindu Realism
B—The Synthetic Aspect
Hierarchy of Beings—Created by Adrishta or Worth.
5. But as Adrishta always means relation, a higher or lower Adrishta, leading to a higher or lower situation, is nothing but a relation of a higher or lower order. This again can only mean a relation either of controlling or of being controlled.
And as birth in any grade or order is merely the result of Adrishta of one kind or another, to be born in a higher or lower grade, really means either to have control over, or be controlled by, others; just as in human life to be placed in a higher or lower position means to have power over, or be controlled by, others.
And so it happens that, owing to the working of Adrishta, all the experiencing beings, in a system or Universe, are brought into direct or indirect relation with one another and are arranged in a hierarchical order in which the higher orders control the lower.1 In this hierarchy of beings, it is obvious, the highest is that which has control overall; and it can get to that position, as is also obvious, as a result of its own Adrishta, while the other beings occupy their respective places according to theirs.
Hierarchy Produces System and Unity.
This gives unity to the multiplicity and infinite variety of beings, and of the things, under their control—and all things are under the control of, and serve as means of experience for, some being or beings. And as it gives unity to the multiplicity, it makes of the latter a single system and an organic whole.
Footnotes
1. The idea of a hierarchy is most common. That is how lndra, for instance, is spoken of as Devaraja.
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