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From: champakam
Date: Thu Feb 20 2003 - 06:54:24 PST
This is in response to the query from "Vijayalu", attached below,
regarding the use of the term "jIvan mukta" by svAmi deSikan in
Slokam 47 of acyuta Satakam. The Slokam is
vishaya-rase viraktA vikAra jananairapi na khalu vikriyamANAh |
jIvan-mukta-sadRSA acyuta dRSyante pAvaNAS-tava bhaktAh ||
The approximate translation from SrI SriramdeSikAcharya svAmi's LIFCO
publication titled "SrI deSika stotra-s", is:
"O acyuta! Your devotees are not distracted by trivial pleasures, and
their mind is not swayed by objects that normally attract the senses.
They remain very pure, and as a result, they appear like people who
have attained mukti in this world itself".
In his detailed vyAkhyAnam, Sri Sriramdesikacharya explains that even
though these devotees are still in this world, they are
uninterruptedly immersed in bhagavad anubhavam, and thus are like the
mukta-s in SrI vaikunTham in this aspect.
Th following is an excerpt from the explanation provided by SrI SrI
D. Ramaswamy Iyengar in his book explaining the Sloka-s of acyuta
Satakam:
"The term jIvan-mukta is an advaitic term and has no place in
viSishTAdvaita philosophy or SrI vaishNava sampradAya. By realizing
that the world is an illusion and there is nought but Brahman, an
advaiti becomes Brahman-conscious and identifies himself with
Brahman – aham brahmosmi. At that stage of realization he is
referred to as a jIvan-mukta.
"This concept is quite foreign and wholly opposed to viSisTAdvaita,
which believes only in videha-mukti, or moksha after casting off the
body. AcArya rAmAnuja has refuted the jIvan-mukta theory in his SrI
bhAshya in unmistakable terms.
"At the same time there are experiences and utterances of the AzhvArs
and AcArya-s which tend to make out a case for the enjoyment of mukti
even while continuing in this earth.
"It is true that there is basis in the Upanishads themselves to
support this line of thought so well postulated and popularized by
the AzhvArs, vide – amRta iha bhavati, atra brahma samSnute, meaning
respectively `such a person is deathless even here, on this earth',
and `He enjoys Brahman here itself'. The AzhvArs' sayings are far
more explicit. SvAmi deSika has beautifully depicted this line of
thought and enjoyment in verse 33 of his adhikAra sa'ngraham (taken
from uttara kRtyAdhikAram of his rahasya traya sAra). This is
translated as: `All the loving services that the Eternals and muktas
in vaikunTha render to paramapada nAtha there – the great ones of
this earth who have learned the tamizh Vedas of sweet essence perform
here in this world with eclat'.
`They are here referred to as jIvan-mukta-sadRSa-s. Their mentality
and outlook on life are pictured in the first and second lines of the
Sloka (Sloka 47 of acyuta Satakam).
In SrI ra'nganAtha pAdukA Oct. 2002 issue, jIvan-mukta is defined
as "jIvantaSca te mukta-sadRSASca jIvan-mukta sadRSAh, jIvantas-
santah mukta-sadRSA ityarthah". The idea is: They are alive in this
earth, and they are like mukta-s in their total dedication and
enjoyment of bhagavAn".
Bhagavad rAmAnuja has refuted the concept of jIvan-mukta as viewed by
the advaitins in his SrI bhAshyam. I do not have the reference for
this, and others are invited to elaborate.
-Krishnamachari
From: "vijayalu" <vijayalu@b...>
Date: Sun Feb 16, 2003 3:11 am
Subject: Re: Clarification
DEAR SIR,
While I was whiffing thru the pages of Desika Stothrani published by
Nrishma Priya trust, I read a slokam of Vedanta Desikan in Achyutha
Sathakam
Verse 47, in which Swami mentions about Jeevan Mukthargal........ "
Jeevan
Muktha sadhrusaH achyutha theerurysyanthe Bhaavanas thava bhakthaha".
( sorry
for any wrong english dictum). Please enlighten me further about this
verse
and what Swami meant in this.
Many thanks
VKV
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