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SrI  UpakAra  Sangraham - III (10)
-- 
niryANa adikAram
-- 
 Section - 9: The Favours the Lord does to a MumukShu after he leaves his body
---- 
[9.2 Favours being done after crossing the river, VirajA]
----- 
        In the previous sub-section, Swami Desikan showed how the 
mukta-jIvaâs perfect enjoyment of the Lord after he attains Him extends up to 
its farthest limit in the form of serving His devotees â both nitya-sooris 
and muktas in His abode. In this sub-section, SwAmi Desikan describes another 
favour done by the Lord in making the mukta-jIva feel indebted to the Lord 
seeing His immeasurable joy over the jIvaâs attainment of the highest goal 
â equality with the Lord Himself:  
 (vii)  ivankku vantha atiSayamum than pERAka ninaitthirukkumpadi 
sarvaSEshiyAna thanakku ivai ellavaRRAlum vantha santOsha-atiSayatthaik kaNdu, 
ivan krutArthanAmpadi paNnumathuvum; 
        The wonderful glory obtained by the mukta-jIva is considered by the 
Lord as His own benefit. The mukta-jIva also witnesses the great happiness 
derived by the Lord because of his attaining Him and feels indebted to the 
Lord. This is yet another favour he got from the Lord. 
In this sub-section, Swami Desikan makes a subtle point which is normally not 
within our thought. While the jIva feels fully satisfied with his attaining the 
Lordâs abode to have a full and perfect enjoyment of the bliss, equal to that 
of the Lord, the Lord Himself also feels fully satisfied as if He has achieved 
a great success by bringing the jIva back to His abode! 
        This kind of sharing the highest bliss by both the Lord and the 
mukta-jIva is known as sAyujyam. It is considered as the actual mOkSha. Some 
jIvas attain the worlds such as those of ViShNu and the privilege of living in 
the same world as ViShNuâs, which is called sAlOkya. Some jIvas attain 
proximity to the Lord, which is known as sAmeepya. Some attain forms similar to 
that of the Lord which is called sAroopya. These jIvas are also called muktas 
as upacAra (courtesy), since they are very near the ultimate goal but not 
actually muktas in the true sense of the word. 
        This is explained in the following SlOka, which is said to be in SrImad 
BhAgavatam:
 âlOkEShu viShNOrnivasnti kEcit sameepamrucchnti ca kEcidNye /
anyE tu roopam saddrusham bhajantE sAyujyamanyE sat u mOkSha uktah //â
(Some live in the worlds of ViShNu; others approach very near to ViShNu; others 
acquire forms resembling the forms of ViShNu; yet others attain the enjoyment 
of bliss equal to that of the Lord, which alone is called sAyujya.)
        This Sloka declares that only sAyujya in SrI VaikuNTam is mOkSha. Just 
as a hundred looks very small compared to one thousand, the same way sAlokya 
etc. are compared to sAyujya. The truth of this may be seen in the following 
SlOka:
 âmOkSham sAlOkyam-sAroopyam prArthayE na kadAcana /
  icchAmyaham mahAbAhO sAyujyam tava suvrata // â   (Jitanta SOtra, 2-36)
(I do not at all beg for mOkSha which goes by the names of sAlOkya and 
sAroopya. I  long, Oh Lord, for sAyuja with Thee.)
        sAyujya means the relationship between two persons who are united in 
communion (sayuk). One might be sayuk with another, although only in the common 
enjoyment of certain pleasure. Here, in regard to the mukta, the object of 
enjoyment is Brahman with His prakAras or modes. Since Brahman and the mukta 
both commune with each other in the enjoyment of that bliss, the mukta is 
called sayuk with Brahman. 
        In this case, a question arises: Why then in the same Vedic passage, 
the two words, sAyujya and sArShTitA are employed, when both mean the same 
thing? The sentence is:
 âsAyujyam sAShTitAm samAnalOkatAmApnOti /â (source not known)
sAyujya means that the same object is being enjoyed by the mukta and the Lord, 
just as two friends taste the same sweet. This is called bhOgy-sAmyam.
sArShTitA means the enjoyment of an object by the two is at the same level. The 
joy is the same for both. In the world, we see that though many taste one 
sweet, the pleasure derived by them varies person to person. But, in the 
Paramapada, there is no difference in the level of enjoyment of the bliss of 
Brahman between the Lord and the mukta.
        Equality in the enjoyment of bliss between the lord and the mukta is 
sAyujyam. This is despite the fact that, the mukta has nothing to do with the 
work of creating, maintaining and destroying and such other things in regard to 
the world (jagad-vyApAra). That work is exclusively rests with the Lord alone. 
SwAmi Desikan compares this arrangement or difference to a father and others in 
a family. The father cultivates the field and the sons and others who do not 
cultivate it, enjoy alike the fruit from the cultivated field. The Lord Who is 
engaged in the work of the world and the mukta who only witnesses it have the 
same degree of enjoyment in the bliss arising from that work.  The Brahma 
Sootra deals with this subject in the âJagadvyApAra-varjAdhikaranamâ 
starting from 4-4-17):
        The Sootra, (4-4-17) states: 
âjagdvyApAvarjam prakarNAdasannihitatvAcca //â
(The mukta attains glory similar to the lord except in the matter of activity 
relating to creation etc. of the world; because, the context related to the 
activity of creation etc. of the universe belongs to the Lord and also because 
the liberated jIva is not associated with that context.)
        The Sootra (4-4-21) states: 
âbhOgamAtra-sAmyalingAccaâ 
(Because there is an indication that equality relates to mere enjoyment of 
bliss, the mukta is not having the function of creation etc.)
        Here, a clarification is required to be made with regard to the 
attainment of sAyujyam by the mukta.  There is a section of VedAntins 
(advaitins) who interpret this sAyujya mukti as oneness or identity with 
Brahman. They term it as âaikyamâ. This view is opposed to the etymological 
meaning of the word, sAyujyam, as well as vEdic texts which declare that 
Brahman is different from the jIva:
 âsarvAjIvE sarvsamsthE bruhantE tasmin hamsO bhrAmytE brahma cakrE /
  pruthagAtmAnam prEritArm ca matvA juShTastatastEnAmrutatvamEti //â 
(svEtASvatarOpaniShad, 1-6)
(In the wheel of Brahman, which is great, which makes all beings live and in 
which all are placed at the time of dissolution, does this jIva migrate. 
Knowing that prompter and knowing himself also as different from Him and 
becoming an object of love of that ParamAtman on account of that awareness, he 
attains immortality.)
 âdvA suparNA sayujA sakhAyA samAnam vrukSham pariShasvajAtE /
  tayOranyah pippalam svAdvatti anSnannanyO abhicAkaSeeti //â  
(MuNDhakOpaniShad, 3-1-1)
(The two birds (jIvAtma and ParamAtma) having similar qualities and moving 
together cling to the same tree. Of these two, one eats the fruit of karma that 
is ripe and the other shines without eating.)
 ânityO nityAnAm cetanaScEtanAnAm EkO bahoonAm yO vidadhAti kAmAn /
  tatkAraNam sAnkhyayOgAdhigamyam j~nAtva dEvam mucyatE sarvapASaih //â 
(svEtASvatarOpaniShad, 6-13)
(The One eternal sentient, who bestows the desires of many eternal sentients. 
That is the cause which is known from the scriptures of the sAnkhya and the 
yOga schools. By knowing that God alone, one is freed from all bonds.)    
        The view of advaita that sAyujyam is oneness is refuted by these 
passages which declare that the mukta will attain perfect resemblance (sAmyam) 
to Brahman and that the mukta will be like Brahman. This is conveyed by the 
Gita too:
 âidam j~nAnamupASritya mama sAdharmyamAgatAh /
 sargEpi nOpajAyantE pralayE na vyathanti ca //â (Gita, 14-2)
(Those who, resorting to this knowledge in form of upAsana, attain to the 
possession of qualities that characterize Me, are not born even at the time of 
creation nor hurt at the time of dissolution.)
        Similarly MahariShi VyAsa has also expressed the idea at great length 
in the discourse between VasiShTa and KarAla and concludes by saying:     
âThe jiva released from bondage, i.e., the mukta, attains the Supreme Being 
and acquires attributes similar to those of the Supreme Being. He too becomes 
free from all imperfections when he reaches Him.â
One more difference between the Lord and the mukta is âSriyapatitvamâ, 
being the Consort of LakShmee, which belongs to the Lord alone. The job of 
creation etc. also can not be distributed to many, as the jIvas are countless 
and if this job is done every one, there will be only confusion. So, the Lord 
alone retains this job with Himself, even though He assigns it others also 
sometimes as an Emperor gets a job done by His servants keeping the control 
with Himself. 
        In view of this, Swami Desikan says in this sub-section, the Lord also 
derives satisfaction in bringing back at least one jIva into His abode, though 
still many others are there to be brought back. In this, He has to be patient 
as the jIvas are yet to turn towards Him. A situation has to be created to 
achieve this. A lot of work has to be done in this regard, as in the case of 
cleaning every one of the gems which have fallen into dirty muddy mess.  He has 
a lot of work left to be completed.  

    

(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivasan
----- 

[Books consulted: 
Srimad Rahasyatraya-sAra, English translation by SrI M.R.Rajagopala Ayyangar 
(Formerly of the madras Educational Service)
Srimad Rahasyatraya-sAram, Edited by Sri Vangeepuram SrIrAmadesikAchArya SwAmi.
Principal UpaniShads Vol-I âDr. N.S. Anantha Rangacharya, Banglore.
Vedanta Sutras â Dr. N.S. Anantha Rangacharya, Bangalore.]
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