The sādhya (objective) is Śiva pada and the means to achieve this, the sādhanā, is devotion and service to Lord Siva at all times. Ignoring all other rewards of various heavens (heavenly enjoyments and material fruits) and sādhaka should only be mindful of fortuitous deeds performed every day. By performing Karma as per Vedic injunctions (dharma) and his varṇa, the sādhaka should dedicate all rewards to lord Siva for achieving Śiva pada.
By such renunciations of every material reward, the sādhaka attains “sālokya mokṣa”[1] by the grace of Lord Śiva, which means permanent abode at Kailāśa. The state of the sādhaka is called parameśa-pada and he becomes a venerable pilgrimage.
[1] There are five kinds of liberation: sālokya, sāmīpya, sārūpya, sārṣṭi and sāyujya.
- Sālokya means ‘same loka’ and that after material liberation one is transported to the loka where the Īṣṭa devata resides. For this one must know the 14 worlds of Viṣṇu of which goloka is the highest. For Rudra bhakta, the 14 worlds of Rudra exist and are very hard to attain. For those fixated at supreme knowledge of Śiva, Kailāśa with Śiva-Śakti exists with its own kalpadruma (pārijāta) trees. Lover levels are also attained by great men based on their good karma and these are the 14 worlds of Brahmā.
- Sāmīpya literally means ‘closeness’ and implies becoming a सेवायत sevayata of Jagannath or whichever Īṣṭa devatā.
- Sārūpya literally means attaining a form exactly like that of the Lord. But then that creates a duplicate and duplicity is ahaṁkāra! Then the bhakta does not exactly take the form but becomes a part of His form. Like becoming a flute that Kṛṣṇa kisses with His lips when playing – O! how tender! That is the intense bhakti required for sārūpya mokṣa.
- Sārṣṭi means attaining one of the opulence like those of the Īṣṭa.
- Sāyujya is from the word ‘āyudha’ or weapon and one becomes like the sudarśana for Kṛṣṇa merging into its light or a string for the bow of Rama or the trident always held in the hand of Śiva.
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