[Advaita-l] Prapatti

[V Subrahmanian]

On Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 1:17 PM, Rajaram Venkataramani <
rajaramvenk at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Rajaram: But jivan mukti is attained only by a rare few. It is hard to
> attain and avidya lesha is not removable until death.


That jivan mukti is hard to attain and is a rare attainment does not mean
that krama mukti is easier or more common.  Avidya lesha is not a hindrance
to the experience of jivanmukti/sukha.  Even in Brahmaloka from the time
one becomes enlightened till the end of the Brahmaloka and his videhamukti
one continues with 'avidya lesha'.  He is a jivanmukta there.


> And more importantly a jivan mukta loses the opportunity to experience the
> auspicious qualities of Hari and pure bhakti after death.


As already seen by us, jivan mukta-s, if they want, can have and display
pure bhakti even while alive. Given their vairagyam, they would not long
for continuing this bhakti after the fall of the body.  If they are such
extraordinary upAsakas Ishwara will cash in on this and appoint them to
plum posts which will last a long era.  Yet, after this, they will have to
enter videha kaivalyam where no occasion for bhakti will be there.

There are a number of instances of this available in public domain and in
private quarters.  Nevertheless, the jivanmukta knows that the dvaitam
involved in such bhakti is not absolutely real.


> In Krama Mukti, one attains both saguna and nirguna brahman. So, it seems
> more desirable.
>

Even this is temporary in the sense the saguna part will end with
brahmaloka expiring.

>
> Is it attained through siddhi in one of the brahma-vidyas?


Actually 'brahmavidyA' is a term that means: Self-knowledge.  So, there is
no plural in that.  There are of course many 'vidyA-s' which only mean
upaasanas.  For example the panchAgni vidyA will take one to brahmaloka but
one will have to return after a certain period.  Parameshwara upasanas like
Hiranyagarbha upasana or any other saguNa upAsana will, if done as per the
scriptural injunctions, under the guidance of a Guru, will take one to
Brahmaloka.  Also there are certain karma-s too which are required to be
combined with the upAsanas.


> I thought the Lord says it is attained through antima smarana and bhagavat
> smarana (rf. bg verse man mana).
>

Yes. the upAsana has to be carried out until the passing of the prANa from
the body.  With so much rigor alone there will be the possibility of the
upAsya devatA coming up in the smaraNa at the antima kShaNa. Instead of
that is it not better to study the Advaita shastra, do manana, get rid of
all doubts and internalize the teaching and become enlightened in this life
itself?  By being with a good sat-sanga, a fine Acharya and a properly
directed will one can achieve this.

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

I do not think Srivaishnavas equate brahmaloka to viakuntha.  surely they
must be holding the former inferior and different from the latter.  'aa
brahmabhuvanAlllokA..' of the 8th chapter is considered by them also as one
of the several lokas within creation and perishable. No so with Vaikuntha.
I have heard this from VeLukkuDi Krishnan Swami.

Regards,
subrahmanian.v