Chapter 13 - Yoga of Release (mokṣa-nirūpaṇa)

13.1 Query on Nature of Release.

Reporting the conversation Lord Śiva had with Śrī Rāma, Sūta informed the sages assembled at Naimiṣāraṇya that a highly pleased Rāma enquired about the nature of release which is auspiciousness, to Lord Śiva.

13.2 Five kinds of Release.

The great Lord informed Rāma that the release are of five kinds: i, to be in the world of Śiva; ii, to get the same form Abhijñāna Śākuntala Śiva; iii, to possess equal lordship with Śiva; iv, to be united with Śiva and verse , total release.^[1] They are respectively Sālokya, Sārūpya, Sārṣṭya, Sāyujya and Kaivalya. The first four are the result of worship and saguṇa upāsanā or meditation on Lord Śiva with attributes. The last one, however, is absolute release resulting from true knowledge of reality Abhijñāna Śākuntala one with one’s own self. This is the release in strict sense of the term; others are more or less figurative.—“ātmasvarūpāvasthānaṃ muktirityabhidhīyate” appears in Śiva Gītā in two places X.38 and XIII.8 stressing the importance of self -knowledge in the attainment of Release,

13.3 Brahman devoid of any difference.

Brahman is mere existence, consciousness, infinitude and bliss; it is devoid of any attributes and inaccessible to mind and speech.^[2] Brahman is devoid of any difference whatsoever. There are no sajātīya, vijātīya or svagata differences. Just Abhijñāna Śākuntala the cloud-city is seen in the skies that has no reality, similarly this entire universe is falsely presented in Śiva through the beginningless ignorance (avidyā). When ignorance is destroyed, there is nothing that remains other than the Lord.^[3] cf. Kaṭhopaniṣad

13.4. Means for rise of Knowledge.

Rāma wanted to be enlightened on how does sacred knowledge about Śiva arise in a mortal and means in that matter. Lord, further, explains the way to acquire the purest knowledge, by his grace, to the great Rāma. Abandoning all attachment to entire creation, including ones own kith and kin, and having faith in the scriptures and longing for vedantic wisdom, with gifts in hand one should approach a learned and realized preceptor and please him with services and hear with intense concentration (śravaṇa) about the essence of Upaniṣads in the form of Mahāvākyas and reflect (manana) on them and do constant contemplation (nididhyāsana) on oneself Abhijñāna Śākuntala the Supreme Self and by grace of god, all past karmas gets burnt in the fire of knowledge and the devotee do not acquire any subsequent karmas and becomes a realized one; a Brahma-Jñāni becomes himself Brahman. After realization one happens to incur whatever sin, does whatever meritorious deeds, great or small, he is not affected by such sin or merit. Such a person is Jīvan-mukta. When all the desires in a person are controlled and conquered, then the mortal turns into immortal.^[4] Release is known Abhijñāna Śākuntala the destruction of the knots of heart caused by ignorance.

13.5. Attainment of Jīvan Mukti

Just like the fall of slipped foot from the brink of a tree, so sure is the release for a man of knowledge and whenever, where-ever the body of Jīvan-mukta falls, he is Videha-mukta after the second power of māyā is dispelled. Abhijñāna Śākuntala butter from churned milk cannot become milk again, similarly a wise man does not get back into worldly life.^[5] The Lord makes a prophetic statement also that one who studies this chapter daily or hears it, will be liberated from bondage to the body effortlessly and exhorts Rāma to practice the same so that he will get release by this alone in every way without effort.

Thus ends the thirteenth chapter of Śiva-gītā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid XIII-3

[2]:

Ibid XIII-9

Cf. Bhāgavata Purāṇa VII Skanda 25-31 says that one can attain God even through fear Abhijñāna Śākuntala in the case of Kaṃsa, or hate Abhijñāna Śākuntala in the case of Śiśupāla. This is a praudhī-vāda to prove the power of grace, not that hate and fear are alternative ways to win it.

[3]:

Vide Kaṭhopaniṣad IV-11;—There is no plurality whatsoever is here.;—Neha nānāsti kiñcana.

[4]:

Ibid XIII-31

[5]:

Ibid XIII-36.