Jivanmukta (जीवन्मुक्तः)

A Jivanmukta (Samskrit : जीवन्मुक्तः) is one who attains the Brahman, and becomes free from the limitations of the body while he is still alive. One in whom the knowledge of being the Brahman in all things occurs through the study of Vedanta, through the understanding of the Guru's upadesha, is said to be a Jivanmukta. A Jivanmukta has neither Raga (likes), Dvesha (dislikes) nor Vairagya (total renunciation). He is one who realized his source of happiness within Self, and not in external objects. He is said to be a realized Atman, at equanimity, above emotions and attachments. This jivanmukti is the end of every jiva, and as a human being where there is adequate free will, the jiva gets a chance to fulfill that, to become mukta.

The Jivanmukta is described by different names such as, Sthitaprajna (man of steady wisdom), Gunaatita (beyond the three Gunas), Brahmana (who has realized the Self), Ativarnaasramin (beyond the pair of the four Varnas and the four Asramas).

Defining जीवन्मुक्तः ॥ Jivanmukta

Many Advaita Vedanta texts describe who a Jivanmukta is. According to Vedantasara,

जीवन्मुक्तो नाम स्वस्वरूपाखण्डब्रह्मज्ञानेन तदज्ञानबाधनद्वारा स्वस्वरूपाखण्डब्रह्मणि साक्षात्कृते अज्ञान तत्कार्य सञ्चितकर्म संशय विपर्ययादीनामपि बाधितत्वात् अखिलबन्धरहितो ब्रह्मनिष्ठः ॥ २१७ ॥ jīvanmukto nāma svasvarūpākhaṇḍabrahmajñānena tadajñānabādhanadvārā svasvarūpākhaṇḍabrahmaṇi sākṣātkṛte ajñāna tatkārya sañcitakarma saṃśaya viparyayādīnāmapi bādhitatvāt akhilabandharahito brahmaniṣṭhaḥ ।

A Jivanmukta means one

• who by the knowledge of the absolute brahman (identical with his own self) has dispelled the lgnorance (अज्ञानः) regarding it, and has realised it.
• who owing to the destruction of ignorance and its effects such as the accumulated past actions (सञ्चितकर्म), doubts (संशयः) like whether the individual soul is separate from or identical with brahman and errors such as the identification of the body with the self, has become bondage free and committed to the ultimate reality.

Adisankaracharya explains Jivanmukta as

एवं च वेदान्तवाक्यैः सद्गुरूपदेशेन च सर्वेष्वपि भूतेषु येषां ब्रह्मबुद्धिरुत्पन्ना ते जीवन्मुक्ताः इत्यर्थः । (Tattvabodha)

Through the statements in Vedanta and the teachings of the Guru, those for whom the knowledge of Brahman occurs - they become free (from bonds of Karma and Punarjanma) while living.

Qualities of a Jivanmukta

Shri Krishna, in Shrimad Bhagavadgita, through Arjuna enlightens us on the qualities of a Sthitaprajna, one whose knowledge in Brahman/Atman is steady.

स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव । स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम् ॥ २-५४॥ (Bhag. Gita. 2.54)

Arjuna asks: How is a man who has a firm conviction that he is the Supreme Brahman, and who is intent on contemplation (samadhi) - how is such a man thought of by others? How does the man of steady knowledge himself speak? How does he sit? How does he move?

In this verse Arjuna asks in order to know what the characteristic attributes of a man of steady Knowledge (sthitaprajna) are. In this adhyaya, the characteristics of a sthitaprajna, whether he arrived at this state through the course of Knowledge (Jnana-yoga nishta) by renunciation of all karmas, or through the course of Karma (Karma yoga) are described. These are characteristic attributes are the means to attain that state, since they are to be attained by effort.

• कामान्त्यजति । Abandons desires: A man, satisfied in the Self alone by himself, completely casts off all the desires of the mind. (Bhag. Gita. 2.55)
• आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः । Content in Self: When a man completely abandons all the various desires that enter the heart and is satisfied with the True Innermost Self (Pratyagatman) in himself, without longing for external possessions, averse to everything else because of his acquisition of the immortal nectar, -i.e., his realisation of the Supreme Truth, - then he is said to be one in whom the knowledge arising from the discrimination of the Self and the not-Self has been steadied. (Bhag. Gita. 2.55)
• अनुद्विग्नमनाः, विगतस्पृहः वीतरागभयक्रोधः । Free from Emotions: He whose heart is not distressed in calamities, from whom all longing for pleasures has departed, who is free from attachment, fear and anger, he is called a muni, a man of steady knowledge. , (Bhag. Gita. 2.56, 57)
• सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहः । Detachment: He is without attachment anywhere even though he moves about in the world. (Bhag. Gita. 2.57)
• शुभाशुभम् नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टिः । Equanimity: A Jnani neither rejoices on meeting with anything good (auspicious) nor hates anything which is not good. (Bhag. Gita. 2.57)
• इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यः संहरते । Withdrawal of senses from Sense-organs: He who completely withdraws the senses from sense-objects, as the tortoise (withdraws) its limbs from all sides, his knowledge is steady. Withdrawal of the senses is due to disinterest in external objects (developed due to austerity) thereby even the subtle sense of taste, inclination (Rasa) or subtle attachment vanishes in the case of one who experiences Brahman. (Bhag. Gita. 2.58).
• विषय-विनिवर्तनम् । Withdrawal of senses from External Objects: He who seeks prajna should seek to rein in and control the sense-organs for they agitate the mind. The subtle senses which act even though the mind is withdrawn still creates the longing. This longing also leaves the seeker on experiencing the Brahman. (Bhag. Gita. 2.59).

The self-controlled man, whose mind can be subdued at will, free from forces of attraction and repulsion; mastered by the Self, attains prasadam, serenity, or self-poise.

रागद्वेषविमुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् । आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥ २-६४॥ (Bhag. Gita. 2.64)

In this serenity, all miseries pertaining to the body and the mind vanish, the misery of samsara (mundane existence) ends. That man of renunciation, who, entirely abandoning all desires, goes through life content with the bare necessities of life, for the mere bodily existence, who is not proud of his knowledge,-such a man of steady knowledge, that man verily knows Brahman. Tattavabodha mentions other characteristics of a Jivanmukta. In defining who a Jivanmukta is, Shri Shankaracharya states

ननु जीवन्मुक्तः कः ? यथा देहोऽहं पुरुषोऽहं ब्राह्मणोऽहं शूद्रोऽहमस्मीति दृढनिश्चयस्तथा नाहं ब्राह्मणः न शूद्रः न पुरुषः किन्तु असंगः सच्चिदानन्द स्वरूपः प्रकाशरूपः सर्वान्तर्यामी चिदाकाशरूपोऽस्मीति दृढनिश्चयरूपोऽपरोक्षज्ञानवान् जीवन्मुक्तः ॥

• दृढनिश्चयरूपोऽपरोक्षज्ञानवान् । Firm ascertainment by immediate knowledge: Just as there is firm belief, ‘I am the body’; ‘I am a man’; ‘I am a Brahmin’; ‘I am Shudra’, in the same way one who by his immediate knowledge {aparoksha jnana} has firmly ascertained, ‘I am not a Brahmin’; ‘I am not a Shudra’; I am not a man’ but ascertains that ‘I am unattached’ and of the nature of existence-consciousness-limitless, effulgent, the inner self of all, and an all-pervasive consciousness is a jīvanmukta.

Aparoksha jnana or the immediate knowledge, is self revealing. Knowledge of the Atman alone is aparoksha jnana, any other knowledge is paroksha, or knowledge mediated by sense-organs. There is no indirect knowledge of Atman, and even if some sastrakara points out paroksha-jnana initially, that is with reference to Brahman. This paroksha-jnana gained from the Veda is not comparable to the indirect knowledge of inference (pramana), though both are called paroksha-jnana. Inferential knowledge is based on what is heard, seen etc, but Paroksha-jnana described in the Vedas such as existence of svarga-loka etc cannot be verified by the Pratyaksha, Paroksha etc pramanas or means of knowledge. It is non-verifiable by the senses and is based on Shabda-pramana; while inferential knowledge is verifiable.

Further he states, a Jivanmukta, ब्रह्मैवाहमस्मीत्यपरोक्षज्ञानेन निखिलकर्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्तः स्यात् । By immediate knowledge that Atman is Brahman alone, one becomes free from bondage of all karmas.

• निखिलकर्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्तः। Free from bondage of Karma: Once the realization dawns that "I am Brahman," a jiva becomes free from Avidya; additionally he is also freed from anything that is born of that Avidya, namely ajnana. Every human being is born with and thus inherently has the ajnana of believing the body itself as Atman. The first thing born of ajnana is kartrtva, doer-ship, and when there is a doer-ship, there is also enjoyer-ship. As a karta, the doer, must also take the consequences of his karma, thus he is the karma-phala-bhokta, the reaper of the results of action. The one who sows, reaps. These results are different types of punya and papa. The Jivanmukta is free from Avidya, and therefore, from doer-ship and enjoyer-ship. He is no longer attached to any action (Karmabandha) he has done. Karmas are many, accumulated from the past janmas and there is no freedom from karma or action itself, what we can freed ourselves is the Karmabandha, freedom from Kartrtva or doer-ship. Atman has no kartrtvam, therefore anyone who has realized this becomes free from Kartrtvam.

Jivanmukta's View towards Sharira and Jnana

शरीरस्पृहः ॥ Sense of the body

The bodily activities of the knower of Brahman, from whom the apparent world has disappeared, is maintained, without his effort by the Supreme, as given in Chandogya Upanishad

...ज्ञातिभिर्वा नोपजन्ँ स्मरन्निदँ शरीरँ स यथा प्रयोग्य आचरणे युक्त एवमेवायमस्मिञ्छरीरे प्राणो युक्तः ॥ ३ ॥ (Chan. Upan. 8.12.3)

Not remembering the body into which He was born, as an animal is attached to a cart, so is the prana attached to the body.

The people present near the Knower of Brahman, see his body, but he himself remains without remembering it. He, being devoid of the mind, does not remember himself as "this is my body." Just as the bull driven by a cart-rider, reaches the far away village himself without the need to be directed repeatedly by the driver, so also the prana engaged by the Supreme, in the body of a Jivanmukta, maintains the activities irrespective of the effort by the individual.

In the case of an ordinary person, his mind reacts to the various forms in the world through the sense-organs and gives him knowledge of their commonality or their differences from one another. But the mind of the Jivanmukta does not react and so he does not see differences, but sees all forms only as Brahman. Shrimad Bhagavata Purana also says,

देहं च नश्वरमवस्थितमुत्थितं वा । सिद्धो न पश्यति यतोऽध्यगमत् स्वरूपम् । दैवाद्-अपेतमथ दैववशाद् उपेतं । वासो यथा परिकृतं मदिरा-मदान्धः॥ ३६ ॥ (Bhag. Pura. 11.13.36)

As a drunken man does not see whether his garments are on his body or have fallen off, so the accomplished one (Jivanmukta), since he has realized his real nature, does not see his body, whether by chance, remains at one place or moves about or by chance he is still embodied or the body is cast off.

ज्ञानभूमिः ॥ Stages of Jnana

There are seven stages of Jnana (ज्ञानभूमिः) that a Jivanmukta attains. It should be noted that these are psychological cognitive processes of importance to everyone. Vasishta Maharshi describes these stages thus,

ज्ञानभूमिः शुभेच्छाख्या प्रथमा समुदाहृता। विचारणा द्वितीया तु तृतीया तनुमानसा।।[3-9-113] सत्वापत्तिश्चतुर्थी स्यात्ततोऽसंसक्तिनामिका। पदार्थाभावनी षष्ठी सप्तमी तुर्यगा स्मृता।।[3-9-114] (Lagh. Yoga. Vasi. 3.9.113-114)

The stages of cognition are called as follows

1. शुभेच्छा ॥ Good-will: The will to know, born of detachment in the form - why should I remain deluded, let me cogitate with the help of shastras and from learned people (sajjanas) - is called good will by the wise.
2. विचारणा ॥ Discrimination: The desire to discriminate the reality arising from the study of shastras and association with learned men and application of non-attachment (vairagya) - is called discrimination.
3. तनुमानसा ॥ Attenuate-mindedness: By the the exercise of good-will, discrimination and non-attachment to sense-objects, manas becomes gradually attenuated - it is called attenuate-mindedness.
4. सत्वापत्तिः ॥ Abiding in Atman: When there is resistance of objective perception in the mind, brought about by the practice of the above three stages of yoga, it abides in the Atman (Self away from the sense-objects) - which is called Sattvapatti.
5. असंसक्ति ॥ Disconnection: It is the effect of the practice of the above four yogas which is in effect the increased and firm awareness of Reality - is called disconnection.
6. पदार्थाभावः ॥ Objectless: Through the practice of the above 5 states, one who achieves an abiding delight in one's own Self; where no object external or internal, is perceived - this condition is called Objectless. The yogi in this state of reveling in Self (स्वात्मारामतया) can be aroused from this concentration only by persistent efforts of others
7. तुर्यग ॥ Transcendence: By a prolonged practice of the aforesaid six stages the support (alambana) for diversity (variety) is not available and the state of oneness with one's own Self is attained which is known as Turya sthiti (transcendence).

Ancient seers were able to discern the different states of mind as can be seen by the definitions of each of the above Jnana-bhumis.

Jivanmukta's Karma

A Jivanmukta is liberated from kartrtvam or doer-ship. That being so, सञ्चितं कर्म ब्रह्मैवाहमिति निश्चयात्मकज्ञानेन नश्यति । Sanchita karma is destroyed by the firm knowledge, ‘I am Brahman’ alone. The Sanchita karma is the accumulated karma standing in the account of the Jiva, all the unmanifest karma from previous lives, and also, the karma done in this life before one gains this knowledge. And it is destroyed by this definite knowledge, nischayatmakajnana - I am Brahman. This is because Brahman is akartr, which performs no karma. The body-person who was responsible for all the karma, stands falsified once the knowledge of self dawns.

Will there be new karma-phalas because as long as he lives he has to perform some karma? There cannot be, because this person, being a Jnani, doesn’t think, I am the doer, even though he may be doing actions. Therefore new results of karma cannot come to him. But according to law of karma, any action should have a phala; some phala is generated as punya or papa, but it is not enjoyed by the Jivanmukta mainly because there is no Bhoktrtvam, as there is no Kartrtvam. If he does not enjoy the fruits of his actions, who does so?

If the jnani performed some good karma, like teaching, which is considered to be a punya-karma, to whom will that punya go? Whoever worships that jnani, to that person it will go. And if there is any papa-karma, like inadvertently stepping on an insect, which according to the law of karma is himsa and creates papa, it will not touch him. He has no punya or papa; therefore where will that papa go? There is always somebody who is going to say something against that jnani, and that person will get the papa. And because of prarabdhakarma, the jnani continues to have the body, because of Ishvara-srishti.

The body continues to exist, the mind remains, the senses continue, the whole sharira the karyakarana-sanghata, continues to exist. Why? This complex was given to the Jiva to exhaust the prarabdha-karma, and therefore it will continue to appear, live—like the pot (as in the pot and clay analogy). Otherwise if the Jiva realizes, I am sacchidananda-atman, and then disappears, like the snake (in the rope and snake adhyasa analogy), there will be no Jivanmukta. The prarabdha-karma is exhausted by experiencing it, प्रारब्धकर्मणां भोगादेव क्षय इति । and when that is over, there is no rebirth for him. Agami karma also does not affect the Jnani, because नलिनीदलगतजलवत् ज्ञानिनां सम्बन्धो नास्ति । the wise man is not affected by it-as a lotus leaf is not affected by the water on it. The karma done after knowledge, called Agami, does not belong to him, because he is not a karta anymore.

Psycho-spiritual Purpose of Accomplishing Jivanmukti

On close observation of the seven Jnanabhumis, one may note that they are all psychological activities of a human being. Yogic techniques to overcome mental obstacles in any situation are employed in sadhana. Methods involving Mantras, Tantras and Japas are stepping stones to engage with the mind to take it to further higher level of consciousness of Samadhi. The purpose of accomplishing is five-fold, according to the text Jivanmukti Viveka.

1. Protection of knowledge
2. Practice of religious austerity
3. Absence of disagreement
4. Disappearance of sorrow
5. Appearance of happiness

Knowledge of reality may be obstructed by doubt, contrary notions (disbelief or ashraddha), uncertainty, and misapprehensions. Hence protection of knowledge is one of the purposes in accomplishing Jivanmukti, achieved by quietening the mind. In the state of tranquility, there remain no questions of doubt and misapprehension, and dissolution of mind and the world itself happen. For example, in Laghu Yogavasishta, Vishvamitra describes the doubt in the mind of Raghava, the knower of truth, before it attained calmness, just like Suka Mahamuni seeking Janaka Maharaja's instruction to stabilize his mind. When jivanmukti is accomplished, through the stages of Jnana as given above, in the last three stages of Asamsakti (Disconnection), Padartha-abhava (not recognizing external objects) and Turyak (transcendence) duality is not perceived, therefore the knowledge of reality that has arisen remains protected without hinderance. This protection of knowledge is the first purpose of attaining Jivanmukti.

The stages of Jnanabhumis themselves are considered austerity in itself, as they give rise to the attainment of the state of devatas as mentioned by Shri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita.

पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते। नहि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति।।6.40।। (Bhag. Gita. 6.40)

O! Partha, there is certainly no ruin for him here, in this world or amutra, hereafter, in the other world. Ruin means a birth inferior to the previous one; that is not there for one who has fallen from Yoga.

Jivanmuktas - Examples

Bharatavarsha is the birth-place to many jnanis, munis and Jivanmuktas such as Suta Mahamuni, Jadabharata and Janaka Maharaja. Glimpses into their lives show us their ideal personalities and practically depicts how a Brahmajnani treats various laukika situations. Roaming in the forests or ruling great janapadas they performed their duties with no expectation of any karmik returns.

सर्वभूतहृदयत्वम् सुकमुनेः । All-pervasiveness of Sukamuni

Shrimad Bhagavatam in the very second adhyaya praises the Brahmajnana-nishtatvam of Suka Mahamuni through the words of Suta Maharshi. Suta Muni mentions about Vyasa Maharshi's dissatisfaction about his son, Suka Mahamuni.

यं प्रव्रजन्तमनुपेतमपेतकृत्यं द्वैपायनो विरहकातर आजुहाव । पुत्रेति तन्मयतया तरवोऽभिनेदुः तं सर्वभूतहृदयं मुनिमानतोऽस्मि ॥ २ ॥ यः स्वानुभावमखिल श्रुतिसारमेकं अध्यात्मदीपं अतितितीर्षतां तमोऽन्धम् । संसारिणां करुणयाऽऽह पुराणगुह्यं तं व्याससूनुमुपयामि गुरुं मुनीनाम् ॥ ३ ॥ (Bhag. Pura. 2.2-3)

Vyasa Maharshi saw his son, Sukadeva, going away all alone with the intention of leading the life of a recluse, even before his Upanayana samskara was performed, and none of the samskaras were performed. Agitated at the thought of separation from his son, Vyasa Maharshi called out to his son, "O! Putra! Putra!" Sukadeva, totally absorbed in the Brahman, did not reply, but trees on the roadside responded to Vyasa Maharshi's call on behalf of Suka Muni, filled as they were by his presence.

Shrimad Bhagavatam itself is described as that very essence of the Vedas, a light illuminating the spiritual realities for those worldly men who seek to go beyond the darkness of ignorance. It was out of compassion for such men that this Guru of Munis, Sukadeva, uttered this Purana.

From this drshtanta, it is easy to grasp the all-pervasive nature (in all creatures) of a person who moves about with the knowledge of Brahman.

उन्मत्तजडान्धबधिरस्वरूपे जडभरतः । Jada-Bharata

Long time ago there used to live a king named Bharata, (Ajanabha), the son of Rishabha. He led a pious life and duly discharged the duty of performing all the required dharmik activities. After dividing all the hereditary fortune, he retired to a life of recluse in Salagramakshetra on the banks of river Gandaki. Bharata was rid of all craving for the pleasures of sense and, developing (great) tranquility of mind, derived supreme gratification. Once Bharata went to bathe in a river. A deer had also come to drink water there. While the deer was drinking water, there was the terrible roar of a lion. The deer gave a frightened leap and gave an untimely birth. The baby fell into the river. The mother deer died as a result of the leap. But Bharata rescued the baby deer from the water and raised it in his ashrama (hermitage). Soon he grew attached to the deer and forgot everything else. He had given up his kingdom, his sons, and his friends and forgotten them all. But he could not forget the deer.

Having become deeply attached to the deer, Bharata died watching the deer and thinking of it. Since he thought of the deer while dying, he was born as a deer in his next life. The only difference was that he was born as a jatismara deer, that is, a deer that remembered the incidents of its past life. As a deer, Bharata left his mother and came again to Salagramakshetra because he remembered his old place. He lived on dry leaves and dry grass and lamented as he strayed from the path to realize the Atman due to attachment.

अहो कष्टं भ्रष्टोऽहमात्मवतामनुपथाद्यद्विमुक्तसमस्तसङ्गस्य विवि-क्तपुण्यारण्यशरणस्यात्मवत आत्मनि सर्वेषामात्मनां भगवति वासुदेवे तदनुश्रवणमननसङ्कीर्तनाराधनानुस्मरणाभियोगेनाशून्यसकलयामेन कालेन समावेशितं समाहितं कार्त्स्न्येन मनस्तत्तु पुनर्ममाबुधस्यारान्मृगसुतमनु परिसुस्राव २९ (Bhag. Pura. 5.29)

After he left his beastly form, Bharata was reborn the second time as a jatismara brahmana.

तत्रापि स्वजनसङ्गाच्च भृशमुद्विजमानो भगवतः कर्मबन्धविध्वंसनश्रवणस्मरणगुणविवरणचरणारविन्दयुगलं मनसा विदधदात्मनः प्रतिघातमाशङ्कमानो भगवदनुग्रहेणानुस्मृतस्वपूर्वजन्मावलिरात्मानमुन्मत्तजडान्धबधिरस्वरूपेण दर्शयामास लोकस्य २ (Bhag. Pura. 6.2)

In this life he was truly learned, well versed in all the shastras. Since he had attained the supreme knowledge, he saw no point in reading the Vedas or in doing work. Apprehending his fall through attachment to his people in the previous incarnation and (therefore) terribly afraid of such attachment, he kept to himself and spoke little, only when he had to. He showed himself to the world as an insane, stupid, blind and deaf fellow, clasping firmly with his mind the divine feet of Shri Mahavishnu at all times. He roamed about like a bull, barebodied alike in heat and cold (शीतोष्णवातवर्षेषु वृष), his body was dirty, his clothes were filthy, he rarely ever interacted with people, ate whatever was given/available, spent time within himself and moved very slowly. Because of this, he was called JadaBharata and people treated him badly.

One day, the King of Soubira wanted to go on a palanquin to learn words of wisdom from Kapila Maharshi. The servant of the king looked around for palanquin-bearers and found Bharata. So Bharata bore the palanquin along with the other bearers without any questions. But being a jnani, he was trying to avoid the ants and creatures on the ground. He was walking slowly and this process caused an imbalance of the palanquin. Annoyed at the way his palanquin was being tossed about, the king called out to find the wrong-doer. “What is wrong?” Asked the king of Bharata, “Haven’t you borne the palanquin only for a little while? How is it that you are tired? Can’t you bear a little burden? You look quite strong to me.” Bharata’s answer was this. “Who am I and who are you? What you have seen is only my body and your body. I am not my body and nor are your your body. Our atmans or souls are what we really are. My atman is not strong or tired, nor is it carrying your palanquin upon its shoulders.” Having said this, Bharata was quiet again. But the king got down from the palanquin and fell at his feet. He wanted to know who Bharata really was, for such words of wisdom do not come from an ordinary man. Bharata then told him the truth about the atman and enlightened the King.

In this anecdote we see that the person who realized Brahman, is very careless about his body and name in the world where he roams around finishing only the Prarabdha karma. He is not bothered about what people think of him, and many times they present a totally opposite personality so as to detach themselves for the world.

Rajarshi Janaka

Janaka Maharaja of the Videha lineage was another notable person who was a Jivanmukta. He is known for his famous line

मिथिलायां प्रदीप्तायां न मे किंचित्प्रदह्यते।। (Maha. Bhar. Shan. 12. 176. 56)

It has been quoted by Bhishma to Yudhisthira in teaching what vairagya is. Janaka, was called Videha, as he had no attachment to the body or worldly things. Janaka Maharaja who ruled a great empire with Mithila as his capital is not worried even if Mithila is on fire, he says nothing burns inside me. No matter how many duties are being performed by a person, as long as his mind is fixed on the divine Ishvara or in samadhi, he is a Brahma-nishta.