Chapter 2.4(b) - Types of Mokṣa (according to Śaṅkara)

Śaṅkarācārya always emphasizes on the essential unity between the jīva and the Brahman. The difference between them seems on account of the limiting adjuncts created by the avidyā. So, after annihilating the avidyā through the vidyā, one immediately attains his own ever-free state viz. the Brahman. Thus, Ācārya accepts the jīvanmukti, i.e. the liberation while one is still alive or possessing the body.^[1] In his viewpoint, one’s possession of the body is based on the unreal ignorance. This embodiment cannot be imagined in the absence of this ignorance, which is of the nature of identification of the Self with the body. So, after removing this ignorance, the knower of the Brahman can attain the state of aśarīratva (non-embodiment) even when he is alive. It is not necessary that one’s body must fall down to attain the state of non-embodiment. This state is eternal and it is not a result of any action.^[2] The knower of the Brahman can be free from birth, death, old-age, calamities etc. even when he possesses the body, since all these calamities are based on the false identification of the body with the Self.^[3]

One gets free from the ignorance and its effects after knowing his unity with the absolute Brahman. But, due to the prārabdha (destiny), he might still possess the body. After the end of the prārabdha, his body merges into the Brahman and then he is said to be the videha-mukta. In this connection, Śaṅkarācārya asserts that both the merits and the demerits get equally destroyed, when one knows the Brahman which is free from the agency.^[4] The actions that have been accumulated in the past births and also in this birth before the attainment of the knowledge, are totally annihilated by the knowledge. These are a kind of actions that have not started to fructify yet. However, the prārabdha-karmas viz. the actions that have already borne the fruits, are not annihilated by the knowledge. Owing to the prārabdha, one bears this life, in which one aquires the knowledge of the Brahman. The force of the prārabdha cannot be stopped in the interval period, just like the velocity of a wheel of a potter cannot be stopped meantime or the arrow in motion cannot be stopped before piercing the target. In this way, the knower of the Brahman cannot get rid of the body before ending of the prārabdhakarmās. Here, Śaṅkarācārya quotes the Chāndogya Śruti ‘tasya tāvadeva ciraṃ…’ (VI.14.2) and interprets it as follows: one delays only till he does not become free from the body. After getting freedom from the body, he attains the Existence.^[5]

It is accepted that the knowledge of the absolute Brahman annihilates the ignorance. Then, how does the jīvanmukta possess the body till the end of the prārabdha, even in the absence of the ignorance. Here, Śaṅkarācārya asserts that the knowledge of the Brahman destroys the actions by annihilating the unreal ignorance. But, the ignorance, even though it is sublated, continues to appear for some time owing to the residual impressions, just like the continuation of the appearance of two moons. According to the commentaries on [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra], such as Nyāyanirṇaya etc., all this argumentative exposition of Ācārya about the possession of the body by the jīvanmukta is meant for the people, who have opposite viewpoints. But, Ācārya explains the next sentences for his disciples. Śaṅkarācārya proclaims that one should not dispute on the point whether the knower of the Brahman possesses the body for some time or he does not possess the body. This is because someone else cannot deny other’s awareness of the Brahman experienced in his heart and also his possession of the body. This very state of jīvanmukta is explained in the Śrutis as well as in the Smṛtis by mentioning the characteristics of the sthitaprajña viz. one, whose intellect is established in the unitary knowledge.^[6]

The knower of the absolute Brahman does not have any gati after death. His prāṇas viz. the organs do not depart from the body. His desires and actions get annihilated. He becomes unified with the omnipresent Brahman. And, in the absence of any difference, there does not remain any reason for his course or departure.^[7] His prāṇas and subtle elements become absorbed in the supreme Brahman itself.^[8] On the other hand, both the knower of the qualified Brahman and the ignorant attain gatis through particular paths. The upāsanās, which are seen to be related with the qualified Brahman, differ according to the attributes imposed on the Brahman. So, the results of these upāsanās also differ, for instance attainment of excellence, krama-mukti, accomplishment of actions etc.^[9] Thus, the krama-mukti (gradual liberation) is achieved through the acquisition of certain vidyās of qualified Brahman. In that case, the knower of the qualified Brahman reaches the Brahmaloka through the devayāna-path alone, which is comprised of various stages. These are arci, saṃvatsara, devaloka, vāyu, sūrya and vidyut.^[10] When he arrives at vidyut, the super-human leads him to the qualified Brahman and not to the absolute Brahman, since the qualified Brahman has the region i.e. the Brahma-loka, so it is proper to consider it as a place where one can go. On the other hand, the absolute Brahman is all-pervasive and the innermost self of the approacher. So, the notions such as, approacher, course and goal of the course cannot be imagined in the absolute Brahman. ^[11] Further, Śaṅkarācārya particularly mentions that the knower of the qualified Brahman obtains the absolute knowledge at the time of the dissolution of the Brahma-loka. And, then he attains the supreme and the pure state of Viṣṇu viz. the liberation, along with Hiraṇyagarbha, the lord of the Brahma-loka. Thus, the knower of the qualified Brahman attains the liberation through stages.^[12] Secondly, in some of the Śrutis, the aiśvaryas (divine powers) of the muktas (liberated ones) are described, such as his entrance into various bodies etc. But, this is contradicted with other Śrutis explaining the absence of the relative knowledge in the state of liberation. Here, Śaṅkarācārya asserts that the state of having various divine powers is not the final liberation, but it is a state, just like the heaven etc., achieved through the maturity in the knowledge of the qualified Brahman. ^[13] These souls attain the union with the Īśvara while still possessing the mind. They have the divine powers such as aṇimā etc., but they have no powers regarding the functions of the world. This power of creation etc. of the world is only possessed by the Īśvara. ^[14] The knower of the qualified Brahman, reached the Brahmaloka, resorts in the absolute Brahman in the end. Therefore, he too does not return to the saṃsāra again, just like the knower of the absolute Brahman, who has annihilated the ignorance through the true knowledge and who adheres in the eternal and everlasting state of liberation.^[15] =

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Bhagavad-gītā] VI.27

[2]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] I.1.4.4

[3]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Bhagavad-gītā] XIV.20; See also [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Bhagavad-gītā] V.19

[4]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.1.10.14; See also [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.1.9.13

[5]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.1.11.15; cf. [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Chāndogya Upaniṣad] VI.14.2; See also [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] III.3.19.32, IV.1.14.19; [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Bhagavad-gītā] IX.28

[6]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra]; [Nyāya-nirṇaya Ṭīkā] on [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.1.11.15; [Bhāṣya-ratna-prabhā Ṭīkā] on [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra]; [Bhāmatī Ṭīkā] on [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.1.11.15

[7]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.2.6.13; See also [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.2.6.12

[8]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.2.7.15; See also [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.2.8.16

[9]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] I.1.6.12 Preface; See also [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] III.2.5.21, III.3.1.1

[10]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.3.1.1

[11]:

Ibid IV.3.5.7; See also [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.3.5.8-9, IV.3.5.14

[12]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.3.5.10; See also [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.3.5.11

[13]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.4.6.16

[14]:

Ibid IV.4.7.17; See also [Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.4.7.18-21

[15]:

[Śāṅkara Bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra] IV.4.7.22