[Advaita-l] Brahma Loka the highest within creation - the Advaitic position

[V Subrahmanian]

On Thu, May 28, 2020 at 6:57 AM Sri B <sriadvaitam at gmail.com> wrote:

> Namaskaram Subbu, first of all thank you for sharing this interesting
> read. I wish to seek clarity and also confirm my understanding: Apologies
> for asking some basic questions, these may have been elaborated in some
> earlier discussions.
>
> So, Advaita, espouses two types of Mukti - Jeevanmukti and Kramamukti.
> Former is the result of shedding avidya and discovering the Self as the
> Brahman (nirguna), which happens instantaneously and while in this body.
> On death of the body, the Jeevanmukta also gets freed of the sukshma
> sharira and therefore attains freedom from samsara, which is in my
> understanding, referred to as Videhi Mukti.
>
> Kramamukti is the Atma reaching another Loka, i.e. Brahmaloka upon
> shedding its body.
>
>
>    - Is this Brahmaloka basically the Advaitic equivalent of Vaikunta of
>    the Vaishnavites and Kailasam of the Shivites?
>
> Pitambara tika on Vicharsaagar mentions that Vaikuntha, Kailash, Deviloka
etc. are Brahmaloka only. It is a special feature of this loka that it
appears differently to different upaasakas according to their Samskaras.
The same loka appears as presided by Vishnu being surrounded by Chaturbhuja
brahmalokvaasis for a Vishnu Upasaka and presided by Mahadeva and
surrounded by Trinetra-dhaari brahmalokavaasis for a rudra upasaka and so
on. Others suggest that Vaikuntha, Kailasha etc. are different spheres of
existence within Brahmaloka itself. Those who attain the highest level
definitely have Krama-mukti at the end of a Kalpa.

>
>    - Is this the equivalent of heaven alluded to in the semitic religions
>
> Could be. If they say none returns from that Heaven, this could also be
so.

>
>    - Does this mean that the Atma along with suksma sharira reaches the
>    abode of Brahma.
>
> Yes.

>
>    - What happens to the karana sharira, i.e. will the avidya continue to
>    remain?
>
> When Avidya goes, karana sharira too will go. We can say, a lesha of it
will remain, as samskara, to enable jivanmukti / prarabdha bhoga.

>
>    - Is Kramamukti a result of upasanas -meaning bhakthi and observing
>    vidika karma? Fruits of punyam?
>
>
Yes.

>
>    - Is it to be considered as ‘next best’ to Jeevanmukthi. Advaita
>    teaches us that the purpose of this life is to attain Moksha interpreting
>    as Jeevanmukta, failing which or if one falls short then Kramamukthi is the
>    next best outcome?
>
> Yes. If one strives for Nirguna Atma jnana but dies before attaining, he
is called Yoga bhrashTa and will go to punya lokas, have bhogas, and return
to this world to continue his sadhana from where he left in the earlier
birth.


> Could you please elaborate further: What are these gradations of
> attainment, which Sri Vidyaranya endorses, upon reaching Brahmaloka. Does
> it mean that the Atma will reside in an another world and will gradually
> makes its way to what (the Brahman?) Does Sri Sankara Baghavadpada  and Sri
> Chandrashekara Bharathi Mahaswami have a different view?
>

The gradations are due to diff in the spiritual/religious practices.

regards
subbu

>
> Thank you in advance
> Sridhar
>
>
>
>