Re: ajAmilan's moksham ; Was: Indonesia's Ramanuja

From the Bhakti List Archives

• December 4, 1999


SrI:
SrI Lakshminrusimha ParabrahmaNE namaha
SrI Lakshminrusimha divya pAdukA sEvaka SrIvaN-
SatakOpa SrI nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESIkAya namaha

 Dear devotees,
  namO nArAyaNA.

------------------
SrI Raghu wrote :
Can't recollect the slokam exactly but it goes like this.
Sanketyam Parihasyamcha Sobam Helanamevava...
Vaikunta Nama Grahanam Asesha Agha Aram Vidhuhu
Basically  even while addressing a person using his NAME, or if you are
mocking a person using a NAME,  or if you are praising a person using
his
NAME, if that NAME is of our Dear Vaikuntanadha   he will receive
moksham.
---------------------
  Dear SrI Raghu :
   This issue has already been discussed in the past. Please refer to
   the "bhakti and prapatti" thread. Hari nAma sankeertanam will
certainly
   make one attain moksham. There is no doubt in this. But, it is not a
   direct means for moksham ie. it is not a sAdhyOpAyam. Upanishads
   while describing the Brahma vidyAs to attain Brahman, enlist two
   categories of upAyAs - bhakti (upAsana) and Prapatti (nyAsa Vidya).
   nAma sankeertanam is not a direct brahma vidya, though it certainly
   helps one to advance in adopting either of the sAdhyOpAyams.

   Kindly go through the previous two postings, esp. the quote in which
   BhagavAn categorically says that He will not grant moksham for any
   other means other than bhakti and prapatti (In other words, nAma
   sankeertanam is not a sAdhyOpAyam). This issue is dealt by SwAmi
   dESikan with ample clarity in His SrImad Rahasya traya sAram.
  -----------------------
SrI Raghu wrote :
A story from Bhagavatam....( a slokam from Krishna Satakam in Telugu
called
AjaMeela Upakhynam )
............

Because of his qualities he was reserved a
seat in Narakam not once
but several times. He had a son called Narayana and right before his
last
breath
he called his son using his NAME "Narayana". That's it. Yama Kinkaras
couldn't even touch him.
His doubly reserved round trip seat in Narakam was released and was
offered
a free one-way ticket
to His abode.
--------------
 SrI Sudarsan Partasarathy wrote :
As for Ajaamilan, when calling his son(Ninth) Naarayana, he
thinks for a fraction of a second, the Lord, and that lets him
perform Prapatthi, to attain Moksha.
----------------------

   AjAmilan attained moksham not merely because of
   chanting the name "nArAyaNa". He later performed bhati yOga
    and attained moksham. But, that chanting of the sacred name
    "nArAyaNa" was the turning point in his life, which lead him
    progressively to attain moksham. Thus, the chanting of the
    name "nArAyaNa" is said to have made AjAmilan attain moksham.

   Relevant verses from SrImad BhAgavatham ( Canto 6, chapter 2) :

   Verse 14 (referred by SrI Raghu) :

   sAnkEtyam pArihAsyam vA stObham hElanam yEva vA |
   vaikuNTha nAma grahaNam aSEshAgha haram viduhu ||

    This verse explains that, learned mahAns know that the sins
   are vanished, if one chants  the holy name of SrIman nArAyaNa
    (VaikuNTha) even  indirectly to mean something else, jovially, for
    musical  beauty/entertainment or even neglectfully.

   ajAmila after listening to all the arguments from the viSNu dUtAs
   and the servants of yama dUtAs became enlightened.
   Verses 24 to 38, describe as to how ajAmila very severly repented for
    his past sinful deeds and obtained great vairAgyam etc and became
    well determined to perform bhakti yOga.

    Verse 39 :
    " iti jAta-sunirvEdaha kSaNa saNgEna sAdhushu |
      gangA dwAram upEyAya mukta sarvAnubandhanaha || "

     "AjAmila with determination detached himself from materialistic
       life, due to a moment's association (kSaNa sangEna) with
       exalted devotees (sAdhUs referring to ViSNu dUtAs) and thus
       went to HaridwAr (gangA dwAram / Hari dwAram), being
       freed from all kinds of materialistic attraction / bondage" .

      This also means that, association with bhAgavathAs/AchArya
      leads one to moksham (implying that, it will lead to one of the
      sAdhyOpAyams).

  Verse 40 :
     "sa tasmin dEvasadana aasInO yOgamAsthitaha |
      pratyAhrutEndriya-grAmO yuyOja mana aatmani || "

     < At a temple in haridwar, he performed yOga ie. upAsana
        / bhakti yOga, completly withdrawing all the senses, with
        his mind fully absorbed in meditating upon SrIman nArAyaNa
        (aatma / Supreme-Self)  >.

   Then, it is explained as to how ajAmila attained samAdhi with
   rigorous meditation on SrIman nArAyaNa, and then  obtained
   moksham, with the viSNu dUtAs arriving to take him towards
   SrI VaikuNTham.

    Thus,  when one says that various things like nAma sankeertanam,
    association with bhAgavathAs, residence in a divya dEsam etc
    will fetch moksham,  it actually means that, it will lead one 
    to perform one of the Brahma VidyAs and thereby  attain moksham, 
    mercifully granted by the siddhOpAyam SrIman nArAyaNa.

   adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
   ananthapadmanAbha dAsan
   krishNArpaNam