Is moksha a petty M-word?

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SrI:

asmad sarva gurubhyo nama:

 

Dear prapanna-s

 

It appears that according to our AcArya-s

nitya-kainkarya is real goal as opposed to moksha.

 

but in his divine works, svAmi SrI deSika refers to

perumAL in many places as 'mukti-da:', 'mukun-da:' etc.

For intance, He refers to thiruk-kachchi being one of

the seven places that confer mukti.

("muththi tharum nagar-Ezhil mukiyamAm

kachchi thanil" - aDikkalap-paththu)

 

So I feel moksha may not merely be a 'kAmya-purushArtha'

like dharma, artha & kAma are.

 

If moksha were not highest goal, then

SArIraka-mImAsA (aka vedAnta-sUtra) would not discuss it.

 

So I would like to understand the nature of moksha.

and I have the following questions.

 

1) Is moksha just a state of purified consciousness when

the jIva's knowledge (dharma-bhUta-gyAna) gets fully expanded

and its materialistic limitations (such as hunger, old-age,

thirst, exhaustion etc) are eliminated, therby making the

jIva fit for uninterupted devotional service.

 

Does moksha occur only at the location of SrI-vaikuNTha

and nowhere else ?

 

However after mukti, does the jIva perform devotional service

whereever the Supreme Being desires?

 

 

2) Does moksha refer to the place, SrI-vaikuNTham or parama-padam ?

 

 

3) Nowadays many devotees find it fashionable to make moksha

insignificant M-word.

They say things like

"I don't care for moksha. All I care about is doing

devotional service to perumAL even if it means naraka-vAsam".

 

In support of their view, they quote the following:

 

"eRRaikkum **yEzh-yEzh** **piRavikkum**

unakku uRROmE AvOm umAkkE ATcheyvOm

maRRai nam kAmangaL mARRu" (thiruppAvai 29)

 

"pacchaimaa malai pOl mEni pavazha-vaay kamalach chenkaN

achchuthaa! amarar aErE! aayar tham kozhundhE! ennum,

ichchuvai thavira yaan pOy indhira lOkam aaLum,

**achchuvai*peRinum*vENdEn* arangamaa nakar-uLaane! "

(thirumaalai 2)

 

"umbar ulagAnDu oru koDaikkIzh uruppasithan

ampoR kalayalkul peRRAlum AdhariyEn

sem-pavaLa vAyAn thiruvEnkaDam ennum

emperumAn pon-malai-lEl yEdhEnum AvEnE"

(perumAL thirumozhi 4.10)

 

"sakRt tvad-AkAra-vilOka-nASayA

tRNI-kRta anuttama-bhukti-muktibhi:

mahAtmabhi: mAm-avalOkyatAm naya

kshaNepi te yad-viraha: ati-dus-saha: "

(stotra-ratnam 56)

 

"nirantaram nirviSatas tvadIyam

aspRshTa cintApada mAmirUpyam |

satyam SapE vAraNa-Saila-nAtha

vaikuNTha-vAsE'pi na mE abhilAsha: || "

(varada-rAja-pancASat 49)

 

 

But I personally feel that statements such as above are

aimed at just encouraging prapanna-s to not waste their

time in useless material pursuits, instead focus on

performing kainkarya right here and right now even

before their karma-SarIram falls away.

 

I feel that AzhvArs & AcArya-s do not intend to contradict

the need to desire moksha. (= paripUrNa-brahma-anubhavam?)

 

After all, it is said a person interested in moksha

(ie mumukshu) becomes a prapanna after acquiring

tattva-gyAna and 'taking' SaraNAgati.

 

Sure, SrI Ramanujacharya requests only nithya kaimkaryam

from the Lord, "nitya kinkaro bhavAni", and "nitya kinkaratAm

prArThayE".

But does it make mOksha an insignificant 'M-word' ?

 

 

aDiyEn requests you all to provide enlightenment.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

//Ramkumar

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear Bhakthas,

It is natural for every one to attain Moksha. In one

sense one wants to attain Moksha to liberate oneself

from all bondages and be at the feet of Lord Krishna.

When great Alwars stress on kaikarya or doing work

here, they stress the importance of doing whatever we

do with the spirit of karma yoga. Unless we develop an

attachment and liberate ourselves from the fruits of

action, we cannot surrender at His feet and do work.

We neek to excel ourselves in whatever we do. That is

possible only with the spirit of Moksha or free from

all bondages of fruits of actions.

--- "Ramkumar T.G." <tg_ram wrote: >

> SrI:

> asmad sarva gurubhyo nama:

>

> Dear prapanna-s

>

> It appears that according to our AcArya-s

> nitya-kainkarya is real goal as opposed to moksha.

>

> but in his divine works, svAmi SrI deSika refers to

> perumAL in many places as 'mukti-da:', 'mukun-da:'

> etc.

> For intance, He refers to thiruk-kachchi being one

> of

> the seven places that confer mukti.

> ("muththi tharum nagar-Ezhil mukiyamAm

> kachchi thanil" - aDikkalap-paththu)

>

> So I feel moksha may not merely be a

> 'kAmya-purushArtha'

> like dharma, artha & kAma are.

> [...]