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srI:
SrI UpakAra Sangraham - III (6)
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niryANa adikAram
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Section - 9: The Favours the Lord does to a MumukShu after he leaves his body
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[9.2 Favours being done after crossing the river, VirajA]
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In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan described the final stage of
mukta-jIvaâs journey till reaching the Lord seated on the couch of AdishESha.
Once he attains the ultimate destination, the Lord will not allow the jIva to
return to the material world, says SwAmi Desikan in this sub-section:
(iii) âiruLakRRum erikatirOn maNdalatthoodu ERRivaitthu ENivAngi, aruL
kodutthittu
adiyavarai AtkoLLuâmathuvum;
Non-return to this SamsAra is emphasized by the words, âERRivaitthu
ENivAngiâ in the quotation mentioned above. The quotation is from a verse of
SrI PeriyAzhvAr. By this expression, the AzhvAr says that the Lord makes the
mukta-jIva climb up to SrI VaikuNta and removes the ladder that helped him to
climb, so that there is no coming back.
Let us consider the entire verse:
âkaruLudaiya pozhil maruthum kathakkaLiRum pilambanaiyum kadiyamAvum
uruLudaiya cakadaraiyum mallaraiyum udaiyavittu Ocai kEttAn
iruLakRRum eRikatirOn maNdalatthoodu ERRivaitthu ENivAngi
aruLkodutthittu adiyavarai AtkoLvAn amarumoor aNiyarangamE.â (PeriyAzhvAr
Thirumozhi, 4-9-3)
(The Lord, Who makes His devotees to climb up to SrI Vaikunta through the
centre of the sphere of the sun whose rays dispel darkness; Who removes the
ladder that helped them to climb, is stays put in Srirangam for attracting His
devotees. He is the same Lord KriShNa, Who fell down the two Maruta trees,
killed the KuvAlayapeeda elephant, the demon Pralamba, the demon-horse KEsi,
the demon in the form of a wheel, and the wrestlers of Mathura city, because of
compassion for His devotees.)
The last Sootra of the VEdAnta Sootra also declares that there is no
return to this world from the Lordâs abode:
âanAvruttih SabdAt AnAvruttih SabdAt //â (4-4-22)
(There is no return of the liberated self to this world because the scriptures
declare so. There is no return to this world because the scriptures say so.)
After declaring, in the earlier sootras, that the liberated self who
attains SrI VaikuNta enjoys equality with the Lord in the matter of bliss,
though he will not have the function of creation etc. the sootra rules out his
return to this world of prakruti in this last sootra.
Here, one must study the commentary of SrI RAmAnuja on this sootra. As
his commentary in his shorter work, VEdAnta DeepA is concise, we may see it:
In his introduction, SrI RAmanuja says, if the rulership rests solely
with the Supreme Lord despite the fact the liberated self attains equality with
Him, a question may arise: As the Lord is totally independent, whether He would
cause the mukta-jIva to return to the world of SamsAra. The sootrakAra clears
this doubt in this sootra, that there is no return for him because the
scriptures so declare.
SrIbhAShyakara first quotes several scriptural passages which declare
the Lord is the sole authority as far as the creation, the maintenance and the
destruction of this universe are concerned, and also his supreme reign:
âyatO vA imAni bhootAni jAyantEâ (Tait. Up. 3-1)
(From whom all these beings are born.)
âsOkamayata bahu syAm prajAyEyEtiâ (Tait. Up. 2-6)
(He willed, âmay I become many, may I be bornâ)
âyah prathiveemantarO yamayatiâ (Br.Up.3-7-3)
(He, Who rules over the earth from within.)
âya AtmAnamantarO yamaytiâ (Br.p. Madh. 3-7-22)
(He, Who rules over the soul being within.)
âEtEna pratipadyamAnA imammAnavamAvartam nAvartantEâ (Ch.Up. 4-15-6)
(Those who attain Brahman through the path of arcirAdi do not return to this
world of human beings.)
âsa khalvEvam vartayan yAvadAyuSham brahmalOkam abhisampadyatE na ca
punarAvartatEâ (Ch.Up. 8-15-1)
(Living in this way the full life of his, he attains the world of Brahman and
never returns to this world.)
âmAmupEtya punarjanma duhkhAlayamaSASvatam /
nApnuvanti mahAtmanah samsiddhim paramAm gatAh //â (Gita, 8-15)
(The great souls, who have attained perfection having come to Me, never again
get the life, sorrowful and transient by nature.)
âAbrahmabhuvanAllOkAh punarAvartinO arjuna /
mAmupEtya tu kauntEya punarjanma na vidyatE //â (Gita, 8-16)
(All the worlds from the world of Chaturmukha Brahma downwards are such as to
give rise to re-birth, Oh Arjuna. But after attaining Me, there is no re-birth.)
âidam j~nAnamupASritya mama sAdharmymAgatAh /
sargEpi nOpajAyantE pralayE na vythanti ca //â (Gita, 14-2)
(Those who, gaining this knowledge, attain to similarity with Me, are not born
again at the time of creation nor are subjected to misery at the time of
dissolution.)
From these scriptural passages, it is concluded that the liberated soul
will not return to this world at any time. The repetition of the sutra is to
indicate the end of the Chapter as well as the SAstra. It may also be for
reassuring the aspirants for mOksha that they will not face return from the
Lordâs abode, which is not the case with those aspire for material wealth and
heavenly life which have an end and they have to return to the miserable
SamsAra.
To highlight the non-return to material world once the mukta attains
the Lord, SwAmi Desikan quoted from the verse of SrI PeriyAhvAr. He says in
another verse that the Lord will not allow the jIva to go back even if he
furnishes security:
âvAyinAl namO nAraNavenRu matthakatthidaik kaikaLaik kooppi
pOyinal pinnai itthicaikku enRum piNaik kodukkilum pOkavottArE.â
(PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi, 4-5-2)
(If one goes o SrI VaikuNta after performing prapatti by uttering the words,
ânamO nAraNaâ and keeping the hands on his head, He will not let him come
back to the world of SamsAra, even if he should furnish security for going back
to VaikuNta.) Here, AchAryas have commented that even if Mother LakShmee stands
guarantee, the Lord will never allow the mukta to leave Him.
The Lord will be firm in not letting the mukta to return to this world,
even though He is absolutely independent to do so.
This is yet another favour the Lord does to the mukta after he crosses the
Viraja river.
[Book consulted: Vedanta Deepa, Volume âII English translation by Dr.
N.S.Anantha Rangacharya.]
(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
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