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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
20
Ātmap and Mokşa
want to breathe quite healthy and sunny air “where pleasures, enjoyments, raptures and abiding bliss" exist. They recognise three kinds of heavens. The lowest of them is intimately associated with soma and moon. It belongs to Yama. It can be attained by those sacrificers and philanthropists who have at their credit ordinary merit. The other two heavens are situated in the higher region. Out of the two, the realm Savit; and Sūrya is the lower one. Men like Rbhus and Māruts who because of their exceptional merit attain immortality and divinity can be members of this region. The last and the highest heaven of Vişņu can be reached only by those who have an immensely pious and holy life, because of their pure devotion to the gods. They are the great visionaries. The attainment of the last region, the region of Visņu is regarded as the highest end that one can cherish and attain to.
The word 'immortality' (amsta-) occurs very frequently in the RgVeda. Sāyana takes it to mean in the majority of cases that which is not mortal' (Bratutto, A Torafga, origa). The other noteworthy meanings which it connotes are 'god' (deva), 'liberation' (HIST, gryba), 'continuity of the race' (Farliaga), 'nectar' (atan), 'freedom from fatigue' (37765FTTifera), 'imperishability', 'eternity' (freaca), 'sun'( ), 'herbal juice'(THT), 'divine-drink' (2997), etc. In spite of all these numerous shades of meanings, it is more probable that what they really implied by the word 'immortality'is 'imperishability' or 'eternity' (avinásitva, nityatva).
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