Tattva Bodha - Post 36

BEYOND KARMA - VIDEHAMUKTI

Tathaa cha, aatma-vit,

samsaaram teertvaa,

brahmaanandam iha eva praapnoti.

“Tarati shokam aatmavit,” iti shruteh.

Tanum tyajatu vaa kaashyaam,

shvapachasya grihe athavaa,

jnaana-sampraapti-samaye,

muktah asau vigataashayah;

iti smriteh cha.

And so, the knower of the Self, having crossed Samsara (worldly life), attains supreme Bliss here itself.

The Sruti says, “The knower of the Self crosses over all sorrow.”

Let the wise cast off the body in Kashi, 

or in the house of a dog-eater,

At the time of attaining knowledge, 

he gets liberated from all his Karmas.

Thus assert the Smritis, too.

Sankara finally tells that the knower of the Self always rejoices only in Absolute Bliss of the Self and also quotes from Sruti and Smriti to back his words. 

When the Jiva realizes his own Self, then the Kartha ceases to exist and hence the karmas which got accumulated over millions and millions of birth also ceases to exist. To a person who realized his own nature of Self, nothing can bind him and thus such a person have crossed the Samsara. 

When a person gets such a firm conviction on these Upanishadic statements without any doubt through vedantic sadhana of Sravana, Manana and Nidhidhyaasana, he is liberated and has crossed the Samsara. 

He gets a firm conviction that "I am neither body nor senses nor mind nor intellect but Ever Blissful Infinite Atman". 

All the Karma phala are only for the body and the mind, and since the person got the firm conviction that he is Atman different from gross, subtle and causal body, none of the karma phala affects him. 

Sankara supports these words of his through the quotation from Chandhogya upanishad which says,

"Tarathi shokam atma vith"

"The knower of the Self goes beyond all the sorrows"

He also quotes from Smriti,

“Tanum tyajatu vaa kaashyaam,

shvapachasya grihe athavaa,

jnaana-sampraapti-samaye,

muktah asau vigataashayah”

Let the Jnani cast his body in Kasi (a sacred place) or in the house of a dog eater (Chandala), (it is immaterial because) at the time of gaining the knowledge (itself) he is liberated being free from all results of action.

In this final verse of the text, Videhamukti is being described. Videhamukti is the dropping of the physical vesture in the case of a liberated sage. 

Swami Sivananda says,

“The destruction of Chitta is of two kinds, that with form and without form. The destruction of that with form is of the Jivanmukta; the destruction of that without form is of the Videhamukta. 

As soon as the Prarabdha is fully exhausted, the Jivanmukta attains the state of Videhamukti, just as the pot - ether becomes one with the universal ether when the pot is broken”.

Swami Says,

Once, Janaka held a big congregation of scholars and sages in his court and conducted a debate as to what is eternal and what is ephemeral, what is a field (kshetra) and who is the knower of the field (kshetrajna). This debate went on for 21 days.

At the end, Yajnavalkya got up and said that he was prepared to answer any question that one might pose in the assembly. Gargi got up and asked him, “What is meant by wisdom (jnana)?” 

Yajnavalkya said, “Experience of non-dual-ism is wisdom (Advaita darshanam jnanam). 

Gargi said, “Yes, I accept what you said. A person who observes differences cannot be a person of wisdom (jnani). A true person of wisdom is one with a feeling of oneness (ek-atma bhava). Only such a person is a true scholar. A pandit is one who is equal-minded (Pandita samadarshina).” Gargi was a great scholar, and nobody could match her in knowledge. In fact, knowledge is the true ornament for a person. 

Waves are the ornaments for an ocean, Houses are the ornaments for a village, Lotus is the ornament for a lake,

Moon is the ornament for the sky, Knowledge is the ornament for man. 

(Telugu Poem) 

On the 21st day, when the debate concluded, someone from the assembly of scholars and sages had to be chosen to honor King Janaka. Janaka was known as Videha, since he was totally devoid of body attachment. 

In view of her deep knowledge and supreme wisdom, Gargi was considered the most deserving person to honor King Janaka. 

In such a great assembly of eminent scholars and sages, King Janaka decided to receive the honor from the hands of Gargi. 

(Extract from Divine Discourse at Prashanti Nilayam- 1-9-1996)

Iti "Tattva Bodha" Prakaranam Samaptam.

Thus, the Tattva Bodha Prakarana text comes to an end!

Love.