[Advaita-l] Narada Purana - Returning to earth even after attaining the Vaishnava-Parama pada

[Sangeerth P]

In Vishishtadvaita philosophy, we make a clear distinction between *Vishnu*
and *Narayana* in certain contexts. For example, in the *Mahalakshmi
Ashtothram*, one of Mahalakshmi’s names is *Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva-Atmikayai
Namaha*. If Narayana is the *Aadhara* (support) of everything, and if
Vishnu and Narayana were entirely identical in all aspects, then how could
Mahalakshmi be described as the *Atma* (inner self) of Vishnu?

Similarly, consider the episode of the Sanakadi Rishis reaching Vaikuntha
and cursing Jaya and Vijaya. Even after this, we see Jaya and Vijaya born
in the material realm. This raises two important points:

   1.

   If the Sanat Kumaras had truly reached *Nitya Vaikuntha*, they would not
   be seen anywhere else, such as in Brahmaloka. But we see that at the
   beginning of Bhagavatham's Mahatmyam only there is Narada and Sanat kumara
   samvada which is at the beginning of Kali yuga. And the Jaya vijaya
   incident should have happened very before this meeting.
   2.

   If Vaikuntha were a place of *non-return*, then the curse on Jaya and
   Vijaya could not have led them back into *samsara*.

Thus in Vishishtadvaita, we clearly differentiate between two realms: *Karya
Vaikuntha* and *Nitya Vibhuti Vaikuntha*. It is the *Nitya Vibhuti
Vaikuntha* that is the true eternal, non-returnable abode, not the Karya
Vaikuntha. For instance, in the *Uttara Kanda* of the Ramayana, when Lord
Rama takes all the people of Ayodhya to His *Dham*, this refers to *Karya
Vaikuntha*, not Nitya Vaikuntha. As per the siddhanta, the mukti can be
obtained either by Bhakthi yogam or Sharanagati.

This understanding is supported by *Arthapatti Pramana.*


Regards
Sangeerth P
8608658009


On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 7:06 PM Raghav Kumar Dwivedula via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> On Mon, 11 Aug 2025 at 4:31 PM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > Earlier we had seen that in the Mahabharata is a dialogue where Krishna
> > discourses on the various observances/vows that lead one to His loka or
> > Shiva loka and those who go there return to this loka after enjoying
> bhoga
> > there.  Having returned they become Jnanis.
> >
> > Here are two instances from the *sāttvik* Naradiya Mahapurana where
> > individuals are shown returning to earth even after attaining the
> > Vaishnava-Parama pada (Tad VishnoH paramam Padam - a Rg vedic passage)
> and
> > enjoying bhogas in that realm for many kalpas.
> >
> >
> > नारदपुराणम्- पूर्वार्धः/अध्यायः २०
> >
> > https://sa.wikisource.org/s/4v8   - Devanagari version
> >
> > https://cloudup.com/chlxvobAueh    Kannada version with translation
> p.60
> >
> > https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12945/page/n323/mode/2up
> >  English translation of verse 77
> >
> > इत्युक्ता विष्णुदूतास्ते च्छित्वा पाशांस्तदैव हि ।।
> > आरोप्यावां विमानाग्रयं *ययुर्विष्णोः परं पदम् ।। *२०-७७ ।।
> >
> > तत्र सामीप्यमापन्नौ देवदेवस्य चक्रिणः ।।
> > दिव्यान्भोगान्भुक्तवन्तौ तावत्कालं मुनीश्वर ।। २०-७८ ।।
> >
> > *दिव्यान्भोगांस्तु तत्रापि भुक्त्वा यातौ महीमिमाम् ।।*
> > अत्रापि संपदतुला हरिसेवाप्रसादतः ।। २०-७९ ।।
>
>
> Namaste dear Subbu ji
>
> Excellent point.
>
> Do the vishishTAdvaitins etc assert that *all* those who reach vaikunTha
> never return and attain permanent sayujya etc or do only the most exalted
> amongst the vaikunThavAsi-s attain permanent sayujyam while the rest have
> to come back etc. ?
>
> Your verse 77 and that too from a vaiShNava-endorsed purANa checkmates any
> claims to attainment of sayujyam etc. or even residence being permanent.
> All gati is followed by āgamanam unless jñānam arises in brahma-loka or
> vaikunṭha etc., is the reasonable stand of advaita vedānta.
>
> Om
> Raghav
>
> >
> >
> > अनिच्छया कृतेनापि सेवनेन हरेर्मुने ।।
> > प्राप्तमीदृक् फलं विप्र देवानामपि दुर्लभम् ।। २०-८० ।।
> >
> > ~ नारदपुराणम्- पूर्वार्धः/अध्यायः २३  Below is another chapter from the
> > Narada purana:
> >
> > https://sa.wikisource.org/s/4vb   Devanagari version
> >
> > https://cloudup.com/chlxvobAueh   Kannada version with translation: p.
> 94
> >
> > https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12945/page/n341/mode/2up
> > English translation of verse 87
> >
> > एवं दृष्ट्वा विस्मितास्ते यमदूता भयोत्कटाः ।।
> > विश्वासं परमं चक्रुर्यमेन परिभाषिते ।। २३-८६ ।।
> >
> > ततः संपूज्य मां कालो विमानशतसंकुलम् ।।
> > सद्यः संप्रेषयामास *तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ।*। २३-८७ ।।
> >
> > विमानकोटिभिः सार्द्धं *सर्वभोगसमन्वितैः* ।।
> > कर्मणा तेन विप्रर्षे विष्णुलोके मयोषितम् ।। २३-८८ ।।
> >
> > कल्पकोटिसहस्राणि कल्पकोटिशतानि च ।।
> > स्थित्वा विष्णुपदं पश्चादिंद्रलोकमुपगमम् ।। २३-८९ ।।
> >
> > तत्रापि सर्वभोगाढ्यः सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः ।।
> > तावत्कालं दिविस्थित्वा *ततो भूमिमुपागतः *।। २३-९० ।।
> >
> > warm regards
> > subbu
> >
> > ~
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