Infinite Bliss

 

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

A glimpse of infinite bliss which is the true scale of full realisation of every jivatma

The very nature of atma is jnana mayam and ananda mayam.  It is due to our karma we become wrapped in prakriti and ignorance.  To realise our full potential is the liberation we seek.

As it is we are content with the anandam that we get here – which is alpa and asthiram compared to the final state.  So how do we go about?

The liberation that we seek – can be through our own efforts – through karma, jnana bhakti yoga or we surrender ourselves to the supreme – sharanagati, giving up all our svantatrayam.  The first path is very very difficult and very risky – karanam thappinal maranam.  The 2^nd is easier as we have unconditionally surrendered – and depend only on HIM.

The Alwars took the abstract mathematical calculations of the Taittiriya Upanishad and translated them into the sweet language of Saranagati (surrender) and Kainkaryam (service), explaining exactly how a soul catches this infinite joy.

Jivatma cannot fully experience true bliss through its own self-effort or through Kaivalya (mere isolation of the soul from matter). The Jivatma fully realises Anandam only through

·         Swaroopa Jnanam (Realising True Identity): The soul must first realise it is not the independent body, but an eternal servant (Sesa) dependent entirely on the Supreme Lord (Sesi).

·         Bhagavad Bhakti & Saranagati: In Tiruvaimozhi (1.1.1), Nammazhwar commands his own mind: "Thuyar aru sudar adi thozhudhu ezhu en manane"—"O mind, rise up and worship His grief-dispelling, radiant feet!" Full bliss is unlocked the exact moment the soul completely surrenders its ego and burden to the Lord.

·         Kainkaryam (Loving Service): For the Alwars, bliss is a byproduct of service. In Tiruvaimozhi (3.3.1), Nammazhwar explicitly states his ultimate desire: "Ozhivil kaalamellaam udanaai manni vazhuvilaa adimai seyya veandum"—"I want to perform flawless, unceasing service to the Lord at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances." This active service is where the highest Anandam manifests.

 

Which Type of Moksham Brings the Same Joy?

In Vedic tradition, there are four classical types of liberation (Moksha):

·         Salokya (living in the same divine realm)

·         Samipya (living close to the Divine)

·         Sarupya (gaining the same divine form)

·         Sayujya (intimate, unified communion)

According to Swamy Ramanujacharya and the Alwars, Sayujya Moksham is the specific type of liberation that grants the Jivatma the exact same boundless joy as Brahman.

The Mechanics of Sayujya Moksham:

·         Equality in Bliss (Ananda Samyam): In Sayujya, the Jivatma retains its individual identity but enters into a state of profound qualitative oneness with the Lord. The Brahma Sutras state that the liberated soul experiences all the joys of the Lord except the cosmic powers of creation, sustenance, and destruction (Jagad-vyapara-varjam).

·         The Upanishadic Proof: This perfectly mirrors the Taittiriya Upanishad statement: "So'snute sarvan kaman saha brahmana vipasciteti"—"The liberated soul enjoys all glorious desires and ultimate bliss simultaneously along with the omniscient Brahman."

The Alwars' Vision of Sayujya

Nammazhwar describes this ultimate Sayujya experience in the closing decads of Tiruvaimozhi (10.10.10), using the imagery of rivers merging into an ocean of sweet nectar:

"Aravaa amudhaai adiyen aavi agamigavea, karavaa vazhundhu thandhaai..."

·         Meaning: "You came and poured Yourself completely into my soul like an inexhaustible ocean of nectar, swallowing me up in Your infinite love."

When the Jivatma reaches Sri Vaikuntha in this state, its consciousness expands completely (Dharmabhuta Jnanam). Stripped of all past karma, the soul looks at the Lord and experiences a flood of Anandam that matches the Lord's own joy, expressing it through eternal, ecstatic service.

 

The Peak of all Anandam vs the Infinite Bliss

In Taittreeya Upanishad a gradation effort has been done only to be finally dismissed that the supreme Bliss is far greater than the highest one listed below – that same supreme bliss that the jivatma can aspire to achieve and as laid our in the meaning of Sayujya Moksham above

 

In English roughly it is as below:

 The Exponential Scale of Bliss

The text defines the standard unit of maximum human happiness (Manusha Ananda) as a young man who is good, highly educated, strong, disciplined, ambitious, and possesses the wealth of the entire earth.

The calculus unfolds as follows:

·         1 Unit = Maximum Human Bliss (Manusha Ananda)

·         10² (100 times) = Bliss of human Gandharvas (celestial musicians)

·         10⁴ (10,000 times) = Bliss of divine Gandharvas

·         10⁶ (1 Million times) = Bliss of the Manes (Ancestors / Pitrus in their long-lasting worlds)

·         10⁸ (100 Million times) = Bliss of Devas born in heaven (Ajanaja Devas)

·         10¹⁰ (10 Billion times) = Bliss of sacrificial gods (Karma Devas)

·         10¹² (1 Trillion times) = Bliss of the main Office-bearer Devas (like Agni, Varuna)

·         10¹⁴ (100 Trillion times) = Bliss of Indra (King of Devas)

·         10¹⁶ (10 Quadrillion times) = Bliss of Brihaspati (Guru of Devas)

·         10¹⁸ (1 Quintillion times) = Bliss of Prajapati / Virat (the cosmic physical manifestation)

·         10²⁰ (100 Quintillion times) = Bliss of Brahma / Hiranyagarbha (the cosmic creator)

The text repeatedly adds a crucial phrase at every single level: "...shrotriyasya ca akamahatasya"—this exact same measure of bliss is naturally enjoyed by a seer of the Vedas who is untainted by desire.

 

The Tamil Alwars marvel at this exact concept of Brahmananda Vicharam—expressing absolute wonder at how the infinite Lord can condense His immeasurable, multi-tiered bliss into the heart of a simple devotee.

1. Tiruvaimozhi (8.8.2) – Nammazhwar

Nammazhwar captures the essence of this calculation when he reflects on the sheer volume of bliss he receives through devotion:

"Aadiyan jothi ennaiyaaludaiyan... Ennakku aarvamadhurukkinra amudhai..."

·         Meaning: "The primordial light and my Lord has poured an ocean of nectar into me." Nammazhwar explains that the bliss of experiencing the Divine completely overflows his individual capacity, proving that the highest unit of spiritual joy belongs to the unconditional lover of God, far outranking the pleasures of Indra or Brahma.

2. Periyalwar Tirumozhi (5.4.9) – Periyalwar

Periyalwar matches the mathematical awe of the Vicharam by explicitly stating that worldly and celestial titles are utterly worthless compared to divine communion:

"Indhiran logadhodu pirammaathan padhaviyum...andharathil vazhvu venden..."

·         Meaning: "I do not desire the kingdom of Indra, nor do I want the status of Brahma, or any high position in the sky." Periyalwar bypasses the entire Upanishadic ladder of cosmic pleasure, asserting that the ultimate tier of bliss is already found inside the simple act of serving the Lord.

 yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha ānandaṃ brahmaṇo vidvān na bibheti kutaścana

Ramanujacharya interprets it through the lens of infinite, immeasurable glory.

·         Infinite Excellence, Not Emptiness: Ramanuja states that speech and mind return from Brahman not because He has no attributes, but because His divine qualities, auspicious attributes (Kalyana Gunas), and cosmic bliss (Ananda) are boundless and limitless

·         The "Ocean" Analogy: A person cannot measure the depth of an entire ocean, but that does not mean the ocean does not exist. Similarly, language and human intellect exhaust themselves trying to count or fully grasp His infinite majesty, eventually turning back overwhelmed by its scale.

·         The Nature of Bliss: Ramanuja emphasizes that the Ananda (bliss) of Brahman is a real, qualitative experience meant for the individual soul (Jivatma) to relish through love and devotion (Bhakti)

1. Tiruvaimozhi (1.1.1) – Nammazhwar

The very first verse of Tiruvaimozhi begins with an identical realization:

"Uyarvara uyar nalam udaiyavan yavan avan..."

·         Meaning: "He who possesses supreme, peerless, and unsurpassable auspicious virtues..." Nammazhwar starts by stating that the Lord's excellence is so high that nothing can excel or fully capture it, directly mirroring the concept of a reality that stretches beyond human imagination.

2. Tiruvaimozhi (3.4.6) – The Mind "Turning Back"

Nammazhwar explicitly describes the failure of his senses, mind, and words to grasp the Lord:

"Manamum pesalum aahadhanai..."

·         Meaning: "He who cannot be reached or framed by the thinking mind or by spoken words." Here, Nammazhwar literally translates the essence of "aprapya manasa saha" (unable to be reached by the mind) into pure devotional Tamil.

3. Periyalwar Tirumozhi (5.3.4) – Periyalwar

Periyalwar similarly expresses the overwhelming nature of attempting to count the Lord's glories:

"Unniya nin perum seergal ulagellaam uru uruvil, ennalum thogai azhiyandhu..."

·         Meaning: "If one attempts to count Your infinite qualities and glories, time itself will run out, numbers will fail, and the effort will dissolve."

·          

The Synthesis

For Ramanujacharya and the Alwars, the fact that speech turns back is not a limitation—it is a cause for celebration. The inability to fully describe God is what fuels eternal devotion, love, and wonder (Aacharya).

Upakarma

 

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara Munaye Namaha

Sri VanAchalA MahAmunaye Namaha

 Avani Avittam - Yajur Upakarma

Disclaimer:  Often times some of us go through the motion of a ceremony without an understanding. And before we resolve the ceremony is over and the same cycle happens each time.  The objective of this document is to make available and to help understand the significance of the Upakarma ceremony.  For the limited purpose, I extracted select material and reproduced here from the referenced sources given at the end of this document.

What is commonly known

• Yearly event – usually sometime in August 
• Changing of poonal and yes before that chanting kamokarsheeth, manyurakarsheet japam
• Nava kandarishi tarpanam
• Followed by Gayatri japam the next day
• In some cases performing homam, samhita danam
• Pala - aharam

What is not commonly known

• What is meant by upakarma, why avani avittam
• Meaning of kamo karsheeth and manyaurakarsheet japam and why it precedes?
• Why do we change thread – whats so special, we anyway change many times
• Significance of upakarma and Gayathri Japam

What is meant by Upakarma / avani avittam?

 

Avani Avittam – the Day and Date of the occasion is referred as the name of the ceremony.  It refers to the month “avani” / “shravan”, nakshatra “avittam” / “shravista” tithi “Pournami”.

 

Upakarma – Upa Karma (Upa – preceding / before, karma – shastraic injunction).  It means an action performed before a beginning.  Upakarma means arambham or beginning.  Beginning of what?  Beginning of learning of the Vedas.

 

Q: Hold on!  What – learn Vedas? Why now, in the middle of the year?

 

In the not so distant past, a year was divided into 2 parts – one part dedicated to learning Vedas and the other part to learning other branches of studies that supports the Vedas.  Typically the Upakarma period is from “Avani” / “shravan” for 6 months till “Tai” / “Pushya”.  This also coincides with Hayagreeva Jayanti (when Lord Vishnu in Hayagreeva avatar retrieved the Vedas).  Hence, to begin study of Vedas, the ritual used to start with the Upakarma i.e. of changing threads.  Followers of each Veda perform this Upakarma.  Followers of Yajur Veda therefore do yajur Upakarma.

 

Just like a Upakarma function there was a Utsarjana function in “Tai” / “Pushya”. The period between January to August was then devoted to learning other branches of our shastras.

Why do Kamokarsheet japam before Upakarma?

Thus the cycle of Upakarma and Utsarjana with regard to Vedic studies was established. However, this method took 12 or more years to learn just one veda. Slowly this became impractical and Vedic studies continued throughout the year.

Therefore, the first thing to do before the Upakarma function is to do a prāyaścitta (atonement) for having learned Vedas during the prohibited period. Specifically, one atones for not having performed the Utsarjanam in the month of Tai. That’s why we begin the function by doing the “kāmo’karshīt…” japam.

The purpose is declared as “adhyāya-utsarjana-akarana-prāyashcittārtham..” (to atone for not doing the utsarjana of Vedic study) and the sankalpam continues as “…ashṭottara-sahasra-sankhyayā kāmo’karshīt manyur akārshīt mahā-mantra-japaṁ karishye” (I will now do recite the great “kāmo’kārshīt” mantra 1008 times). The meaning in Tamil is “kāmaththāl seyya pattadhu, kōpaththāl seyya pattadhu” — done out of desire, done out of anger. The correct way of chanting this mantra is “kāmo’karshīt manyur akārshīt”. Don’t add namo nama: etc. The right time to perform is immediately after your morning anushthanam like sandhya, samidaadaanam (if you are a brahmachari), brahma-yajnam etc. This is performed during the abhigamana kaalam.

Why do we change thread?

This is the core ceremony, wherein we change the poonal: dharanam means adorning. Poonal is not an ornament: it is ‘yagna upaveedam’, to help us perform yagna, or, various prescribed karmas. It is a symbol of purity and ultimate sacredness: ‘paramam pavitram’. It is a constant reminder to us to stay the course in pursuit of what is ordained in the shastras and as guided by poorva acharyas.

Kanda Rishi tarpanam

However, it is often erroneously thought that upAkarma or AvaNi aviTTam is primarily the changing the yajnopavItam (poonool). This cannot be further from the truth. Changing the poonool happens very often, whenever a significant vedic karma is performed. UpAkarma, however, is a rededication of oneself to the study of one’s Veda, along with salutations to the rishis who perceived and revealed the Vedic mantras to the world. This is the significance of the navakANDarshi tarpaNam and the anuvAka recitation.

The first thing we do with the new poonal is ‘kandarishi’ tharpanam: offering our thanks and salutations to various kandarishis, those that helped in our veda being revealed to us and also seeking their blessings for a deep understanding of the vedas even as we do adyayanam.

Vedarambham

Traditionally there is now a upAkarma homa, where the rishis and devatAs mentioned above are once again saluted using the sacred fire. Then there is vedArambha, where the first four anuvAkas of the yajur veda samhita are taught to the sishyas. This is the most important part of the upAkarma. This is followed by jayAdi homam. These may not be available if one is away from one’s elders and acharyas. At minimum, it is recommended that you recite one anuvAka from your veda on this day. The Purusha Sukta suffices, for example. If you haven’t learnt any of your veda, you should do gAyatrI japam in its place.

Gayathri Japam

This is performed the next day. We recite Gayathri 1008 times, as if to say, that we start the veda adyayana period with a huge entry on the credit side.

Success in any endeavour, be it studies, or, in a job, we know comprises three things. First we need to have clarity on our objectives. Second, we need a framework for delivering. Third, we need to execute, for which discipline is most important.

Kamokarsheet Japam and mahasankalpam start with a review of the past and let us go in our mind over what we did not or did do and atone for our sins, but, more importantly, set out our objectives. The schedule of karmas, nithya karmas, provides us with a framework for performance. Upaveedam is a symbol of sanctity to constantly remind us of what we need to do and help us in our karmas. Gayathri japam is the first and a rather substantial step in following the discipline in execution.

Let us remind ourselves: all we have done on the Upakarma day is veda aarambam, It needs to be followed by an intense period of veda paarayanam and veda adyayanam!!

 

Footnotes

a)  Why every year? Will it ever get over?

 

In the modern world, we know that professions, like those of a doctor, lawyer, or chartered accountant, have to meet at least three important criteria.

 

First, one gets into the profession, only after a long and intense period of study and apprenticeship. It is about knowledge and skill, theory and practice, both, and, therefore one has to be initiated into it and trained by someone already in the profession.

Second, profession is about practice. You become a lawyer so that you can practise it in your chambers and in the courts of law.

Third, a professional has to constantly update and enhance his or her professional skills: you do not want a doctor to just practise what he or did study when they qualified, but, use contemporary diagnosis and therapy. Equally, they have to contribute to professional development, chiefly, by taking apprentices and training future professionals.

The three essentials of a profession are, thus, intense initial learning and apprenticeship, sustained practice and continued professional development.

 

Our tradition provided a similar structure to Vedic professionals. First, they spent several years, 15 or 20 years, as a sisya to a guru, doing veda adyayanam, learning veda from their acharyas. Thereafter, every year, part of the year, they only practised what they had already learnt, veda paarayanam, and learn other sastras. Thirdly, for the balance part of the year, they taught and trained future professionals and also learn more of veda for themselves. Upakarma is the day every year when they started the annual phase of learning and teaching. About six months later, poornima day in the Tamil month of Thai, they did a visarjanam, or suspended teaching and learning of vedas. And, come the day of upakarma, they started once again the annual cycle with veda aarambam. For about six months of the year they did veda adyayanam, and for the rest of the year, they did veda paarayanam.

 

 

b)  Checklist

Day of upakarma

1.   Pratah snanam, pratah sandhya, then kamo karsheet japam (1008 or atleast 108 times)

2.   Best way to wear darbhai pavitram, asanam, etc as guided by the priest.

3.   Proceed for upakarma, carry rice, vessel, plate, betel leaves, nuts, fruits, sambhavanai for the priest

4.   Upakarma as per priest guidance.

5.   Veda arambham with rememberance of preceptor

 

Following day

6.   Pratah snanam, pratah sandhya, then gayatri japam (1008 or atleast 108 times)

7.   Best way to wear darbhai pavitram asanam etc.

8.   Obeisances to preceptor

 

 

Credits / references

A.   https://ramanuja.org/sri/Journal/SignificanceOfUpakarma

B.   https://www.sisnambalava.org.uk/articles/religion/significance-of-upakarma-20120808051510.aspx

C.   https://www.sadagopan.org/ebook/pdf/Yajur%20Upakarma.pdf

D.   https://www.tamilbrahmins.com/threads/concepts-and-significance-of-upakarma.33138/