Though the jīva, overcome by māyā, is bound by the chains of beginningless impressions and karma, he does not lose his marginal form and quality. Though the influence of māyā is strong, and the inherent consciousness of being the servant of Kṛṣṇa is weak, it still remains intact. Given the opportunity, his real nature will gradually manifest. The opportunity is provided by the saintly devotees of the Lord. Thus the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad says:
yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmānaḥ
The meaning of the Vedas is revealed to the person who has devotion to the guru as he has pure devotion for the Supreme Lord. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, 6.23)
In the Caitanya Caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.43,45,54 and 33) it is said:
saṁśāra bhramite kona bhāgya keha tāre
nadira prabhāve yena kāṣṭha lage tīre
kona bhāgya karo saṁśāra kṣayonmukha haya
sādhu saṅga kare, kṛṣṇe rati upajaya
sādhu saṅga sādhu saṅga sarva śāstre kaya
lava matra sādhu saṅge sarva siddhi haya
kṛṣṇa tomāra hau' yadi bale ekabāra
māyābandha haite kṛṣṇa tāre kare pāra
There are unlimited conditioned souls who are bereft of Lord Kṛṣṇa's service. Not knowing how to cross the ocean of nescience, they are scattered by waves, time and tide. However, some are fortunate to contact devotees, and by this contact they are delivered from the ocean of nescience, just as log, floating down a river, accidentally washes upon the bank. By good fortune, one becomes eligible to cross the ocean of nescience, and when one's term of material existence decreases, one may get an opportunity to associate with pure devotees. By such association, one's attraction to Kṛṣṇa is awakened. (C.C.Madhya 22.43, 45)
The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment's association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success. (C.C.Madhya 22.54)
One is immediately freed from the clutches of māyā if he seriously and sincerely says, 'My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, although I have forgotten You for so many long years in the material world, today I am surrendering unto You. I am Your sincere and serious servant. Please engage me in Your service. (C.C.Madhya 22. 33)
When, by destiny (bhāgya), a person's entanglement in māyā decreases, he becomes qualified for association of devotees. One may ask concerning this statement, "what is destiny?" If destiny is the cause of destruction of saṁśāra, then how can one say that faith or association with devotees is the cause? Destiny is moreover a blind or impersonal factor. If that is the sole cause of auspiciousness for the jīva, then the jīva will have no inclination to initiate his own attempts. Though it is easy to reason in this matter, it brings about a lot of difficulty in the end. To find the real truth, it is necessary to examine the basic tendency of the jīva.
When the jīva's nature (svabhāva) is formed, the only doer, or responsible being, is the Supreme Lord. No one else exists. Free will or independence is implicit with formation of anything spiritual. The relation to the creator remains only in the creation itself. All actions of the spiritual jīva after his creation have no relation to the Lord. The jīva equipped with full independence first becomes either favorable or averse to the Lord. This is the first act of the jīva. In that, the jīva is the prime doer. At the time of that activity, the Lord is only the accompanying doer, in that he gives the results to the jīva's activities. Having entered ignorance, the material realm, the doers become threefold.
- The jīva becomes the prime doer for all activities.
- Matter, which assists the jīva, becomes the secondary doer.
- The Lord, in giving the fruits, becomes the associated doer.
Though the jīva by his free will has become overcome by ignorance, he does not lose his responsibility as the prime doer. Whatever actions the jīva performs after entering the material world are called destiny or bhāgya when they begin to yield their reactions. The destinies of an atheist and religious person are not judged in the same way. According to the actions of the jīva, the particular results are given. The results of action are of two types: material and spiritual. Through action motivated by material gain, a person receives material results. Through actions aiming for spiritual goals, a person develops a spiritual result. All actions performed with spiritual intention, such as service to devotees, chanting the name of the Lord and service to the Lord, are spiritual.
All these devotional actions, performed in whatever manner, produce an impression, in the form of desire for devotion. When this impression gradually grows, it attains the name of good fortune, saubhāgya. With the advancement of this saubhāgya, the attraction for material enjoyment weakens. When the material desires become very weak, the saubhāgya (desire for devotion) becoming stronger, and transforms into faith, by the association of devotees. This faith produces more association, and bestows all success. The steps in the creation of saubhāgya for the jīva may be studied from the life story of Nārada.
In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam it says:
ahaṁ purātīta bhave'bhāvam mune
dāsyāś ca kasyāścana vedavādinām
nirūpito bālaka eva yogināṁ
śuśrūṣaṇe prāvṛṣi nirvivakṣatām
ucchiṣṭa lepān anumodito dvijaiḥ
sakṛt sma bhuñje tad apāsta kilbiṣaḥ
evaṁ pravṛtasya viśuddha-cetasas
tad dharma evātmā ruciḥ prajāyate
tatrānvaham kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ prajāyatām
anugṛhenāśrṇavam mahoharāḥ
tāḥ śraddhayā me'nupadaṁ visṛṇvataḥ
priya-śravasy aṅga mamābhavad ratiḥ
O Muni, in the last millennium I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged in the service of brahmanas who were following the principles of Vedānta. When they were living together during the four months of the rainy season, I was engaged in their personal service.
Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me.
Vyāsadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great Vedantists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa and thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the Personality of Godhead increased at every step. (S.B.1.5.23,25,26)
evaṁ kṛṣṇa mater brahman nāsaktasyāmalātmānaḥ
kālaḥ prādur abhūt kale taḍit saudāminī yathā
prayujyamāne mayi tāṁ śuddhaṁ bhāgavaīiṁ tanum
ārabdha-karma-nirvāṇo nyapatat pāñca- bhautikaḥ
And so, O Brahmana Vyāsadeva, in due course of time, I, who was fully absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa and who therefore had no attachments, being completely freed from all material taints, met with death, as lightning and illumination occur simultaneously.
Having been awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of the Personality of Godhead, I quit the body made of five material elements, and thus all acquired fruitive results of work stopped. (S.B.1.6.27, 28)
The conclusion is this: when bhāgya arises from many births of sukṛtis, faith also arises, through association of devotees. From this faith arises devotional action, clearance of material desires, steadiness, taste, attachment and attraction for Kṛṣṇa. Where bhāgya appears in a person's life, faith also is seen. Therefore faith and association of devotees is the root of all auspiciousness.
There is a kārikā in this connection:
evaṁ pañjara-bandho'yam jīvaḥ śocati sarvadā
kadācit satprasaṅgena tasya mokṣo vidhīyate
The subtle and gross bodies bind the jīva in a cage. In this situation the jīva is always lamenting. Sometimes, through good fortune, he is released from bondage by the association of devotees.
mukta-bandha-daśā-bhedāc caitanyasya daśā-dvayam
muktir hitvānyathā rūpam svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ
atyanta-duḥkha hānau sā cit-sukhāptir na saṁśāyah
The jīva has two conditions: in bondage and liberation. Giving up false conditions, and becoming situated in ones real condition is called mukti or liberation. There is no doubt that, with liberation, suffering ceases and bliss is attained.
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad says:
juṣṭaṁ yadā paśyaty anyam īśam
asya mahimānām iti vīta śokaḥ
When the jīva looks towards the Supreme Lord, worthy of his worship, his lamentation disappears and he attains glory as a servant of Kṛṣṇa. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.7)
Liberation and bondage are the two states of the jīva. Liberated jīvas are of two types: eternally liberated (nitya mukta) and liberated from māyā (māyā mukta). The eternally liberated jīvas are never bound by māyā. The māyā muktas, first having entered māyā, later enter the spiritual pastimes after being liberated from māyā by association of devotees.
What is the form of the jīva in liberation? Some say that the jīva's liberation is the absolute cessation of misery; some say it is merging with the Lord or brahman. However, those who are wise say:
muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ
Liberation means being situated in ones eternal original form, which he attains after giving up the changeable gross and subtle bodies. (S.B. 2.10.6)
The jīva is a spiritual form, the pure servant of Kṛṣṇa. Entrance into māyā is a distortion to his form. When he rejects māyā and becomes situated in his true form, that state is called mukti, or liberation. When knowledge of his true form becomes extremely indefinite, he has a tendency to merge into the Lord, and when the knowledge of his form is clear, he attains the status of a pure servant of Kṛṣṇa. Liberation is not merely the cessation of all miseries, but the attainment of spiritual bliss along with the cessation of miseries. The characteristics of liberation are mentioned in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad:
evam evaiṣa samprasādo'smāc charīrāt
samutthāya paraṁ jyoti-rūpa-sampadya
svena rūpenābhiniṣpadyate sa uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ
sa tatra paryeti jakṣan krīḍan ramamāṇaḥ
Having attained liberation, giving up the gross and subtle bodies, the jīva becomes equipped with a spiritual effulgent form. He is a spiritual person. In the spiritual world he eats, plays and becomes absorbed in bliss. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.12.3)
According to the Vedas, this is the ultimate liberation. The Chāndogya Upaniṣad also described the eight qualities attained by the jīva in liberation.
ātmā'pahata-pāpmā vijaro vimṛtyur
viśoko vijighatso'pipāsaḥ satyakāmaḥ
satya-saṅkalpaḥ so'nveṣṭavyaḥ
The jīva is without sin, or free from relation with sin and ignorance. He is free from old age, being ever young. He is deathless, never leaving his spiritual body. He is peaceful, being free from lamentation, suffering and craving. He is devoid of desire for enjoyment. He is without thirst, with no desire other than to serve the Lord. He has only desires to serve the Lord favorably. Whatever desires he has are fulfilled. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.7.1)
These eight qualities do not exist in the conditioned jīva. One should know the difference between the conditioned and liberated jīvas by searching the scriptures.
Though the goal of liberation is laudable, the final attainment in liberation must only be the happiness of service to Bhagavān. As there is a danger of losing sight of the main goal by aspiring for secondary goals, it is better not to aspire for liberation. Those who hold in their hearts the desire for liberation from the beginning cannot attain advancement in the eternal rasas of bhakti. However much a person may take shelter of karma or jñāna, without attaining the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot attain even mukti. Among the ten topics of the Bhāgavatam, liberation is the ninth, but the happiness of service to the shelter, Kṛṣṇa, is the tenth.
daśame daśamaṁ lakṣyam āśritāśraya- vigraham
śrī-kṛṣṇākhyaṁ paraṁ dhāma jagad dhāma namāmi tat
In the tenth canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the tenth subject matter, the shelter of the devotees, is described. I pay my respects to that supreme goal, the goal of the universe, whose name is Kṛṣṇa. (Bhāvarthadipka 10.1)
Those who develop the happiness of serving Kṛṣṇa in their heart have in their grasp all the other nine topics of Bhāgavatam, including liberation. To make this fact clear, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:
cāri varṇāśramī yadi kṛṣṇa nahi bhaje
sakarma karite sei raurave paḍi maje
jñānī jīvan mukta daśā pāinu kari māne
vastutaḥ buddhi śuddha nahe kṛṣṇa bhakti vine
The followers of the varṇāśrama institution accept the regulative principles of the four social orders and four spiritual orders. However, if one carries out the regulative principles of these orders but does not render transcendental service to Kṛṣṇa, he falls into the hellish condition of material life.
There are many philosophical speculators belonging to the Māyāvāda school who consider themselves liberated and call themselves Nārāyaṇa. However, their intelligence is not purified unless they engage in Kṛṣṇa's devotional service. (C.C.Madhya22.26, 29)
Since mukti cannot be attained by practice of karma, jñāna, yoga, austerity or any other process, even the jñānīs utilize bhakti, though in a polluted form, to attain liberation. The pure devotee does not even pray for such liberation, but that liberation humbly submits herself to their service.
bhaktis tv ayi sthiratarā bhagavān yadi syād
daivena naḥ phalati divya kiśora mūrtiḥ
muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate'smān
dharmārtha-kāma-gatayaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ
Oh Lord, if you think our devotion is fixed, then reveal your transcendental youthful form in our hearts. Prayers for dharma, artha, kama and moksa are no longer necessary, because mukti herself, with folded hands, stands waiting to service us. Dharma, artha, and kama remain waiting our orders to serve your lotus feet. (Kṛṣṇa Karṇāmṛta 107)
The liberation obtained by the devotees is of two types: svarūpa mukti and vastu mukti. One who, due to practice, attains his spiritual form even in this material world, is served by liberation before giving up the material body. Though the body belongs to the material world, the soul is absorbed directly in the spiritual world. One should understand that such a person has attained svarūpa mukti. When such a person gives up his material body he attains vastu mukti by Kṛṣṇa's mercy.
The liberation of the advaita vadis is of two types: brahma-sayujya (merging into the effulgence of the Lord) and īśvara-sayujya (merging into the Lord's body). Neither of these types of liberation is the natural position of the jīva. In the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa these people are described:
siddha-lokas tu tamasaḥ pare yatra vasanti hi
siddhā brahma sukhe magnā daityāś ca hariṇā hatāḥ
Siddhaloka, the abode of brahman, lies beyond the material world. In that place reside the asuras such as Kaṁśa killed by the Lord and the māyāvādis absorbed in the bliss of brahman. (Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa)
The jñānīs and yogis, though they attempt to separate themselves from the material energy by meditations such as "ahaṁ brahmāsmi" and "tattvam asi", do not obtain the supreme spiritual goal of being situated in their spiritual bodies.