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This work consists of fivechapters, known as Prakaranas. The first chapter deals with thescriptural authority for the postulation of Jivanmukti or liberationwhile still living. The chapter opens with a salutation to SriVidyatirtha, the author's Guru, who is identified with the Supreme Lord.

Sannyasais of two kinds, known as Vividisha Sannyasa and Vidvat Sannyasa, or,renunciation of the seeker and renunciation of the knower. (These termswill become clear as we proceed further). The first is the cause ofliberation after death (Videhamukti) and the second of liberation whilestill living in the body (Jivanmukti). The essential pre-requisite forboth these kinds of Sannyasa is detachment. Detachment is of threekinds-- weak, strong and stronger. The detachment that arises on theoccurrence of some calamity such as the death of a dear one, or loss ofpossessions, is not lasting and is categorized as weak. Such atemporary feeling of detachment is of no use and does not make a personeligible for Sannyasa. The determination not to marry, beget childrenand live the life of a householder is categorized as 'strong'detachment. There are four varieties of Vividisha Sannyasa. These are--Kutichaka, Bahoodaka, Hamsa and Paramahamsa. The detachment describedas 'strong' makes the person eligible only for the varieties ofSannyasa called Kutichaka and Bahoodaka. Both of them are 'Tridandins'i.e. they carry three long thin sticks knotted together, emblematic ofthe triple renunciation of everything connected with body, mind andspeech. The Kutichaka resides in a secluded hermitage. The Bahoodakakeeps moving from one holy place to another. The choice as to which ofthese two varieties a person with the kind of detachment described as'strong' should take depends on whether he is physically fit to moveabout from place to place or not.

When a person is free fromdesire not only for the pleasures of this world, but even for those ofhigher worlds such as heaven, because of the knowledge that they aretransient and will result only in repeated births and deaths, he issaid to have 'stronger' detachment. This kind of detachment entitlesthe person to take the Hamsa and Paramahamsa varieties of Sannyasa. AHamsa Sannaysi goes to Brahmaloka, realizes the absolute truth thereand becomes liberated. This is known as Kramamukti or liberation bystages. The Paramahamsa is the ascetic of the highest order, who hasachieved complete control over his senses. He attains liberation evenwhile living in the body. This is called Jivanmukti.

Paramahamsasare of two kinds: the seeker after liberation and the knower of theSelf. The seeker is one who has renounced all desires and wants nothingbut the realization of the Self. He does not desire any of the threeworlds or spheres of enjoyment, namely, the world of men, the world ofthe manes and the world of the gods. The means to the attainment ofthese three worlds are, respectively, the begetting of a son, theperformance of the prescribed Vedic rituals and meditation(Br.Up.1.5.26). The seeker renounces all these means. He is intent onlyon attaining the world of the Self, which means liberation. To attainthis he has to achieve total control over the mind, body and senses.

Vividisha Sannyasa - Renunciation of the seeker

Thedesire for Self-realization arises to a person as a result of the studyof the Vedas and the performance of the rites enjoined by the Vedas inthis life or in previous lives. The renunciation consequent on suchdesire is known as Vividisha Sannyasa or 'the renunciation of theseeker'. (Vividisha means 'the desire to know'). This Sannyasa is themeans to the knowledge of Brahman. This is of two kinds: one, giving upthe performance of only Kamyakarma, or actions motivated by desire forthe fruit, and two, entering the Sannyasa Ashrama by muttering thePraisha formula and accepting the staff, etc. It is said here thatladies also are entitled to this Sannyasa before marriage and after thedeath of the husband, but it appears that they can become only'tridandins', that is, only the Kutichaka and Bahoodaka varieties.Those who are not able to take the Sannyasa Ashrama for some reason canrenounce mentally, while continuing to perform the duties of their ownAshrama.

Vidvat Sannyasa - Renunciation of the Knower

heentry into the Sannyasa order by those who have already attainedSelf-realization through hearing, reflection and meditation is known asVidvat Sannyasa. Sage Yajnavalkya is an example of this. Having alreadyrealized the highest truth he declared his intention to renounce theworld to his wife Maitreyi. He then became a Sannyasin. (See Br.Up.4.5.2 and 4.5.15). This kind of Sannyasa is also mentioned in theKahola Brahmana in Br.Up. 3.5.1.

While the Vividisha Sannyasinshould devote himself to the study of the scriptures, reflectionthereon and meditation for the realization of the Self, the VidvatSannyasin should strive for the destruction of the mind and theelimination of Vasanas in order to attain Jivanmukti. This matter willbe dealt with in detail later on.

In the Jabala upanishad, whenAtri objects that giving up of the sacred thread by a Brahmana is notpermissible, Yajnavalkya replies that Self-knowledge is the real sacredthread for the Paramahamsa Sannyasin (Jabala.Up.5). So the absence ofthe external sacred thread is the sign that the Sannyasin belongs tothe Paramahamsa category. It is further said in this Upanishad thatVidvat Sannyasins are without the external signs of Ashrama, bound byno forms of conduct and behaving like mad men, though not mad.

Theprocedure for a Tridandin to become a Vividisha Sannyasin who carriesonly one stick is the following. The three sticks, water-pot, beggingbowl with the suspension-strainer, tuft and sacred thread should beoffered to the Bhurloka, i.e. the earth, reciting the mantra: "BhuhSvaha", meaning, "oblation to Bhuh" and thrown into water. He shouldthen seek the Self.

The Paramahamsa who is a Vidvat Sannyasin isdescribed as one who is like a new-born baby, whose mind is free fromthe effects of the pairs of opposites, devoid of all possessions, whois firmly established in the path to Brahman, whose mind is free fromdesires, who, just to maintain life without being under obligation toany one, goes about begging at the prescribed time, using his belly asthe begging bowl, and is unperturbed whether he gets it or not, withouta fixed dwelling, lives in places such as a derelict house, a temple, ahay-stack, under a tree, in a pottery, in a house where sacrificialfire is kept, on the riverside, in a mountain cave, in the hollow of atree, or a place for the performance of sacrifices built near a spring.He is free from all striving, devoid of the feeling of "I and mine",ever meditates on the pure Self, is established in the supreme Self,gives up all actions and ultimately gives up his body with totaldetachment.

Both Vividisha Sannyasa and Vidvat Sannyasa fallunder the category of Paramahamsa, but their characteristics aredifferent and, in some respects, even contradictory. In ArunikaUpanishad it is said that Vividisha Sannyasa is marked by the giving upof the tuft, the sacred thread, the study of the (Karmakanda of the)Vedas, the repetition of the Gayatri, etc, and enjoins the acceptanceof a staff, bathing three times a day, meditation on the Self and studyof the Upanishads. Though the same are prescribed for Vidvat Sannyasaalso, it is said in the Paramahamsa Upanishad that these are not theessentials. A Vidvat Sannyasin is free from all rules regardingexternal symbols, social norms and conventions. He ever remainsestablished in the realization that he is Brahman.

In the Smritisalso, the distinction between these two types of Sannyasa is clear.With regard to Vividisha Sannyasa, Brihaspati Smriti says that thosewho find worldly life to be devoid of substance enter the order ofSannyasins even before marriage. The Mahabharata says that the wise,who aim at the attainment of Self-knowledge, renounce the world(14.43.39).

Regarding Vidvat Sannyasa, it is said-"When theeternal, supreme Brahman, becomes known (in a general way), then takingonly one staff, the person must give up the sacred thread and the tuft;he should renounce everything and take Sannyasa, after having directlyrealized the supreme Brahman".

Desire for knowledge out of merecuriosity is no ground for renunciation. Vividisha implies desire forknowledge alone, excluding everything else. It can be compared to thedesire for food of a person who is so hungry that he cannot tolerateeven a moment's delay and will not accept anything else, howevervaluable. (In his Bhashya on Gita, 4.11 Sri Sankara says that it isimpossible for a person to be a seeker of liberation and also a seekerof the fruits of action at the same time. This means that Vividisha,the desire to know the Self, can be said to be there only when there istotal detachment towards everything else).

The culmination ofknowledge is when the identification with the Self totally replaces theidentification with the body (See Upadesa Sahasri, 4.5). On theattainment of this culmination, the knot of the heart is cut off, alldoubts are destroyed and all latent impressions are annihilated (Mund.Up. 2.2.8).

The highest state attainable through karma is that ofHiranyagarbha. Even this pales into insignificance compared to theSupreme Brahman. The 'knot of the heart' means the wrong identity ofthe Self with the intellect, caused by beginningless ignorance; it isso called because it is as tight as a knot. The doubts referred toare-- Is the Self a mere witness or the doer of actions? If it is onlya witness, is it Brahman or not? If it is Brahman, can it be known bythe intellect or not? Does liberation consist merely in this knowledge?The 'latent impressions' are those that lead to future births. Thesethree, being the results of Avidya, disappear on the realization of theSelf. (See also Gita, 18.17).

A doubt now arises. Since VividishaSannyasa itself leads to the attainment of knowledge of the Self, whichitself prevents future birth, and the remaining portion of this lifehas to be lived because of Prarabdha karma, what is the need for VidvatSannyasa? The answer is-- Vidvat Sannyasa is necessary for theattainment of Jivanmukti or liberation in life. Vividisha Sannyasaleads only to the attainment of Knowledge.
The nature of Jivanmukti

Bondageis the experience of pleasure and pain resulting from man looking uponhimself as the performer of actions and the enjoyer of the fruitsthereof. Because of this bondage one is not able to experience theBliss which is natural to him. The cessation of this bondage isJivanmukti or liberation in life. Now the question arises-- is thebondage the natural characteristic of the Witness (Self) or of themind?. Since bondage ceases on the dawn of knowledge, it cannot be acharacteristic of the Self, because what is natural can never beremoved, like the heat of fire or the fluidity of water. If it is thenatural characteristic of the mind, then also it can never be got ridof. It may be argued that though the natural characteristic of the mindcannot be completely removed, its effect can be neutralized by thepractice of yoga. To this the answer given by the objector is thatPraarabdha karma will make the person experience pleasure and pain andwill prevent knowledge from destroying the ignorance along with itseffects in its entirety. The Siddhanti's reply to this is that thehuman efforts prescribed by the scriptures can counteract even theeffects of Praarabdha karma. If this is not so, all the sacred texts onliberation will become useless. One should not give up further effortjust because of failure once. Nobody gives up eating for fear ofindigestion or cooking for fear of being pestered by beggars orcovering oneself with a blanket in cold weather because of the fearthat there may be lice in it.

The efficacy of the effortsprescribed by scripture is known clearly from the dialogue betweenVasishtha and Rama in Yogavasishtha. Rama says--"My Vasanas (theimpressions of previous actions and thoughts) compel me to act in aparticular way. I am powerless to go against them". Vasishthareplies-"Since you are subject to your Vasanas, your own initiative,combined with enthusiasm and effort by thought, word and deed isessential to liberate you from such dependence. Vasanas are of twokinds: good and bad. If the good Vasanas are powerful, they willthemselves lead you to the attainment of liberation. If the evilVasanas are powerful, you have to exert yourself to conquer them. Themind can be turned away, by the company of the good, from objects whichare not conducive to spiritual progress. The mind is like a child. Itcan be disciplined by persuasion rather than by force. Control ofbreath (Pranaayaama) and withdrawal of the mind from external objects(Pratyaahaara) are the two methods of subduing the mind. By this methodthe mind becomes calm soon. When good desires arise soon after thepractice of Rajayoga, it should be attributed to the practice of theyoga. One should continue with such practice in accordance with theinstruction of the teacher, scripture and other valid evidence(Pramaana) until complete mastery over the mind is attained and theidentity of Brahman and Atman is realized. After that, when theobstacles in the form of evil desires have vanished, even the gooddesires should be given up. It is thus clear that all desires(including those arising due to Praarabdha karma) can be got rid ofthrough Yoga and so the possibility of Jivanmukti cannot be disputed.

Characteristics of Jivanmukti

TheSrutis and Smritis establish the existence of the state of Jivanmukti.The Kathopanishad says (5.1),"the one already liberated is altogetherliberated", which means that one who has become totally free frombondage while alive is freed from all possibility of future bondageafter the fall of the body. Though during Pralaya and after death everyone remains free from another birth for some time, he will certainly beborn again, but one who has attained liberation in life will be freefrom birth for ever. The Br. Up. says, "When all the desires that arein his heart fall off entirely, the mortal becomes immortal and attainsBrahman here (in this body) itself" (4.4.7). In another Sruti it issaid, "Though with eyes, he is, as it were, without eyes; though withears, he is, as it were, without ears; though with mind, he is, as itwere, without mind; and though with life, he is, as it were, withoutlife".

The Jivanmukta is described by different names such as,Sthitaprajna (man of steady wisdom), Bhagavad-bhakta (Devotee of God),Gunaatita (beyond the three Gunas), Brahmana (who has realized theSelf), Ativarnaasramin (beyond the pale of the four Varnas and the fourAsramas).

Jivanmukti can be attained only by a person who hasgiven up all other actions, both Vedic and secular, who is in pursuitof knowledge alone and who is ever immersed in contemplation on theSelf. Jivanmukti and Videhamukti are distinguished only by the presenceand absence of the body and the sense-organs. The awareness of dualityis absent in both of them.

The Jivanmukta is one for whom thisphenomenal world, in which he moves and acts, has ceased to exist. Inthe case of an ordinary person, his mind reacts to the various forms inthe world and gives him knowledge of their variety and theirdifferences from one another. But the mind of the Jivanmukta does notget so transformed and so he does not see differences, but sees allforms only as Brahman. In deep sleep the mind does not undergo anytransformation, but the seed for transformation remains. So sleepcannot be equated with the state of Jivanmukti. The Jivanmukta remainsunaffected by both pleasure and pain. He is not elated by somethinggood happening, nor is he depressed when a calamity occurs. He does notcrave for anything, but subsists on whatever comes of its own accord.Though his senses function and can experience everything, his mind isabsolutely calm and does not react to anything. Though his eyes seeeverything before him, his mind does not judge them as good or bad,favourable or unfavourable and so he is free from agitation andattachment or aversion. The senses themselves do not cause any harm. Itis the mind which judges what is experienced by the senses and developslikes and dislikes in the case of an ordinary person. Since the mind ofthe Jivanmukta does not make any such judgment, he is free from allattachment and aversion. Because of the absence of transformation ofthe mind, the Jivanmukta is free from Vasanas. His mind always remainspure. He never looks upon himself as a doer of actions since he doesnot identify himself with the body-mind complex which alone performsall actions. Consequently he is neither elated nor depressed by thegood or bad results of the actions. Others do not have any reason tofear him, because he never insults or harms others in any way. He isalso not afraid of any one. He remains unaffected even if some wickedman insults or harasses him. He does not distinguish people as friendor foe. Though full of learning, he never exhibits it. His mind isabsolutely free from worldly thoughts and is always fixed oncontemplation of the Self. He remains cool even in matters concerninghimself, just as a man attending a marriage or other ceremony inanother's house remains unaffected by the gain or loss of that otherperson. This coolness is due not only to his freedom from worry, butalso to his awareness of the fullness of his own Self. These are thecharacteristics of the Jivanmukta.
Videhamukti

When the bodyof the Jivanmukta falls, he becomes a Videhamukta, freed from hisempirical existence and attains his real nature, like air resuming itstranquillity when the wind stops blowing. His subtle body is dissolvedhere itself. He cannot be described as 'sat', that is to say, he cannotbe called 'praajna' conditioned by avidya or 'Isvara' conditioned bymaayaa. He cannot be called 'asat', or made up of mere matter. He doesnot experience the gross objects of sense. He is neither Virat, norHiranyagarbha nor Isvara. Nor is he Visva, Taijasa or Praajna. Thus hedoes not come under the category of microcosm (vyashti) or of macrocosm(samashti).
Sthitaprajna

The man of steady wisdom(sthitaprajna) is described in the Gita as one who has acquired supremedetachment and gained complete mastery over his mind through thepractice of yoga. His mind is always fixed in the Truth. When he is inSamadhi, he is absolutely free from all desires, as his mind isincapable of transformations in that state. The satisfaction he feelsis reflected in the cheerfulness of his countenance. This satisfactionis the result of realization of the Self. In Samprajnata Samadhi thereis the distinction of meditator, object of meditation and the act ofmeditation (known as Triputi). In the Samadhi which is spoken of here,which is called Asamprajnata Samadhi, these distinctions cease. Thecontentment in this state is not due to the transformation of the mind,but to the impression left by such transformation in the earlier stateof Samprajnata Samadhi. When such a person is out of Samadhi, he isfree from anxiety and pains, is indifferent to pleasures and is freefrom passion, fear and anger. Such a sage may, when he has come out ofSamadhi, have mental transformations and experience of pleasure andpain brought about by Praarabdha karma. But he does not feel anyanxiety or craving because of them, since he has attained totaldiscrimination and detachment. Similarly passion, fear and anger, whichare products of Tamoguna, have no place in his mind. He has noattachment to any person or thing nor has he any likes or dislikes,these being caused by Tamoguna, which is absent in him. As a tortoisedraws in all its limbs, he withdraws his senses from their objects. Themind of the Sthitaprajna, when he is out of Samadhi, is entirely freefrom the grosser (Tamasic) kinds of transformation. When he is inSamadhi, his mind is subject to no transformation whatsoever.

Theactual enjoyment of sense objects can be given up by a person byavoiding them, but the desire for them would still remain. This desirewill go only when the Self is realized. A realized person does not needany external objects for getting happiness, he being Bliss itself. TheBr. Up. says," What shall we achieve through children, we who haveattained this Self" (4.4.2).

The constant practice of meditationon the Self is necessary to safeguard against inadvertently slippingdown from the spiritual level reached, even for a person who hasbrought all his senses under control.

How a person may slip downis described in Gita, 2.62 & 63. When a man keeps on thinking ofsense-objects, he develops attachment to them. Attachment leads tointense longing for the objects. If the longing is not fulfilled, angerarises. Anger leads to loss of the power of discrimination between whatis right and what is wrong. This results in his giving up the practiceof pondering over the Truth. This makes him unfit for liberationbecause of the current of opposite ideas which act as obstacles. But aman who has controlled his mind and is free from attachment andaversion even when he is in the midst of sense-objects, attains peace.

Themeans for the attainment of realization, such as control of the mindand senses and meditation on the Self have to be deliberately practisedby the aspirant for liberation, but these become the intrinsiccharacteristics of the realized person. The condition of being firmlyestablished in the knowledge of the Self, wherein all sense ofseparateness is obliterated by the uninterrupted flow of the light ofthe Self, is called Jivanmukti or liberation in life.
Bhagavadbhaktah-The True Devotee of God

Heis described in Gita, ch.12, verses 13 & 14. In Samadhi thedevotee's mind is fixed on God and so it is not distracted by any otherthought. When out of Samadhi, though he experiences objects, he feelsneither joy nor sorrow, he being indifferent to both. Verses 15 to 19of the same chapter describe him as unaffected by all the pairs ofopposites. In Naishkarmyasiddhi, 4.69 Suresvaracharya says that thegood qualities such as absence of hatred manifest of their own accordand are not the result of any effort by him. They are natural to himand do not constitute the means to an end as in the case of those whoare still in the stage of aspirants.
Gunaatita- one who has transcended the Gunas

Sucha person is described in chapter 14 of the Bhagavad-gita. The wholeworld is made up of the products of the three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas andTamas. One who transcends these Gunas is a Jivanmukta. Illumination,activity and delusion are the result of Sattva, Rajas and Tamasrespectively. They are active in the waking and dream states, butsubside in sleep, Samadhi and absent-mindedness. Activity is of twokinds, agreeable and disagreeable. The unenlightened man hates thedisagreeable and longs for the agreeable. The Gunaatita, being freefrom the notions of 'agreeable' and 'disagreeable', feels neitherhatred nor desire. The discriminating Gunaatita remains entirelyindifferent, like a disinterested onlooker witnessing two partiesfighting with each other. This is because of his conviction that theGunas in the form of the senses act and react upon the same Gunas inthe form of objects and he, as the pure Atma, has nothing to do withthem. The wrong notion that one is the doer of actions (andconsequently the enjoyer of the results) is the cause of mentalagitation. This is totally absent in the Gunaatita and so he is everfree from agitation. He is balanced in pleasure and pain. Service tothe Supreme Being by the practice of knowledge and meditationaccompanied by unswerving devotion are the means to be adopted by aperson who wants to become a Gunaatita.
Braahmanah- the knower of Brahman

Theword Braahmana denotes the knower of the supreme Self. He is entitledto become a Vidvat Sannyasin. He is devoid of all possessions. He isnot concerned about the kind of garment he wears or the food he eats orthe place where he rests. He accepts only the bare minimum of food,clothing and shelter necessary for bodily sustenance. He should wearonly a loin cloth and carry a staff for the purpose of instilling faithin his listeners while engaged, purely out of his grace, in impartingthe knowledge of Brahman to them. He should never, in spite of hissympathy for others, utter even a word about the worldly concerns ofhis pupils, but should always remain absorbed in meditation. He shouldavoid all talk other than about Brahman. Meditation is unimpeded whenone is alone. The Smriti says that the religious mendicant shouldremain alone, because if there are two or more there is a possibilityof talk among themselves on subjects such as politics or about the almsreceived by each. He should not give any blessing to any one becausethat will create distractions in his mind because of thoughts aboutwhat each person wants to have. Another Smriti says that knowledge cannever be attained by one whose mind is concerned with the things of theworld or with mere bookish learning or the preservation of one's body.The liberated man must give up all these. In lieu of words of blessinghe should merely utter the word 'Narayana' which serves the purpose ofall blessings. He should not engage himself in any effort to gainanything either for himself or for others. It is said In the Gita,18.48 that all undertakings are clouded by defects as fire by smoke.Salutation is prescribed only for Vividisha Sannyasins thus-"A seniormonk should be saluted if he belongs to the same order of monks, butnever any one else". Enquiry about the relative seniority of monks andwhether they belong to the same order leads to distraction of the mindand so salutation is not prescribed for Vidvat Sannyasins. Sri Sankarasays in Upadesa Sahasri, 17.64- "Whom should a knower of the Selfsalute, when he is established in the infinite, non-dual Self whichtranscends all names and forms? He has nothing to do with action of anykind". Although salutation of the kind likely to cause disturbance ofthe mind is prohibited, that salutation which brings about tranquillityof mind is permitted. Srimad Bhagavata, 3.29.34 & 11.29.16say--"One should salute, prostrating oneself even before a dog, aChandala, a cow and an ass, realizing that God is present in them allin the form of the Jiva". Praise of men is forbidden, but praise of Godis enjoined, because it will lead to freedom from bondage. He who issteadfast in the knowledge of the Self should not become dejected whenhe does not get any food, nor should he be overjoyed when he gets it,because both are governed by destiny. He is not bound by theinjunctions or prohibitions of the Vedas. Sage Narada has said inNarada-pancha-ratra, 4.2.23 that the all-pervading Lord Vishnu shouldbe treasured up in memory and not forgotten even for a moment; allinjunctions and prohibitions are subservient to this. Mahabharata,Santiparva, 237.13 says that the gods consider him to be a Braahmanawho is afraid of a crowd as of a snake, of conventional honour as ofdeath and of woman as of a corpse. This is because the company ofothers may lead to futile talk and honour leads to attachment whichsets up tendencies adverse to the true aim of life. The Yogi, keepingin mind the path of the wise, must conduct himself in such a way thatpeople treat him with contempt and never seek his company. Manusmritisays that one should avoid sitting close to even one's own mother,sister or daughter because the powerful sense organs can drag down evena man of wisdom (2.215).

Men of the world should avoid beingalone as that may cause fear, but the opposite is applicable to Yogis.To the Yogi the vast expanse of space appears to be full of the supremebliss of the Self since he is always absorbed in meditation and sothere is no cause for fear. A crowded place is unsuitable formeditation and so the Yogi should avoid it and seek solitude.

Ativarnaasramin - One who is beyond the pale of the four Varnas and Ashramas

TheAtivarnaasramin is described in the fifth chapter of the section onliberation in the Suta Samhita. He is the teacher of disciplesbelonging to all the four Ashramas. He never becomes the disciple ofany one else. He is the Teacher of teachers. There is none in the worldequal or superior to him. He is one who has realized the supreme Truth.He is all Bliss and is the witness of the three states of waking, dreamand deep sleep. He has attained the firm conviction that Varna andAshrama are imaginary super-impositions on the body, brought about byMaayaa and that he, being the pure Atma, has no connection with them.He knows from the Upanishads that the whole universe functions in themere presence of the Atma which is identical with himself, just ashuman beings perform all their activities with the help of the light ofthe sun, while the sun itself is not at all involved in theiractivities. Just as various ornaments made of gold are nothing butgold, the universe of multifarious names and forms projected by Maayaais nothing but Brahman. The appearance of Brahman as the universe issimilar to the appearance of nacre as silver. The great Lord who isone, devoid of any relation, is like the all-pervading space, pervadingall beings, big or small, high or low. He has realized that the worldof the waking state is a fabrication of Maayaa, just as all objectsseen in dream are the creation of delusion. Having realized that he isthe Self, he is beyond all the duties enjoined for the four Ashramas.

Thus it is conclusively established in the Srutis that Jivanmukti is a reality.