Regarding time

[Guest guest]

> Anand Srinivasan [asriniva]

> Wednesday, August 04, 1999 8:20 AM

>

> Re: Periya Thirumozhi- 4.6- KannA! You alone are

>

> Adiyen is unable to understand the statement below

> " It's influence is not felt in Sri Vaikuntam.. "

> Does this merely imply that Sri Vaikuntam

> does not change with passage of time or

> that time does not pass in Sri Vaikuntam?

 

The above question made me think of what time

would be like for someone with eternal life

to be suspended in space. What would time

mean for that individual? Not much, probably.

Are not the mukthAs and nithyas in such a

state, except that they are in a state of

perfect bliss, making time even less relevant.

 

Please note the following quotation from

Sri RTS:

 

" kaalaththukku svaroopa bEdam jadamaay

vibhuvaay irukkai. idhan sthithi,

kaalAvaccEtam illaamaiyaalE nithyayaay

irukkum " .

 

(Differentiating characetristics for time

are, being insentient and all pervading.

Time is ever present because it cannot be

completely measured or limited.)

 

Note: kAlAvaccEtam: ability to measure or limit.

 

Srimad Azhagiya Singar in HH's Srimad RTS

commentary explains, " while prakrithi is

also insentient, it is not all pervading.

It is not present in nithya vibUti (Sri

Vaikuntam). Time, which is also insentient

like prakruthi, is present at Sri Vaikuntam

as well. Therefore, just being insentient

is not the complete nature of time. Time

must be understood as both insentient and

all pervading " . (please see page 224 of

Srimad RTS VivaraNam Srimad Ahobila Matam

publication, 1998).

 

From the above it is clear that time is

present in Sri Vaikuntam as well. But,

how does time act in Nithya VibUti?

 

In the course of a phone call to Sri Karunakaran

Swami of Chennai, India, adiyEn and Sri Anand

Karalappakkam had the opportunity to raise

this question with him. In summary, time in

Sri Vaikuntam can be thought of as a wheel

with infinite diameter. Just as the wheel

of time turns in prakrithi maNdalam, it turns

in Sri Vaikuntam as well. But its movement in

Sri Vaikuntam is imperceptible.

 

This makes perfect sense to adiyEn. Just imagine

the state of a nithya/muktha in sudda satva body

in which one is unaffected by time, and in perfect

bliss, i.e. oblivous to time. In such a state

time has no relevance.

 

Answers for more specific questions:

 

> Does this merely imply that Sri Vaikuntam

> does not change with passage of time

 

Change does take place in Sri Vaikuntam. Objects

in Sri Vaikuntam manifest both as " nithyam " and

" anithyam " according to the will (ichchai) of the

Lord and/or nithyas and mukthAs. For instance, if

a nithya/mukthA wishes to please/serve the Lord

with lotus flowers, jack fruit, etc., then the

sudda satvam in Sri Vaikuntam will become those

articles in shape, form, and characteristics,

and aid in the kainkaryam. These shapes will be

anithyam, i.e. tempororay in nature. However,

Lord's thirumEni, thirimAmaNi maNdapam, etc., in

Sri Vaikunatm are nithyam, i.e. permanent.

(Please note that the Lord's thirumEni in vibhavam,

like Rama, Krishna, though made of sudda satvam,

is anithyam.) Such " nithya " and " anithya "

manifestations of sudda sathvam take place purely

due to the will (ichchai) of Lord or nithyas or

mukthas, as relevant.

 

Note: The above is summarized from Srimad Azhagiya

singar's Srimad RTS VivaraNam, page 222/223. Here,

the example about lotus flower, jack fruit, etc is

from a quotation given in this text, from Srimad

InjimEttu Azhagiya Singar.

 

 

> or that time does not pass in Sri Vaikuntam?

 

Time does pass. Please see the summary of

the answer by Sri Karunakaran Swami given

above.

 

srimad azhagiya singar thiruvadigLE saraNam

 

-- adiyEn ramanuja dasan

 

 

p.s. adiyEn prepared this article in

consulatation with Sri Anand Karalapakkam