710406 - Lecture Pandal - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710406LE.BOMBAY - April 06, 1971 - 42:46 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate

gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are very much thankful to you for your kindly participating in this great movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is especially meant for this age because for self-realization, although there are many methods recommended in Vedic scriptures, in this age the greatest common factor for self-realization is simply chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Actually, our miserable condition of life is due to our forgetfulness. As I said yesterday, day before yesterday, this material existence is a condemned position of the living entities, exactly like a criminal is placed in the prison house. Now, the whole Vedic literature is meant for getting us liberated from this conditional life.

So far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, the same aim is there, because at the ultimate instruction, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). That is the ultimate goal. We have to come to that point, to surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It may take hundreds of years or hundreds of births, but unless we come to that point, our life is simply frustration, śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said:

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

You can execute . . . you may have some particular type of religious system which you are following. It doesn't matter. But if that following your religious system, if you do not come to the point of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or if you do not become interested in the matter of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you should know it that your performances of all religious ritualistic ceremonies are simply waste of time.

So how to come to the point of surrendering to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is taught in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. So I shall . . . I have given you some introduction to the Bhagavad-gītā, that this Bhagavad-gītā contains subject matter relating to God, to the living entity—īśvara, jīva—and prakṛti, and the time factor, and karma.

Now, in the beginning, the six chapters in the Bhagavad-gītā are simply devoted to understand what is the constitutional position of the jīva. The living entities are eternal. That is stated in the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā: dehino 'smin yathā dehe . . . (BG 2.13).

(break) . . . dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin daiva āsura (BG 2.13). Asmin loke, in this world, there are two kinds of living entities, not only in human society but also in animal society, in trees, in plants, in . . . there are 8,400,000 species of life—aquatic, plants, trees, reptiles, insects, birds, beasts, then human beings, civilized human beings, noncivilized human beings. And altogether, there are 8,400,000 species of life, and they are divided into . . .

(break) . . . man's body. So . . . but I am the same. I can remember some of the incidences of my childhood, of my boyhood, of my youthhood. Therefore I am permanent. That is the real understanding of the living entity. These things have been explained very vividly.

And in the Sixth Chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa recommended how to practice yoga. Yoga is the beginning of linking up our lost relationship with the Lord, yoga. Yoga means adding, addition, or linking. Because we are now forgotten . . . the yoga system, any yoga system, means . . . bhakti-yoga, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga—there are different names of yogas—but actual fact is how to link up our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called yoga. Yoga indriya-samyamaḥ.

Indriya. Because we are being deviated from our eternal relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa, on account of our too much being engaged in sense gratification. Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām (BG 2.44). Lord says, Kṛṣṇa says, "Those who are too much after bhoga and aiśvarya, material enjoyment and material opulence," prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām, "whose heart has been taken away by the process of sense gratification, for them, it is very difficult to be situated in samādhi." Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām.

So yoga, yoga means to control the senses. Those who are too much in the bodily concept of life, for them, this haṭha-yoga is prescribed just to control the sense by some mechanical way. You sit down, āsana, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, pratyāhāra—there are eight different stages of fulfilling the yoga practice—and then coming to the position of samādhi. Samādhi means fully situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real samādhi.

Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gata-manasā (SB 12.13.1). Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gata-manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ. This is the definition of yogīs. They are in meditation, and the mind, being absorbed in the thought of Viṣṇu, and yaṁ paśyanti yoginaḥ. The yoginaḥ, by controlling the senses, concentrating the mind upon Viṣṇu, they become yogī. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gata-manasā: mind is absorbed in the thought of Viṣṇu. That is perfection of yoga.

So that is one method. Those who are too much, I mean to say, thinking of this body, for them, this haṭha-yoga system is prescribed. But the aim of that haṭha-yoga system is to see or search out the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, and by this yoga practice, by samādhi, one is situated constantly seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu. That is samādhi.

But there is another method, supreme method. That will be explained in the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. At the end of the Sixth Chapter the conclusion is:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

madgatenāntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

"Anyone who is always thinking of Me within his mind," śraddhāvān, "not mechanically, but with faith and love," śraddhā, and bhajate—bhajate means bhaja sevayam, engaged in the service—"such person is the first-class yogī." That is recommended by Kṛṣṇa. And in the bhakti-yoga system, the same thing is also recommended:

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti

yam śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.38)

This is spoken in the Brahma-saṁhitā by Lord Brahmā. He says that, "The devotee whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love of Godhead . . ." just like we sometimes use surma for clarifying our eyesight, similarly, one whose eyesight is purified . . .

We have to purify the position of our senses in order to perceive. With our present senses, materialistic senses, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, or God. It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). He is not . . . Kṛṣṇa is not perceivable by our material senses. "Then why you are troubling so much, because you have nothing but material senses?" No. It can be purified. How it can be purified? By love of God.

When you evolve your dormant love of Godhead, your vision becomes different. That is called premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). They are also yogīs. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ (BG 6.47). The same process. Either you go through the haṭha-yoga process or jñāna-yoga process, the ultimate goal is Kṛṣṇa, ultimate goal is Viṣṇu. And if we miss this point, then . . . the Bhāgavata says that you do not know what is your ultimate goal of life. Bhāgavata says:

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ

durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ

andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās

te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ

(SB 7.5.31)

So the verdict of all śāstras, Vedic literature, is aiming how to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the version of all Vedas. So Kṛṣṇa here in the Seventh Chapter, recommending personally. Kṛṣṇa is teaching the process how you can understand Kṛṣṇa. You haven't got to learn some art and method how to understand Kṛṣṇa from anyone else. You can understand directly from Kṛṣṇa. That is the process.

The Bhāgavata says, athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi (SB 10.14.29). Without Kṛṣṇa's mercy, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. The Vedas also says, nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23): "One cannot understand the Supreme Soul simply by lecturing." Pravacanena. If one is very expert in lecturing, it does not mean that he has realized Kṛṣṇa. Na medhayā.

Or if one has very good brain—a great scientist, great philosopher—he can understand Kṛṣṇa? Veda says: "No." Na medhayā na bahunā śrutena: "If one is very learned in Vedic literature, he also cannot understand Kṛṣṇa." But one who is favored by Kṛṣṇa or when Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself to somebody, being satisfied with his devotional service, he can understand Kṛṣṇa; nobody else.

Therefore the process ultimately comes to the bhakti-yoga. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that nobody understands Kṛṣṇa.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

To understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, tattvataḥ, it is very difficult. Out of many hundreds and thousands of people try to make his life successful by spiritual advancement, by accepting so many processes, jñāna-yoga, karma-yoga, dhyāna-yoga. And out of many perfect persons . . . or, not perfect; out of many persons who have succeeded in such processes, one may understand Kṛṣṇa. That is difficult also.

So without Kṛṣṇa's mercy . . . the conclusion is: without Kṛṣṇa's mercy, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is futile to explain Kṛṣṇa, to comment on Bhagavad-gītā, without being a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact. It is not that because one is very learned scholar or because one is very learned scientist or philosopher . . .

Without any Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is not possible for him to understand Kṛṣṇa. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan (SB 10.14.29). Others, they may go on speculating for thousands and thousands of years; still, they will not be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa, in the Seventh Chapter, He is teaching how to understand Kṛṣṇa, how to realize Him. That realization, He says:

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

(BG 7.1)

"My dear Arjuna, now I shall speak to you how you can understand Me thoroughly." Of course, it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa thoroughly. That is not possible. But still, as far as our knowledge is concerned, we can get an idea of Kṛṣṇa if we follow these instructions. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited; we are limited. Therefore, however we may become advanced, it is not possible for us to understand the Unlimited. That's a fact. But still, we can understand to some extent by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, not otherwise.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. One has to develop his mind being always attached to Kṛṣṇa. Āsakta. Āsakta means attachment. This āsakti is also not attained very easily, but there is a process. If we follow the process, as recommended by the authorities, then there is way. And one who is serious to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, they must follow the methods prescribed by the mahājanas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). If you follow the footsteps of great personalities, great ācāryas, then that is the way. You don't manufacture your own way. Then you will be frustrated. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ.

So who can be greater mahājana than Kṛṣṇa? All mahājanas, they are great devotees of Kṛṣṇa; therefore they have become mahājanas. Just like Svayambhū, Lord Brahmā, Nārada Muni . . . svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Śambhu, Lord Śiva. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kaumāraḥ, kapilo manuḥ. Kaumāra, the four Kumāras, Sanat Kumāra, Sunanda, these four Kumāras.

And kumāraḥ kapila, Kapiladeva, the original propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kapiladeva; and Manu, you know, Manu-saṁhitā, the law-giver to the mankind, Svayambhuva Manu, Manu. And Prahlāda Mahārāja, whose instructions we were discussing in the morning. Prahlādo janaka-rāja bhīṣma, the grandfather of the Kurus. Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī; or Bali Mahārāja, a grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is also an authority. And Yamarāja, he is also authority.

So we have to follow these authorities. Otherwise, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām (CC Madhya 17.186, Mahābhārata, Vana-pārva 313.117): we cannot understand the secrecy of religion. So all these twelve mahājanas, they are great devotees of the Lord. Therefore they have become mahājanas, authorized persons.

Now here Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā, taking compassion on the fallen souls of the Kali-yuga, He is personally instructing. How much fortunate we are. Although we are born in this age, fallen age of Kali-yuga, still, we are so much fortunate that Kṛṣṇa personally is taking interest how to teach us. He comes personally as He is, Lord Kṛṣṇa. And still, when He is misunderstood, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11), again He comes as a devotee, Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya was detected by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(CC Madhya 19.53)

He understood that Lord Caitanya is no other than Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He has appeared as a devotee just to deliver love of Kṛṣṇa to everyone. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te. Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Godhead, love of Kṛṣṇa, one who delivers, one who gives in charity the love of Godhead, he is called mahā-vadānya, the greatest of all munificent persons. Namo mahā-vadānyāya.

So there is a program of Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes He comes Himself, sometimes He comes as a devotee, sometimes He leaves behind Him instruction like Bhagavad-gītā, and sometimes He authorizes somebody to preach this cult. Of course, anyone who is a sincere devotee, he is authorized. That Kṛṣṇa, as Lord Caitanya, has said personally, āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei (CC Madhya 7.128). Our only business is to follow the superior. Just like a faithful servant, if he simply follows the instruction of the master, then he is perfect. If he does not adulterate the instruction of the master, then he's perfect.

It is not that those who are preaching this Kṛṣṇa cult, they are all perfect. There may be many deficiencies. Any conditional soul has got four deficiencies naturally. He is to commit mistake. However great man he may be, surely, because he is conditional soul, he'll commit mistake. You know. In our country Mahatma Gandhi, he was a great man undoubtedly, but he also committed mistake, so what to speak of us? A conditioned soul must commit mistake.

And he must be illusioned. To accept something as something else, that is called illusion. Just like illusion, best example of illusion, is given that māyā-marīcika, to accept water in the desert. An animal sees that there is water in the desert, and being thirsty, he goes after the water, but the water also makes progress, and he also makes progress. In this way he dies. That is called illusion. Actually there is no water, but he is fleeing after water.

So for conditioned soul these are the defects: he is to commit mistake, he is illusioned, and he has got a cheating propensity also. Everyone is thinking in transaction that, "I have cheated that man very nicely. In business transaction I have gained, he has lost." And of all the deficiency, most important deficiency is that our senses are imperfect. We say: "I want to see God," but we forget that our eyes are so imperfect that I cannot see in the nearest eyelid. As soon as I close my eyes, I do not see the eyelid. This is the power of my seeing. Therefore we should not be so much proud of our seeing power that we'll say that, "I want to see the God. Can you show me God?" This is not possible.

So these four deficiencies of conditioned soul are there; therefore we cannot have perfect knowledge by our mental speculation. That is not possible. We have to receive knowledge from authorities. That is the process. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). If we receive knowledge . . . our process is that we are trying to receive knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, the greatest mahājana, the greatest authority, and if we follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then we are perfect. The same example, as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa

yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

(CC Madhya 7.128)

This is necessary. It is not that you have to become completely perfect by following certain process. If you simply perfectly follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then you become perfect. That is required. Don't adulterate. Then you'll never become perfect. Other processes—yoga, dhyāna, karma, jñāna . . . there are many processes to make oneself perfect, but even becoming perfect, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Yoginām . . . manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhaye means perfection. Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. Even you become perfect, still, it is doubtful whether you have understood Kṛṣṇa. This is the position.

Therefore the conclusion is that if you simply follow the perfect instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then automatically you become perfect, however imperfect you may be. That is our duty. It is not very difficult. Just like a child, a boy, a child, he's asking father, "My dear father, what is this?" An intelligent child questions like that. The father explains, "This is this," and the child accepts. Then his knowledge is perfect. Why the child should endeavor to understand little things as it is? It will take long, long years. And it may not be perfect. But if he accepts the instruction of the father or mother, immediately he becomes perfect.

There are many other examples. Just like a child wants to know who is father. The mother says: "My dear child, this gentleman is your father"—that is perfect knowledge. But if the child wants to research who is his father, it is impossible to find out. Similarly, if we want to know the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa, or God, we have to take instruction from the supreme father, not speculating, just like by speculating we cannot understand our ordinary father without the instruction of mother. If you go on speculating, "He may be my father. He may be my father. He may be father," go on speculating, but you will never understand who is your father. But you accept the authoritative statement of your mother that, "He is your father"—that is perfect knowledge.

That process should be accepted. Otherwise, our position is very precarious.

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

(CC Madhya 17.136)

These our present senses are very blunt, imperfect. It is to be purified by sevonmukha, being eager to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then our senses will be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means without any contamination. At the present moment our senses are contaminated. I am thinking in so many different consciousness. I am thinking in consciousness of nationality, community, society, friendship—so many ways—but without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore our consciousness is impure.

We have to be freed from all the designated consciousness. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: "I am not a brāhmiṇ. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a brahmacārī. I am not a gṛhastha." In this way He denied His identity to all these eight kinds of forms and stages, varṇāśrama. Then He said that gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80): "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, who is maintainer of the gopīs." This is the identification of Caitanya.

So we have to follow the mahājanas, great personalities, or a great devotee like Caitanya Mahā . . . that, "I am also the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is our real identity. This is called mukti, liberation. As soon as we understand that "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa," this identification is ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not this."

Brahmāsmi, this concept of life, that "I do not belong to this material world. I am Brahman. I am spirit soul . . . so without being spirit soul, how we can become servant of the Supreme Spirit? Just like without being fire, you cannot remain in the fire, similarly, without becoming Brahman, how we can serve the Supreme Brahman? So this is Brahman realization. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).

Now, after being purified, what is your position? Not that you become imperson. There are philosophers, that when one becomes identified with Brahman, he becomes immediately imperson. No. We keep our personality. We are never impersons. All of us are individual. Kṛṣṇa is individual. We are sitting here. We are all individual. So we keep our individuality, but our senses become purified. That is called mukti.

The Bhāgavata gives the definition of mukti: mukti hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). What is mukti? Mukti means when one gives up his engagement, activities, hitvā anyathā rūpam, identifying himself with something material, and he is engaged in his own original, constitutional position, and that is called mukti. The original constitutional position is every living entity is a part and parcel of the Supreme Person.

I have given you several times example—this is stated in the śāstras also—just like this finger is my part and parcel of this body. It is the duty of the finger to serve the whole body. I want to do like that, the finger helps me. That is the duty of the finger. If the finger cannot do it, then it is to be understood that he is diseased. It is diseased. As soon as the finger cannot give me regular service, it is to be understood that it is diseased. Similarly, any person who is not giving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is diseased, materially diseased. He has to be cured.

Therefore the śāstra says, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Just suppose I am a great patriot. I am giving service to my country. That's very good. But I am creating many enemies at the same time, because there are other persons who are also interested with their country or community. Therefore that kind of service is not perfect. That is service with designation, because I am thinking . . . I am spirit soul, I am Brahman, I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, or God, but I am thinking that, "I am servant of this country, this community, this society, this . . ." so many things.

So one has to become free from the designation. Then his senses will be purified. At that time, with that purified senses, when he renders service to the Lord, that is called bhakti. That is called bhakti. Bhakti is not a sentiment. It is practical. It is practical, to engage . . . just like Arjuna. Arjuna is certified by Kṛṣṇa as bhakto 'si: "My devotee." Does it mean that he was sitting idly? Eh? He has gone to Himalaya? No. He was serving Kṛṣṇa personally as a fighter. That is required. That is bhakti.

Some gentleman criticized, "Swāmījī, your bhakti cult will make people dull, because they will simply sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And "No, you have not seen a bhakta. You are misguided," I replied. In our India, two histories are there: the history of Rāmāyaṇa and the history of Mahābhārata. And there was two great battles: fight with Rāvaṇa and Kurukṣetra fighting. In these two fighting the heroes were Vaiṣṇavas: Hanumānjī and Arjuna. They are still worshiped as the great Vaiṣṇavas, Vajrāṅgajī and Arjuna.

So it is a mistake. Here is the definition of bhakti: tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170): "When your senses are purified by devotional service." Not that your senses are wiped out in mukti. No. The senses are there. It cannot be wiped out. Simply it is purified. Just like if you have got some disease—the same example—in your finger, it is painful.

You cannot render service. But when the finger is cured by treatment from the disease, it again gives service. Similarly, those who are not engaged in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, they are supposed to be diseased. The degree may be different, that one is very highly diseased, another is very slightly diseased. It doesn't matter. But he is diseased.

Therefore this is the curing method. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). When He says? When he was cured of the disease. Kṛṣṇa asked him . . . (break) (end)