Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya Desam: Nithya AarAdhana Kaimkaryam for VilakkoLi PerumAL and Swamy Desikan , Part 44: Fourtieth SlOkam

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today , adiyEn will cover the Fourtieth slOkam

of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan

describes the arrival of the Muktha Jeevan at

SrI Vaikuntam and the start of the ParipoorNa

Kaimkaryam to the Lord by the muktha jeevan (VimukthA:):

 

ThvacchEsha vrutthi anuguNai: mahithai guNa Oghai:

aavirbhavathi ayutha-siddha nija SvarUpE

ThvallakshaNEshu niyathEshvapi bhOgamAthrE

Saamyam bhajanthi Paramam BhavathA VimukthA:

 

SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 40

 

Meaning:

********

Oh ViLakkoLi PerumALE ! Those who performed Prapatthi

to You free themselves from the chains of SamsAram

and arrive at Your Supreme abode after their travel

by ArchirAdhi maargam . Once they arrive at Your

Parama padham , the Satthva GuNams hidden before

in them due to their links to KarmAs come to

the forefront. Those sathva GuNAs now help qualify

the Jeevan to perform nithya kaimkaryam for You.

The Muktha jeevan recognizes that its aathma svaroopam ;

it comprehends it as part of You (SarIram for BhagavAn,

the SarIri); it understands that it is inseperable from You .

Upanishads state that these MukthAthmas attain a state of

equality (Saamyam ) with You. We can ask how that would

be possible? The answer is : The MukthAthmAs do not ever

acquire attributes that are unique to You such as

the creation and protection of the Universe and its beings

as well as the power to grant Moksham. Those are the activities

that are in the sole control of Yours ! Otherwise, The liberated

jeevans enjoy Jn~Anam and Aanandham in the same measure as

You . Just as You enjoy Your SarIram (ChEthnams and achEthanams) ,

these MukthAthmAs enjoy You. Your Jn~Anam as well as

that of the MukthAthmAs are equally in the blossomed

state. They ( MukthAthmAs) get to see the aanandham that

You derive in engaging in the creation and the protection

of the Universe and its beings and share that aanandham

even if they do not have the power to engage in such

Jagath-vyApArams that are uniquely Yours.

 

The key words are in the third and the fourth Paadham of

this slOkam:

 

" Thvath LakshaNE niyathEshu api BHOGAMAATHRE

SAAMYAM BHAJANTHI PARAMAM BHAVATHAA VIMUKTHAA: "

 

This is an important concept to understand

regarding the limits of the enjoyment and power

of Muktha Jeevan in comparison with its Lord.

 

Additional Comments (V.S):

**************************

In the previous slOkam , the travel of the Muktha Jeevan

via the ArchirAdhi Maargam was described . Here ,the ParipoorNa

BrahmAnandham enjoyed by the Jeevan blessed with Saayujya

Moksham is described.

 

Jeevan's life before and after Prapatthi

******************************************

Jeevan is " the child of the Lord " . Jeevan before Prapatthi

had no awareness of its true nature (Svaroopam ) and

that of the svaroopam of the Lord. The Jeevan put emphasis

on the transient pleasures of lOka sukham and lost its way

in the forest of samsAram. Then, due to some good deed (PuNyam),

meeting a SadAchAryan ,this jeevan is blessed to gain

Jn~Anam about Tatthva Thrayam and arTa Panchakam

and performs Prapatthi to You .It spends its remaining

alloted days on earth in the ideal way prescribed by

SaasthrAs for Post-Prapatthi stage of one's life .

When it( Prapanna Jeevan) casts the mortal coils and exits

the body via the 101st naadi with the help of the Lord ,

it hastens to His supreme abode by the ArchirAdhi maargam .

On the way,the Muktha Jeevan accepts the upachArams of

the servants of the Lord and arrives at the banks of

the river VirajA , which forms the boundary between prakruthi

ManDalam and SrI Vaikuntam . There the Sookshm a SarIram that

accompanied the Muktha Jeevan is left behind now

(freed of karma sambhandham) and the Jeevan is resplendent

in its own savroopam like the cleaned-up gem and enjoys

full blossoming of its Jn~Anam.

 

Muktha Jeevan's arrival in SrI Vaikuntam

******************************************

After crossing the dhivya nadhi of VirajA , the Jeevan

enters SrI Vaikuntam and is awe struck by the aprAkrutha

desam of SrI Vaikuntam and its beauty as described by

AchArya RaamAnujA in His Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam. It now arrives

in front of the ThirumAmaNi MaNtapam ( the gem studded hall),

where the Lord is seated with His Devis on His divine

couch of AdhIsEshan . These aanandha anubhavams blessed by

the Lord are described in SaakaDAyana , JayAkhya SamhithAs

and Swamy NammAzhwar's Sri sookthis as well as by

the various Upanishads( vide: Swamy Desikan's Parama

Padha sOpAnam).

 

Jeevan in front of the Lord and start of Nithya kaimkaryam

***********************************************************

The Muktha Jeevanis is embraced by the Lord, who is happy to

see His regained property and the Lord unites the Jeevan

with the Nithyasoori and Muktha Jeeva ghOshti . SrI Vaikunta NaaTan

helps the newly arrived Muktha Jeevan experience its svAbhAvika

(innate) blissful and JnA~nandha Svaroopam , which was hideen

from it until then due to karma sambhandham.

 

Additional UpakArams of the Lord

**********************************

The Muktha Jeevan now engages fully in the insatiable

Bhagavath anubhavam and Bhagavath Kaimkaryam . This is

also an UpakAram of the Lord to the Muktha Jeevan.

The nithya sooris treat the Muktha jeevan as their equal

and also relate to it as their superior to show respect.

This is another upakAram of the Lord, who is the Master of

both the Nithya Sooris and the Muktha Jeevans. The paripporNa

Bhagavath anubhavam (BrahmAnandham)has its beginning (aadhi)

for the Muktha Jeevan here at SrI Vaikuntam and thereafter

has no end (antham ) and hence it becomes Nithya , ParIpoorNa

anubhavam. The Muktha Jeevan is filled with Jn~Anam and

Aanandham and in gratitude for this matchless upakAram of

the Lord becomes immediately engaged in the uninterrupted

kaimkaryam to the Lord.Our Lord accepts those Kaimkaryams

with joy. Our Lord (Sarva Seshi)feels fulfilled through

the enjoyment of the glories acquired by His sEshan

through these kaimkaryams to Him. Our Lord is immesely

pleased and does not want to be separated ever from

His dear property and will not let the Muktha Jeevan

return to karma BhUmi. This is also Lord's UpakAram

to the Jeevan that is liberated through Prapatthi

anushtAnam (Vide: Swamy Desikan's UpakAra Sangraham).

 

The Fourtieth SlOkam and Brahma Soothrams

******************************************

Swamy Desikan focuses in this slOkam on the glorious

transformation in the Muktha Jeevan as described in

the section IV of the Fourth Chapter of Brahma Soothrams (4.4)

and distills the essence of AchArya RaamAnujA's SrI BhAshyam.

The 4.4 section of Brahma SoothrAs is fairly short

with just 22 Soothrams.

 

The Manifestation in to its true Form

**************************************

The first soothram ( sampadhyAvibhavi: svEna SabdhAth:4.4.1 )

states that the Muktha Jeevan becomes manifest(aavirbhavathi)

in its own true nature (nija Svaroopam) after attaining

the Supreme Light (SrI VaikuntanAthan, the ParamJyOthi).

ChAndhOgya Upanishad pasaage (8.12.3) is the PramANam for

this truth ( SvEna RoopENa abhinishpadhyatE ): The Muktha

jeevan becomes manifest in its own nature and is endowed

with an essential and true svaroopam with the eight features:

(1) Devoid of Sin (2) Freedom from old age (3) Freedom from

death(4) Freedom from sorrow (5) freedom from hunger

(6) Freedom from thirst (7) Sathyakaamathvam ( endowed

with the desires that are True and (8) Sathya Sankalpathvam

( unfailing will ) . Before reaching the Param JyOthi,

the jeevan because of samsAric bonds had contractions in

its Jn~Anam and aanandham , which are attributes of its

true svaroopam. Now , those attributes are fully blossomed.

 

The Enjoyment of the Lord

**************************

The Muktha Jeevan now enjoys the Supreme Lord without

seperation from Him (avibhAgEna DhrushtathvAth: 4.4.4).

In its fully blossomed state , the liberated Jeevan

becomes endowed with the likeness , company and the sameness

of nature as Brahman as stated by Sruthis and smruthis (GitA 14.2):

 

" Idham Jn~Anam upAsritya Mama sAdharmyam aagatha:

sargespi nOpajAyantE praLayaE na Vyathanticha "

 

(meaning): Those who have gained this knowledge (Jn~Anam),

attain a NATURE , WHICH IS THE SAME AS THAT OF MINE.

Threafter, they are nither born again at the time of

creation , nor do they get hurt at the time of PraLayam.

 

The word " Saamyamm " (likeness) is used in Sruthi and

" Saadharmyam " (sameness of nature ) in the Smruthi

by GeethAchAryan . The Jeevan is PrAkAra ( the inseperable

attribute of Brahman and the Brahman is PrAkAri

(the Substratum for the Jeevan).After reaching the Muktha

(liberated ) state, the Jeevan attains a state of purity

equal to that of Brahman and enjoys the Brahman along

with its qualities.Brahman and the Muktha Jeevan have

Saamyam (likeness ) but not Parama Saamyam ( perfect,

complete , identical likeness). There are some qualities

that distinguish them. The Final adhikaraNam of

Brahma Soothram (Jagad-vyApAra adhikaraNam) ) identifies

the differences between the Muktha Jeevan and Brahman

(Soothram 4.4.17-21):

 

1)Jagadh vyApAra-varjam prakaraNAth asannihithathvAth--4.4.17

 

( The Muktha Jeevan has all the powers that are possessed by

the Lord except the cosmic activities such as creation ,

protection of the worls . This is understood from the fact

that ParamAthmA is referred to in the Sruthis in the context

of Cosmic activities and because of the lack of reference

pf MukthAs in this context by the very same sruthis).

The creation and control of the world is exclusively

under the control of the Lord and has no connection to

the Muktha Jeevan, which enjoys witnessing these activities

of the Lord of whom it is a part.

 

2) BhOgamAtra-saamya LingAsccha --4.4.21

 

( There are indications (lakshaNam, linga )of equality of

enjoyment only(BhOga-mAthraa) and not any indication

extending to Jagadh VyApAram .The ParamAthmA alone rules

and controls the world.Therefore the power (enjoyment) of

the Muktha Jeevan is associated with all the powers of

the Lord EXCEPT the activity relating to the world ).

 

This is what Swamy Desikan states in the second paadham

of this slOkam saluting ViLakkoLi PerumAL:

 

VimukthA: (the liberated ones) Thvath-lakshaNE niyathEshu

api ( even if they indicate Your signs ) they attain

likeness to You only in the enjoyment of BhOgams

( BhavathA BhOgamAthrE paramam saamyam bhajanthi)

and not in Jagadh VyApAram.

 

Swamy Desikan's genius in condensing in one slOkam

the deep thoughts of many Brahma Soothrams is abundantly

evident here.

 

NamO NamO SrI VedAntha DesikAya ,

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

(P.S): Dear BhakthAs: We have now reached the 11.8 Lak

Rupees stage of the NithyArAdhana Kaimkaryam (Target

is 20 Laks of Rupees as Core Fund) at ThUppul VedAntha

Desikan Sannidhi and the daily AarAdhanam for

Swamy Desikan's home PerumAL and PirAtti ,

Sri Maragathavalli SamEtha Sri DhIpa PrakAsan.

 

We have thus approximately 8.2 laks of Rupees to complete

the kaimkaryam . Please Join in this important Kaimkaryam.

Please contact adiyEn , if you would like to support this

important Kaimkaryam and join the BhaagavathAs , who have

already brought the kaimkaryam past its half way point.