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Re: [Significance of Uttarayana and Shukla Paksha at the time of Passing Away]

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M.S.HARI Madabhushi Sarangarajan Hari • November 9, 2000 


Dear SrI/SrImathi Sheela Belur,

The Brahma sUtra has discussed regarding brahma-upAsaka-jIvAthman
leaving the body during night time, dakshinAyana etc. The fourth
chapter's second pAda has the adhikaraNams (niSAdhikaraNam, 
dakshiNAyanAdhikaraNam) where it discusses the case that you have
mentioned. (As I am writing all from my office using my bad memory;
please correct me if there is any mistake in the order of adhikaraNams
or in spelling); The adhikaraNams in this pAda (for adhikaraNa
sangathi) with outline of meaning is as follows:

vAgadikaraNam : VAk (speech) etc., attains layam in manas

manOdhikaraNam : Indriya-visishta-manas attains layam in prAna(vital air)

adyakshAdhikaraNam : The prANan attains layam in jIvAthma

bhUthAdhikaraNam : The jIvA then joins the subtle bhUthams

AasruthyadhikaraNam : Upto this stage, the steps are common for vidwAn
(he who did upAsana - a SAdyOpAya) and others (not any vidyA-nishta)

parasampathyadhikaraNam : The bhUtha-sUkshma-visishta-jIva takes
rest in the ParamAthmA SrIman NArAyaNa.

avibhAkAdhikaraNam : The above is declared clearly as inseparable.

thadOkodhikaraNam : The vidwAn gets his uthkrAnthi through the
Brahma-nAdi only. The others do not get uthkrAnthi through the
Brahma-nAdi.

rASmyanusAryadhikaraNam : The archirAdhi-mArga-gamanam is with the
the path following through sUrya-kiraNam (sun light rays). 

Now the doubt arises. If the vidwan gets the uthkrAnthi during
night time, there is no scope of sun rays! So how is it possible
for the vidwAn to get mukti if he gets uthkrAnthi during night?
The pUrva-paksham is "if uthkrAnthi is during night, he cannot
get moksham" (diVAch suklapakshascha uththarAyaNamEvacha |
mumUrshithAm praSasthAni viparIthanthukarhitham ||) (your
question is explicitly considered here). This pUrva-paksham is
refuted by the sUtra-kAra as follows:

niSadhikaraNam : "niSA nEthichEnna sambandhasya yAvaddeha
bhAvithvAth darSayathicha" is the sUtra. It is NOT correct to
say that the vidwan who died during night does not get the
arthcirAdhi-gahti and thus moksha. The anArabda (sanchitha)
karmas gets cleared by the upAsana. But the prArabda karma
exists till the death for the vidwan; therefore, death may
also happen for vidwan even during night. Therefore, as
there is no continuance of karma for him, the vidwan who died
during night also gets archirAdi-gathi and thus moksha -
brahma-prApthi. This is established by Sruthi (darSayathicha -
thasyathAvadEvachiram). Therefore there is no nishEdam for
death during night for vidwAn. Even during the night, the
sun rays are present in subtle form which is sufficient for
the vidwAn as per rASmyanusAryadhikaraNam. The rAtri-maraNa 
nindanam is not applicable for vidwAn.

Now the samSaya and pUrva-pakshams regarding dakshiNAyanam etc
are considered:

dakshiNAyaNAdhikAram : "athaSchAyanE(a)pi dakshiNe"
If the vidwAn dies during dakshiNAyanam, there is no nishEdam
regarding getting moksham. This vidwan also gets moksham as
the prathi-bandaka-vargam (karma and its related aspects) are
not found to continue for him and finishes with his death.
Anyway the pUrvapaksham "vidwan who died during dahksinAyana
does not get moksha - brahma-prApthi" is refuted as follows:

"yOgina: prathismaryEthe smArthEchaithE" Though the contemplation
of various gathis are found as vidhi in SAstra, the maraNa-kAla
niyamam and nishEdam are NOT found as vidhi. Therefore the 
objection is overruled.

These aspects are for bhakti-yOgis (upAsakAs - vidwAns)

For prapanna, he need not even think about the aspects mentioned
above and further more, prapanna need not even have anthima-smruthi
(anthima-smruthi-varjanam). We prapannas need to think the
infinite mercy of LakshmI NArAyANa - "SArIrapAtha samayE thu
kEvalam madIyaiva dayayA(a)prathiprabudhdO mAmEva
avalOkayan aprachyutha-pUrvasamskAramanOratha:"
For more information, SrImath Rahasyatraya SAram's 
NiryAnAdhikAram (20th chapter) may be referred.

Thanks & Regards
M.S.HARI RAmAnuja DAsan (mshari@usa.net)

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