Who is the Doer - Man or God?

There is a philosophical puzzle or apparent contradiction: on the one hand, we have scriptural texts that say 'God is the ultimate controller, dwelling in the heart, so the jiva (individual soul) is not free' – and on the other hand, we have scriptures saying 'The jiva is indeed a free agent/doer and is responsible for its own actions.' The question is how to reconcile these two views without accusing God of being unjust or making the jiva's moral and spiritual efforts meaningless.

Scriptural sayings in support of individual doership

'yathakari yathachari tatha bhavati'

• As one acts, so one becomes.
• He who does good becomes good; he who does evil becomes evil.

'yajet juhuyad dadyad'

• Perform sacrifices, do oblations (homa), and give charity.
• These are direct scriptural injunctions that make sense only if the individual soul has the freedom and responsibility to carry them out.

'karta shastrarthavattvat'

• The jiva is (rightly) called the doer, because otherwise all scriptural injunctions (vidhi-nishedha) would become meaningless.
• In other words, if the individual were not a doer, there would be no point in the scriptures instructing people to do or avoid certain actions.

'na kartRtvam na karmani lokasya srijati prabhuh' (from the Bhagavad Gita)

• The Lord does not create (impose) doership or actions upon living beings.
• Rather than forcing jivas to act, God merely sanctions or provides the field; the jiva itself is responsible for its choices and therefore is the doer.

Scriptural sayings in support of ‘God is the ultimate controller’

Esh hyeva sadhu karma karayati tam yam emyo lokebhyo unninishate'

• 'He (Ishvara) indeed causes the good deeds to be performed by that person whom He wishes to uplift from this world.'
• The meaning is: Ishvara is the one who ultimately makes someone engage in virtuous action, especially those whom He intends to liberate.

'Yah atmani tishthan atmanam antaro yamayati'

• 'He who, being situated in the Self (as the inner controller), governs the Self from within.'
• This points to the notion of God as the antaryami (inner ruler) who directs from the inside, leaving no independent doership in the jiva.

'Ishvarah sarvabhutanam hrideshe Arjuna tishthati'

• 'O Arjuna, God (Ishvara) dwells in the hearts of all creatures.'
• This famous line from the Bhagavad Gita implies that Ishvara is intimately present in every being, guiding from within.

'Nanyo'to'sti drashta nanyo'to'sti shrota nanyo'to'sti manta'

• 'There is no other seer than He; there is no other hearer than He; there is no other thinker than He.'
• This statement comes from the Antaryami Brahmana in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. It conveys that only Ishvara (or Brahman) is ultimately the real 'seer', 'hearer', and 'thinker', leaving no room for an independently existing jiva.

If God is the actual doer and controller within all beings, then in what sense can we say the jiva has independent free will or doership?

Reconciling this puzzle

1. Two Levels of Reality (Paramarthic vs Vyavaharic)
• Paramarthic (Absolute) level: In the highest truth, only the Self or Brahman exists. There is no real doer or doing, just the One Reality. At this ultimate level, it is correct to say 'God alone is everything, and the jiva is not an independently existing agent.'
• Vyavaharic (Relative) level: In ordinary day-to-day life (the realm of ignorance), we do experience ourselves as doers, making choices, taking responsibility for actions, and reaping their results. In that sense, the jiva has free will and is accountable.
• By understanding that both statements are true at different levels, we avoid contradiction.
2. The Role of Ignorance and Knowledge
• When people are unaware of the higher truth, they see themselves as separate individuals, making decisions and undergoing various consequences. In that condition, it is meaningful to talk about free will, doership, and the need to follow scriptural guidelines (what is called 'karmakanda').
• As knowledge (jnana) dawns and one begins to see the unity of all existence, the sense of individual doership fades, and one recognizes that 'God alone is the doer.' No contradiction remains because from that perspective, the separate jiva itself disappears.
3. God Sanctions but Does Not Force
• Another angle says that God pervades everything and sanctions karmic results, but He does not forcibly push the jiva into good or bad deeds. Rather, each jiva, under the sway of its own past karma and desires, freely chooses, and God enables the results to occur according to universal law.
• This absolves God from partiality or cruelty, because He is more like the impartial sustainer of the cosmic justice system (karma-phala data), rather than a manipulator.
4. Illustration of the 'Wooden Elephant in the Mirror'
• Yoga Vasishta uses an example of a wooden elephant reflected in a mirror: If we look at the mirror from different angles, it will look as if the elephant also has changed positions or is alive. It is obvious that it is just a piece of wood; one might say 'nothing is really happening at all – it is just the mirror itself!'
• Likewise, the puzzle about whether 'God is the doer or the jiva is the doer' depends on how you are looking. Are you looking from the viewpoint of worldly transactions? Then you say 'the jiva is the doer and is responsible.' Are you looking from a deeper philosophical insight? You say 'God is the one reality, so there is no separate doer.' Look even deeper still, and you see that neither 'God' nor 'jiva' nor 'action' is ultimately real – only the unchanging consciousness remains.
5. Scriptural Context: Paths for Different Temperaments
• Many scriptures contain teachings that seem conflicting because they serve seekers at different stages.
• For someone who has not yet realized Brahman, it is necessary to see oneself as an agent responsible for one's choices. This motivates ethical living and spiritual practice.
• For a more advanced seeker who sees unity, talk of the jiva's doership might seem superficial, leading to discussions of 'God alone is all.'

In sum, different ways of answering the jiva/God doership question usually boil down to pointing out different standpoints—worldly vs spiritual, ignorance vs enlightenment—and clarifying that in the ultimate vision, the contradiction vanishes. Meanwhile, from the standpoint of everyday life, it is good and necessary to consider ourselves doers so that we take responsibility and practice virtue.

Hence, the scriptures advocate both positions without contradiction, each at the right level, for the right purpose.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi