CHAPTER - XX
Niryandhikara
The process of the jivas passing out of the body has been described in the Upanishads and the same has been expounded in the Brahmasutras (second quarter of the fourth chapter). In Chandogya Upanishad, it is said that when the ‘purusha’ dies, his speech unites with mind, the mind gets into prana and the prana into tejas and the tejas becomes one with Supreme Deity (Chandogya 6-8-6). The Chandogya Upanishad describes the passage of the released atman to reach Paramatman. There, it is pointed out that the knowers of Brahman, reach fire or ‘Agni’, the first in the path of ‘Archiradi’. From fire to the deity of the day, from him to the deity of shukla-paksha, from him to the deity of uttarayana and then to samvathsara. From the deity of samvathsara, to the sun, from him to the moon and from him to the vidyuth or the deity of lightning. From vidyuth, the Amanava Purusha will unite him with Brahman. It is said that those who go by this path, never any more return to this world of Humans (Chandogya 4-15-5 and 4-15-6). This process of ‘uthkranthi’ and the path by which a meditator upon Brahman, attains Brahman, is described vividly in the Brahmasutras in the second pada and third pada of the fourth chapter.
What has been described thus in respect of the Brahmopasakas regarding ’niryana’ or ‘uthkranti’ and ‘archiradi-gati’ or the path beginning with ‘Agni’ that lcads to Brahman, applies equally to the Prapannas, who have
Sa totally surrendered the burden of their protection to the Lord.
Vedanta Desika describes in two sections viz., Niryanadhikara and Garichintanadhikara, the mode of passing out of the body and journey to Supreme Brahman through the path of ‘Archiradi’.
In Niryanadhikara i.c., the section describing the process of passing out of the body, Desika describes how a Prapanna passes out of the body, after becoming pure by exhausting the prarabdha-karmas that had come upon him in that body at such a time that he decides to quit this body. In the introductory verse, this process of passing out of the body, has been summarized in a nutshell.
‘मनसि करणग्रामं प्राणे मनः पुरुषे च तं झटिति घटयन् भूतेष्वे परे च तमात्मनि । स्वविदविदुषोरित्थं साधारणे सरणेर्मुखैः नयति परतो नाडीभेदैर्यथोचितमीश्वरः ॥
At the time of Niryana or the jivatma’s passing out of the body, all the ten indriyas unite with the mind, and that mind unites with the prana, and that prana in which the mind and others are united, unite with the jivatman and that jivatman is united with the subtle elements and then this jivatman unites with the Paramatman, who is the inner controller in the heart. Like this, both the persons - one that has knowledge of Brahman and another that does not have knowledge of Brahman - pass out of the body in the same way. But, the Lord leads the knower of Brahman i.e., the Prapanna through the path of archiradi’ and the other one through the path of ‘Dhuma’, according to their differences.
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When a person surrenders unto the Lord, the Lord holds him by his hand and wills to take him to his side; but, on account of some prarabdha-karmas, the Prapanna may be affected by ‘ahankara’ and ‘mamakara’ or commit some offences or may desire for some other benefits, on account of which, he may be associated with some other deity, or their faith may be disturbed a little, and they may think of some other means and on account of these ’niryana’ or ‘uthkranti’ may be delayed. But, on the other hand, those who have surrendered unto the Lord, including the fact of non-occurrence of offences during the post-prapatti-period, and who have unshakable faith, and who never feel ‘ahankara’ or ‘mamakara’ and who guard themselves from all kinds of intentional sins, the ’niryana’ will be at a time that is desired by such aspirants.
If one surrenders unto the Lord, without specifying the time of his departure from this world, he attains the Lord with some delay, after annihilating all sins that have happened to him. Such a person will not cherish to have other objects of life, as he is a ‘mumukshu’. If a Prapanna has ‘prayojananthara - ruchi’ a taste for other benefits also along with ‘moksha-ruchi’, the Lord who is a well-wisher does not grant him other benefits and he will treat with indifference those desires and he enlightens him on the true nature of such other attainments such as ‘alpatva’, ‘asthiratva’, dukhamisratva’ etc., or He will see that, that person becomes dejected in the experience of certain ungodly benefits and he will see that such a person becomes averse to other benefits within the time that he had intended for deliverance at the time of Prapatti. It is pointed out in the verse below:
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Esscncc of Srimad Rahasyatraya Saram
अथोपायप्रसक्तोऽपि भुक्त्वा भोगाननामयान् । अन्ते विरक्तिमासाद्य विशते वैष्णवं पदम् ॥
The delay for attainment of Godhead, is only so long as he has not gained dispassion or ‘vairagya’.
If a Prapanna contacts other deities with devotion, what happens to him? The Lord will see that he feels ashamed of getting devacantara-sparsa some day or other or by some means or other, and overcome that defect in him. Desika points out that if ‘devatantara-sparsa’ becomes steadfast in him, it should be understood that he is not having the ‘mokshopaya-sparsa’. For such people ’naraka’ and others do certainly happen. If it is asked whether there is no benefit for the means adopted by him before, it is said that the act that is done as regards the Lord, by some way or other is surely going to fulfil one day or other, the proper performance of the means and becomes fulfilled. What he has done in respect of the Lord does not go a waste. It is a ‘sukrut-lesa’ and it completes the performance of the means some day or other
For those, who have surrendered unto the Lord with perfect faith, weakness of mind (budhi-dourbalya) or desire for some other means will never arise. If these arise, it can be understood that their faith was faint. The Lord who is compassionate, will correct even such people and make them have supreme faith and convert them into those who have ‘poorna-prapatti’.
For a person, who is free from all these perverse temperaments, there will be no doubt of delay in attaining liberation. The delay is, only according to their wishes.
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Suppose, a person has surrendered desirous of ‘moksha’ at the time of the fall of that body, he is sure to get moksha at the time of the fall of that body.
When a person has surrendered the burden of his protection to the Lord and after that on account of his prarabdha-karına, if he develops interest in worldly objects, the Lord - who is a well-wisher - will not be granting those little benefits, even though prayed for them. The Lord will see that whatever the aspirant has sincerely done in respect of the Lord, will never go wasted, but it will become fully effective and successful in some future time and the means of surrender will be fully accomplished. The Supreme Paramatman who is all independent, and the ‘sheshin’ of all others, other than himself, will certainly will the annihilation of the accumulated sins, and the non-tainting of sins done inadvertently after prapatti, at the very moment of the utterance of the statement of surrender unto the Lord. He wills to take the Prapanna and his associates to his eternal abode at the time that is desired by the Prapnna viz., at the termination of that body.
For those sins that were intentionally done by a Prapanna after his prapatti, the Lord wills to destroy them by making that Prapanna repent for his sins and to pray for pardon of the Lord for doing such sins. If he does not pray for pardon, which will be of the form of second prapatti for excusing those sins, the Lord will purify him by inflicting suitable punishment to him. But, He will never deprive the Prapanna of the supreme benefit of attaining moksha. All his ‘sukruca’ and ‘dushkruta’ will be completely divested of a Prapanna, at the time of his death, and they will be transmitted to his friends and foes.
Esscoce of Srimad Rahasyatraya Saram
‘प्रियेषु स्वेषु सुकृतमप्रियेषु च दुष्कृतम् । विसृज्य ध्यानयोगेन ब्रह्माप्येति सनातनम् ।
This statement that an upasaka gets rid of his sins, applies equally in the case of a Prapanna also, and a Prapanna becomes freed from all karmas at the time of the fall of his body itself. This question has been discussed in the Brahmasutras and it is decided there that the Bhakti-yogi becomes freed from both kinds of good and bad karmas and proceeds on the path of archiradi’ to attain the Supreme Paramatman. The upasaka or the Prapanna will get a subtle body not due to karma, but on account of the efficacy of the upasana’ or ‘prapatti’, for moving on through the path of ‘archiradi’.
The statement of the Smritis that the day time, the bright half of the month and the ‘uttarayana’ are celebrated periods for departing from the body, does not relate to a Prapanna or a Bhakti-yogi. It is verily pointed out that the death may occur at any time in any place, but a Prapanna is sure to attain his goal.
ज्ञानसमकालमुक्त्वा कैवल्यं याति गतशोकः । तीर्थे श्वपचगृहे वा नष्टस्मृतिरपि परित्यजन् देहम् ॥
Having uttered the statement of surrender as soon as getting knowledge of the Supreme Paramatman, a Prapanna attains moksha bereft of all sorrows by casting away his body in a Holy Place or in the household of an out caste or in a state of unconsciousness. At the time of passing out of the body, all the ten indriyas unite with the mind, and that mind unites with the vital airs and that prana-vayu along with others already united, unites with the jivatman, united with
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the five subtle elements and he will be churned out of the body, and he will proceed out of the body through the ’nadis’. This process of the jivatman passing out of the body is common to both the knower of Brahman and non-knower of Brahman. At that stage, there will be a significant change in the passage of the atman, who is a Prapanna. A Prapanna will be led by the well-wisher, the Supreme Paramatman to cnter into the ‘moordhanya-nadi’ and he will come out of the body to go on the path of ‘archiradi. The Prapnna and others part ways at the time of the entrance into ‘moordhanya-nadi’. Being blessed by the Supreme Paramatman, the Prapanna and the Bhakti-yogin enter the ‘moordhanya-nadi’ to reach through it, the path of ‘archiardi’.
Desika discusses in this connection the propriety of having ‘antima-smriti’ or final remembrance of the Lord. In the verse quoted above, where the case of a person, who is unconscious (nasta-smriti) is mentioned. Similarly, there is a statement ferd Haltart which affirms, that in the case of a person, who remembers the Lord when his mind and body are sound, the Lord would never forsake him, but remember him when he has gone unconscious, just like a log of wood. He would remember his devotee and would lead him to his supreme abode. The great Bhashyakara has said in his ‘Gadya’ that a Prapanna would have a vivid vision of the Lord, his poorva-samskara being never lost and that he would be led to the Supreme Abode by the compassion itself of the Lord -
‘केवलेन, मदीययैव दयया अतिप्रबुद्धः मामेव अवलोकयन्’।
Desika points out all these statements should be reconciled and explained harmoniously as follows: - As mentioned in Sharanagati-Gadya’, the final remembrance of the Lord, will certainly come to a Prapanna, who has performed prapatti for attainment of moksha. The ‘antima-smriti’ is not a kind of ‘upaya’, which is possible of one’s own effort, as pointed out in statements like -
यं यं वापि स्मरन् भावं or यं योगिनो प्राणवियोगकाले यत्नेन चित्ते Padre
But, it is the remembrance of the Lord that arises in the mind of a person which has not yet merged with vital airs, but in which, all the ten indriyas are united. This is not possible of knowing by those who are by the side of the dying person. It is pointed out in the Bhashya as follows:
· दृश्यते हि वागिन्द्रिये उपरतेऽपि मनः प्रवृत्तिः । So, it is to be concluded that the final remembrance of the Lord is known to those that are becoming liberated and to the Ishvara who grants that final remembrance of Him.
After the merging of the subtle prana with the jivatman who is united with the subtle elements, the jivatman unites with Paramatman, who is in his heart and after taking rest there, the Prapanna and Bhakti-yogi go through the ‘sushumna-nadi’ leading to ‘archiradi’. Till the time of entry into ‘sushumna-nadi’ which is caused by the compassionate Paramatman, he will be in a state, which is similar to ‘sushupti’. Being awakened by the Lord, the Prapanna enters into the ‘sushumna-nadi’ which is made to illumine by the Lord himself. For others, who are not ‘upasakas’ or ‘Prapannas’, they pass out of the body through other nerves, and attain the destined places further. From the moment of
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entry into the ‘sushumna-nadi’, the jivatman becomes endowed with perfect knowledge and there will be only one day for all time to come. This has been explained as Hora दिवाहैव अस्य भवति ।
Thus, in this chapter, the passage of the jivatman from the body, is described till he enters into the ‘sushumna-nadi’. His attainment of Paramatman through the Archiradi path is described in the next chapter, the ‘Gatichintanadhikara’.