Dear friends, Yesterday, late evening, a friend of mine dropped home for a cup of tea and some desultory conversation which began with office politics, meandered into Indian politics, veered to international and finally began to head, as always, towards matters spiritual and religious... In the course of the conversation he asked me a very interesting question about how "SriVaikuntam", the abode of the Supreme Brahman hailed as "parama-padam", got its name and why. Adiyane ventured to give a serious answer to the best of my knowledge which I share below with the rest of you just in the hope that it may be of some interest to you also. "vaikunta:", the Sahasranamam tells us, happens to be actually one of the names of the Brahman called Vishnu or Narayana. ("nAma" #407) Parashara Bhattar explains that one who joins or unites everyone is "Vaikuntah;". The etymological root of the word is "kuthi gati pratighAtE"... "kunth" is the opposite of "union". "vikunta" is the absence of "kuntha", meaning union. One who unites is thus called "Vaikunta". The word "Sri" is added to describe the Brahman in his ontological state as being one with His Consort, Mahalakshmi who is known as "sri:", the fount of all auspiciousness and felicity. Hence, SriVaikuntam is the place from which there is never any separation... no "kuntha"... something which can never be said of this world, this "bhulOka", in which there is nothing but misery caused by all manner of painful separation. When we are born, we are separated from the warmth of our mother's womb. We arrive into this world with a sensation of separation. We journey in life through a series of separations... as young men we leave homes in search of our destiny, we separate from our native homes, our parents. Similarly, our own children too in their time separate from us to lead their own lives. When our parents depart from this world, we experience the separtion of bereavement. And when it is time for our own departure, we dread to separation from this world.... "Separation", "kuntah", is thus the cause of all misery and bondage in this world. Which is why the wise ones amongst us always pursue a state of being in which there is no separation... no "kuntah". Such a state exists only in union with God. And that state of union is called "vikuntah". Such a union is made possible by the Almighty who is therefore described as "vaikuntah". The place He resides is also called "vaikuntam" because once it is reached, there is no question of either departure again or separation from it. There are only arrivals in SriVaikuntam, no departures. Even while living in this world, some are able to achieve a state of being united with God, in thought, world and deed. For such great souls "sri-vaikuntam" is experienced in this world itself... they don't have to wait until they leave mortal shores. Which is the real reason for the Tamil saying: "irukkUm-idam-vaikuntam". Regards, dAsan, Sudarshan __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more http://games.yahoo.com/
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