[Advaita-l] Prapatti

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 4:56 PM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>wrote:

> On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 7:51 PM, Anand Hudli <anandhudli at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Regarding the attainment of Brahmaloka Shankara says in the KaThopaniShad
> 2.3.5 bhashya:
>
> //स च दुष्प्राप्योऽत्यन्तविशिष्टकर्मज्ञानसाध्यत्वात् । तस्मात्  आत्मदर्शनाय
> इहैव यन्तः कर्तव्य इत्यभिप्रायः । //
>
> //That (Brahmaloka) is difficult of attainment as it involves the practice
> of specialized karma-s and upAsanas.  Therefore, for the attainment of
> Self-realization one has to put forth efforts here itself (that is in this
> world itself, in this life/body itself).  This is the idea conveyed in this
> mantra.//
>

Rajaram: But jivan mukti is attained only by a rare few. It is hard to
attain and avidya lesha is not removable until death. And more importantly
a jivan mukta loses the opportunity to experience the auspicious qualities
of Hari and pure bhakti after death. In Krama Mukti, one attains both
saguna and nirguna brahman. So, it seems more desirable.

Is it attained through siddhi in one of the brahma-vidyas? I thought the
Lord says it is attained through antima smarana and bhagavat smarana (rf.
bg verse man mana).

Does advaita tradition admit the scriptural validity of prapatti marga of
sri vaishnavas to attain brahmaloka (vaikuntha prapti) or considers it
bogus?