“Now I have become liberated” | Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture Delhi

“There are certain persons, they are thinking, “Now I have become liberated.” Ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. Vimukta-maninah means “thinking that they have become liberated.” But avisuddha-buddhayah, their intelligence is not yet clear. So what is the result?

Suppose one realizes Brahman realization. He is not mukta? Yes, he is mukta. That’s all right. But the intelligence is not yet purified. Why? Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah [SB 10.2.32]. After undergoing severe austerities and penances, they rise up to the Brahmaloka, param padam. Patanty adhah, again falls down, again falls down. Why?

Anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah. Just like the impersonal sky. You can go in the sky with your speedy airplane, but if you don’t get a shelter in any planet, you will have to come again. Just like this moon planet-goers, going and coming. Why don’t they stay there? So it is doubtful whether they are going.

So anyway, this is the position of the nirvisesa-vada. Because they do not enter in one of the Vaikuntha planets… Because they are not bhaktas, they are not admitted. Without being bhakta, nobody is allowed to enter into the Vaikuntha planets. Just like here in the sky there are millions and millions of planets, similarly, in the brahmajyoti there are also millions and millions of planets.

They are called Vaikunthaloka. But in those Vaikunthalokas only bhaktas are admitted, not the nondevotees. They can go to the Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka is combination of the spirit souls. But spirit soul means part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, who is anandamaya. So they do not get that ananda. They simply are elevated to the position of eternity.

But eternity without ananda. Just like you just imagine: suppose you are given a very nice place. You are ordered that “You live here eternally, but don’t allow nobody else. You can live alone.” How long you will live?

Because as a living entity, as part and parcel of Krsna, you want ananda. So ananda, you require society, friendship and love. That is ananda. That is not impersonalism. That is personalism. So unless you enter to the personal activities of Krishna, there cannot be ananda.

There cannot be. Unless you are qualified to dance with Krishna or to play with Krishna, to become father of Krishna, mother of Krishna, and enjoy the anandamayam, ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih, you cannot be happy. Therefore aruhya krcchrena. The brahma-pada, the Supreme, param padam, it is called param padam…

Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. Adhah. They fall down. Therefore we see sometimes, big, big sannyasis, brahma satyam jagan mithya, they give up this world, take sannyasa, but after some time they come to politics, to sociology. Why?

If the jagat is mithya, why you are interested in politics and sociology an welfare acts? That means anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah: He could not get ananda without being in touch with the lotus feet of Krishna. Therefore they come this ananda. Ananda. Aruhya krcchrena. This is practical.

So simply Brahman realization is not perfect. Simply Paramatma realization is also not perfect. When you realize Bhagavan, then you realize Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan simultaneously. That is ananda. That is ananda. That is available as it is. Pasyanty atmani catmanam bhaktya sruta-grhitaya. Sruta-grhitaya, hearing. Therefore Rupa Gosvami says,

sruti-smrti-puranadi-pancaratra-vidhim vina aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate [BRS 1.2.101]

One who does not understand the bhakti philosophy through sruti, through Veda, smrti… Just like Bhagavad-gita is smriti. Sruti-smrti-puranadi [BRS 1.2.101], and Narada-pancaratra. Without reference to these books of knowledge, if one becomes a so-called devotee, that is not accepted by Rupa Gosvami.

Here also it is said, bhaktya sruta-grhitaya. Sruta-grhitaya, knowledge, full knowledge, through Vedas, bhaktya, with devotion. Dry Vedic knowledge makes you impersonalist, only a partial realization. Therefore bhakti must be there.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.12
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Delhi, November 18, 1973