NICE AND PROFOUND CHAPTER FROM #"VAISHNAVITE SCHOOLS OF PHILOSOPHY" BY DR. A. THIRUVENGADATHAN#:
"Moksha or Salvation according to Nimbarka is the condition in which the soul so far devoid of its intrinsic nature and attributes in the embodied state shines in its full splendour having attained full jnana-svarupa.
This liberated state is comparable to a lamp hidden inside a pot for quite sometime shining forth with
full brilliance when taken out of the pot.***
***Note by Vishnudut1926: This is the Vaidik Siddhanta from "Shree Chandogya-Upanishad" - "Having attained the form of Highest Light".
See the Tikas of Shree Nimbarka Sampradaya to "Shree Vedanta-Sutra" in connection with the above-mentioned "full-brilliance"-Siddhanta. Starting from page 858 in Roma Bose edition (Volume 2) - #"Vedanta-Parijata-Saurabha" of Nimbarka And "Vedanta-Kaustubha" Of Shreenivasa, Roma Bosa, 1940#
Explanation by Dr. A. Thiruvengadathan continued: The soul (jiva) is in the form of Sat, Cit and Ananda like Brahman. It is also ageless, deathless, painless and free from hunger and thirst etc. Its independence is full but under the control of the Lord (Shree Radha-Krishna).
The liberated soul is identical with Brahman with the following limitations:
1. While the freed soul is atomic in size (anu) Brahman is all-pervasive(Vibhu)
2. Despite the soul being identical with Brahman, creation, sustenance and destruction of the Universe (Jagadvyapara) rests only with Brahman.
3. The freed Soul despite its freedom is still under the control of the Lord. Like Ramanuja ‘Jivanmukti'-salvation here and now, is not supported by Nimbarka.
He accepts only ‘Videhamukti’ as the Soul gets its full splendour only after salvation.
The means of attaining salvation according to Nimbarka are fivefold: each one, when properly adopted, leads to Moksha either directly or through a process.
1. Karma. Nimbarka does not accept Karma as a direct means of salvation. When Karma is performed with a sense of selflessness and a sense of phalatyaga, such an action purifies the mind.
Such a mind is fit for acquiring right knowledge which leads to Moksha as all systems of Indian philosophy accept the dictum Jnanan-moksha. Salvation is through jnana only. The definition of jnana slightly varies from system to system.
2. Knowledge. The true knowledge of Brahman and the Self leads one to Moksha, but for this, one must perform the asrama-dharmas (duties pertaining to one's station in life) in a dispassionate and disinterested manner.
Not only the external acts like sacrifices but also the internal control of the senses is required. Other qualities like sastraic learning, simplicity and absence of ego and vanity are also required.
3. Upasana. Nimbarka recommends 3 kinds of meditation: (a) Meditation on Brahman as one's own Self, as Brahman is the indweller of the Soul. (b) Meditation on Brahman as the in-dweller of the Non-sentient. (c) Meditation on Brahman as different from Sentient and Non-sentient. [Note by Vishnudut1926: See "Shreemad-Bhagavatam" ("Bhagavata-Purana"), Verses 11.11.40-49]
While Ramanuja equates Upasana with Bhakti, Nimbarka supports Madhurya-Bhakti - a kind of sweet and loving relationship of the soul with the Lord.
There is only a superficial difference in treating Upasana and Bhakti but when we go deep we could understand that Nimbarka follows the postulates of Ramanuja.
While Ramanuja's Bhakti is Aiswarya-pradhana (through Lord's Power and Splendour coupled with His Mercy) Nimbarka's Bhakti is Madhurya-Pradhana (through the devotee's love and friendship).
Religion begins with fear of God, reverence and awe but for a devotee who has come closer to God, the relationship is one of love and friendship.
4. Prapatti. This is an effective Sadhana according to Nimbarka. When the soul gives up its individuality completely and solely depends upon God, then He himself leads the soul to Salvation.
This does not mean cessation of all activity but one should do what is pleasing to God and avoid whatever will be disliked by Him.
Love for humanity, a sense of total helplessness and total surrender to God are the other requisites. A sense of resignation on the part of the Soul is repugnant to Nimbarka.
One must always strive to follow the right path and adopt good conduct.
5. Gurupasatti. Surrender to the Acarya is also an effective sadhana supported by Nimbarka. The guru will do whatever is needed for the surrenderer and will lead the devotee to God.
Nimbarka compares the acarya to a mother with a suckling child as it is the mother who takes medicines for curing the sick child. Here we find a parallel to the post-Ramanuja concept of the Acarya being an effective Upaya.***
***Note by Vishnudut1926: Post-Ramanuja = either Tenkalai (Shree Pillai Lokacharya, the Southern Branch of Shree Ramanuja-Sampradaya) or Vadakalai (Shree Vedanta Desika, the Northern Branch of Shree Ramanuja-Sampradaya).
Actually points 4 and 5 (Prapatti and surrender to Vaishnava-Guru) from the above-mentioned sequence remind the Siddhanta of Tenkalai very much, as Shree Pillai Lokacharya laid the extreme emphasis on Prapatti and Gurupasatti.
For this reason Dr. A. Thiruvengadathan mentions "a parallel to the post-Ramanuja concept...". Please refer to #"Shree Vachana-Bhushanam by Pillai Lokacharya# in this connection.
Recently I have also made the remark about the similarity of Nimbarka and Ramanuja Mantras in the following post - http://vishnudut1926.blogspot.ru/2017/12/vaishnava-sandhya-sanskshipta-tantrik.html
Explanation by Dr. A. Thiruvengadathan continued: In all the above five sadhanas recommended by Nimbarka we find the influence of Ramanuja’s Philosophical and Theological ideas.
While Ramanuja postulates the Godship as mithuna, a couple viz. Narayana with His Consort Shree MahaLakshmi, Nimbarka who favours Madhurya-Bhakti presents his God as cowherd Krishna (GopalaKrishna) accompanied by Radha and Gopis.
Thus Nimbarka happens to be the precursor of Radha-Krishna Cult which has captured the Northern parts of India and which has been nurtured by Jayadeva, VallabhAcharya and a host of Saints.
The doctrines of Nimbarka provide a happy blend of intellectualism and emotionalism without over-emphasizing anyone.
After all, man’s inquest into spirituality becomes complete and full only when he applies his head and heart".
Cited from
by Dr. A. Thiruvengadathan
~2006~
OCR by Vishnudut1926, Moscow, December 2017
