Essays on Visishtadvaita

[kd gupta]

Parmatma is in the body , but it is other than jeevatma which is basically a part of parmatma . It attains the mukti or moksha when it realizes , Aham Brahmasmi and it occurs when the sixth sense or the third eye opens .
Jeevatma is a part of Parmatma , but it is not in jeevatma similarly as child has the jerms of father but father is not in the child .
After the destruction of universe , prakriti again gives birth to jeevatmas with the help of parmatma , so moksha or mukti is imaginary .
Aham brahmasmi or tattwamasi , therefore every mighty sacred soul like Krsn , Rama etc. all are brahma , but the Almighty is different and is unborn .
To worship that Almighty with provision provided in Vedas is Devotion or Bhakti .
Having all knowledge as per above is Gyan and it is the definition of Vishishta Advaita …….told by a saint .

[smaranam]

PraNAm Guptaji,

I have some questions about this.

Parmatma is in the body , but it is other than jeevatma which is basically a part of parmatma . It attains the mukti or moksha when it realizes , Aham Brahmasmi and it occurs when the sixth sense or the third eye opens


.
Jeevatma is a part of Parmatma , but it is not in jeevatma similarly as child has the jerms of father but father is not in the child .
After the destruction of universe , prakriti again gives birth to jeevatmas with the help of parmatma , so moksha or mukti is imaginary .
Aham brahmasmi or tattwamasi , therefore every mighty sacred soul like Krsn , Rama etc. all are brahma , but the Almighty is different and is unborn .
To worship that Almighty with provision provided in Vedas is Devotion or Bhakti .
Having all knowledge as per above is Gyan and it is the definition of Vishishta Advaita …….told by a saint .

QN: After pralaya , the transmigrating JIvAtmA (individual) is in 'sankoch' (compressed/consdensed) form , acc. to Ramanujacharya. This is fine, as the transmigrating JIvAtmA has a token - sukshma sharira (subtle body ).

What about the one who has realized Aham Brahmasmi, and not transmigrating any more ? Gets dissolved into ParamAtmA (Supreme Universal Soul) ?

If PRakrti gives 'birth' to JIvAtmAs during sarga (creation) , this is really subtle bodies we are talking about that in turn get embodied. Mukti (liberation) is imaginary provided I identify with one particular JIvAtmA. Which one ? If I do not identify with any one jiva in the true sense , not theoretically, this is mukti, I have lost the jiva connection, and eventually , also the final prArabdha karma.

Who is transmigrating ? has transmigrated ? Or for that matter, who is it that prakrti is giving birth to ? Who got carried over from the last pralay (dissolution) to this sarga (creation ) ? Not me. I am One without a second. I am JIvAtmA as long as i stay attached to the BMI (body-mind-intellect).

Namaste

Terms

JIvAtmA = individual soul
ParamAtmA = Supreme , Universal Soul (God, Brahman, BhagvAn)

sankoch = compress sankuchit = compressed (as a state of the jiva / JIvAtmA)
sarga = creation [ visarga = secondary creation ]
pralay = dissolution , destruction of the material Universe , as part of the cycle

Mukti = liberation from birth and death

Prakrti = Mother Nature, an aspect of the Supreme

[kd gupta]

Pranam Smaranamji
Answer may be sought in just two shlokas…..

Tasmaat sarveshu kaaleshu maamanusmara yudhya cha;
Mayyarpitamanobuddhir maamevaishyasyasamshayam.
. Therefore, at all times remember Me only and fight. With mind and intellect fixed (or
absorbed) in Me, thou shalt doubtless come to Me alone

Mayaa’dhyakshena prakritih sooyate sacharaacharam;
Hetunaa’nena kaunteya jagadwiparivartate.
. Under Me as supervisor, Nature produces the moving and the unmoving; because of
this, O Arjuna, the world revolves!

I think knowing more than this confuses each and everybody , hence no need to .

[smaranam]

[COLOR=black] Therefore, at all times remember Me only and fight. With mind and intellect fixed (or
absorbed) in Me, thou shalt doubtless come to Me alone

I think knowing more than this confuses each and everybody , hence no need to .[/FONT][/SIZE]

Pranam

Thank You.

Precisely. That's a very nice verse, and there is no need for confusion.
So being with Him is Mukti , and its not imaginary, on the contrary, its a NO-OP. Of course, it depends on how I look at it, and my definition of mukti.

O Lord (it was hard to NOT write any adjectives for You), You are all there is , this entire blissful existence, All these jivas are my glories,
or I am this jiva that sings His glories.

Either way I am a mukta, thanks to You / Me / You-me , sacchidananda vigraha, sarva-kArana-kAranam, anAdi Adi .....

Om Namo Bhagavate VAsudevAya

[kd gupta]

May Krsn help You and all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjR6lv0NSfM

[smaranam]

****karte ho Tum Kanhaiya , mera naam ho raha hai ****

Mera *Aap* ki daya se, sab kaam ho raha hai

*Tum* saath ho jo mere, kis cheej ki kami hai

patwaar ke bina hi , meri naav chal rahi hai


auro ko jo kuch mila apne hi mukaddar se
muze to mera mukaddar bhi *Tere* dar se mila hai

karta nahi mai kuch bhi, sab kaam ho raha hai

****karte ho Tum Kanhaiya , mera naam ho raha hai ****

*Tum* saath ho jo mere , kis cheej ki kami hai

[smaranam]

Namaste

That was a mesmerizing Bhajan posted by Guptaji (post #15) , the language is Hindi, main lyrics are above (post #16).

What does it say ?

O KanhaiyA (Krshna) , You do everything [silently behind the scenes ] , and people
think i am doing the work.

By Your Grace and kindness, all my work is being done automatically, without any efforts from my side.

My boat has no oars , yet it is sailing along . The world is perplexed at how it is reaching the shore.

People obtain their wishes by destiny, but my destiny i received from Your doorstep,
[in fact You are my destiny].

If You are with me, what can i possibly lack ?

O KanhaiyA (Krshna) , You do everything [silently behind the scenes ] , and people
think i am doing the work.


I am not worthy of You, how can i cross over to your shore ?
How can i sing your glories [ and do justice to them ] in my broken language/speech/words ?


----

The singer & kirtan leader , Aggarwalji in the video, is doing wonders in setting the right mood, and he says ....

Do not be stubborn and say to Krshna, "please come to me playing the flute, in the very form I know as Yours". This is what brings obstacles in your devotion because He really has other plans, may approach you in any form or not, in any way, at any time. Know that all saintly advice and all good that happens is Krshna. In short, its about seeing the Lord's hand in everything.
The incarnations of God also bear hardships while on earth. Even though they could get rid of them easily, they don't , just to teach us - equanimity under difficulties.

Jai Shri Krshna

[kd gupta]

Vishisht Advaita is knowing the real truth of human life and that has been explained in Vedas . Rishi Valmiki explained in Ramayan that the true translation of Vedas Gyan is Bhakti of Bhagwan Rama . Rishi Vedvyas explained it in Mahabharat AND narrating Gita by Bhagwan Krsn , incarnation of Rama .

This has also been explained in Sribhagwatam that there remained a confusion between Gyan and Bhakti and to emphasize that the true Gyan is Devotion or Bhakti , Vedvyasji narrated the Krsn as supreme , therefore to be more clear about VISHISHTA ADVAITA I quote the following shlokas …

Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate;
Iti matwaa bhajante maam budhaa bhaavasamanvitaah.
I am the source of all; from Me everything evolves; understanding thus, the wise,
endowed with meditation, worship Me.
Macchittaa madgatapraanaa bodhayantah parasparam;
Kathayantashcha maam nityam tushyanti cha ramanti cha.
With their minds and lives entirely absorbed in Me, enlightening each other and always
speaking of Me, they are satisfied and delighted.
Teshaam satatayuktaanaam bhajataam preetipoorvakam;
Dadaami buddhiyogam tam yena maamupayaanti te.10. To them who are ever steadfast, worshipping Me with love, I give the Yoga of
discrimination by which they come to Me.
The devotees who have dedicated themselves to the Lord, who are ever
harmonious and self-abiding, who adore Him with intense love, who are ever devout, obtain the
Divine Grace.
Teshaam evaanukampaartham aham ajnaanajam tamah;
Naashayaamyaatmabhaavastho jnaanadeepena bhaaswataa.
Out of mere compassion for them, I, dwelling within their Self, destroy the darkness
born of ignorance by the luminous lamp of knowledge.

Let me hope that this 2010 turns the hdf to Bhakti Forum .

[devotee]

Namaste Smaranam,

That is really a beautiful bhajan.

I heard this bhajan for the first time from my niece but surprisingly it was dedicated to Mother Goddess (Vashno Devi) & not to Krishna ! Difficult to say what is the original version.

Namaste Gupta Ji,

Let me hope that this 2010 turns the hdf to Bhakti Forum.

Not possible. Why ? Because it already is a Bhakti forum ! Only your definition & others' definitions vary.

The need is to change the tainted glass (forgive me, no offence intended) that you are using to judge who a Bhakta is & who is not. God doesn't see such a difference.

Be a Bhakta par excellence ... & for that attain jnaan by reading Vedas / discussing Vedas & seeing God everywhere & in all. Why ? Because Jnani is the best Bhakta of all ! (B.G.)

OM

[smaranam]

Namaste

it was dedicated to Mother Goddess (Vashno Devi) & not to Krishna ! Difficult to say what is the original version.

I am not surprised
Compositions go around in circles, over generations and traditions (parampara).

Technically, Devi Maa is Shakti/Prakrti, so she is actually the doer. Also, like our birth mother wrote the difficult essay or speech for us in school. She always shields devotees with Her veil.

I suppose KanhaiyA does everything in the sense , He takes away drudgery from work, misery from life, makes challenging rocky roads appear smooth, and basically diverts attention from the mundane to Him. After all, He is Hari - He who takes away miseries, karma and brings pleasure.

That being said, Krshna has also been a Mother to me.

Also , stare at Him long enough and one sees Radha.

Tvam eva mAtA ca pitA Tvam eva
Tvam eva bandushca sakhA Tvam eva
Tvam eva vidya , dravinam Tvam eva
Tvam eva sarvam mama Deva Deva

You alone are the mother, You alone are the father
You alone are my brother/sister, You alone are my friend and Dearest
You alone are my knowledge and my wealth
You are everything to me, You are my Supreme Lord.

-----

Be a Bhakta par excellence ... & for that attain jnaan by reading Vedas / discussing Vedas & seeing God everywhere & in all. Why ? Because Jnani is the best Bhakta of all ! (B.G.)

OM

Adi Shankara and others did not mention Bhakti while sorting out Karma and Jnana milestones - because they assumed Bhakti as an inherent part of the seeker/process and also a prerequisite.

Author Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji - in his Gita commentary (my first Bhagavad Gita) - writes -

"Karma, Jnana and Bhakti are not seperate paths at all.
Wasn't Shankaracharya, the preacher of Jnana Yoga, a Karma Yogi and a Bhakta ?
Wasn't the Yogi , Sant Dnyaneshwar a Bhakta ? {I thought he was a Jnani too}
Wasn't VAman Pandit, preacher of Saguna Bhakti , a Jnani ?

Flapping one wing of Karma and the other wing of Bhakti, propelled by the tail of Jnana , the jiva bird gains height and reaches ParamAtmA"

I suppose this calls for a definition of Bhakti ?