4.4. The Concepts of Jīvanmukta and Videhamukta

The concepts of jīvanmukta and videhamukta are closely connected with the jīva and Brahma concepts. Many upaniṣads like the tejobindu, the darśana, the dhyānabindu, the Nādabindu the Yogakuṇḍalinī the Yogaśikha and the varāha narrate these concepts elaborately. Thejobindūpaniṣad enumerates the nature of jīvanmukta and videhamukta.

Those who realize the ātman as the transcended and non-qualified only, are treated as the Jīvanmuktas:

cidātmāhaṃ paramātmāhaṃ nirguṇo'haṃ parātparaḥ |
ātmamātreṇa yastiṣṭhet sa jīvanmukta ucyate || ^[1]

The Varāhopaniṣad describes four kinds of Jīvanmuktas like:

1. Brahmavid,
2. Brahmavidvara,
3. Brahmavidvarīyan and
4. Brahmavidvariṣṭa.^[2]

The yogi who goes through the first three stages becomes the mumukṣu (seeker), when goes through the fourth he becomes the Brahmavid (knower of Brahman). When the first jīvanmukta goes through the fifth be becomes the Brhmavidvarīyan (more exalted knower of Brahman); and when the 3^rd jīvanmukta goes through the seventh stage he becomes the Brahmavidvariṣṭaḥ, the most exacted knower of the Brahman. In these stages the yogi passes through the virtuous desire, investigation, refined mind, rhythmic state, detachment, right conception and finally reaches the attainment.

The Dhyānabindopaniṣad regards the yogis who attain union with two bindūs of Śiva and Śakti as jīvanmukta.

This can be found in the lines:

bindordvaividhyaṃ tayoraikyaprabodhato jīvanamuktatvaṃ |^[3]

sa eva dvividho bindhuḥ pāṇḍaro lohitastathā |
pāṇḍaraṃ śuklamityahurlohitākhyaṃ mahārajaḥ || ^[4]

The Yogakuṇḍalinī describeds jīvanmukta as the yogi in the state of meditation and sits like sleepy or dead:

dhyāyannāste muniścaivamā supterāmṛtestu yaḥ |
jīvanmuktaḥ sa vijñeya sa dhanyaḥ kṛtakṛtyavān || ^[5]

Videhamukta is treated as the person who is filled with bliss–ānanda and becomes one with Brahman or the Brahman itself.

It is stated in the Tejobindu as:

brahmabhūtaḥ praśāntātmā brahmānandamayaḥ sukhī svaccharūpo mahāmaunī vaidehī mukta eva saḥ |^[6]

In this stage he becomes silent and is formed like a crystal and becomes the absolute ātman.

The Nādabindopaniṣad narrates the features of videhamukta as:

sarvāvasthavinirmuktaḥ sarvacintāvivartitaḥ |
mṛtavaktiṣṭhate yogī sa mukto nātra saṃśayaḥ ||
śaṅkhadundubhinādaṃ ca na śṛṇoti kadācana |
kāṣṭhavajjñāyate deha unmanyāvasthayā dhruvam || ^[7]

Meaning that the videhamukta becomes free from all avasthās like jagrat and is free from all thoughts, or emotions or feelings. He does not experience the dvandva feelings and the like.

The Yogakuṇḍalinī describes videhamukti as the state of attaining unbreathing state after jīvanmukta:

jīvanmuktapadaṃ tyaktvā svadehe kālasātkṛte viśatyadehamuktatvaṃ pavano'spandatāmiva || ^[8]

Yogaśikhopaniṣad assures videhamuktilābha for the jñanis, who have practised yoga also.^[9] Gradually jīvan-muktitva leads to vidheha-muktitva and the attainment of kaivalya.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Tejobindu-upaniṣad IV.1

[2]:

Ibid

[3]:

Dhy.b.U. com. 86

[4]:

Ibid 86

[5]:

Yogakuṇḍalī-upaniṣad III.33

[6]:

Tejobindu-upaniṣad IV.33

[7]:

Nād.U.51-52

[8]:

Y.kuṇ.U. III.34

[9]:

Y.śik.U.I.161-164