A friend of mine who is a serious student of Sri Vaishnava philosophy posed the following question to me via an email this morning. And my reply to him also is reproduced below.
On 17 Jun 2022, at 12:05 PM, Ranga Rajan wrote:
Swamin,
Hope you remember me—making a small presentation on your book in the Sacred presence of our Swami.
I was looking for some interpretation on the analysis of —what our sampradayam expalins by way of MOKSHAM and KAIMKARYAM.
Is there a difference between the two??===alternately —–how do you understand what the Jeevan does at SriVaikuntam by way of Moksham ???
Since we —in our age group look at the philosophy in a kind of intellectual way—with not so much knowledge of vedas etc etc —-this question came up—of course I do have an idea on this topic but let me hear from you.
I was looking for your phone in the book—but not there.
Dasan,
R.Rangarajan
Bangalore
Dear Sri Rangarajan,
It’s a pleasure to connect with you again.
In sri Ramanuja Siddhaantham moksham for a jeevaatma is in the state of paramam Padam to which it returns at last . …
The second verse of Vishnu Sahasranamam describes Vishnu as Himself being such a state to which all jeevaatmas return after completely exhausting all karmic bonds (karma bandham).
பூதாத்மா பரமாத்மாச
முக்தானாம் பரமாகதி: |
Vishnu himself thus is the ultimate natural state of existence to which the jeevaatma returns and becomes muktaathmaa.
The jeevaatma’s temporal states of existence are all determined only by Karma. These states are variable and impermanent. They are all characterised by the twin conditions of sukha and dukkha. In all these states of existence , the jeevaatma is motivated by only selfish desire.
Once the state of parama gatih is reached the jeevaatma loses all trace of self and desire. The mukthaatma dwells solely and exclusively on Bhagavath anubhavam …
तद्विष्णोः परमं पदं सदा पश्यन्ति सूरयः
दिवीव चक्षुराततं तद्विप्रासो विपन्न्यवो जागृवासस्स्मिन्धते
विष्णोर्यत् परमं पदं।
“Just as the sun’s rays in the sky are extended to the mundane vision, in the same way the wise and learned devotees always see the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.”
“Because those supremely praiseworthy and spiritually awake devotees are able to see the spiritual world, they are also able to reveal that supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.”
I.e. the consciousness of the narrow self is irrevocably replaced by an expanding consciousness of Brahman in the ultimate state —- this is what in Sri Ramanuja Siddhaantham is conceptualised as consciousness in “shuddha sattvam” .
The introduction of the element of “Nithya kainkarya” in the conception of Moksha is a unique feature of Sri Ramanuja Siddhaantham.
“Nithya Kainkarya Praapthi” is actually a mukthaatma realising it’s own true nature (svarupam) as a “daasa Bhuthan”. So long as a jeevaatma is mired in Karmic existence it remains blind to its true nature … It’s selfishness (svaatantrayam) shrouds it’s true “svarupam”. Once the jeevaatma is released from all karmic bondage and attains to the paramagathi of moksham , svaatatantrayam goes out of the window and is replaced by the mukthaatma finally realising it’s true nature —- the svarupam of a daasa-bhutha.
Kainkaryam is essentially only this realisation by the soul that it’s true svarupam is as daasa-bhutha… an ontological entity that exists for the pleasure of Brahman and has no other purpose whatsoever other than to serve its cosmic purposes only.
************
One day, after I had heard my “maanaseeka guru” Vaikunta-vaasi U. Ve. Sri Mukkur Lakshminarasimha Chariar explain the above nuances of Visishtaadvaitic soteriology to me , I asked him this question that arose in my mind:
“Swamin, what then is the difference between “kainkaryam” that a jeevaatma goes about performing in its mundane state here on earth and the “kainkaryam” that a “mukthaatma” does in its ultimate state of paramagati?”
He clarified to me in Tamizh:
“ indha lokathillum seri paramapadhathillum seri … jeevaatmavin lakshanam kainkaryam dhaan…” …. meaning, whether in this world or the world beyond, for a soul it’s true destiny will always remain “kainkaryam” only.
And then he went on to provide this most lucid and a true nugget of Visishtaadvaitic thought and insight which I paraphrase below in English:
“Bhagavath kainkaryam” presupposes conscious knowledge of Divine Purpose. The jeevaatma as a “daasa bhuthan” performs deeds here in this world in a spirit of “bhagavath preetyartham”…. i.e. it performs deeds thinking these acts of mine are pleasing to Bhagawaan because it serves his purpose.
In reality, however presupposition of such conscious knowledge of God’s Purpose in performing worldly “bhagavath kainkaryam” is fraught with uncertainty and a certain element of human vainglory. Why?
The jeevaatma’s consciousness is tainted by the 3 guNA-s of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas…. all three of which variously afflict and affect its judgment on what truly constitutes Divine Purpose and Divine Pleasure.
So long as the jeevaatma acts under the influence of tri-gunas it cannot totally free itself from its inherently selfish nature …(ahankaaram and mamakaaram). The soul will always remain clouded. It can therefore never be sure if even what it sincerely thinks it is performing as a deed of “Bhagavath kainkaryam” truly serves Bhagavaan’s purpose.
In a state of existence where the jeevaatma remains inflicted and afflicted by the 3 GuNA-s, it is incapable of truly divining the Divine Purpose.
It is in due, humble and abject acknowledgement of such inborn human incapacity and frailty that in Sri Vaishnava rites and sacraments, before and after they are duly performed, a special and significant mantra called “saatvika tyaagam” is chanted. By reciting the mantra, with folded hands, the jeevaatma surrenders its ego (born of the 3-guNA-s) and declares its intention to dedicate the particular act of “kainkaryam” it is about to perform as true service to Bhagavaan, praying at the same time to Him (residing as antaryami) to help it fulfil Divine Purpose.
In the ultimate state of paramapadam, in complete contrast, the mukthaatma’s consciousness is clear, pristine, untouched and unsullied by any of the tri-guNA-s. The liberated soul’s consciousness or “gnyaana” is grounded in “shuddha-sattvam”….omniscience … which it shares with Bhagavaan. There is nothing really in that ultimate state that can or will ever cloud or veil the soul’s vision of Divine Purpose.
The mukthaatma hence awakens in “shuddha satvam” to a pure realisation of its real svarupam as a “daasa bhutha” and remains thereafter firmly and eternally absorbed in both consciousness of Divine Presence and knowledge of Divine Purpose. And that is indeed what we may glean to be the inner meaning of the Rg Veda lines:
तद्विष्णोः परमं पदं सदा पश्यन्ति सूरयः
दिवीव चक्षुराततं तद्विप्रासो विपन्न्यवो जागृवासस्स्मिन्धते
विष्णोर्यत् परमं पदं।
Sudarshan Madabushi