My schools differs slightly here, and again I am only stating what I have learned (of which I am convinced). I am not here to transform or convert other people to my school.aseem82 wrote:A very good question. I think if one atains moksha, then His soul merges with God and He has no more mind or brain or physical body...What does a person do after getting Moksha? Will he still possess a mind at that stage to think?
My sources for this answer includes specific works of Adi Shankara and Swami Ramanuja (even though they are from two different schools, they seem to have agreed on this aspect). Since we are discussing about moksha I am only going to discuss here what happens from the time of death of the person who is about to attain moksha. The sources for what I am going write includes a scripture called archiradi gati, Swami Ramanuja's sharanagati gadyam, and verses form Thiruvaimozhi by Swami Nammazhwar (Part of 4000 diva prabandham, the tamil vedas, practiced as vedas in south indian temples called divya-desams), Adi Shankara's Sri Ranganatha Stotram.
Firstly, Mind is matter (a sookshma sharira, but a sharira nevertheless). When the body falls (when the person dies), the Aatma does a visarjan (gives up) of the sthoola (physical) and sookshma (subtle) sharira (bodies). AT that instant (when the visarjan is taking place) the knowledge of "Swaroopa" dawns on the Jeevatma. Swaroopa Jnana means, what is the Jeevatma in relation to the Paramatma. Thereafter, the Vishnudhootas take the Jeevatma that going to attain Moksha to the Vishnu-loka or Parama Pada or Sri Vikuntha as it is called. The Path thus taken to Sri Vaikuntha is called "Archiradi Marga". It is an exclusive path for those Jeevatmas that attain Moksha. Those that do not attain Moksha leave by a path called as "Dhoomati Marga", the destination of which is Yama Loka. There is another Path taken by Sanyasins (i dont know the name of the route) - but they reach Indra-Loka (Sanyasins do not fall in Yama's Jurisdiction).
Enroute on the Archiradi Marga, the Jeevatma passes through a number of deva-lokas - including Indra's world, Varuna's world, and even Brahma's Satya Loka. Even though all of them invite the Jeevatma to visit them, the Jeevatma is in a hurry to get its Moksha and politely declines these invitations to go on to Sri Vaikuntha.
At Sri Vaikuntha, before it enters, there is a river called the "Viraja River". The Jeevatma takes a dip in the Viraja River. When it comes out after taking a dip, it acquires a new "Sharira". The difference between the sharira we have on earth and the Sharira we take on in the Sri Vaikuntha is in the "gunas". On earth, our shariras (and everything in nature) is composed of the gunas of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. However, the Sharira we take on in Sri Vaikuntha is composed of "Shudda Sattva" guna. For that reason it is called "Diva-Mangala-Vigraham". (A beautiful/excellent sharira, if you will). Sattva Guna's primary characterisic is "knowledge" (Yathavasthita Jnana). In that Sharira is acquires God-like qualities and attains equanimity with the Brahman in "ananada" or Happniess. That is the reason why the shastras say that the Jeevatma acquires "Samyapatti" with the Brahman. At no time, does it ever merge with or becomes the Brahman.
- Contd.



