Free Will and the Will of Isvara (Pancadasi 6:174-179 with Commentary by Krishnananda)

174. The meaning of the expression ‘The Lord makes them revolve by His Māyā,’ is that the Lord by his power of Māyā becomes involved in the intellect-sheath, and seems to change with the operations of the intellect. 

175. The same meaning is expressed by the Śruti saying that the Lord is called the inner controller. By applying this reason one can come to the same conclusion with regard to the physical elements and all other objects.

176. ‘I know what is virtue, but my inclination is not mine to practise it ; I know what is vice, but my desisting from it is not mine but His. I do as I am prompted by some god seated in my heart.’

177. From the above verse do not think that individual efforts are not necessary, for the Lord transforms Himself as those efforts. (see Note 1)

178. This theory does not contradict the idea of the Lord prompting every thing, for one who has known Īśvara to be the controller of things knows his Self as non-attached. (see Note 2)

179. Both the Śruti and the tradition declare this knowledge of the non-attachment of the Self to be the cause of release. (see Note 3)

~Pancadasi 6: 174-179 (tr-Swahananda

Notes

1. We should not say that there is no free will, because it is the will of Ishvara that works as free will in individuals. When the universal will of Ishvara passes through the human individuality, through the medium of the intellect of the individual, it becomes effort. The manner in which Ishvara’s will works through you or me is called effort. So there is effort, and yet that effort is propelled by Ishvara’s will. Unless He wills, even effort is not possible.

2. The effort of human individuals does not in any way limit the omnipotence of Ishvara. It does not mean that we have free will and we can do whatever we like, contradicting the original will of Ishvara. That is not possible. The original will is the final determining factor, and our free will is a concession given only to the extent of the ability exercised by our reason; beyond that, the free will also is absent. It is a limited freedom.

3. The moment we realise the dependence of even human effort on Ishvara’s will, we find ourselves detached completely from every kind of thing in the world. Our attachment arises on account of assuming a wholesale agency of action on our behalf and minding not there being anything that is universally operative everywhere. Once it is realised that even our agency, the spirit of agency or the sense of agency in action—or kartritva bhavana, as it is called—is only an appropriation by the ego of the personality of what actually is done by Ishvara Himself, detachment takes place immediately. When we know that whatever we are doing is actually done by Ishvara Himself, our egoism ceases, and attachment also goes with it.

The knowledge of this truth is itself the freedom and liberation of the jiva. Liberation takes place the moment we realise that God does everything and there is no one doing anything else. No one at all exists except as participants in the cosmic body of Ishvara. The knowledge of this fact is the liberation of the individual.

~Krishnananda from Commentary on the Panchadasi pp 121-123