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THE BRAHMANICAL DOCTRINE OF LIBERATION
155 brahman. Brahmanhood is nothing but the realization of the absolute identity of atman and brahman. The śruti passage, tattvamasi manifests this identity. According to Šamkara it is possible to realize brahman while living in this world, and that is jīvanmukti. There are several passages in the Upanişads which advocate this concept of jiranmukti. "The knower of brahman becomes brahman himself."
-Mundaka Upanişad, III.2.9. “In that all this has itself, it is true, it is the self, thou art that".
- Chāndog ya Upanişad, VI.8.7"He attains brahman here."
-Brhadāraṇyaka Upanișad. IV.4.7. In the Kena Upanişad (II.5) it is said that if brahman is not known here in this life, greatest is the loss.
In the last analysis the whole philosophy of Samkara can be summarized in half a verse which is as follows. Brahman is the only Reality; the world is ultimately false; and the individual self (ätman) is non-different from brahman.8a For Samkara, brahman is quite different from the existing world but ātman is the same as brahman. This world depends upon brahman, but brahman depends upon nothing. Māyā is negligible from the standpoint of common experience. It has been pointed out that Samkara fails to explain the logical relation between brahman and the existing world through māya. Mokșa is attained through the knowledge of brahman and it is identical with brahman. It is the direct apprehension of ultimate reality. LIBERATION ACCORDING TO THE VIŠIŞTĀDVAITA
Before we conclude this brief discussion of the Brahmanical views of mukti, we should take notice of Rāmānuja's attitude toward it. Rāmānuja (eleventh century) is a famous Brāhmanical philosopher. According to him, there are three ultimate realities-God, soul and the world. God is eternal, powerful and all-knowing. He is the material as well as the efficient cause of this universe. The world and souls are depedent upon God. God (īśvara) is the same as the supreme brahman of the Upanişads. God is the soul of nature as well as the soul of souls.
God or brahman of Rāmānuja's conception is the abode of all
82.
brahma satyam jaganmithya jivo brahmaivo nāparak,
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