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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
Vedānta (Saṁkara )
497
him by cultivating disinterestedness in all things; but still his physical body has not disappeared. The Jivanmukta continues to live in the body, though he has discarded nescience (avidya) by the philosophical knowledge. The body does not immediately drop away even after the nescience is annihilated by the knowledge of the Brahman, just as trembling due to fear continues for sometime even after the false knowledge of the snake is terminated. The potter's wheel keeps on revolving though the stick that gives it movement is detached from the wheel, similarly the avidyā's impressions cannot be immediately and abruptly brought to end though it itself is annihilated. The jīvanmukta lives in the world but is not of the world. He is no more interested in and attached to the worldly life even though he discharges his earthly duties. He takes part in the worldly activities but is not affected in any way by them. Vidyaranya describes Jivanmukti' as the elimination of the bondage arising out of the afflictive nature of the mental states characterised by doership, and by the experiences of pleasure and pain of a man while alive.? The Jivanmukta seems to lead the ordinary worldly life but he is not at all attached to it. His body acts according to the laws of nature but his soul is ever free and rests in its natural condition (FT6977F1).
1 Saraswati Madhusūdana : Advaita Siddhi, Vol. II, p. 1029. 2 Vidyāraṇya : Jivanmuktiviveka, p. 13. जीवतः पुरुषस्य कर्तस्वभोक्तृत्वसुखदुःखादिलक्षणः चित्तधर्मः, क्लेशरूपत्वात्
बन्धो भवति, तस्य निवारणानि जीवन्मुक्तिः । Ā 32
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