After living our entire lives chasing our dreams, beginning with the paper chase, chasing after our ambitions, and careers, chasing after the lady of our dreams, and chasing behind our kids, when one begins to learn and see these fleeting moments in life as a dream, he steps into the spiritual realm leaving his material world. He comes with the belief that the former was fake and this would be real. Here he comes before even bigger and monstrous desires, vasanas, karma, and sexual desires, which are released. He comes to connect with other realms and their beings, thinking these too are real. Eventually, he is made to realize that they too are mere manifestations of the one energy that is inherent in all of creation. It is Maya in its many forms and with many names. He realizes that "It's constantly changing; there's nothing permanent about it. So it's a reality but it's constantly changing." 1
He begins to realize that he is this energy too.
"The soul, at this stage, through introspective reflection, arrives at a point where a ray of light falls on the soul in the form of an inspiration. Then the soul discovers the vanity or metamorphosis of the physical world, (the Asat) and is led into meditation. By the Grace of God, the soul becomes blind to the world and attains knowledge of God by His Grace. This is the spiritual truth called Pati Jnanam. The soul which has realized God through divine knowledge Pati Jnanam, after it had renounced the worlds as changing or Asat, is called Jivan Mukta." 2
He has attained Mukti while still in flesh and form.
"The Jivan Mukta should now become one with Siva, just as Siva was one with him in his fettered state. When Jivan Mukta is one with Siva, what he does, would not be his acts, but would be the acts of Siva. For the Ichcha, Jnana, and Kriya states of Jivan Mukta are identical with those of Siva. Whatever Jivan Mukta does is done according to the will of Siva, for Jivan Mukta is in Advaita relation with God, Siva. Jivan Mukta is one living in a body ever after his purification, till he exhausts his residual Karma."2
G.Vanmikanathan tracing Ramalinga Adigal's life in his book, arrives at the juncture where Ramalinga attains the state of Jeevan Mukti.
"Here ends our Swaamikal’s journey on the Pathway to God. He has arrived. He has become a Jeevan Muktha, a seeker who has gained what be sought, who has reached the end of his quest. Swaamikal had indeed arrived at his goal, at his journey’s end, and he has nothing more to do on earth than to spend the remaining years prescribed for him by praarabdha-karma in adoring contemplation of the Godhead and in loving service to all creatures. The point of utmost importance in Advaita is that every seeker after deliverance may hopefully aim at the goal of jeevanmukthi …" 3
"The term ‘jeevanmukthi’ is used to describe this state of continued life in the body on the part of a knower of Brahman. A jeevanmuktha does not act on his own volition. God acts through him, speaks through him.The jeevanmuktha has imprisoned God in his heart, in every fiber of his body." 3
Though having attained Mukti which comes with the state of a Jeevan Mukta, Ramalinga Adigal yearned for everlasting evanescent bliss and eternal union. He yearned for Videha Mukti.
"Liable as it is to disease and decay, to pain and putrefaction, the Jeevan-muktha now longs for release from the body, longs for death. The body which was an asset for so long has become a liability as soon as the Jeevan-muktha state has been attained, as soon as the mystic union with God has been achieved. The mystic lives with dread for his companion, the dread of losing the bliss, the ecstatic union with God. So the Jeevan-muktha now longs for death, for release from the human body, for eternal bliss and union everlasting. He has obtained, it is true, supreme bliss, but still not evanescent bliss; he has obtained union with God, but still not eternal union. On having these beatific visions, wisdom and peace descend on the mutinously impatient Jeevan-muktha, impatient for death, impatient to shed the human body, impatient to gain videha mukthi - disembodied release from the cycle of death and birth." 3
1. Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami at https://www.himalayanacademy.com/
2. "Metaphysics of Saiva Siddhantam - Sivagnana Boodham by Thiruvilankar Canagarayar, l96l
3. "Pathway to God Trod by Saint Ramalingar, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay by G.Vanmikanathan