Odyssey of Life

एवं च वेदांन्तवाक्यैः सद्गुरुपदेशेन च सर्वेष्वपि भूतेषु येषां ब्रह्मब्द्धिरुत्पन्ना ते जीवनमुक्ताः इति अर्थः ॥

One who arrives at a firm conviction of truth – “Everything is in me; I am in everything” through experience is said to have acquired brahmabuddhi (ब्रह्मबुद्धि) and is jīvanamukta (जीवनमुक्त).

Different philosophies define liberation differently. Cārvāka (चार्वाक) defines it as the death (of the body). Bauddha (बौद्ध) defines it as the experience of śūnya (शून्य). Per Nyāya (न्याय), it is removal of all sorrows. Bhakti vedānta (भक्ति वेदान्त) defines it as attainment of proximity to the Lord (sāmīpya – सामीप्य), or form of the lord (sārupya – सारुप्य), or abode of the lord (sāloka – सालोक). However, per advaita vedānta (अद्वैत वेदान्त), liberation is attaining of the (experiential) knowledge that “I am that Supreme awareness” (sāyujya – सायुज्य).

Thus, liberation is – hitvā anyathārupam svarupeṇa vyavasthitaḥ (हित्वा अन्यथारुपम् स्वरुपेण व्यवस्थितः), having given up all other false identification and abiding in one’s true nature – as Supreme Self.

ननु जीवन्मुक्तः कः?
यथा देहोऽहं पुरुषोऽहं ब्राह्मणोऽहं शुद्रोऽहमस्मीति द्रढनिश्चयस्तथा नाहं ब्राह्मणः न शुद्रः न पुरुषः किन्तु असंगः सच्चिदानन्दस्वरुपः प्रकाशरुपः सर्वान्तर्यामी चिदाकाशरुपोऽस्मीति द्रढनिश्चयरुपोऽपरोक्षज्ञानवान् जीवन्मुक्तः ॥

Advaita vedānta defines three types (ways) of liberation. 1. jīvana mukti (जीवन मुक्ति) – liberation while in the physical body (alive). 2. videha mukti (विदेह मुक्ति) – liberation while / after dropping the body, and 3. krama mukti (क्रम मुक्ति) – liberation in stages, while elevating oneself gradually across different worlds / planes of existence, the final stage being the brahma loka (ब्रह्म लोक), the world of the creator.

Here Shri Shankaracharya defines jīvanamukta as the liberated while in the body. One drops all identification or association, with caste, creed, gender and even the physical body. He remains unattached while living in the world, and firmly identify himself as formless, self-effulgent supreme consciousness. To a common man, he may even appear either as innocent child or mad man.

ब्रह्मैवाहमस्मीत्य अपरोक्षज्ञानेन निखिलकर्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्तः स्यात् ॥

Firm conviction in this knowledge (one’s identification as Supreme Self) is not just an intellectual understanding (acquired from scriptures) or even temporary hallucination, but it is an experiential knowledge (aparokṣa bhāva – अपरोक्ष भाव). jīvanamukta experiences his nature as the Supreme Self, just like how man experiences himself as a man. Just like how a common man do not need to be reminded himself of his gender through intellectual knowledge or any external experience (like looking at themselves in the mirror), jīvanamukta does not need any external aid to know his nature as Self. Such knowledge once attained, frees one from all bondages, all karma and their effects, all tendencies, causing destruction of saṃsāra for him.

कर्माणि कतिविधानि सन्तीति चेत् आगामिसंचितप्रारब्धभेदेन त्रिविधानि सन्ति ॥

No being can live without actions. Even a simple act of breathing is an action, thus karma. This applies to jīvanamukta as well. Let us understand what happens to karma of jīvanamukta. Before that, let us understand the concept of karma. There are three types of karma. āgāmi karma (आगामि), saṃcita karma (संचित) and prārabdha karma (प्रारब्ध).

Sanchit Karma

संचित कर्म किम्?
अनन्तकोटिजन्मनां बीजभूतं सत् यत्कर्मजातं पूर्वाजितं तिष्ठति तत् संचित ज्ञेयम् ॥
संचित कर्म ब्रह्मैवाहमिति निश्चयात्मकज्ञानेन नश्यति ॥

Sanchit karma is collection of results of actions (karmaphala – कर्मफल) performed in all prior births, all debts that one has to pay, all tendencies that one must exhaust. They reside in seed form. They are the cause of all future births, as one needs a body to exhaust them. Upon attaining firm knowledge about the Self, all sanchit karma are destroyed at once. They are now like the roasted seeds that can never germinate.

Prarabh Karma

प्रारब्धम् कर्म किम् इति चेत ।
इदं शरीरमुत्पाद्य इह लोके एव सुखदुःखादिप्रदं यत्कर्म तत् प्रारब्धम् ।
भोगेन नष्टं भवति । प्रारब्धकर्मणां भोगादेव क्षय इति ॥

Some of the sanchit karma, that are ripe enough to give results, gives rise to one’s current body (current birth). These are the ones that are responsible for one’s experiences in current life. They are called prārabdha karma. Such karma can only be exhausted by experiencing them. Thus, even after attaining the self-knowledge, jīvanamukta continues to live in the current body to exhaust his prārabdha. Thus, prārabdha karma is like an arrow already shot from the bow, it must hit the target. Having said that, from the perspective of jīvanamukta, it does not impact him as he has already detached himself from the world and his body.

Aagami Karma

ज्ञानोत्पत्यनन्तरम् ज्ञानिदेहकृतं पुण्यपापरुपं कर्म यदस्ति तदागामी इति अभिधीयते ॥ 
आगामी कर्म अपि ज्ञानेन नश्यति किंच आगामिकर्मणां नलिनीदलगतजलवत् ज्ञानिनां सम्बन्धो नास्ति ॥ 
किंच ये ज्ञानिनं स्तुवन्ति भजन्ति अर्चयन्ति तान्प्रति ज्ञानिकृतं आगामि पुण्यं गच्छति ।
ये ज्ञानिनं निन्दति द्विषन्ति दुःखप्रदानं कुर्वन्ति तान्प्रति ज्ञानिकृतं सर्वमागामि क्रियमाणं यदवाच्यं कर्म पापात्मकं तद् गच्छति । सुह्रदः पुण्यकृत्यं दुह्रदः पापकृत्यं गृह्नन्ति इति ॥

Any results arising out of actions performed after getting experiential knowledge of Self is āgāmi. Such actions and their results are also destroyed when performed by the body and mind of jīvanamukta during his remaining life. They do not attach to him, as such actions are not done with doer-ship (due to lack of individuality – ego). Such actions are compared to the drop of water on the lotus petal; it slides down without leaving its mark.

While results of such āgāmi karma do not attach to jīvanamukta, but results must come. All positive results will be accrued to devotees who worship him, sings his praise and serve him. All negative results will be accrued to people who criticize him, hate him or create worldly trouble for him.

Result of Self-knowledge

तथा चात्मवित्संसारं तीर्त्वा ब्रह्मानन्दमिहैव प्राप्नोति ।
तरति शोकमात्मवित् इति श्रुतेः ।
तनुं त्जतु वा काश्यां श्वपचस्य गृहेऽथ वा ।
ज्ञानसंप्राप्तिसमये मुक्तोऽसौ विगताशयः । इति स्मृतेश्च ॥

Having attained the knowledge of one’s true self, one crosses over the ocean of saṃsāra, and enjoys infinitude. He is beyond time, space and objects – all limiting dimensions. For such jīvanamukta, the time, place and method of drooping the body becomes irrelevant. Whether dying in an auspicious place like kāśī or the damned place like home of dog eater (śvapaca – श्वपच), dying in unnatural sudden death like accidents, or sleep, or coma or apparently peaceful looking situation. It doesn’t matter to him. He was already wearing body as an external garment, fully detached. He just drops his form that was visible to the ignorant world, and merges into the universe, becomes the universal consciousness.

इति तत्वबोधप्रकरणं समाप्तम् ॥