How to attain moksha/moksham/salvation

Wednesday, 13 January 2010


Sastras say that Lord Narayana is the end and that to reach this end He is the means. The Lord is like a bridge that helps us to get from one side to the other. He is a bridge, but also the destination.

In the Bhagavad Gita He Himself says He is the means, through the Charama sloka. Nammazhvar in his ‘Agalagillaen’ verse clearly offers Saranagati at His feet.

When we have such clear examples of Saranagati, how can it be that He is the means, we may wonder. So what is the means to reach moksha? The Lord, or Saranagati? If Saranagti is not the means, then what is it? If He is the means, then does that mean that Saranagati is not the means? A lot of questions arise, all of which can be answered, with the aid of the Srutis, Smritis and the works of our Alvars and Acharyas, said Adur Asuri Madhavachari.

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Importance of listening/Sravanam as a form of Bhakti


Sravanam, or listening to the name of God being uttered, is one of the nine types of bhakti. Listening is an art, and it has to be cultivated. Lord Krishna as Guruvayurappan has demonstrated the value of listening, said Damal Ramakrishnan in a discourse.

When Narayana Bhattathiri goes to Guruvayur to compose verses describing the Lord’s 10 avataras, he calls upon Lord Guruvayurappan to listen as he composes his verses. Guruvayurappan agrees. Bhattathiri says he will compose about 10 or 11 verses every day, and he will finish his work in 100 days. He is going to narrate the incidents in each avatara and ask Guruvayurappan if indeed these things happened. And Guruvayurappan must acknowledge that Bhattathiri is right by nodding His head. Guruvayurappan wonders if Bhattathiri is seeking to claim that even God nodded His head in appreciation of his (Bhattathiri’s) verses. But Bhattathiri says he is only seeking to spread Guruvayurappan’s fame, not his own.

He reminds Guruvayurappan that as Lord Rama He heard Lava and Kusa narrate the Ramayana. As He did so, He nodded His head in approval.

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Having Devotion/bhakti is far more important than being a scholar!


One night, Pandya king Vallabhadeva goes out incognito. One of his citizens tells him that for a peaceful sleep at night, one must work hard during the day; for a peaceful old age, one must work hard when he is young; and for remaining peaceful in the rainy season, one must work hard during the dry months.

But what should one do to attain moksha, the man asks. The king is in a state of confusion, for he does not know how to attain salvation. He consults his minister Selva Nambi, who suggests that the king organise a debate among scholars to establish the way to salvation. One who gives the most convincing answer will be given a bag of gold coins. The king follows suit.

Vishnu Chitta(perialwar/periazhvar/periazhwar), with no inkling of all this, is immersed in his pushpa kainkaryam to the Lord at Srivilliputtur. The Lord appears in his dream and asks him to go to Madurai to establish that Lord Narayana is the Supreme One. Vishnu Chitta wonders how he can do this, when all the people gathered there are scholars.

The Lord says He Himself will speak through him. Vishnu Chitta then goes to Madurai and establishes Lord Narayana’s ‘Paratva,’ using Vedic statements. The king, pleased with Vishnu Chitta’s arguments, places him on an elephant and takes him out on a procession through the streets of Madurai.

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Power/potency of Lord Narayana's names


Lord Narayana’s name has the power to save us, even if we utter His name with no bhakti in our heart, for such is the potency of the name.

The story of Ajamila bears witness to this, M.A. Venkatakrishnan said in a lecture.

Ajamila was a wicked man, whose last and favourite son was named Narayana.

When Ajamila was on the deathbed, he called out his favourite son by his name. Though he was not thinking of Lord Narayana or calling out to Him, he was calling the name of his last son, and this conferred on him the boon of moksha.

Hence it is advised that children be given God’s names, for will not a person utter the Lord’s name several times a day when he calls out the child?

Narayana has many names, and one is Hari. The word Hari means to remove evil or sin. Thus reciting the name ‘Hari’ will rid us of sins.

It is recommended that one say ‘Harirhari’ seven times in the morning.

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How to realise/reach Lord Narayana


What are the factors that keep us from realising Lord Narayana, the Supreme One? The first one is our confusion of the atma with the body. We think that both are one and the same. The second factor that keeps us from Him is the confusion over who the Lord is.

We confuse ourselves and think of ourselves as God. How do we get rid of these confusions? To be rid of such thoughts, we must know what atma means. We should know what its lakshanas are, said Adur Asuri Madhavachari in a discourse.

A look at what the Upanishads say in this regard becomes imperative. The Upanishads talk of Bhokta, Bhogyam and Prerita. The Jiva is indicated by the word ‘bhokta.’ In other words, the individual soul is the bhokta. Bhogyam is achetana, non-sentient. The bhokta is the one who enjoys the bhogyam. The bhogyam is, therefore, that which is enjoyed. Prerita is Lord Narayana, according to whose will the bhokta enjoys whatever is to be enjoyed.

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Greatness of Perialwar/Periazhvar/Periazhwar


Periazhvar was born in Srivilliputtur, as the fifth son of Mukunda Bhattar and Padmavathi Ammangar, in the star Swathi, and was called Vishnu Chitta. He is considered an amsa of Garuda. Even when young, Vishnu Chitta was seized with a desire to serve the Lord.

There are many types of services (kainkaryam) one can do for God, said Kidambi Narayanan. One way is through Nama Sankeerthanam. Another is by cleaning temples. God welcomes any kainkaryam of His devotees. Vishnu Chitta decides to string garlands for Lord Vatapatrasayee, the presiding deity in Srivilliputtur temple. He sets up a garden with all kinds of fragrant flowers, which he plucks everyday and makes garlands for the Lord. This Pushpa Kainkaryam is especially dear to the Lord. In His Krishna avatara, He and Balarama, on their way to meet Kamsa, first visit the house of a flower seller. The flower seller, who is moved, offers Krishna a garland of flowers, and the Lord says that this Pushpa Kainkaryam is the one he likes best among all the ways of serving Him.

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