ARCHIRADHI MARGAM

Paryanka Vidhya describes the path taken by a jeevatma en route to Parama Patham when it attains mukthi.  The jeevatma exits the body through the 101^st nerve which opens up on the top of the skull. Only this nerve which exits from the top of the skull leads to Parama Patham. Other nerves lead a soul to various other worlds like hell and heaven via the path called dhoomadhi margam i.e the path of smoke.

The moment the jeevatma exits through the 101^st nerve Brahma nAdi, it gets on to the path made of Sun rays and climbs up towards the solar orb. It enters a small hole in the sun and the moment it reaches the other side of the sun, it is welcomed by many Devas who guide the jeevatma further along the path of light till it reaches Parama Patham. The path of light is known as archiradhi margam.

Sri Swami Vedanta Desikan has described this divine path in slokam 28 of Adhigara Sangraham.

நடைபெற அங்கி பகலொளிநாள் உத்தராயணமாண்டு

இடை வருகாற்றிரவி இரவின் பதி மின் வருணன்

குடையுடை வானவர் கோன் பிரசாபதி யென்றிவரால்

இடையிடை போகங்களெய்தி எழிற்பதமேறுவரே

The path is also described in Sanskrit in the 39th slokam of Saranagathi Deepika by Sri Swami Vedanta Desikan as given below.

अर्चिर्दिनं विशदपक्ष उदक्प्रयाणम्   

संवत्सरो मरुदशीतकर: शशाङ्क I

सौदामनी जलपतिवर्लजित् प्रजेश:

इत्यातिवाहिक सखो नयसि स्वकीयान् II  

Sri Swami Vedanta Desikan also described this divine path in the gathivisheshaadhikaaram of the Srimath Rahasya Traya Saaram as given below.

ज्वलन-दिवस-ज्योत्स्नापक्षोत्तरायण-वत्सरान्

पवन-तपन-प्रालेयांशून् क्रमादचिरधुतिम् 

As soon as the jeevatma climbs up by getting on to the solar rays, it is welcomed by the deity in charge of Agni (ज्वलन). As the jeevatma is first welcomed by Agni Devatha, the divine path is called as archiradhi margam. “Adhi” here means “etc”.

 

Agni guides the jeevatma to the end of his region and hands over the jeevatma to the deity in charge of “day” दिवस பகலின் தேவதை . Who in turn guides the jeevatma to the deity in charge of Sukla Paksham i.e the bright lunar phase ज्योत्स्नापक्ष சுக்ல பக்ஷத்தின் தேவதை . The deity of Sukla Paksham welcomes the jeevatma and hands it over to the deity in charge of the year वत्सरान्; i.e சம்வத்சர தேவதை who in turn takes the jeevatma to Vayu पवन வாயு தேவதை  then to the Sun God (Surya Bagawan) तपन. The Sun hands over the jeevatma to the Moon प्रालेयांशून्. From the world of Moon, the jeevatma enters the region of lightening and is guided by Vidhyut then Varunan followed by Indran and Prajapathi. Finally, a devatha called Amaanavan guides the jeevatma across the holy Viraja River to the amazing abode of Parama Patham.