jeevan-mukta - Slokam 47 of acyuta Satakam.

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This is in response to the query from "Vijayalu", attached below,

regarding the use of the term "jIvan mukta" by svAmi deSikan in

Slokam 47 of acyuta Satakam. The Slokam is

 

vishaya-rase viraktA vikAra jananairapi na khalu vikriyamANAh |

jIvan-mukta-sadRSA acyuta dRSyante pAvaNAS-tava bhaktAh ||

 

The approximate translation from SrI SriramdeSikAcharya svAmi's LIFCO

publication titled "SrI deSika stotra-s", is:

 

"O acyuta! Your devotees are not distracted by trivial pleasures, and

their mind is not swayed by objects that normally attract the senses.

They remain very pure, and as a result, they appear like people who

have attained mukti in this world itself".

 

In his detailed vyAkhyAnam, Sri Sriramdesikacharya explains that even

though these devotees are still in this world, they are

uninterruptedly immersed in bhagavad anubhavam, and thus are like the

mukta-s in SrI vaikunTham in this aspect.

 

Th following is an excerpt from the explanation provided by SrI SrI

D. Ramaswamy Iyengar in his book explaining the Sloka-s of acyuta

Satakam:

 

"The term jIvan-mukta is an advaitic term and has no place in

viSishTAdvaita philosophy or SrI vaishNava sampradAya. By realizing

that the world is an illusion and there is nought but Brahman, an

advaiti becomes Brahman-conscious and identifies himself with

Brahman – aham brahmosmi. At that stage of realization he is

referred to as a jIvan-mukta.

 

"This concept is quite foreign and wholly opposed to viSisTAdvaita,

which believes only in videha-mukti, or moksha after casting off the

body. AcArya rAmAnuja has refuted the jIvan-mukta theory in his SrI

bhAshya in unmistakable terms.

 

"At the same time there are experiences and utterances of the AzhvArs

and AcArya-s which tend to make out a case for the enjoyment of mukti

even while continuing in this earth.

 

"It is true that there is basis in the Upanishads themselves to

support this line of thought so well postulated and popularized by

the AzhvArs, vide – amRta iha bhavati, atra brahma samSnute, meaning

respectively `such a person is deathless even here, on this earth',

and `He enjoys Brahman here itself'. The AzhvArs' sayings are far

more explicit. SvAmi deSika has beautifully depicted this line of

thought and enjoyment in verse 33 of his adhikAra sa'ngraham (taken

from uttara kRtyAdhikAram of his rahasya traya sAra). This is

translated as: `All the loving services that the Eternals and muktas

in vaikunTha render to paramapada nAtha there – the great ones of

this earth who have learned the tamizh Vedas of sweet essence perform

here in this world with eclat'.

 

`They are here referred to as jIvan-mukta-sadRSa-s. Their mentality

and outlook on life are pictured in the first and second lines of the

Sloka (Sloka 47 of acyuta Satakam).

 

In SrI ra'nganAtha pAdukA Oct. 2002 issue, jIvan-mukta is defined

as "jIvantaSca te mukta-sadRSASca jIvan-mukta sadRSAh, jIvantas-

santah mukta-sadRSA ityarthah". The idea is: They are alive in this

earth, and they are like mukta-s in their total dedication and

enjoyment of bhagavAn".

 

Bhagavad rAmAnuja has refuted the concept of jIvan-mukta as viewed by

the advaitins in his SrI bhAshyam. I do not have the reference for

this, and others are invited to elaborate.

 

-Krishnamachari

 

"vijayalu" <vijayalu@b...>

Sun Feb 16, 2003 3:11 am

Re: Clarification

 

DEAR SIR,

 

While I was whiffing thru the pages of Desika Stothrani published by

Nrishma Priya trust, I read a slokam of Vedanta Desikan in Achyutha

Sathakam

Verse 47, in which Swami mentions about Jeevan Mukthargal........ "

Jeevan

Muktha sadhrusaH achyutha theerurysyanthe Bhaavanas thava bhakthaha".

( sorry

for any wrong english dictum). Please enlighten me further about this

verse

and what Swami meant in this.

Many thanks

VKV