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(continued from Part 14)
---------------------------------------------------------------------

After the 'jIvAtma' has crossed the 'archirAdi', it proceeds to
ascend the penultimate tier of the 9-stepped 'parama-pada-sOpAnam'.
This stage of the journey in the heavenly realms is called
"divya-dEsa-prApti".

Here the soul is made to cross the celestial River Viraja a.k.a 
Vijara meaning (ageless). The "jIvAtma" wades across the expanse of
this stream and when it emerges on the other bank, it is said to be
thoroughly sanctified. The jeeva now sheds even the subtle body
("sUkshma-sarIra") it had used on the journey through the 'archirAdi'
and assumes a new form that is absolutely pristine
("aprAkrita-divya-mangala-svarUpa"). 

Desikan writes in the "rahasya-traya-sAra" that "the jeeva acquires a
super-sensuous divine form made of "suddha satva" (aprakritam) --
Pure Spirit. It is then taken to a divine tank called "airammadeeyam"
and then to a huge "aswattha" tree called "somasavana". There 500
"apsaras" (divine nymphs) in batches of 100 each adorn the 'jeeva'
with celestial garlands, collyrium, perfumes, garments and ornaments.
Then they receive it with royal honors. Divine fragrance (Brahma
Gandha), divine flavor (Brahma Rasa) and divine splendor (Brahma
Tejas) enter into the 'jeeva'".(extract from ibid. A.Ramaswamy)

********* ********** ***********

Crossing the Viraja is of great significance for the soul. It
symbolizes eternal severance from all of God's Creation that is
temporal and terrestrial. The 'jIvAtma's' cosmic peregrinations come
to an absolute end at this point. 

To get some idea of the heights of delight the 'jIvAtma' experiences
during this phase of the journey to 'parama-padam', we can turn once
again to the mystical revelations of NammAzhwAr's "tiruvoimOzhi" for 
aid. 

In the concluding decads of that 1000-stanza work NammAzhwAr sings of
the ineffable glory experienced by the soul after bathing in and
wading across the Viraja River. These are truly some of the most
stirring verses one can ever come across in Tamil poetry or, perhaps,
in the history of mysticism even: 

aruLpeRuvaar adiyaar tham *adiyanERku* aaziyaan-
aruLtharuvaan amaikinRaan* athu_namathu vithivakaiyE*
iruLtharumaa NYaalaththuL* inippiRavi yaanvEndEn*
maruLozi neemada_nenchE!* vaattaaRRaan adivaNangE. 10.6.1

"All doubts and anxiety have ceased --
No more recall to the dark world for us --
The Lord awaits you...O Soul of mine!" 

vaattaaRRaan adivaNangi* maaNYaalap piRappaRuppaan*
kEttaayE mada_nenchE!* kEchavan em perumaanai*
paattaaya palapaadip* pazavinaikaL paRRaRuththu*
naattaarOdu iyalvozindhu* naaraNanai naNNinamE. 10.6.2

"Hear me, O Soul of Mine --
Singing the praise of Kesavan now
We've cut asunder ties with the world --
Karma has ceased."

naNNinam naarayaNanai* naamangaL palacholli*
maNNulakil vaLammikka* vaattaaRRaan vandhu_inRu*
viNNulakam tharuvaanaay* viraikinRaan vithivakaiyE*
eNNina vaaRaakaa* ikkarumangaL ennenchE!        10.6.3

"We have arrived here, you and me 
In the land of God, O Soul of mine,
Thanks to the many names of Narayana upon our lips --
Vaikuntam is ours now, our eternal fortune!"

vaanERa vazithandha* vaattaaRRaan paNivakaiyE*
naan_ERap peRukinREn* narakaththai naku_nenchE*
thEnERu malarththuLavam* thikazpaathan* sezumpaRavai-
thaanERith thirivaan_than* thaaLiNai en_thalaimElE.     10.6.5

"It's the Lord of Viraja (tiruvatt-Aru)
who led me to this path --
Holding His Feet upon my crown
Thumb my nose at Hell, I will!
No fear!"

kuraikazalkaL kuRuginam* nam kOvindhan kudikondaan*
thiraikuzuvu kadalpudaichooz* thennaattuth thilathamanna*
varaikuzuvu maNimaada* vaattaaRRaan malaradimEl*
viraikuzuvu naRundhuLavam* meyn^_ninRu kamazumE.        10.6.7

"We have reached at last,
You and me, O Soul of mine,
The mansion of God --
Can you smell the sweet whiff of 'tulasi'
That swirls all around us?!"

meyn^_ninRu kamazthuLava* viraiyERu thirumudiyan*
kain^_ninRa sakkaraththan* karuthumidam poruthupunal*
main^_ninRa varaipOlum* thiruvuruva vaattaaRRaaRku*
en^_nanRi seythEnaa* ennenchil thikazavathuvE?  10.6.8

"The Lord of Creation shall soon
Be with us, O Soul of mine --
I cannot believe this is happening to us!
Do we really deserve this Bliss?!"

piriyaathu_aat seyyenRu* piRappaRuththu aaLaRakkondaan*
ariyaaki iraNiyanai* aagangeeNtaan anRu*
periyaarku aatpattakkaal* peRaathapayan peRumaaRu*
varivaaL vaayaravaNaimEl* vaattaaRRaan kaattinanE.      10.6.10.

"Once upon a time the Lord 
appeared as Man-lion
And tore out Hiranyan's breast --
Now He's torn to shreds 
And cast aside my karmic chains too forever--
Now I, His eternal serf, shall surely reap
The numberless favours of Infinity! 

************* **************

Once the 'jIvAtmA' has crossed the Viraja, it is finally ready to
proceed to its ultimate destination on the "parama-pada-sOpanam". The
end of the journey that: 
-- began in "vivEkam", 
-- endured through "nirvEdam", "virakthi" and "bheeti", 
-- sojourned through "prasAdana-parva" and 
-- sailed across "utkramana", "archirAdi" and "divya-dEsa prApti"... 

that arduous trek across the cosmic expanse finally approaches its
end in the end called "prApti".

(to be continued)
dAsan,
Sudarshan


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