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yada—when; ratih—attachment; brahmani—in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; naisthiki—fixed; puman—the person; acaryavan—completely surrendered to the spiritual master; jnana—knowledge; viraga—detachment; ramhasa—by the force of; dahati—burns; aviryam—impotent; hrdayam—within the heart; jiva-kosam—the covering of the spirit soul; panca-atmakam—five elements; yonim—source of birth; iva—like; utthitah—emanating; agnih—fire.

Upon becoming fixed in his attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the grace of the spiritual master and by awakening knowledge and detachment, the living entity, situated within the heart of the body and covered by the five elements, burns up his material surroundings exactly as fire, arising from wood, burns the wood itself.

It is said that both the jivatma, the individual soul, and the Paramatma live together within the heart. In the Vedic version it is stated, hrdi hy ayam atma: the soul and Supersoul both live within the heart. The individual soul is liberated when it comes out of the material heart or cleanses the heart to make it spiritualized. The example given here is very appropriate: yonim ivotthito’gnih. Agni, or fire, comes out of wood, and by it the wood is completely destroyed. Similarly, when a living entity increases his attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is to be considered like fire. A blazing fire is visible by its exhibition of heat and light; similarly, when the living entity within the heart becomes enlightened with full spiritual knowledge and detached from the material world, he burns up his material covering of the five elements—earth, water, fire, air and sky—and becomes free from the five kinds of material attachments, namely ignorance, false egoism, attachment to the material world, envy and absorption in material consciousness. Therefore pancatmakam, as mentioned in this verse, refers to either the five elements or the five coverings of material contamination. When these are all burned into ashes by the blazing fire of knowledge and detachment, one is fixed firmly in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless one takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and advances one’s attraction for Krsna by the spiritual master’s instructions, the five coverings of the living entity cannot be uncovered from the material heart. The living entity is centered within the heart, and to take him away from the heart is to liberate him. This is the process. One must take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and by his instruction increase one’s knowledge in devotional service, become detached from the material world and thus become liberated. An advanced devotee, therefore, does not live within the material body but within his spiritual body, just as a dry coconut lives detached from the coconut husk, even though within the husk. The pure devotee’s body is therefore called cin-maya-sarira (“spiritualized body”). In other words, a devotee’s body is not connected with material activities, and as such, a devotee is always liberated (brahma-bhuyaya kalpate), as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26). Srila Rupa Gosvami also confirms this:

iha yasya harer dasye
karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate

“Whatever his condition may be, one who is engaged fully with his body, mind and speech in the service of the Lord is liberated, even within this body.”

SB4.22.27

TEXT 27

dagdhasayo mukta-samasta-tad-guno

naivatmano bahir antar vicaste

paratmanor yad-vyavadhanam purastat

svapne yatha purusas tad-vinase

dagdha-asayah—all material desires being burned; mukta—liberated; samasta—all; tat-gunah—qualities in connection with matter; na—not; eva—certainly; atmanah—the soul or the Supersoul; bahih—external; antah—internal; vicaste—acting; para-atmanoh—of the Supersoul; yat—that; vyavadhanam—difference; purastat—as it was in the beginning; svapne—in dream; yatha—as; purusah—a person; tat—that; vinase—being finished.

When a person becomes devoid of all material desires and liberated from all material qualities, he transcends distinctions between actions executed externally and internally. At that time the difference between the soul and the Supersoul, which was existing before self-realization, is annihilated. When a dream is over, there is no longer a distinction between the dream and the dreamer.

As described by Srila Rupa Gosvami (anyabhilasita-sunyam [Madhya 19.167]), one must be devoid of all material desires. When a person becomes devoid of all material desires, there is no longer need for speculative knowledge or fruitive activities. In that condition it is to be understood that one is free from the material body. The example is already given above—a coconut which is dry is loosened from its outward husk. This is the stage of liberation. As said in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.10.6), mukti (liberation) means svarupena vyavasthitih—being situated in one’s own constitutional position. All material desires are present as long as one is in the bodily concept of life, but when one realizes that he is an eternal servant of Krsna, his desires are no longer material. A devotee acts in this consciousness. In other words, when material desires in connection with the body are finished, one is actually liberated.

When one is liberated from the material qualities, he does not do anything for his personal sense gratification. At that time all activities performed by him are absolute. In the conditioned state there are two kinds of activities. One acts on behalf of the body, and at the same time he acts to become liberated. The devotee, when he is completely free from all material desires or all material qualities, transcends the duality of action for the body and soul. Then the bodily concept of life is completely over. Therefore Srila Rupa Gosvami says:

iha yasya harer dasye
karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate

When one is completely fixed in the service of the Lord, he is a liberated person in any condition of life. He is called jivan-muktah, liberated even within this body. In such a liberated condition, there is no distinction between actions for sense gratification and actions for liberation. When one is liberated from the desires of sense gratification, he has no longer to suffer the reactions of lamentation or illusion. Activities performed by the karmis and jnanis are subject to lamentation and illusion, but a self-realized liberated person acting only for the Supreme Personality of Godhead experiences none. This is the stage of oneness, or merging into the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that the individual soul, while keeping his individuality, no longer has separate interests. He is fully in the service of the Lord, and he has nothing to do for his personal sense gratification; therefore he sees only the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not himself. His personal interest completely perishes. When a person comes out of a dream, the dream vanishes. While dreaming a person may consider himself a king and see the royal paraphernalia, his soldiers, etc., but when the dream is over, he does not see anything beyond himself. Similarly, a liberated person understands that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord acting in accordance with the desire of the Supreme Lord, and as such there is no distinction between himself and the Supreme Lord, although both of them retain their individuality. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. This is the perfect conception of oneness in relation to the Supersoul and the soul.

SB4.22.28

TEXT 28

atmanam indriyartham ca

param yad ubhayor api

saty asaya upadhau vai

puman pasyati nanyada

atmanam—the soul; indriya-artham—for sense gratification; ca—and; param—transcendental; yat—that; ubhayoh—both; api—certainly; sati—being situated; asaye—material desires; upadhau—designation; vai—certainly; puman—the person; pasyati—sees; na anyada—not otherwise.

When the soul exists for sense gratification, he creates different desires, and for that reason he becomes subjected to designations. But when one is in the transcendental position, he is no longer interested in anything except fulfilling the desires of the Lord.

Being covered by material desires, a spirit soul is also considered to be covered by designations belonging to a particular type of body. Thus he considers himself an animal, man, demigod, bird, beast, etc. In so many ways he is influenced by false identification caused by false egotism, and being covered by illusory material desires, he distinguishes between matter and spirit. When one is devoid of such distinctions, there is no longer a difference between matter and spirit. At that time, the spirit is the only predominating factor. As long as one is covered by material desires, he thinks himself the master or the enjoyer. Thus he acts for sense gratification and becomes subjected to material pangs, happiness and distress. But when one is freed from such a concept of life, he is no longer subjected to designations, and he envisions everything as spiritual in connection with the Supreme Lord. This is explained by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.255):

anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate

The liberated person has no attachment for anything material or for sense gratification. He understands that everything is connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everything should be engaged in the service of the Lord. Therefore he does not give up anything. There is no question of renouncing anything because the paramahamsa knows how to engage everything in the service of the Lord. Originally everything is spiritual; nothing is material. In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 8.274) also it is explained that a maha-bhagavata, a highly advanced devotee, has no material vision:

sthavara-jangama dekhe, na dekhe tara murti
sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti

Although he sees trees, mountains, and other living entities moving here and there, he sees all as the creation of the Supreme Lord and, with reference to the context, sees only the creator and not the created. In other words, he no longer distinguishes between the created and the creator. He sees only the Supreme Personality of Godhead in everything. He sees Krsna in everything and everything in Krsna. This is oneness.

SB4.22.29

TEXT 29

nimitte sati sarvatra

jaladav api purusah

atmanas ca parasyapi

bhidam pasyati nanyada

nimitte—on account of causes; sati—being; sarvatra—everywhere; jala-adau api—water and other reflecting media; purusah—the person; atmanah—oneself; ca—and; parasya api—another’s self; bhidam—differentiation; pasyati—sees; na anyada—there is no other reason.

Only because of different causes does a person see a difference between himself and others, just as one sees the reflection of a body appearing differently manifested on water, on oil or in a mirror.

The spirit soul is one, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is manifested in svamsa and vibhinna-msa expansions. The jivas are vibhinnamsa expansions. The different incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are svamsa expansions. Thus there are different potencies of the Supreme Lord, and there are different expansions of the different potencies. In this way, for different reasons there are different expansions of the same one principle, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This understanding is real knowledge, but when the living entity is covered by the upadhi, or designated body, he sees differences, exactly as one sees differences in reflections of oneself on water, on oil or in a mirror. When something is reflected on the water, it appears to be moving. When it is reflected on ice, it appears fixed. When it is reflected on oil, it appears hazy. The subject is one, but under different conditions it appears differently. When the qualifying factor is taken away, the whole appears to be one. In other words, when one comes to the paramahamsa or perfectional stage of life by practicing bhakti-yoga, he sees only Krsna everywhere. For him there is no other objective.

In conclusion, due to different causes, the living entity is visible in different forms as an animal, human being, demigod, tree, etc. Actually every living entity is the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gita (5.18), therefore, it is explained that one who actually sees the spirit soul does not distinguish between a learned brahmana and a dog, an elephant or a cow. panditah sama-darsinah. One who is actually learned sees only the living entity, not the outward covering. Differentiation is therefore the result of different karma, or fruitive activities, and when we stop fruitive activities, turning them into acts of devotion, we can understand that we are not different from anyone else, regardless of the form. This is only possible in Krsna consciousness. In this movement there are many different races of men from all parts of the world participating, but because they think of themselves as servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they do not differentiate between black and white, yellow and red. The Krsna consciousness movement is therefore the only means to make the living entities free of all designations.

SB4.22.30

TEXT 30

indriyair visayakrstair

aksiptam dhyayatam manah

cetanam harate buddheh

stambas toyam iva hradat

indriyaih—by the senses; visaya—the sense objects; akrstaih—being attracted; aksiptam—agitated; dhyayatam—always thinking of; manah—mind; cetanam—consciousness; harate—becomes lost; buddheh—of intelligence; stambah—big straws; toyam—water; iva—like; hradat—from the lake.

When one’s mind and senses are attracted to sense objects for enjoyment, the mind becomes agitated. As a result of continually thinking of sense objects, one’s real consciousness almost becomes lost, like the water in a lake that is gradually sucked up by the big grass straws on its bank.

In this verse it is very nicely explained how our original Krsna consciousness becomes polluted and we gradually become almost completely forgetful of our relationship with the Supreme Lord. In the previous verse it is recommended that we should always keep in touch with the devotional service of the Lord so that the blazing fire of devotional service can gradually burn into ashes material desires and we can become liberated from the repetition of birth and death. This is also how we can indirectly keep our staunch faith in the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the mind is allowed to think of sense gratification continuously, it becomes the cause of our material bondage. If our mind is simply filled with sense gratification, even though we want Krsna consciousness, by continuous practice we cannot forget the subject matter of sense gratification. If one takes up the sannyasa order of life but is not able to control the mind, he will think of objects of sense gratification—namely family, society, expensive house, etc. Even though he goes to the Himalayas or the forest, his mind will continue thinking of the objects of sense gratification. In this way, gradually one’s intelligence will be affected. When intelligence is affected, one loses his original taste for Krsna consciousness.

The example given here is very appropriate. If a big lake is covered all around by long kusa grass, just like columns, the waters dry up. Similarly, when the big columns of material desire increase, the clear water of consciousness is dried up. Therefore these columns of kusa grass should be cut or thrown away from the very beginning. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed that if from the very beginning we do not take care of unwanted grass in the paddy fields, the fertilizing agents or water will be used by them, and the paddy plants will dry up. The material desire for sense enjoyment is the cause of our falldown in this material world, and thus we suffer the threefold miseries and continuous birth, death, old age and disease. However, if we turn our desires toward the transcendental loving service of the Lord, our desires become purified. We cannot kill desires. We have to purify them of different designations. If we constantly think of being a member of a particular nation, society or family and continuously think about them, we become very strongly entangled in the conditioned life of birth and death. But if our desires are applied to the service of the Lord, they become purified, and thus we become immediately freed from material contamination.

SB4.22.31

TEXT 31

bhrasyaty anusmrtis cittam

jnana-bhramsah smrti-ksaye

tad-rodham kavayah prahur

atmapahnavam atmanah

bhrasyati—becomes destroyed; anusmrtih—constantly thinking; cittam—consciousness; jnana-bhramsah—bereft of real knowledge; smrti-ksaye—by destruction of remembrance; tat-rodham—choking that process; kavayah—great learned scholars; prahuh—have opined; atma—of the soul; apahnavam—destruction; atmanah—of the soul.

When one deviates from his original consciousness, he loses the capacity to remember his previous position or recognize his present one. When remembrance is lost, all knowledge acquired is based on a false foundation. When this occurs, learned scholars consider that the soul is lost.

The living entity, or the soul, is ever existing and eternal. It cannot be lost, but learned scholars say that it is lost when actual knowledge is not working. That is the difference between animals and human beings. According to less intelligent philosophers, animals have no soul. But factually animals have souls. Due to the animals’ gross ignorance, however, it appears that they have lost their souls. Without the soul, a body cannot move. That is the difference between a living body and a dead body. When the soul is out of the body, the body is called dead. The soul is said to be lost when there is no proper knowledge exhibited. Our original consciousness is Krsna consciousness because we are part and parcel of Krsna. When this consciousness is misguided and one is put into the material atmosphere, which pollutes the original consciousness, one thinks that he is a product of the material elements. Thus one loses his real remembrance of his position as part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as a man who sleeps forgets himself. In this way, when the activities of proper consciousness are checked, all the activities of the lost soul are performed on a false basis. At the present moment, human civilization is acting on a false platform of bodily identification; therefore it can be said that the people of the present age have lost their souls, and in this respect they are no better than animals.

SB4.22.32

TEXT 32

natah parataro loke

pumsah svartha-vyatikramah

yad-adhy anyasya preyastvam

atmanah sva-vyatikramat

na—not; atah—after this; paratarah—greater; loke—in this world; pumsah—of the living entities; sva-artha—interest; vyatikramah—obstruction; yat-adhi—beyond that; anyasya—of others; preyastvam—to be more interesting; atmanah—for the self; sva—own; vyatikramat—by obstruction.

There is no stronger obstruction to one’s self-interest than thinking other subject matters to be more pleasing than one’s self-realization.

Human life is especially meant for self-realization. “Self” refers to the Superself and the individual self, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity. When, however, one becomes more interested in the body and bodily sense gratification, he creates for himself obstructions on the path of self-realization. By the influence of maya, one becomes more interested in sense gratification, which is prohibited in this world for those interested in self-realization. Instead of becoming interested in sense gratification, one should divert his activities to satisfy the senses of the Supreme Soul. Anything performed contrary to this principle is certainly against one’s self-interest.

SB4.22.33

TEXT 33

arthendriyarthabhidhyanam

sarvarthapahnavo nrnam

bhramsito jnana-vijnanad

yenavisati mukhyatam

artha—riches; indriya-artha—for the satisfaction of the senses; abhidhyanam—constantly thinking of; sarva-artha—four kinds of achievements; apahnavah—destructive; nrnam—of human society; bhramsitah—being devoid of; jnana—knowledge; vijnanat—devotional service; yena—by all this; avisati—enters; mukhyatam—immovable life.

For human society, constantly thinking of how to earn money and apply it for sense gratification brings about the destruction of everyone’s interests. When one becomes devoid of knowledge and devotional service, he enters into species of life like those of trees and stones.

Jnana, or knowledge, means to understand one’s constitutional position, and vijnana refers to practical application of that knowledge in life. In the human form of life, one should come to the position of jnana and vijnana, but despite this great opportunity if one does not develop knowledge and practical application of knowledge through the help of a spiritual master and the sastras—in other words, if one misuses this opportunity—then in the next life he is sure to be born in a species of nonmoving living entities. Nonmoving living entities include hills, mountains, trees, plants, etc. This stage of life is called punyatam or mukhyatam, namely, making all activities zero. Philosophers who support stopping all activities are called sunyavadi. By nature’s own way, our activities are to be gradually diverted to devotional service. But there are philosophers who, instead of purifying their activities, try to make everything zero, or void of all activities. This lack of activity is represented by the trees and the hills. This is a kind of punishment inflicted by the laws of nature. If we do not properly execute our mission of life in self-realization, nature’s punishment will render us inactive by putting us in the form of trees and hills. Therefore activities directed toward sense gratification are condemned herein. One who is constantly thinking of activities to earn money and gratify the senses is following a path which is suicidal. Factually all human society is following this path. Some way or other, people are determined to earn money or get money by begging, borrowing or stealing and applying that for sense gratification. Such a civilization is the greatest obstacle in the path of self-realization.

SB4.22.34

TEXT 34

na kuryat karhicit sangam

tamas tivram titirisuh

dharmartha-kama-moksanam

yad atyanta-vighatakam

na—do not; kuryat—act; karhicit—at any time; sangam—association; tamah—ignorance; tivram—with great speed; titirisuh—persons who desire to cross over nescience; dharma—religion; artha—economic development; kama—sense gratification; moksanam—of salvation; yat—that which; atyanta—very much; vighatakam—obstruction or stumbling block.

Those who strongly desire to cross the ocean of nescience must not associate with the modes of ignorance, for hedonistic activities are the greatest obstructions to realization of religious principles, economic development, regulated sense gratification and, at last, liberation.

The four principles of life allow one to live according to religious principles, to earn money according to one’s position in society, to allow the senses to enjoy the sense objects according to regulations, and to progress along the path of liberation from this material attachment. As long as the body is there, it is not possible to become completely free from all these material interests. It is not, however, recommended that one act only for sense gratification and earn money for that purpose only, sacrificing all religious principles. At the present moment, human civilization does not care for religious principles. It is, however, greatly interested in economic development without religious principles. For instance, in a slaughterhouse the butchers certainly get money easily, but such business is not based on religious principles. Similarly, there are many nightclubs for sense gratification and brothels for sex. Sex, of course, is allowed in married life, but prostitution is prohibited because all our activities are ultimately aimed at liberation, at freedom from the clutches of material existence. Similarly, although the government may license liquor shops, this does not mean that liquor shops should be opened unrestrictedly and illicit liquor smuggled. Licensing is meant for restricting. No one has to take a license for sugar, wheat or milk because there is no need to restrict these things. In others words, it is advised that one not act in a way that will obstruct the regular process of advancement in spiritual life and liberation. The Vedic process of sense gratification is therefore planned in such a way that one can economically develop and enjoy sense gratification and yet ultimately attain liberation. Vedic civilization offers us all knowledge in the sastras, and if we live a regulated life under the direction of sastras and guru, all our material desires will be fulfilled; at the same time we will be able to go forward to liberation.

SB4.22.35

TEXT 35

tatrapi moksa evartha

atyantikatayesyate

traivargyo ’rtho yato nityam

krtanta-bhaya-samyutah

tatra—there; api—also; moksah—liberation; eva—certainly; arthe—for the matter of; atyantikataya—most important; isyate—taken in that way; trai-vargyah—the three others, namely religion, economic development and sense gratification; arthah—interest; yatah—wherefrom; nityam—regularly; krta-anta—death; bhaya—fear; samyutah—attached.

Out of the four principles—namely religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation—liberation has to be taken very seriously. The other three are subject to destruction by the stringent law of nature—death.

Moksa, or liberation, has to be taken very seriously, even at the sacrifice of the other three items. As advised by Suta Gosvami in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, religious principles are not based on success in economic development. Because we are very attached to sense gratification, we go to God, to the temple or churches, for some economic reasons. Then again, economic development does not mean sense gratification. Everything should be adjusted in such a way that we attain liberation. Therefore in this verse, liberation, moksa, is stressed. The other three items are material and therefore subject to destruction. Even if somehow we accumulate a great bank balance in this life and possess many material things, everything will be finished with death. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that death is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who ultimately takes away everything acquired by the materialistic person. Foolishly we do not care for this. Foolishly we are not afraid of death, nor do we consider that death will take away everything acquired by the process of dharma, artha and kama. By dharma, or pious activities, we may be elevated to the heavenly planets, but this does not mean freedom from the clutches of birth, death, old age and disease. The purport is that we can sacrifice our interests in traivargya—religious principles, economic development and sense gratification—but we cannot sacrifice the cause of liberation. Regarding liberation, it is stated in Bhagavad-gita (4.9): tyaktva deham punar janma naiti. Liberation means that after giving up this body one does not have to accept another material body. To the impersonalists liberation means merging into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But factually this is not moksa because one has to again fall down into this material world from that impersonal position. One should therefore seek the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage in His devotional service. That is real liberation. The conclusion is that we should not stress pious activities, economic development and sense gratification, but should concern ourselves with approaching Lord Visnu in His spiritual planets, of which the topmost is Goloka Vrndavana, where Lord Krsna lives. Therefore this Krsna consciousness movement is the greatest gift for persons who are actually desiring liberation.

SB4.22.36

TEXT 36

pare ’vare ca ye bhava

guna-vyatikarad anu

na tesam vidyate ksemam

isa-vidhvamsitasisam

pare—in the higher status of life; avare—in the lower status of life; ca—and; ye—all those; bhavah—conceptions; guna—material qualities; vyatikarat—by interaction; anu—following; na—never; tesam—of them; vidyate—exist; ksemam—correction; isa—the Supreme Lord; vidhvamsita—destroyed; asisam—of the blessings.

We accept as blessings different states of higher life, distinguishing them from lower states of life, but we should know that such distinctions exist only in relation to the interchange of the modes of material nature. Actually these states of life have no permanent existence, for all of them will be destroyed by the supreme controller.