Jivanmukti Viveka – The path to liberation in this life by Swami Vidyaranya

Vidyaranya Swami (1296-1386), author of the wonderful Advaita Vedanta text Panchadasi and Shankaracharya (head monk) of Sringeri Math, wrote another less well known text called Jivanmukti Viveka. In it he, in some considerable detail, outlines the path to Jivanmukti, or liberation in this life.

In Chapter 2 he repeatedly makes the point that liberation or jnana cannot occur without both manonasa (destruction of the mind) and vasana kshaya (destruction of the habitual tendencies).

We shall now address ourselves to the means which lead to Jivanmukti (Liberation in this Life). These are Jnana, manonasa and vasana-kshaya.

He states that these three should be practised simultaneously. Throughout this text he quotes extensively from many authoritative texts to back up his view, this time quoting from the wonderful Yoga Vasishta:

Hence, in the Yoga Vasishta, Vasishta says, while dealing with The Body of the Jivanmukta at the end of the Chapter on Supreme Pacification: ‘Oh best of intellects vasasa-Kshaya, Jnana and Manonasa, attended to simultaneously for sufficient length of time, bear the desired fruit…

Vidyaranya then quotes again from Yoga Vasishta emphasising the need to practice these three for and extended period of time:

‘Until these three are not well attended to with sufficient and repeated trials, the Condition [Jivanmukti] can never be realised,  even at the end of a hundred years.’

Here are some more quotes from Chapter 2 of Jivanmukti Viveka:

vidyaranyajnana28knowledge29tooisimpossibleunlessthemindisentirelyatrest

vidyaranyajnananevercomesaboutwithoutvasanakshaya

vidyaranyathemindshouldbepreventedfromfunctioning

brihadaranyakaupdesirelessisbrahman

Vidyaranya no mind.png

Also see:

The entire path explained: the Path of Sri Ramana

IN BRIEF: HOW TO ATTAIN LIBERATION (MOKSHA)

Shankara on the Mind, Samadhi (stillness of mind), Manonasa (destruction of mind), and Liberation

6 thoughts on “Jivanmukti Viveka – The path to liberation in this life by Swami Vidyaranya

  1. Tom.
    Thank you for this Teaching. It Re-minds me of the three fundamental experiences of Pauline Christianity. Faith Hope Love. Faith or Insight which is Knowledge. Hope or Inspiration which is Rest from the mind. Love as new Involvement free from old habits.
    These Three together as the three elements of Fire. Nice how all True Spiritual teaching is in Harmony. Yours, Ramana, Christ, Vidyaranya’s Jivanmukti Viveka.
    Namaste

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Namaste
    I would like to write an essay on Jivan Mukti Viveka. Hence I was searching web and i landed on your web. Your writings are ful of insight. I must read these for gaining knowledge.
    Best regards.
    Arun

    Liked by 1 person

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