Among Gaudiya Vaishnavas, the terms siddha and jivan-mukta can be used synonymously in some important contexts.
siddha may mean ‘perfected’ or ‘one who has attained the highest object’ etc. Clearly among those who value liberation as a perfection or highest object, the terms may be used synonymously.
Bhagavad-gita is full of verses that speak of being liberated from karma etc in this life, i.e. jivan-mukta
The great Rupa Gosvami, in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.21.87 speaks of jivan-mukta. It is a standard term.
It depends on how one conceives of mukti, but mukti, however conceived is often considered a siddhi, or perfection of life, apart from other uses of all these terms.
Best,
Howard Resnick
Dear Friends,
I am seeking clarification on the following terms.
Are the terms siddha and jīvanmukta synonymous?
If someone is considered to be a siddha, does that imply that they are 'liberated in this lifetime'?
Does anyone know of any discussion that explicitly links these terms?
All the best,
Patrick McCartney
PhD Candidate
School of Culture, History & Language
College of the Asia-Pacific
The Australian National University
Canberra, Australia, 0200
Skype - psdmccartney
Australia: +61 487 398 354
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