Jivanmukta - Bhamati and Vivarana

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advaitin , " snsastri " <sn.sastri wrote:

>

> advaitin , " narayana145 " <narayana145@> wrote:

>

>

Namaste,

 

This excerpt may be of interest:

 

http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_misc_shankara/doc_z_misc_shankara.h

tml

 

praabdhaM balavattaraM khalu vidaaM bhogena tasya kshayaH

samyagGYaanahutaashanena vilayaH praak{}sa.nchitaagaaminaam.h .

brahmaat{}maik{}yamavekshya tan{}mayatayaa ye sarvadaa sa.nsthitaaH

teshhaaM tat{}tritayaM nahi k{}vachidapi brahmaiva te nirguNam.h ..

453..

 

" The effects of previous conditioning are too strong for even a wise

man, and it is eliminated only by enduring it, but the effects of

present and future conditioning are all destroyed by the fire of

true understanding. Those who are always established in the

knowledge of their oneness with God, as a result of that are not

affected by these three aspects of conditioning since they share the

unconditioned nature of God. " 453

 

[tr. John Richards]

----

Sw. Chandrasekhara Bharati _ commentary on this verse in

Vivekachudamani -

 

Sanskrit original at:

 

http://www.advaitin.net/Vedanta%

20Classics/VivekaChudamani_bhashya_Chandrasekhara_bharati.pdf

 

OR http://tinyurl.com/5f5cru

 

" Though jnana is of an identical nature, yet, due to due to

difference in the content of samadhi, those who have attained Brahman-

realisation are distinguished as Brahmavit, Brahmavidvara,

Brahmavidvariyan, and Brahmavidvarishtha, on the basis of the

distinctions of levels called sattvApatti (abiding in the sattva-

guna), asaMsakti (non-attachment to anything external),

padArtAbhAvanA (obliviousness to all objects), and turyagA (going to

the transcendent).

 

Among these, he who has reached the level of turyagA, who is a

Brahmavidvarishtha, is one of the nature of qualityless Brahman. He

is not even responsive when awakened by others. To such a one the

three kinds of karma do not pertain.

 

The Brahmavidvariyan awakes to the world when stimulated by others.

Then he is connected with the prarabdha. Thisis like Prahlada getting

out of his samadhi upon hearing the sound made by thePanchajanya

conch of Mahavishnu.

 

Brahmavidvara, who is a sthitaprajna, gets out of his samadhi of his

own accord by the force of his own karma, and sukha and duhkha

pertain to him. This is clear from the query of Arjuna made to

Krishna: sthitapraj~nasya kA bhAShA...'What is the language

of the man of steadfast wisdom?'

 

Brahmavits are those like the sage Yajnavalkya who adopted samnyasa

for the fruition of his jnana and induced Brahman-realization to King

Janaka and others by his

instruction. "

 

[ tr. P. Suryanarayanan

footnote reference to Sw. Vidyaranya's Jivanmuktiviveka ]

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

Hari OM~

Shri Srinivasa Murthy ji,

 

Madhusudana Saraswati elsewhere while answering a Purvapaksins objection to the validity of Jivanmukta etc, says : 'Anubava eva pramanam' – Experience alone is the pramana for the state of Jivanmukta. Only a Jivanmukta can be assertive to claim that he has realized the Atman without pride or false ego. Atman is categorized into three types namely, a) Jnanatma b) Mahatma c) Santatma. The individual Self engaged in the 'act' of 'knowing' the Self is known as Jnanatma to whom the sense of 'I' ness is still attributed; for his mind is the karana – instrument to acquire Jnana. The sense of 'I'ness or Egoism is further classifies into two vide, a) Samanya b) Visesa Ahamkara. The latter is the Universal sense of 'I' ness which directly corresponds to the Mahat' tattva and the knower of this Mahat tattva with the Visesa-Visuddha Ahamkara is known as Mahatma. A Jivanmukta is a Mahatma.

 

Srimad Vidyaranya defines Jivanmukti as : 'JivataH Purusasya kartrtva bhoktrtva sukha dukkha laksanascitta Dharma klesarupatvat bhando bhavati; tasya Nivaranam Jivanmuktiriti – Jivanmukti is a state which is devoid of any bondage which is nothing but 'individuality, agency, pleasure-pain and the dualities. Further, Vidyaranya calls a Jivanmukta by various other names such as Bagavad bhakta (one who is merged in God – yatha jale jalam; ksire ksiram, grte grtam), Sthitaprajna, GunAtita etc. Such a Jivanmukta transcends the dvandva and hence regarded as an Apta – Trust-worthy person. Apta Vakya is always celebrated to be a Pranama or par with Smrtis in Advaita Vedanta. Hence when the anubava speaks for a Jivanmukta, who else is required to certify his state?

 

Further Suresvara in Naiskarmya Siddhi IV.62-65 answers a Purvapaksin who says 'If a knower of reality could behave as he liked, then what is the difference between a dog or the seer of truth (Jivanmukta) here?' Devesvara answers this to say 'This position does not make sense, for a knower of truth transcends pravrtti-nivrtti dharma and since he is self-accomplished he no more has any desire to act or incline for it. Above all, omnicienct Hari himself has repudiated unrestrained conduct for one who is illumined as 'Light''

 

Here the purvapaksins claim reminds me of a sloka from Bhagavata Purana 11.13.36 which says 'As a drunken man who does not see whether his garments are on his body or have fallen by chance, so does the accomplished Jivanmukta since he has realized his real nature, does not see his body, whether by chance, remains at one place or moves about or by chance he is still with body or the body is cast off'

 

With Narayana Smrti,

Devanathan.J

[Guest guest]

" Though jnana is of an identical nature, yet, due to due to

difference in the content of samadhi, those who have attained Brahman-

realisation are distinguished as Brahmavit, Brahmavidvara,

Brahmavidvariyan, and Brahmavidvarishtha, on the basis of the

distinctions of levels called sattvApatti (abiding in the sattva-

guna), asaMsakti (non-attachment to anything external),

padArtAbhAvanA (obliviousness to all objects), and turyagA (going to

the transcendent).

praNAms Hare Krishna

At the outset, I humbly request prabhuji-s of this list not to bring any names of some exalted souls & their *personal* experiences in the discussion on brahma jnAna...We shall keep the objectivity in mind when we are discussing this issue.

If we go through the above definitions of jnAni-s (!!??), it is clear that the Atma jnAna is possible only in a particular state & whoever comes out from that state for whatever reason is a jnAni ONLY in secondary sense & he/she cannot match with a jnAni who has brahmavidvarishTa or turyagA level of samAdhi..It is because the achiever of turyaga samAdhi cannot come back to this material world & this jnAni is nirguNa brahman in absolute sense...

So, brahmavit, who is the lowest level in jnAni-s MUST take saMnyAsa for the *FRUITATION* of his brahma jnAna...And this fruitation according to the above explanation can be had ONLY in samAdhi...In other words, a brahmavit who wants to get eleavated himself from brahmavidvara to brahmavidvarishTa..SHOULD experience the samAdhi ( a peculiar trance like state) to prove that he is brahmajnAni at various levels...

My question now is, when shruti says brahmavit brahmaiva bhavati, which is the appropriate way to understand this statement ?? Does shruti implying here brahmavit (after attaining brahmavidvarishTa status) brahmaiva bhavati?? Why I am getting this doubt is, as per the above definition, brahmavit is not absolute attributeless brahman like brahmavidvarishTa or turyaga..brahmavit has to travel a long long way to reach the level of turyaga...So, brahmavit what shruti mentioning here cannot be a brahman himself..

And with regard to stitha prajna who is ONLY brahmavidvara, and again NOT turyaga...has to climb one more step (brahmavidvariyAn) to reach the status of brahmavidvarishTa...So Lord in gIta explained the status of jnAni who is yet to achieve something else & who is also in need of next level!! arjuna expressed his doubt ONLY on secondary level jnAni & satisfied with the answers given by lord without even thinking about brahmavidvarishTa !!?? Dont you prabhuji-s think this is something strange?? These definitions of brahma jnAni-s & linking thAT JNana with trance state like sushupti (gAdha sushupti as devanAthan prabhuji said) are really puzzling me coz. shankara says there is no graditions in muktAvasthA...muktyavastha hi sarva vedAnteshu ekarUpaiva avadhAryate...

I would also like to see the view points of Arsha vidya gurukulaM followers on this definition...who are surprisingly *silent* on this issue :-))

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

bhaskar

[Guest guest]

praNAm all,

 

Hari Om, Devanathan-ji,

 

I've a fundamental question regarding your first mail.

 

Could you clarify if the fifth kind alone is a jivanmukta, then do the

other four kind of jnAnis still have to go through gradations across

lives or do they reach moksha after videhamukti through brahmaloka? Or

as you indicate that all of the categories will reach the state of

jivanmukti after complete renunciation?

 

Thanks,

--Praveen R. Bhat

/* Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known!

[br.Up. 4.5.15] */

[Guest guest]

praNAm all,

 

Hari Om, Devanathanji,

 

Thanks for a wonderful, piecemeal, exposition of the various stages.

May I still ask lingering questions on the first mail of yours? Be it

through jivanmukti or through kramamukti (be it after dissolution of

brahmaloka past mahApralayA), both ways of mukti still liberate a

person from series of births and deaths, and that is termed as moksha.

If that is so:

 

i) which among the 4 (or additional 5th mentioned just after listing

4) have gained moksha? Only the one you indicated in the 7 stages by

saying that has aparoksha jnAna, perhaps.

ii) do the others take to more births based on sancita karma, etc, or

do they go to brahmalokA and reach moksha on dissolution of

brahmaloka?

 

To clarify my questioning further, I do understand the various stages

of development of a sAdhaka to a mumukshu and beyond that to one or

more of the classes of brahmajnAnis, but what I have difficulty in

understanding is whether the classification made is purely on the

experiences of the brahmajnAni (say seeing the world as seen in jagrat

or svapna or suSupti, etc), in that is it just nAmamAtra difference,

or is it that only few categories have really been liberated from the

saMsAra and others have not. The crux of my questions is to know which

category is liberated and which mArga do the other categories take to,

to liberate?

 

Thanks once again,

--Praveen R. Bhat

/* Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known!

[br.Up. 4.5.15] */

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " antharyami_in " <sathvatha wrote:

 

> Please Note: Not all Acharyas in Advaita tradition endorse the

> doctrine of Jivanmukti. In first hand, Sankaracarya in his prasthana-

> traya does not mention the term Jivan-mukti even once. Some post-

> Sankara Advaitins differ in interpreting the term `Jivan mukti'.

> Some regard the term to be figurative, some Eulogistic, and some

> others reject it to identify Jivan-mukti with Videha Mukti.

>

> With Narayana Smrti,

> Devanathan.J

 

Dear Shri Devanathan,

An excellent analysis. I suppose there is also a view that in

jivanmukti there is no gradation.

Since Shri Shankara says that the body continues even after the rise

of knowledge till the karma that gave rise to the body is exhausted,

can it not be taken as jivanmukti?

Best wishes,

S.N.Sastri

[Guest guest]

Hari OM~

Pranams Shri Sastri ji,

 

Vamadeva who attained Mukti even when he remained in the womb is a

perfect example for the state of Jivanmukti without any gradations.

The fact still remains that Vamadeva in his previous janma must have

undergone these usual gradations and that the remnant karma would

have fetched him another birth where he lived only in the womb.

 

Sankara's words, in my opinion, do not make direct reference to

Jivanmukti per-se. Elsewhere in the Gita Bhasya, Sankara makes a

clear statement ` samyagdarsana nistAnAm samnyasinAm

Sadyomuktirukta' iti. We all know that `Samyag-darsana'

categorically refers to Jivanmukti, but Acharya here idendifies it

with Sadyomukti. Hence in someway or the other, I feel, Ista-

siddhi'kara's view to indentify Jivanmukti with Sadyomukti seems to

be logical; for Vimuktatman advocates that the term `Jivanmukti' to

be figurative and Sadyomukti alone is possible. A tree when uprooted

will wither slowly. So is the case with Sadyomukti; Jiva's karmas

are immediately uprooted while they exhaust only after they

fructify.

 

With Narayana Smrti.

Devanathan.J