Page 43 - Hinduism
P. 43

śauca, kṣamā, ārjava, bhaya, abhaya, sthāna, viveka, ahimsā, dayā, etc. They surrender themselves to God and due to bhakti recollect and reflect on Sāṣtra and meditate upon His qualities and get rid of ignorance (ajñāna) by His grace. They practise bhaktiyoga and attain mukti by prapatti and God's grace when they leave the body. Mukti is of two kinds, kaivalya and reaching Īśvara. Kaivalya is the enjoyment of the pleasure of the realization of ātman. The other is attaining Īśvara in Paramapada and enjoying his svarūpa and eternal bliss. Īśvara in Paramapada has His own form or rupa of divinely beautiful body. He is one with His beloved ones, Śri, Bhū, and Nilā who are His concrete krpa, and with nityasūris who are eternally free like Ananta, Garuda and Viṣvaksena, and the freed souls or muktas. His chief lilā consists in releasing the other Jīvas also from karma and making them into his likeness.
Viśiṣtādvaita says that the absolute Brahman is the same as Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Vāsudeva, or Veṅkateśvara. He incarnates on historic occasions in different forms to redeem mankind. In response to the prayers of his devotees, He incarnates permanently as idols or arca, owing to His infinite love. So according to Viśiṣtādvaita, Viṣṇu or Vāsudeva Himself has His home in the temple of Tirumalai. Out of His infinite love for the erring mortals of Kali, the Infinite has incarnated permanently in Tirumalai and the mortal becomes immortal by utter surrender to His grace. So there is 43

































































































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