what is the highest abode for Vaishnavite sects?

Question

Srivaishnavites and Madhwites seem to regard Vaikuntha as the highest abode. For Gaudiyas it seems to be "Goloka" -

I am looking for a systematic exposition of the conception of the ultimate endpoint of jivas in Vaishnavite sects.

Answer 1

In srivaishnavism, the attainment of svarga (or heaven) is much inferior to that of paramapada or Vaikuntha.

From the Gita Bhashya of Ramanuja, Chapter 9, English translation by S. S. Raghavachar

But the great ones, possessed of a holy disposition, understand God as the eternal source of all and as having descended out of compassion, and they worship Him with singleness of heart, seeing no possibility of life without loving worship of Him as an end in itself. While such is the theme of the contemplation of the men of knowledge, the ignorant pursuing desires have a different course. They follow the ritualistic portion of the Vedas and worship the lower gods. They sacrifice to them and live on what remains over after the sacrifice. They pray for heavenly life and their conduct sanctifies them just enough for that end. They attain heavenly abodes and enjoy heavenly pleasures. When their merit is exhausted, they re-enter our world of mortality. Such is the cyclical career of those given to desire and the inferior religion of the Vedas.

Commentary on 5.11

Giving up attachment to heaven etc., Yoga practitioners perform such actions through means of the body, mind and the intellect for purifying themselves,

Commentary on 9.21-22

Having enjoyed the vast realm of heaven, they return to the realm of mortals when their merit is exhausted. Thus, those who follow the Vedic rituals and are motivated by desire, come and go. But the great beings (followers of Vedānta) meditating on Krishna, who is incomparably dear to them, obtain boundless and unsurpassed bliss and do not return to Samsāra.

Answer 2

सीतानाथ समारम्भां रामानन्दार्य मध्यमाम्। अस्मदाचार्य पर्यन्तां वन्दे श्रीगुरू परम्पराम् ।।

According to the Vedas, Ayodhya is the supreme abode in which Sanatan Vishnu i.e. Lord Sri Rāma resides.

Śrī Saket Lok (or Śrī Ayodhyā-Purī) is celebrated and eulogized as the supreme abode of the original personality of godhead, Lord Śrī Rāma. It is the highest realm in the spiritual abode, as said by the Vashistha- Samhita that Rama's name (Naam), Rupa (form), leela (Rama's pastimes) and Dhaam (Rama's abode) - all these four are supremely divine & the most superior (रामस्य नाम रूपं च लीला धाम परात्परम), and very form of Sat- chid- anandamay Svarupam. Sāketa-Loka is the vānmānāgācara (वाङ्गानोगोचर सनातन) eternal world beyond the reach of the sense organs (speech and mind).

Śrī Ayōdhyā-Puri (Sāketa-Loka) is the original source of all Vaikuntha, where the Brahm in his own original form of Śrī Rāma is present with Śrī Śrī Sītā Jī.

ॐ याऽयोध्या सा सर्वबैकुण्ठानामेव मूलाधारा प्रकृतेः परा तत्सद् ब्रह्ममयी विरजोत्तरा दिव्यरत्नकोशाढ्या तस्या नित्यमेव श्रीसीतारामयोर्विहारस्थलमस्ति।।

(इति अथर्ववेदे उत्तरार्द्ध रामरहस्य उपनिषद उत्तरखंड)

प्रकृति से परात्पर, सत्यस्वरूप, ब्रह्ममयी जो अयोध्या है वह समस्त वैकुण्ठ लोकों की भी मूलाधार है। इसके उत्तर में विरजा आदि नदियां प्रकाशित होती है और दिव्य रत्नों से मण्डित कोश (मण्डप) में नित्यरूप से श्रीसीताराम जी की विहार स्थली विद्यमान है।

In Padma puran it been clearly mentioned that Mathura etc Puris are servent of Śrī Ayodhyā Ji,

मथुराद्याः पुरी सर्वा अयोध्यापुरदासिकाः । अयोध्यामेव सेवन्ते प्रलयेऽप्रलयेऽपि वा ॥

(Padma Puran)

Mathura etc. all Purias are maidservants of Śrī Ayodhyā Puri. These Puris serve Ayodhyā ji with servility on both the occasions of doomsday and creation.

In Vedas name of Ayodhya/ Saket is clearly mentioned so there is no doubt in its Authority.

अष्टचक्रा नवद्वारा देवानां पूरयोध्या।

तस्याँ हिरण्ययः कोशः स्वर्गे ज्योतिषावृतः ॥

(Atharvaveda 10.2.31)

(dēvānām pūr ayādhyā) Ayodhyā, the city of gods [the devas devoted to Shri Rama], has (asta-cakrā) eight circles and (nava-dvārā) nine gates. (tasyām) Therein [in the Ayodhya, the city of Brahm] (hiranyayah svargā kāśah) resides golden (luminous) core the divine pavilion which is full of pure bliss, and (jyōtiṣāvṛtaḥ) covered with the divine-light [brahm-jyoti]."

In this mantra Atharva-Veda 10.2.31, the name and form of the supremely necatrine city of Brahm ('brahmaṇō amṛtēnāvṛtām puram - atharvavēda 101 2129)' are given. Ayodhya is the name of the city of Brahm himself, It has the eight-circles and nine gates. As it is the the supremely necatrine city of Brahm and brāhmāś (the gods devoted to Brahm), therefore it is called the Svarga (the heaven of pure bliss and bliss alone), there in resides the Svarga-Kosha i.e. exceedingly beautiful and blissful divine Maha-mandapam (pavilion) in which divine Yaksha the Svayam Brahm Shri Rama is present on a divine throne under Kalpataru.

The Par-Brahma i.e Śrī Rāma resides in Tri-Pad,

एतावानस्य महिमातो ज्यायाँश्च पूरुषः | पादोऽस्य विश्वा भूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि ||

ऋग्वेद मं० १० अ० ७ सू० ६० मं० ३

The Fame of Virat Purush (Śrī Rāma) is very wide. All beings are in one step of this Supreme Person and the three parts are situated in the infinite space.

तावानस्य महिमा ततो ज्यायाश्च पूरुषः।

पादोऽस्य सर्वा भूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवीति॥

Chandogya Upanishad 3.12.6

Its glory is like this. But the glory of the puruṣa (Śrī Rāma) is still greater. All creatures constitute one quarter of him. The remaining three quarters are nectar in heaven.

Around same meaning are of these shlokas;

अमृतबिन्दूपनिषद्वेद्यं यत्परमाक्षरम् । तदेव हि त्रिपाद्रामचन्द्राख्यं नः परा गतिः ॥

Krishna Yajurved Brahmabindu Upanishad

सर्वापह्नवसंसिद्धब्रह्ममात्रतयोज्ज्वलम् । त्रैपदं श्रीरामतत्त्वं स्वमात्रमिति भावये ॥

Atharvaveda Annapurna Upanishad

योगैश्वर्यं च कैवल्यं जायते यत्प्रसादतः । तद्वैष्णवं योगतत्त्वं रामचन्द्रपदं भजे ॥

Atharvaveda Yogatattvopanishad

स्वाविद्यातत्कार्यजातं यद्विद्यापह्नवं गतम् । तद्धंसविद्यानिष्पन्नं रामचन्द्रपदं भजे ॥

Krishna Yajurved Brahmavidya Upanishad

Vedas have also considered Tripad Mahavibhuti as the supreme position, Upanishads have clearly declared that Shri Ramji is the hero of that supreme abode. In Vedas and Upanishads, that abode is called by the names of Saket and Ayodhya.

तदेव त्रिपाद्विभृति वैकुण्ठस्थानम्, तदेव परमसाकेत महाकैवल्यम्, तदेवाबाधित परमतच्च विलास विशेषमण्डलम् ।

TripadVibhuti Mahanarayanopanishad uttrakand 2, Adhyaya 7, Mantra 7

The same Tripad Vibhuti is Vaikunth place, the same supreme abode is Saket, the same is Mahakaivalyamukti, the same trikalaabhit Param, It is the element, it is the special group of the eternally divine Chidvilas of Rasik nishtha saints.

अयोध्या नगरी नित्या सच्चिदानन्दस्वरूपिणी। यस्यान्शांशेन वैकुंठो गोलोकादिः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥

(vasiṣṭha samhita)

"The eternal Ayodhya is the very form of the nature - Sat ([eternal-] existence), Chit ([pure-] consciousness) and Ananda ([supreme-] bliss). All Vaikuntha-s (the abode of Vishnus), Goloka (the abode of lord Krishna) etc are in existence as mere one part of the glory of Ayodhya."

परं ब्रह्म स्वयं राम सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहः ।

यस्य लोकः सदा भाति गोलोकात्परतस्तु सः ॥

(Śrī Ādi-Rāmāyaṇa 1.9.24)

"Śrī Rāma is himself Parambrahm, the very form of Sat [eternal existence] - Chid [consciousness] - Ananda [bliss], whose divine abode [Divine Ayōdhyā Śrī Sākēta-Lōka] is eternally self-illuminated even beyond the divine world Gōlōka."

साकेतपश्चिमे पार्श्वे गोलोकाख्ये मनोरमे ।

(Bṛhad-brahm samhita, 3rd Canto, 10thChapter)

"Gōlōk (in which Mathura and Vrindavan etc are present) is situated on the west of Śrī Sāket-Lōka."

प्राकृतैश्चतुभिर्नैव दृश्यते सा कथञ्चन ।

देहत्रय विनिर्मुक्ता रामभक्ति प्रभावतः ॥

तुरीय सच्चिदानन्दरूपाः पश्यन्ति तां पुरीम् ||

वशिष्ठ संहिता, २६ अ० २५-२६

प्राकृत चक्षुओं से वह धाम कभी नहीं देखा जा सकता, स्थूल सूक्ष्म-कारण तीनों देह से मुक्त श्रीराम भक्ति के अतुल प्रभाव से सच्चिदानन्द स्वरूप जीव ही उस दिव्य धाम को देख सकते हैं।

One thing is true from so many proofs that Ayodhya has been called the supreme abode.No matter how many arguments one gives of one's own, but no abode has been called above Ayodhya in the scriptures.Vaikuntha, Goloka and all the other abodes all originated from a part of Ayodhya. That's why one thing is said in Shiv Samhita,

शिवसंहिता~ अयोध्या- पतिरेव स्यात् पतीनां पतिरीश्वरः । अन्यासां मथुरादीनां रामांशाः पतयो यतः ॥

मथुरादि अन्य पुरियों के पतियों के पति ईश्वर अयोध्याधिपति श्रीरामजी ही हैं, क्योंकि उनके पति श्रीरामजी के अंश है।

Hail to the two Royal darlings of Ayodhya.

Hail to the Anand Bhashyakar Śrīmad Jagadguru Ramānandacharya. 🚩