Spiritual Status of the Four Kumaras and Jaya-Vijaya

Question: How could the Lord’s associates like Jaya and Vijaya be cursed to live in the material world when in Vaikuntha no one can fall under illusion.

Answer: This was not a fall down in the normal sense of the world. They came down for three lives and went back to their original position. In all of their three lives they participated in the līla of Bhagavan. They were not conditioned by karma.

Sri Jiva Gosvami explains that even when they were in the body of asuras, internally they remained in the spiritual form.

It is just like someone playing a role in a drama who puts on a costume and mask, but within they remain the same person. The asuric body was like a costume. They were not conditioned by maya. The came to participate in the Lord’s pastime as per His will, which is hinted at by the Lord Himself:

bhagavān anugāv āha
yātaṁ mā bhaiṣṭam astu śam
brahma-tejaḥ samartho ‘pi
hantuṁ necche mataṁ tu me

Bhagavān spoke to his two associates. “Go to the material world.  Do not be afraid. You will have good fortune.  But also, do not go that world. Though I can nullify the curse of the brāhmaṇa, I do not want to do so because it has My approval.” (SB 3.16.29)

Question:  Also it is said that Jaya-Vijaya as Shishupala and Dantavakra got liberation after “merging” in the Lord’s body.

Answer: Yes, but later they came out from His body and regained their posts in Vaikuntha.

Question:  Is the place where Jaya Vijaya got cursed Vaikuntha or only Vishnuloka of the material world? The Ramanujites and Madhvites believe that the place is Vishnuloka of the material world. I would like to know the Gaudiya opinion on this.

Answer: We agree with them. But would it make any difference?

Question:  Do we consider the Kumaras to be muktas or having the potential to be liberated? It seems that they are free from the three gunas and hence liberated.

Are the Four Kumaras who cursed Jaya Vijaya nitya siddhas  or sadhana siddhas and what are the pramanas?

Answer: They are sadhana-siddhas. This can be understood from SB 3.15.43 and Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.21. In any case how does it matter?

Question: If they were already muktas, how were they able to keep their forms intact and even enter Vaikuntha  inspite of being attracted to impersonal Brahman and not identify themselves with Brahman like those jivas absorbed in brahmajyoti?

Answer: There are two levels of mukti, jivan-mukti (liberated while living in the sadhaka-deha) and adyantika-mukti (liberation after giving up the sadhaka-deha). It is not that when a person attains liberation in the sadhaka-deha, it drops immediately. Rather, one continues to live until the body drops and then only one attain the spiritual destination, whether it is brahma-jyoti or Vaikuntha. Therefore the Kumaras were jiva-muktas, living in their sadhaka-deha.

Question: Thank you for the response. Do jivan muktas always possess a material body?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Won’t the Kumaras possess a spiritual body later on?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Also does Narada fall into this category?

Answer: Narada acquired a spiritual body when he gave up his material body. See Bhagavata Purana 1.6.29.

Question:  Thank you again. However I have another question. How were the Kumaras able to enter Vaikuntha if they have a material body and curse Jaya-Vijaya? Is this Vaikuntha actually the Vishnuloka of the material universe?

Answer:  Yes, it is Visnuloka of the material universe.