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RE: Sriman NaarAyaNA's parathvam

From: Mani Varadarajan (mani_at_best.com)
Date: Wed Mar 24 1999 - 11:22:42 PST 

Sri Madhavakkanan wrote:
> 3. Serving SrIman nArAyaNa in SrI-vaikuNTham (ie mOksham) is the only
> Supreme Goal.

If I may modify this slightly, according to our acharyas,
the Supreme Goal is to serve Sriman Narayana at all times, in any
condition, wherever the Divine Couple is.  It does not matter
whether it is in Sri Vaikuntham or not. Recall Sri Vedanta
Desika's famous words from Varadaraja Panchasat:

	vaikuNTha-vAse'pi na me'bhilAsa:

	I have no desire to even stay in Vaikuntha

The goal is then nitya-kainkaryam alone. It just so happens
that while embodied, there are continuous obstacles to 
performing divine service.  Since there are no such 
obstacles in Parama-Padam, the state of liberation,
we ask for moksha. But this is only to subserve the
true goal of nitya-kainkaryam.

rAmAnuja dAsan,
Mani