Vedanta

shrImadAnandatIrthArya mukhanissR^itaM

klR^iptasya tu katha~ncana prAptahRAso bhavetkvApi mahatA tu vikarmaNA

tathA.api tatklR^iptameva tasmAnna niyamojjhitiH |

chandrasugrIvayoshcaiva svoccadAraparigrahAt

prAptahAnirabhUnnaiva klR^iptahAniH katha~ncana || A.V 3.4.4

It has been said earlier that even devatAs perform prohibited actions, though rarely. But here it should be noted that the according to our scriptures devatas have a fixed gradation among them which is determined by the degree of their bliss in liberation. The greater the bliss in liberation the superior the devata. So, if even the devatAs perform prohibited actions and experience slightly lesser bliss than what they are eligible to, then does it not disturb the gradation scheme? Consider a devata A who is eligible for 100 units of bliss in liberation and another devata B who is eligible for 95 units of bliss. According to the fixed gradation scheme devata A is superior to devata B. But consider that devata A performs a prohibited action due to which his bliss has been cut by 5 units. So, the net bliss devata A experiences in liberation is only 95. So, devata A is now becomes equal to devata B thus disturbing the gradation. It is baseless to say that whenever devata A performs a prohibited action devata B also performs a prohibited action and similarly all other devatas down the hierarchy perform prohibited actions thus maintaining the gradation. Hence, if devatas also perform prohibited action and get lesser bliss, how can the gradation among them be maintained?

To this we reply, each soul is eligible to for a fixed quantum of bliss after liberation. Let us call this bliss as bliss_eligible. In the case of devatas, this amount of bliss is guaranteed for them even if they perform prohibited actions. So, no matter what actions a devata performs after gaining knowledge of Brahman, he will not fall in the gradation hierarchy as he enjoys the bliss he is actually eligible to. Therefore, the gradation scheme is not in any away affected.

But previously it was said that there is a cut in the bliss and now it is being said that there will be no cut. Is it not contradictory? To this we say - no, it is not contradictory. How? Let us illustrate with an example. Consider devata A whose bliss_eligible constant is 100 units. When this devata does good deeds even after gaining knowledge he may actually earn more bliss than bliss_eligible. Let us denote this bliss as bliss_earned. Say, the bliss_earned is 105 for devata A whereas the bliss_eligible is 100. In such a case , the devata is made to inadvertently perform a highly prohibited action and his bliss_earned is cut by by 5 units to make his bliss_earned = bliss_eligible. This balancing act is made by God only when bliss_earned > bliss_eligible. So the statement there will be no cut means that there will be no cut in the bliss_eligible. And the statement that there will be a cut in bliss says that there will be a cut in the bliss_earned. So, there is no contradiction. This way all devatas only experience bliss_eligible - not more not less and thus the gradation is perfectly maintained among the devatas.

This can be verified in the the stories of chandra and sugriva. They were punished for accepting the wife of gods higher in gradation by cutting their bliss_earned and not their bliss_eligible. Chandra (12th kaksha) has performed a rajasuya yaga on account of which he earned immense merit there by his bliss_earned became greater than his bliss_eligible. Therefore by way of accepting the wife of bR^ihaspati(10 kaksha) who is higher than him in gradation he lost the extra bliss_earned and destined to enjoy only bliss_eligble in liberation. Similarly, sugriva, incarnation of sUrya(12th kaksha) served rAma in tretayuga. On account of that his bliss_earned surpassed his bliss_eligible. By way of accepting the wife of vAli who was incarnation of indra (8th kaksha), higher in gradation to sugriva (12th kaksha), he lost the extra bliss_earned and destined to enjoy only bliss_eligble in liberation.

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