SrI UpakAra Sangraham - III (6)

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srI:

 

SrI UpakAra Sangraham - III (6)

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niryANa adikAram

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Section - 9: The Favours the Lord does to a MumukShu after he leaves his body

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[9.2 Favours being done after crossing the river, VirajA]

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In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan described the final stage of

mukta-jIva’s journey till reaching the Lord seated on the couch of AdishESha.

Once he attains the ultimate destination, the Lord will not allow the jIva to

return to the material world, says SwAmi Desikan in this sub-section:

(iii) “iruLakRRum erikatirOn maNdalatthoodu ERRivaitthu ENivAngi, aruL

kodutthittu

adiyavarai AtkoLLuâ€mathuvum;

Non-return to this SamsAra is emphasized by the words, “ERRivaitthu

ENivAngi†in the quotation mentioned above. The quotation is from a verse of

SrI PeriyAzhvAr. By this expression, the AzhvAr says that the Lord makes the

mukta-jIva climb up to SrI VaikuNta and removes the ladder that helped him to

climb, so that there is no coming back.

Let us consider the entire verse:

“karuLudaiya pozhil maruthum kathakkaLiRum pilambanaiyum kadiyamAvum

uruLudaiya cakadaraiyum mallaraiyum udaiyavittu Ocai kEttAn

iruLakRRum eRikatirOn maNdalatthoodu ERRivaitthu ENivAngi

aruLkodutthittu adiyavarai AtkoLvAn amarumoor aNiyarangamE.†(PeriyAzhvAr

Thirumozhi, 4-9-3)

(The Lord, Who makes His devotees to climb up to SrI Vaikunta through the centre

of the sphere of the sun whose rays dispel darkness; Who removes the ladder that

helped them to climb, is stays put in Srirangam for attracting His devotees. He

is the same Lord KriShNa, Who fell down the two Maruta trees, killed the

KuvAlayapeeda elephant, the demon Pralamba, the demon-horse KEsi, the demon in

the form of a wheel, and the wrestlers of Mathura city, because of compassion

for His devotees.)

The last Sootra of the VEdAnta Sootra also declares that there is no return to

this world from the Lord’s abode:

“anAvruttih SabdAt AnAvruttih SabdAt //†(4-4-22)

(There is no return of the liberated self to this world because the scriptures

declare so. There is no return to this world because the scriptures say so.)

After declaring, in the earlier sootras, that the liberated self who attains

SrI VaikuNta enjoys equality with the Lord in the matter of bliss, though he

will not have the function of creation etc. the sootra rules out his return to

this world of prakruti in this last sootra.

Here, one must study the commentary of SrI RAmAnuja on this sootra. As his

commentary in his shorter work, VEdAnta DeepA is concise, we may see it:

In his introduction, SrI RAmanuja says, if the rulership rests solely with the

Supreme Lord despite the fact the liberated self attains equality with Him, a

question may arise: As the Lord is totally independent, whether He would cause

the mukta-jIva to return to the world of SamsAra. The sootrakAra clears this

doubt in this sootra, that there is no return for him because the scriptures so

declare.

SrIbhAShyakara first quotes several scriptural passages which declare the Lord

is the sole authority as far as the creation, the maintenance and the

destruction of this universe are concerned, and also his supreme reign:

“yatO vA imAni bhootAni jAyantE†(Tait. Up. 3-1)

(From whom all these beings are born.)

“sOkamayata bahu syAm prajAyEyEti†(Tait. Up. 2-6)

(He willed, ‘may I become many, may I be born’)

“yah prathiveemantarO yamayati†(Br.Up.3-7-3)

(He, Who rules over the earth from within.)

“ya AtmAnamantarO yamayti†(Br.p. Madh. 3-7-22)

(He, Who rules over the soul being within.)

“EtEna pratipadyamAnA imammAnavamAvartam nAvartantE†(Ch.Up. 4-15-6)

(Those who attain Brahman through the path of arcirAdi do not return to this

world of human beings.)

“sa khalvEvam vartayan yAvadAyuSham brahmalOkam abhisampadyatE na ca

punarAvartatE†(Ch.Up. 8-15-1)

(Living in this way the full life of his, he attains the world of Brahman and

never returns to this world.)

“mAmupEtya punarjanma duhkhAlayamaSASvatam /

nApnuvanti mahAtmanah samsiddhim paramAm gatAh //†(Gita, 8-15)

(The great souls, who have attained perfection having come to Me, never again

get the life, sorrowful and transient by nature.)

“AbrahmabhuvanAllOkAh punarAvartinO arjuna /

mAmupEtya tu kauntEya punarjanma na vidyatE //†(Gita, 8-16)

(All the worlds from the world of Chaturmukha Brahma downwards are such as to

give rise to re-birth, Oh Arjuna. But after attaining Me, there is no re-birth.)

“idam j~nAnamupASritya mama sAdharmymAgatAh /

sargEpi nOpajAyantE pralayE na vythanti ca //†(Gita, 14-2)

(Those who, gaining this knowledge, attain to similarity with Me, are not born

again at the time of creation nor are subjected to misery at the time of

dissolution.)

From these scriptural passages, it is concluded that the liberated soul will

not return to this world at any time. The repetition of the sutra is to indicate

the end of the Chapter as well as the SAstra. It may also be for reassuring the

aspirants for mOksha that they will not face return from the Lord’s abode,

which is not the case with those aspire for material wealth and heavenly life

which have an end and they have to return to the miserable SamsAra.

To highlight the non-return to material world once the mukta attains the Lord,

SwAmi Desikan quoted from the verse of SrI PeriyAhvAr. He says in another verse

that the Lord will not allow the jIva to go back even if he furnishes security:

“vAyinAl namO nAraNavenRu matthakatthidaik kaikaLaik kooppi

pOyinal pinnai itthicaikku enRum piNaik kodukkilum pOkavottArE.â€

(PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi, 4-5-2)

(If one goes o SrI VaikuNta after performing prapatti by uttering the words,

“namO nAraNa†and keeping the hands on his head, He will not let him come

back to the world of SamsAra, even if he should furnish security for going back

to VaikuNta.) Here, AchAryas have commented that even if Mother LakShmee stands

guarantee, the Lord will never allow the mukta to leave Him.

The Lord will be firm in not letting the mukta to return to this world, even

though He is absolutely independent to do so.

This is yet another favour the Lord does to the mukta after he crosses the

Viraja river.

 

[book consulted: Vedanta Deepa, Volume –II English translation by Dr.

N.S.Anantha Rangacharya.]

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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