Sri. M.S. Hari's article on mukta jeevAtmA

[Guest guest]

Dear members: I have done a little " aNil sEvai " here by

reformatting the text so it is readable. This should make

it easier for all of us to go through this very detailed and

knowledgeable article by Sri. Hari.

=======================================

Anand K Karalapakkam wrote:

 

SrI:

SrImatE rAmAnujAya namaH

 

Dear all,

 

SrI Hari has written a quite elaborate article on this issue

and its connection with many allied aspects. Its an excellent

one {as usual} providing many pramANas and arguments

carefully following the originals. This article {and his other

ones as well} shows the good knowledge he has in VEdAnta

granthas and he must have taken a good slice of his valuable

time to prepare this.

 

Please don't miss reading this in entirety ...

========================================

Your question regarding the muktha-jeevAthma's state with

reference to his remembrance of past karma etc is very

interesting. I answer briefly as follows. But before that, let

me present certain points, which discusses the nature of

mOksham, nitya-vibhUthi, prApya-sthAna-viSEsham &

pari-pUrNa-brahmAnubhavam.

 

Of the prakaraNa granthams (nyAya-pariSudhdi, nyAya

sidhdAnjanam, & thathva-mukthA-kalApam) for VedAntha

Sastra, the SrI nyAya-sidhdAnjanam of SrIman nigamAntha

mahA dESika swAmi states that

 

" mOksha: sa cha nirdu:kha-nirathiSayAnanda-rUpa-

bhagavath-anubhavAthmaka ithi sidhdam " .

 

mOksha is free from all sorrows, and enjoys the infinite

bliss-form Brahman eternally. SrIman NarAyaNa: is denoted

by the Brahma-Sabdam. muktha enjoys the entire swarUpa-

rUpa-guNa-vibhUthis of Brahman and this is referred to as

pari-pUrNa-brahmAnubhavam. The mukta jeevan is declared

to be in the nitya-vibhUthi SrI VaikuNta parama padam

 

triguNa-dravya-vyathirikthathvE sathi sathvathvam,

swayam prakASathvE sathi sathvathvam, thamOrahithathvE

sathi sathvathvam, niSSEshAvidyanivruththidESa-

vijAtheeyAnyathvam ithyAdi tallakshaNam;

 

refer the Sruthis " AadithyavarNam tamasa: parasthAth " ,

" thEha nAkam " , " kshayanthamasya rajasa: parAke " , " yO

asyAdhyaksha: paramE vyOman " , " thadaksharE paramE

vyOman " , " sahasra-sthUNE vimithE druDa ugrE " ,

" thadvishNO: paramam padam sadA paSyanthi sUraya: " .

 

The muktha jeevAthma experiences (enjoys) the bhagavath

swarUpam, which is sathyathva- nyAnathva- ananthathva-

Anandathva- amalathva- swarUpa- nirUpaka- dharma-

viSishtam, swEthara-samastha-vasthu vilakshaNam.

 

The muktha jeevAthma also enjoys the bhagavath-rUpam

(divya-mangaLa-vigraham) which is different from that of

bhagavath swarUpam. Refer " kimAthmikaishA bhagavathO

vyakthi: " ithi praSnE, " yadAthmakO bhagavAn " ithi cha

sAmAnyatha uththarE kruthE, puna: " kimAthmakO bhagavAn "

ithi praSnE " jgnyAnAthmaka: " ithyaddyutharamuktham |

 

athO divya-mangaLa-vigrahasya jgnyAnAthmakathvAth

thadravyAthmikAyA: sarvasyA nitya-vibhUthE:

jgnyAnAthmakathvamuchitham " .

 

The muktha jeevAthma enjoys the infinite kalyANa guNas

(divine attributes) of Brahman and the vibhUthi iswaryams of

Brahman. The muktha jeevAthma being sarvagnya: (like the

Lord) gets to know the Seshi's (SrIman NarAyaNa's) wishes

(tiru-uLLam) and under the sankalpam of Brahman, takes

various Sudhda-satva-forms (rUpams) and serves SrIman

NarAyaNa: at SrI VaikuNtam. This service is considered

as 'overflow " (parivAham) of bhagavath-anubhavam as

absolute expression of the muktha-jeevAthma's nature which

his athyantha pAratantriya viSishta ananyArha-nirupAdika

Seshathvam. The muktha-jeevAthma can also be in pari-pUNa

-brahmAnubhavam without taking a divine form.

 

The state of muthka-jeevans is clear from the following SrI sUkti

present in the thathva-traya-chintanAdhikAram (5th chapter) of

SrImath rahasyatraya sAram (swAmi nigamAntha mahA dESika)

 

" muktharukku neengiyuLLaril bhEdam, prathi-bandhaka

nivrutjthiyAlE AavirbhUtha-swarUparAiyurukkai. Sthithi-

bhEdam pUrva-avadhiuNdAna AavirbhAvaththukku

uththarAvadhiinRikkEyirukkai. IvargaLukku anyOnyam

sthithi-bhEdam AavirbhAvaththil muRpAdupiRpAdugaLAl

uNDAna munbuRRa EtRRachcurukkam; pravruthi-bhEdam

anAdi-kAlam izhanthu petRRa pari-pUrNa-bhagavatanubhava

-janitha preethi-kArithamAna yathAbhimatha kainkarya

viSEshangaL.... "

 

The qualities like apahatha-pApmathvam, sarvagnyathvam are

in muktha-jeevAthma. The sarva-viSishta jgnyAna-iswaryAdi

-viSishta bhagavath prApthi for muktha-jeevan is clearly

mentioned by the Sruthis

 

" sarvam ha paSya: paSyathi sarvamApnOthi sarvaSa: " .

 

The well known Ananda mImAmsa declares the manushya-

Anandam as " pruthvyAdi vibhUthi viSishtAnubhavam " and it

proceeds to multiply this several times and declares " Eka

brahmANda-vibhUthi-viSishta " chaturmukha brahmA's

Aanandam. But finally, it ends up that the incalculable

parama-Aananda-maya: is anantha-brahmANDAdi prAkrutha

aprAkrutha sarva-viSishta para-brahma-bhUtha: purushOthama:

SrIman NarAyaNa:.

 

Further, " sarvEshu lOkEshu kAmacharO bhavathi " , " kAmAnnee

kAmarUpee anusaNcharan " declares that everything is bhOgyam

and sarva-viSishta brahman is niratiSaya -sukha-rUpa for muktha

-jeevan and therefore, there is nothing that exists which is not a

sub-set of the " sarva " Sabdam in these Sruthi verses.

 

Now the answer for your question is explicitly given as follows:

 

The bhUma-vidyA states that " yO vai bhUmA thath sukham

yathra nAnyath paSyathi nAnyath SruNOthi nAnyath vijAnAthi

sa bhUmA " .

 

" The bhUmA is the greatest. It pervades everywhere and is

sarva-viSishtam. It is bliss-self and thus everything. He who

enjoys this, never sees other things… "

 

This seems to praise bhagavath-anubhavam by criticizing the

lower bliss nature of swarga etc that the muktha jeevan will not

care for swarga etc. But, as sarva-viSishta-brahman is declared

as parama-bhOgya-vasthu for the muktha-jeevan, everything is

bhOgyam and everything is known for the muktha-jeevan.

But a contradiction arises here - " paramAthmani yO rakta:

viraktO-aparamAthmani " - " he who is fully devoted towards

paramAthma though being in prAkrutha lOkam itself, has

vairAgyam on mundane things " ; when such is the case, when

the badhda-jeevan becomes muktha-jeevan, should we consider

the leelA-vibhUthi as " bhOgyam " ? Should it not be considered

" tyAjyam " for him instead? Yes. But as everything is prApyam,

everything is declared as " padam " .

 

But the parama-padam's mukyArtham is paramAthma-swarUpam.

The anubhavam of paramAthma-swarUpam is possible only at

SrI VaikuNta aprAkrutha divya lOkam; therefore, it is also called

parama-padam. The muktha-jeevAthma swarUpam is also parama

-padam because, its distinctness (vailakshaNyam) eternally exists

in mukthi also and only having attained/cognized it in its absolute

pristine form, the muktha-jeevan can do pramAthma-swarUpa-

anubhavam. Though the prakruthi (prAkrutha lOkam) cannot be

called as parama-padam, has " AnukUlyam " (favorable) for

muktha-jeevan and therefore, it is also called " padam " . That is,

the prakruthi (leelA vibhUthi) which once had prAthikUlyam

(unfavorable nature when the jeevan was badhda: in it) now has

AnukUlyam (when the jeevan is muktha:). Here, one must carefully

comprehend the AnukUlyam of leelA vibhUthi for muktha jeevan.

This never means that the existence in leela vibhUthi as badhda

jeevan is bliss-form. But this just conveys that when the sole owner

(sarva-Seshi SrIman NarAyaNa:) of the leelA vibhUthi himself is

now fully AnukUla: for muktha jeevan, the leelA vibhUthi which

is fully under the control of the sole owner (sarva-Seshi SrIman

NarAyaNa:) is not going to affect the muktha-jeevan and as it is

for the leelA rasam of bhagavAn, it is bhOgyam for the muktha

jeevan also. Several examples are cited in SRTS to explain this

with pUrva-paksha-nirasanam. SwAmi NamAlwAr

(SrI SaThakOpa's) Tiru-vAimOzhi 4-8 ErALUm irayOnum

is also cited here.

 

The muktha-jeevan will surely be having knowledge about his past

karma etc during his period when he was a badhda jeevAthma. His

sarvagnyathvam is clearly established in the Brahma sUtras as

explained by SrI Anand K Karalapakkam which I refer here below:

 

<<Quote begin>>

-------------------

In the abhAvAdhikaraNam (4.4.5), the last SUtra is

" svApyayasampattyOranyatarApEkshamAvishkrutam " ie.

 

<< It has reference only to either deep sleep Or state of death, as

explained in the context >>.

 

As explained by Bhagavad RAmAnuja (BR) this sUtra answers the

PUrvapakshin <Objector> who from the Br.Up text " PrAjn~EnA-

AtmanA samparishvaktO na bAhyam ki~nchana vEda nAntaram "

(6.3.21) <*>, claims that when a jIvAtma attains union reaches

Bramhan, it loses all the knowledge of inside and outside ; Hence

a mukta can't be a sarvajn~a {all-knower}<*> : JIvAtma embraced

by the all-knowing Aatma does not know what is inside and outside.

 

The SUtra states that by the context, it will not apply to a mukta's

union with ParamAtma <refer above>.

 

In SrI-BhAshya, BR states " ....muktasya cha sarvajn~atvam-

Avishkrutam hi srutayaH " <ie. Sruti itself states the sarvajn~atvam

of a mukta> and quotes few texts from Ch.Up to substantiate it.

A notable sentence is " tathA 'sarvam ha paSyaH sarvamApnOti

sarvaSaH' iti cha spashTamEva sarvajn~atvamuccyatE " , ie.

Through the text " The one who sees this sees everything; obtains

everything everywhere <Ch.Up. 7.26.2> " sarvajn~atvam

<for a mukta> is very clearly spoken of/established.

 

The above is only about mukta's " capacity " . But a mukta will not

think about the trivial issues like his past etc and will be immersed

in Bhagavad-anubhavam and its overflow viz.service. This is my

strong feeling and I think that it follows logically from other

pramANas on the BramhAnubhavam. I have also confirmed this

during my kAlakshEpam few months back.

----------------------

<<Quote End>>

 

I acknowledge the above words of SrI Anand K Karalapakkam.

I feel that as prakruthi is also termed " anukUlam " for the muktha-

jeevan and called as " padam " , I feel that the muktha jeevan's

knowledge about his own past karmas (when he was badhda)

will be cognized absolutely as mere sport in bhagavath-leela.

This realization by muktha-jeevan will be absolute and SrI Anand

K Karalapakkam's explanation " But a mukta will not think about

the trivial issues like his past etc and will be immersed in Bhagavad

-anubhavam and its overflow viz.service " is comprehended. I feel

that only when the jeevan becomes sarvagnya (ie., on mukthi), he

can recognize that he was bound by anAdhi-karma-prathi-

bandaka-vargams. But he will not care for that. This comprehension

of anAdhi-karma is not possible in the badhda-daSa. The Smrutis

also support this that the badhda jeeva cannot recollect his past

births & get to know his load of karma fully " thAnyaham vEda

sarvANi na tvam vEttha parnthapa "

 

<<Quote Begin>>

 

(by SrI Anand K Karalapakkam)

The Sruthi says

 

1. " sa tatra paryEti jakshat krIDan ramamANaH sthrIbhirvA

yAnairvA jn~AtibhirvA " <Ch.Up 8.12.3> ie.

 

There he <mukta> enjoys Him all around; he eats, he enjoys

<as per his wishes>, he sports with women, vehicles (chariots)

or cousins.

 

2. " sa yadi pitrulOka-kAmO bhavati sa~nkalpAdEvAsya pitaraH

samuttishThanti " <Ch.Up. 8.2.1> ie.

 

If he <mukta> has the desire for the world of fathers, by his will

alone fathers rise up before him.

 

In the Sa~nkalpadhikaraNam (4.4.4) the first sUtra states that by

his will alone, his desires gets fulfilled and nothing obstructs it.

{Note: Mukta's sa~nkalpa will never be against the wishes of

ParamAtma because of its complete realization/knowledge}.

>From the next sUtra we understand that he is " free " and not

subject to VEdic injunctions {say, observance of VarNAshrama

dharma etc} and hence he is capable of doing what he desires to.

 

There is no need of any external effort other than his will. But,

mukta's play with women, enjoyment of the chariots etc Or

creation of fathers etc are not for his own pleasure; It has the

chief aim to produce happiness to BhagavAn. Its not of course

a result of lust as in the case of a baddha jIva.

 

In the abhAvAdhikaraNam (next one; 4.4.5) by the first three

sUtras, the siddhAnta that a mukta can either choose to have a

divine body Or can be without it also, is established. The next

two sUtras are regarding the creator of such divine bodies taken

by muktas. From the first sUtra, we get to know that a mukta

who has no body and senses made by himself, can enjoy the

things created by ParamAtma Himself, as in the case of dream

state. ParamAtma can provide bodies to mukta. Due to the

leelA-rasam of BhagavAn, He can make muktas enjoy the pitru

-lOkas created by His leela and the mukta with the body

provided by BhagavAn enjoys His leela-rasa and performs

bhagavad-anubhavam. The next SUtra " BhAvE JAgrAtvat "

states that, with the possesion of a body also, a mukta can enjoy

as it is done in the waking state. BR comments {SrI-BhAshya

+ VEdAnta Deepa} that sometimes, a mukta creates body by

his will and can even incarnate to have father,mother etc as

BhagavAn did by His will in His avatAras like that of RAma

and KrishNa. In this case also, mukta enjoys the leelA-rasam

of PerumAL with the inherent Bhagavad-anubhavam. BhagavAn

can also make the mukta to have fathers etc directly by His will.

 

In SrI-VaikuNTham also, muktas can live as families with various

relationships like father,mother, wife,husband,children etc - all

by the mutual understanding of various muktas for the pleasure of

SrIman-NArAyaNa. The life out there is quite dynamic indeed !!

--------------------

<<Quote End>>

 

The viSEshArthams mentioned by swAmi abhinava dESika

regarding these points cannot be missed at any cost. Especially

swAmi abhinava dESika has beautifully explained the SRTS

words " mukthanAna piRagu " (chapter 22, sAra vistAram).

 

I request you to kindly read these points in the light of SrImath

UttamUr swAmi's explanation for more details.

 

The sUtra " anAvruthi: SabdAth anAvruthi: SabdAth " clearly

explains the Sruthis ( " EthEna prathipadyamAnA: imam

mAnavamAvarththam nAvarthanthE<*> " , " sakalvEvam

varththayan yAvadAyusham brahma-lOkamapi sampadyathE

na cha punarAvarthathE " ) & smruthies ( " mAmupEthya punar

janma… " , " Abrahma buvanAnlOkA:… " , " idam jgnyAnam

upASrithya… " ) which clearly declares that the mukthajeevAthma

never returns to the prAkrutha lOka. The SrI BhAshya text for

this sUtra has clearly explained this negating various reasons

for punar-Avruthi: (return).

 

<*> imam mAnavamAvartham is having the " imam " Sabdam

which is uplakshaNam for all such material worlds. Therefore,

the Sruthi is clear that as the muktha is " sarva-karma-vinirmuktha: "

and having sAmyam with BhagavAn in bhOgam, he has no

karmAdhina-punar-Avruthi.

 

At this point, the following SrI sUkthi from pari-pUrNa-

brahmAnubhavAdhikAram may be considered where swAmi

has presented a criticism on mAdva (dvaita) school regarding

their mOksha-tAratamyam (difference in the Anandam between

muktas) " Agayal mumukshu daSayil sowpAdhi(n)gaLAna

uthkarsha-upakarshangaLaik koNdu muktha-daSayilum

anubhava-thAratamyam uNdEnanRa AanandathrIrthIyar

muktharukkellAm sarvEswaranOde paramasAmyam sollugiRa

SruthyAdigaLai maRandArgaL " .

 

These " SruthyAdigaLai " are " niranjana: paramam sAmyamupaithi " ,

" sarvE ha paSya: paSyathi sarvamApnOthi sarvaSa: " , " sa EkO

brahmaNa Aananda: SrOthriyasya chAkAmahathasya " . The

smruthis in this context says " mama sAdharmyam AgathaA: " ,

" bhOgamAthra sAmya lingAncha " , " jagath vyApAra varjam " .

 

Therefore, the mAdhva paksham of mOksha-tAratamyam is

against the Sastra's purport of sAmyam. The mAdhva paksham

is refuted by these Srutis. The mAdhva-paksham does not

explain these Sruthis which declares parama sAmyam for mukta

jeevan with paramAthma.

 

About the vyavahArika daSa mOksham concept SrI Adi Sankara:,

the term " vyavahArika " used imparts the meaning that there is no

point in discussing that as it is not a reality in advaita. About the

pAramArthika paksham of advaita, the nivarthakAnupapaththi

and nivruthi-anupapathithi may be studied for clear understanding

of refuting the advaita-sidhdi.

 

As per ViSishtAdvaitam, the moksham, which the muktha attains

is clearly explained as follows. The sAlOkya, sArUpya and sAmipya

are not considered without sAyujyam. SAyujyam generally means

" having the object of attainment as samAna; " sayuk "

 

Now the Sruthi verse " brahmaiva bhavathi " is considered and the

pUrva-paksham (opponent view) " brahma-ikyam (numerical oneness

(identity) of jeeva-brahma in mOksham) " as purport of " sAyujya "

Sabdam is considered and refuted as follows:

 

First of all, as sAlOka etc are told before sAyujya, one should not

take sAlOka etc equal to sAyujya. Yuk denotes the guNa-yOgam

and samAna guNakam sayuk explains this.

 

But in the case of " dvA suparNA sayujA sakhAyA " Sruthi, the

jeevAvAthma denoted is badhda: and therefore, here in this case,

the brahma-samAna-bhOgam is not the thAthparyam for the

jeevAthma. " sayujA " padam is just to confirm that two AtmAs

are inside the body of which one is the badhda jeevAthma and

the other is the supreme paramAthma who is untouched by all

impurities and having infinite divine attributes.

 

But in the case of muktha-Atma, the sAyujam denotes the fact that

the guNams like apahathapApmathvam etc are samAnam for

brahman and muktha-jeevAthmA. Therefore in the prayOgams

like " sAyujyam SArshTithAm ApnOthi " , a subtle difference in the

meaning of the terms " sAyujyam " & " SArshTithA " has to be

understood. SAyujyam denotes " samAna yukthvam " " samAna

bhOgyakathvam " having tAthparyam in bhOga sAmyam while

" SArshTithA " denotes " samAna prApthikathvam " " samAna

bOgakathvam " . This negates the punarukti in these two Sabdams

when used in the prayOgam as quoted above. But " samAna

vyApArakathvam " is not present in the sAyujyam's meaning

(jagath vyApAra varjam…). Also, absence of " samAna

vyApArakathvam " in muktha's sAyujyam does not appear as

a shortcoming because the muktha never thinks to have " samAna

vyApArakathvam " as he has sarvagnyathvam which clearly

recognizes Sriya: pathi: alone as jagath kAraNa bhUtha:.

But he gets bhOga sAmyam as told already in the jagath vyApAram

done only by BhagavAn (bhOga mAtra sAmya lingAncha…).

 

Regarding the river joining sea etc:

 

Neither by rUdi nor by yOgam, the sAyujyam can mean

" jeeva-brahma-Iykyam " (numerical oneness/identity) in mOksham.

" Iykyam " (numerical oneness/identity) is against the Sruthi. The

kaTOpanishad says " yathOdakam SudhdE SudhdamAsiktham…

AathmA bhavathi gowthama " - " Just like pristine water joining

pristine water " example is considered here. Here this example

never has thAthparyam in the iykyam because even when the two

waters mix, as the volume increases, iykyam is simply negated by

the Sruthi! Then what is the meaning behind quoting this example?

 

This only denotes the inseparable guNa-bhOga sAmyam as

explained in the sAyujya padam and sArshtithA padam. The

smruthies also explain this clearly. The verse " brahmaiva bhavathi "

is also explained like " rAma sugreevayOraikyam " . Therefore the

bhEdam (difference) between paramAthmA and muktha-jeevAthma

is clearly explained in the Sruthi.

 

Thanks & Regards

adiyEn

M.S.HARI rAmAnuja dAsan (mshari)