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Purva-Mimamsa in its Sources c8.s3: C. Liberation according to Kumārila

Pūrva-Mīmāṃsā in its Sources c8.s3

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C. Liberation according to Kumārila

c8.s3.1

The *Bhaṭṭa* view of Liberation is summed up in *Shlokavārtika* (*Sambandhākṣepa-parihāra*, 108—110) thus:—“For those who have understood the real nature of the Soul, all their past *Karma* having become exhausted through experience, and there being no further Karmic residum left to wipe off, there comes no further body; as it is only for the experiencing of the reactions of past *Karma* that the Soul is burdened with the Body; therefore the seeker for Liberation should not do any such act as has been forbidden or even what has been enjoined for certain purposes; (as both these would bring about Karmic reaction which would have to be expiated by experience); but he should continue to perform the compulsory acts, as the omission of these would involve sin, which would have to be expiated by painful experience through a physical Body." The Nyāyaratnākara and the Kāśikā (Shlo. Vā. Atma., 106) go on to add—" Liberation must consist in the destruction of the present body and the non-production of the future body."

c8.s3.2

Knowledge is not the direct cause of Liberation, which is purely *negative* in character; all that Knowledge does is, as shown above, to lead to the stoppage of further *embodiment* of the Soul; it cannot lead to the expiation of past karma, which can be brought about only by experience. There is no means of knowledge, Pramāṇa, indicating Knowledge to be the cause of Liberation. The Veda also does not enjoin 'knowledge' as leading to Liberation. The injunction that 'the Soul should be known' is not meant for the purposes of Liberation; in fact all that the knowledge of the Soul does is to bring about the activity of man towards acts conducive to results which accrue only to a lasting entity like the Soul,—such results, for instance, as Heaven and the like; apart from these latter, there is no result that follows from the Knowledge of the Soul. If Liberation is regarded as consisting in the experiencing of pleasure, then it is only a form of 'Heaven'; but Heaven being something transient, such Liberation cannot be lasting. An effect that is brought about by a cause must be evanescent. Hence we conclude that when all Karmic residua have become exhausted, and there is no further Body for the Soul,—such a Soul becomes liberated through the mere fact of there being no cause left which could bring about a Body for such a Soul. There can be no justification for Liberation being regarded as ever-lasting, permanent, except the fact that it is purely negative in character. (*Shloka-vārtika-Sambandhākṣēpaparihāra* 101—107.)

c8.s3.3

The *Shāstradīpikā* (p. 145) is not sure regarding this being or not being Kumārila's 'own opinion,' *Svamata*.

c8.s3.4

The *Nyāyaratnākara* (on 102 above) explains that there are two kinds of Soul-Knowledge:—(1) Knowledge of Soul as an entity distinct from the Body, etc.; and (2) that Knowledge which takes the form of worship and meditation; it is the former Knowledge that is meant by Kumārila when he says that it has not been enjoined as leading to Liberation. The other kind, in the form of Worship and Meditation, does lead to Liberation.

c8.s3.5

This view appears to have the direct support of Kumārila also, who says:—

c8.s3.6

‘As for the *Knowledge of the Soul*, it is both *Kratvartha*—helpful to the *Sacrifice*, and *Puruṣārtha*—helpful to man; in as much as, unless one knows the Soul, he cannot undertake the performance of a sacrifice which is laid down as leading to results after death; and we find such Vedic texts as—‘The Soul, free from evil, is to be sought after, etc., etc.,’—which lay down the *Knowing of the Soul* as to be acquired through reflection, etc., and as leading to both kinds of results—Happiness and Liberation. Then again there is the text—“He obtains all desires and passes beyond all sorrows,” which speaks of all the eight mystic Perfections (of *Yoga*) accruing to the person knowing the Soul; and then lastly there is the text—“Passing his life thus, he reaches the regions of *Brahman* and from there never returns,” which directly speaks of Liberation (as resulting from Soul-Knowledge)’.—(*Tantravārtika-Translation*, p. 321, under Sū. 1.3. Adhikaraṇa, 9.)

Cites (1)