NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8. --------------- srI: SrI UpakAra Sangraham - III (4) -- 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] ----- Now a new sub-section begins. In the previous sub-section (9-1), SwAmi Desikan described the favours done by the Lord to the mumukShu-jIva from his leaving the gross body until he reaches the bank of the river Viraja. Now, in this sub-section, SwAmi Desikan takes up the favours the Lord does to the newly emerged mukta-jIva after he crosses the river, Viraja: (i) akkaraiyil, divyalOka-divyajanapada-divyanagara-divyavimAna-divyAsthAna-divyaparyanka -prAptiparyanta-mAka paryank-vidyAdi-kaLilum, shAkaTAyana-jayAkhya-samhitAdi-kaLilum, âcoozhvicumpaNimukiâlilum collukiRa satkAra-paramparaikaLai uNdAkkumathuvum; SwAmi Desikan describes the experience the mukta-jIva obtains on the other side of the Viraja river beginning with âakkaraiyilâ -- âOn the other shoreââ As soon as the mukta-jIva arrives at the region after crossing Viraja river, his subtle body automatically slips out and he remains in his Atma form free from the attachment of prAkruta instruments which had locked him within during his countless lives in the material world. While the gross body was removed at the time of his death, the subtle body continued to stay only for the sake of the journey and not for enjoying fruits of past karma. The mukta- jIva casts off his subtle body after reaching the other side of the river Viraja. It is just like a person, who crosses a river on a boat, sets the boat adrift after reaching the other shore. There, the newly emerged mukta arrives at a region which he has long been eager to see and which has been described in the Jitanta StOtram as: âlOkam vaikuNTha-nAmAnam divyam ShADguNya-samyutam / avaiShNavAnAm aprApyam guNatraya-vivarjitam // nityasiddhaih samAkeerNam tanmayaih pAncakAlikaih / sabhA-prAsAda-samyuktam vanaishcOpavanaih shubham // vApee-koopa-taTAkaishca vrukSha-ShaNDaishca maNDitam / aprAkrutam surairvaNdyamayutArka-samaprabham // prakruShTa-sattvarAshim tam kada drakShyAmi cakShuShA?â (JitantA StOtra, 2-18-20) [When shall I see with my own eyes the world called VaikuNTa? It shines brilliantly, it is always with the Lord Who is possessed of six attributes, j~nAna etc.; it can never be attained by those who are not devoted to ViShNu; it is free from the three qualities of prakruti or matter (sattvam, rajas and tamas). It is full of the eternal sooris who divide the day into five parts and render the service to the Lord appropriate to each; it is also full of released souls (muktas) who are like the eternal sooris. It has pleasant chambers, halls and mansions. It is beautiful with forests and gardens; it has broad and deep wells, lakes and groves which adorn it. It is free from the sufferings due to prakruti; it is fit to be praised by dEvAs. It shines like ten thousand suns shining at the same time; it is constituted of pure sattvam unmingled with rajas and tamas.] As he emerges out of Viraja, The Lord endows the jIva with an a-prAkruta body, a super-sensuous body, totally free of matter. The jIva is helped to reach the lake called airammadeeyam and then to the asvattha tree called sOmasavana and is then welcomed by five hundred celestial damsels (apsaras). This is described in the scripture: âtam pancashatani apsarsAm pratidhAvanti, shatam mAlAhastAh, shatam anjanahastAh, shatam coorNahastAh, shatam vasOhastAh, shatam phaNahastAh, tam brahmAlamkArENAkurvanti / sa brahmAlamkArENa alam krutO brahmavidvAn brahmaivAbhipraiti /â (KauSheetakee UpaniShad, Paryamkavidya, 1-34) (On the orders of the Lord, five hundred apsaras (celestial damsels) rush to the spot to welcome this jIva. Among them, 100 apsaras with fragrant garlands; 100 apsaras with black-eye-ointment; 100 apsaras with fragrant powders; 100 apsaras with silk yellow garments; 100 apsaras carry ornaments including conch and discus; and they adorn the mukta to appear alike the Lord; But he does not pay attention to them; anxiously rushes looking for SrIman nArAyaNa.) SwAmi Desikan continues: âdivyalOka-divyajanapada-divyanagara-divyavimAna-divyAsthAna-divyaparyanka -prAptiparyanta-mAka paryank-vidyAdi-kaLilum, shAkaTAyana-jayAkhya-samhitAdi-kaLilum, âcoozhvicumpaNimukiâlilum collukiRa satkAra-paramparaikaLai uNdAkkumathuvumâ -- He sees a divine world; a place full of divine people; a divine city; a big palace with a divine tower at the top; inside the Palace, a divine Hall; in that Hall, a divine Couch towards which the mukta-jIva approaches. These are all given in detail in the KauSheetakee UpaniShad, up to the divine Couch where SrImaN nArAyaNa, with His Consorts, is seated. A similar description is found in the ThirvAimozhi, sung by SrI NammAzhvAr, beginning with âcoozhvicumpaNimukilâ -- In these ten verses, the Azhvar describes how SrIvaiShnavites who ascend to SrI Vaikuntam as muktas are accorded a loving welcome, the scene which is shown by the Lord to him, before the AzhvAr ascended to the Lordâs Abode. The first verse is: âcoozhvicumaNimukil thooriyam muzhakkina Azhkadalalaithirai kaiyedutthAdina Ezhpozhilum vaLamEnthiya ennappan vAzhpukazh nAraNan thamaraik kaNdukanthE.â (ThiruvAimozhi, 10-9-1) (When the Lordâs dAsas ascend on the archirAdi path to paramapada, the clouds strike the drums; deep oceans raise their waves up as if their hands and shake them. The people from seven worlds stand on the way and exhibit happiness on seeing the dAsas of Lord nArAyaNa.) The AzhvAr further describes: The dEvas fill the sky in olden pots with pure water; they beautify the path with a series of welcome arches; people in the world of AdivAhikas salute the muktas; sages who are under meditation stand on both sides to showers flowers and fragrant waters on him; they also set up resting houses for the muktas to rest on the way; they also offer wealth to them; the dEvas and their consorts shower praises on the muktas. The nitya sooris with crowns on their heads come in groups to receive the jIvas who are esteemed servants of Govind; the guards called Indra and Prajapathi wait at the entrance to receive the muktas with honours and presents befitting a king. Thereafter, the mukta is led into the enchanting assembly in the hall adorned with shining gems. This series of honours offered to the mukta jIva is another favour done by the Lord, says SwAmi Desikan. (To continue) dAsan Anbil S.SrInivasan -------- DELETE button is history. Unlimited mail storage is just a click away. Go to https://edit.india.yahoo.com/config/eval_register ------------------------------------ Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan http://www.sadagopan.org Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/join (Yahoo! 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