SrI UpakAra Sangraham -- III (8)

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srI:

 

SrI UpakAra Sangraham - III (8)

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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 farthest limit of

puruShArta (goal), which is the service to the BhAgavatas, which is a favour of

the Lord after the mukta-jIva attains His feet. In this sub-section, the full

and perfect enjoyment of the bliss of Brahman by the mukta is dealt with by

SwAmi Desikan:

(v) “uLLa ulakaLavum yAnum uLanAvan†enRu bhAvitthavanai anaitthulakumudaiya

aravinfthalOcanaith thianaitthanaiyum vidApadi, Adi uNdAkilum antham illAtha

paripoorNa anubhavatthaik kodukkumathuvum;

SwAmi Desikan discusses the full and perfect enjoyment of Brahman by the

mukta-jiva in SrI VaikuNTham in his magnum opus work, SrI rahasy-traya-sAra, in

a separate Chapter entitled. “paripoorNa BrahmAnubhava adhikArahâ€. In the

opening slOka, he says:

“vitamasi padE lakShmee-kAntam vicitra-vibhootikam

saciva-gamitah sampadyAvirbhavatsahajAkrutih /

sphuTa-tadapruthaksiddhih siddhyad guNAShTaka-tatphalO

bhajati paramam sAmyam bhOgE nivrutti kathOjhitam //â€

(The mukta-jIva gets his essential nature fully manifested and realizes his

inseparable connection with the Lord, the Consort of LakShmee, after attaining

Him led by the AdivAhikas. As a consequence, the mukta acquires the eight

attributes like apahatapApma etc. and without any fear of his returning to

samsAra, he attains the perfect resemblance to the Lord in regard to His bliss.)

The foremost of the essential nature is the expansion of the mukta-jIva’s

attributive knowledge (dharma-bhoota-j~nAnam) to its maximum as that of the

Lord. This is beautifully indicated by SwAmi desikan with a quote from a verse

of SrI nammAzhvAr: “uLLa ulakaLavum yAnum uLanAvanâ€. This is from Periya

ThiruvanthAthi. Let us see the verse in full:

“uLLIlum uLLam thadikkum vinaippadalam

viLLa vizhitthu unnai meyuRRAl – uLLa

ulakaLavum yAnum uLanAvan enkolO?

ulakaLantha moorti urai.†(Periya

ThirvanthAthi-76)

(Oh Lord Who measured the whole universe with a gigantic form! After acquiring

the true knowledge, the mind engages itself in contemplation of You. Then, my

mind grows larger and larger in joy. If I am able to have a vision of Your form,

the thick fog of my sins will disappear. Perhaps my physical form also will

expand to Your size. Is it not? Please tell me.)

By this quote, SwAmi Desikan indicates that mukta-jIva’s consciousness will

become vibhu just as that of the Lord. This means he will have the full and

perfect enjoyment of the Lord. That is, he will have in all places, at all

times, and in all situations, the unsurpassed joy of the Supreme Lord with His

countless forms, attributes, glories and activities without missing any of them.

If it is asked, How? , the answer is given by SrI nammAzhvAr himself in another

verse:

“anaitthulakumudaiya aravintha lOcananait thinaitthanaiyum vidAL.â€

(ThiruvAimozhi, 6-7-10)

(She will never in the least miss the sight of the Lord Whose eyes are as

beautiful as the lotus and Who is the Lord of the world.)

This is to indicate that there is perfect similarity between the mukta’s

enjoyment and the Lord’s.

The Lord’s form is delightful as described in the passages:

“uNar muzhu nalam†(ThiruvAimozhi, 1-1-2)

(He is all knowledge and all bliss.)

“nirastAtishayAhlAda-sukhabhAvaikalakShaNA /

bhEShajan bhagavatprAptirEkAntAkee matA //†(ViShNu PurANa, 6-5-59)

(The attainment of the Lord is a remedy for the disease of samsAra. It is of the

nature of joy which is unsurpassed and confers joy on others. It is an end in

itself and lasts for ever.)

This full and perfect enjoyment of the bliss of the Lord, though began just

after the mukti attained by the jIva, it has no end at all. This is what SwAmi

Desikan indicates by the expression:

“Adi uNdAkilum anthem illAtha paripoorNAnubhavatthaik kodukkumathuvumâ€.

It is a general rule that whichever has a beginning will have an end. This rule

prevails in the prakruti mandala, in this material world. Hence, a doubt may

arise in our minds that the mOkSha which has a beginning may also come to an end

as in the case of those going to heaven and hell, who return to the world after

their specified term is over. However, in the case of one attaining the

Lord’s abode after successfully adopting the means, either bhakti-yOga or

prapatti, there is no fear of return, even though there is a beginning. In order

to make this clear, SwAmi Desikan specifically mentions that even though the

full and perfect enjoyment of the Bliss has a beginning, it has no end; and will

continue for ever.

This is endorsed in the following scriptural statements:

“prApyatE paramam dhAma yatO nAvartatE yatih / tEna tEnApyatE tattat

nyAsEnaiva mahAmunE //†(ahirbudhnya samhita, 37-26)

(The highest place, which is attained by a person through surrender to the Lord,

is that place from which he never returns again.)

“mAmupEtya punarjanma duhkhAlayamashAshvatam /

nApnuvanti mahAtmAnah samsiddhim paramAm gatAh //

AbrahmabhuvanAllOkAh punarAvartinOrjuna /

mAmupEtya tu kountEya punarjanma na vidyatE //†(Gita, 8-15,16)

(Having come to Me, the great souls do not obtain again birth, which is

miserable and un-enduring. Because knowing My nature as it really is, they are

unable to sustain themselves without Me as their minds are deeply attached to

Me, totally depending on Me. All the worlds, from the world of Brahma, are such

as to give rise to re-birth. But after attaining me, there is no re-birth.)

“yadA sa kEvaleebhootah ShaDhvimshamanupashyati /

tadA sa sarvasiddhatvAt punarjanma na vindati //†(MahAbhArata, shanty

parva, 323-80)

(When the man who has become dissociated from all contact with prakruti has seen

Brahman Who is the 26th reality, he will never be born again, because he has

attained all that has to be attained.)

“gatvA gatva nivartantE candra-sooryAdayO grahAh /

adyApi na nivartantE dvAdashAkShara-cintakAh //†(ViShNu PurANa, 1-6-40)

(The heavenly bodies like the moon and the sun (the presiding deities that

govern them) are born again in samsAra after reaching their high positions. But

those who meditate on the Lord with the mantra of twelve syllables never come

back to samsAra.)

Thus the Lord does another favour to the mukta-jIva making his attainment of

Him endless even though there is a beginning.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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