Book Title: World of Philosophy
Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan
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eternal attendant, He has divine non-material (divya-aprākhta) body and personality. Lord Nārāyaṇa eternally dwells fully with all His glory and grace in Akñara alone. Although subservient, Akñara is co-eternal with God, and is ever united with Him supremely. Lord Purunottama is the Supreme God, Akñara is the Supreme Devotee. When God (Parabrahman) descends on earth, Akñarabrahman is always with Him. Akñara is the intercessor between God and the seekers of salvation. In all Swāminārāyani rituals and adorations, Aknara is conjointly worshipped along with God Purunottama in the spiritual sādhanā because it cuts asunder the ties of bondage much faster, which otherwise would take several births to get rid of, and thus enables one to attain the spiritual goal quicker by the grace of God. Akñara is the symbol of the best señatva and the ideal worthy of modelling, emulating and realizing.
(II) The same Akñarabrahman also expresses himself simultaneously in another form aspect as the Supreme Divine Abode of Lord Purunottama, known as Akñaradhām or Brahmadhām or Brahmamohol and Paramapada. It is the eternal residence of God together with the liberated souls. It is the dhāma, beyond the veil of māyā-prakti and its three gunās. It is exceedingly effulgent, illuminating, bright, cool tranquil, blissful and divine.
(III) As the immanent support and substratum of innumerable number of universes, Akñarabrahman is called sarvadhāra-cidākāśa. This form of Akñara pervades everywhere and permeates in everything, and is immanent within and without the universes.
(IV) Akñara is the medium through whom God (after departing from earth) keeps His manifestation and presence continuous on earth in the form of Akñara-Guru to redeem the seekers of salvation. Akñara is the most intimate to God, and enjoys superlatively maximum bliss and eternal communion with God. He is the paragon of pure and perfect devotion-in-servitude (dāsya-bhakti). Therefore obedient affliction with Akñara-Guru helps in acquiring 'Akñarahood', and thereby emancipation yielding place in the 'service of God in His highest abode
The relationship between Akñara and Purunottama, is 'nitya-aviyogisambandha'i.e. the eternal relationship of undivorceability. The relationship of Akñara to Purunottam is 'Dāsabhāvayukta-nityaparamasnehaikyasambhandh' i.e. Akñara is related to God by the eternal relationship of the Supreme Love and Oneness coupled with devotion in willing servitude. This is the differentia of Swāminārāyana Vaiñnava and Navya-Višiñöādvaita, because apparently Aksarabrahman is found to occupy the same place with 'sri, Mahālakshmi or Rādhā occupy in other Vaiñnava schools of Vedānta. In case of Rāmānujiya Visiñöādvaita the metaphysical status of śri remains unclear and undecided. Consequently, Vadagalais tried to show śri as infinite and co-eval with the Lord, while Tengalais treated her on par with jivas i.e. the supreme among the nityasüri jivas. On the other hand, in case of the
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