Our eternal nature beyond death (Srimad Bhagavatam #45)

Because of the difference between the real nature of the soul and the conditioned identity, it is sometimes said that we are eternally conditioned. In this part, we study this delicate point.

Jan 23, 2025

Although we are eternal servants of Krsna, when we come in contact with the false ego, followed by the mind, intelligence, etc. a new material identity is formed. This identity is different from the real identity of the soul, but because we firmly identify with it, for practical purposes, this material identity becomes "us". In this way, we become entrapped in the material dreamland. Although the eternal nature of the soul is still existing and is never lost, we forget it.

Because our original position of love for Krsna is forgotten, we may say that we don't have this love with us now, although it is still present, just like if I forget my phone in a certain place, I will not have it with me now, but it doesn't mean it stopped being mine. As soon as some kind soul returns it to me, I'm reunited with it. Similarly, although our original position is a position of service to Krsna, and although Lord Caitanya mentions that love for Krsna is eternally established in the soul, because we are currently identified with this material identity, instead of our eternal nature as souls, we may say that we don't have it with us now.

Because of this difference between the real nature of the soul, and the conditioned identity we are identified with now, it is sometimes said that we are eternally conditioned or that love for the Lord has to be obtained. The conditioned identity is part of this material world and was never outside of it, even though there is also an eternal spiritual identity that is never lost. These two apparent contradictory sides are one of the reasons this topic is so complicated.

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Our eternal nature beyond death (3.31)

"Due to his particular type of body, the materialistic living entity wanders from one planet to another, following fruitive activities. In this way, he involves himself in fruitive activities and enjoys the result incessantly.
In this way the living entity gets a suitable body with a material mind and senses, according to his fruitive activities. When the reaction of his particular activity comes to an end, that end is called death, and when a particular type of reaction begins, that beginning is called birth.
When the eyes lose their power to see color or form due to morbid affliction of the optic nerve, the sense of sight becomes deadened. The living entity, who is the seer of both the eyes and the sight, loses his power of vision. In the same way, when the physical body, the place where perception of objects occurs, is rendered incapable of perceiving, that is known as death. When one begins to view the physical body as one’s very self, that is called birth.
Therefore, one should not view death with horror, nor have recourse to defining the body as soul, nor give way to exaggeration in enjoying the bodily necessities of life. Realizing the true nature of the living entity, one should move about in the world free from attachment and steadfast in purpose.
Endowed with right vision and strengthened by devotional service and a pessimistic attitude towards material identity, one should relegate his body to this illusory world through his reason. Thus one can be unconcerned with this material world." (SB 3.31.43-48)

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Because it is so hard to give up this material conditioning, the process for re-attaining our eternal, original spiritual identity is to practice Krsna Consciousness while inside this material identity. By becoming Krsna Conscious while inside of this material identity, we reconnect with our original Krsna Conscious nature and can finally remember who we are. As long as we identify with the temporary material identity we are called jīva-bhūta, and when we identify with our eternal identity, we are called brahma-bhūta. The process of going from one to the other always passes through meeting and associating with pure devotees.

Once in the material world, we assume different material identities according to our desires and the results of our past activities. However, because none of these are our real, eternal identity, they are all temporary. As a result, as long as our material conditioning continues, we transmigrate from one form to another. Our activities inside the material world are thus divided into chapters or sets of activities, with a new birth representing the start of a new chapter of a set, and death representing the end of it. Birth inevitably leads to death, and death means a new birth, therefore our activities in the material world never end, and therefore the results of these activities, our Karma, just increases. In this practically unlimited cycle, we are sometimes up and sometimes down, sometimes taking birth in a rich family, and sometimes in a very poor family, sometimes as a demigod, sometimes as an animal. Therefore, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura prays: anādi’ karama-phale, poḍi’ bhavārnava-jale, toribāre nā dekhi upāy, "I have fallen into the ocean of material existence as a result of my selfish activities, which are without beginning, and I see no means of deliverance from this great ocean of nescience."

Although we have been in this material world since time immemorial, and although we don't have the power to free ourselves from it by ourselves, we can be saved by associating with persons who are free from it, pure devotees who are free from the material conditioning. Just as a person standing on a boat can help someone struggling in the ocean to get out, such pure devotees of the Lord can help us to save ourselves from the ocean of birth and death. As Prabhupada mentions, any sane person should seek their saintly association.

Prabhupada calls our attention in his purport to verse 48 that "one has to associate with liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic, the problems of life." Association of pure devotees does not just mean to be just physically living with them but to absorb their understanding of the world and their love for Krsna through the practical application of their teachings.

Often we presume that spiritual practice requires renouncing the world and giving up all material possessions. However, giving up material possessions implies we ourselves as the owners of such things in the first place. In other words, such renunciation is performed under the covering of the false ego, of seeing ourselves as the possessors of something we can thus renounce. This is called phalgu-vairāgya: insufficient or false renunciation. Instead, we should practice yukta-vairāgya, using whatever material resources are available as tools in our service to Krsna. This process is explained both in the Bhagavad-gita and in the second chapter of the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.

As Prabhupada mentions: "Everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore everything can be engaged in the service of the Lord; nothing should be used for one’s sense gratification. That is real renunciation."

By developing this attitude, we can associate with our previous acaryas through their instructions, as well as personally with devotees who are physically present on the planet, and in this way realize that not only our material body, but also the senses, mind, and intelligence are part of the temporary material identity that binds us to this world. We are not this false identity, but we somehow became firmly connected with it through the influence of the false ego. Now we have to become free from it. As Lord Kapila concludes, "one should relegate his body to this illusory world through his reason. Thus one can be unconcerned with this material world."

This material, temporary identity, belongs to this material world and should stay here. Our real identity is different from it. This process is also described by Sukadeva Goswami in the second canto:

"Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body. That relationship is just like a dreamer’s seeing his own body working. The illusioned living entity appears in so many forms offered by the external energy of the Lord. While enjoying in the modes of material nature, the encaged living entity misconceives, thinking in terms of “I” and “mine.” As soon as the living entity becomes situated in his constitutional glory and begins to enjoy the transcendence beyond time and material energy, he at once gives up the two misconceptions of life [I and mine] and thus becomes fully manifested as the pure self." (SB 2.9.1-3)

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The essence of the teachings of this chapter is thus:

a) We should select our association carefully, because association plants desire in the heart, and these desires lead to action.

b) Materialistic association plants material desires that lead to material action and the creation of new material bodies and the continuation of our material existence, while spiritual association plants the seeds of desires connected with the service to Krsna that leads us to ultimate liberation.

c) Apart from association, we should develop a philosophical understanding of our eternal nature as souls, and of the nature of this material world. Understanding our material identity as the source of our material conditioning and suffering, we should develop a negative attitude towards it, understanding it is different from our real self.

d) We should avoid sinful activities, especially involvement with illicit sex life because it very powerfully binds us to the material world. Even married life is dangerous if not conducted in Krsna Consciousness.

e) The idea of renouncing the world is both incorrect and incomplete. Instead, we should use everything for Krsna, seeing material objects, material abilities, and other assets as tools we can use to improve our service to the Lord.

f) Instead, what we must renounce is the false idea of seeing things as objects of our enjoyment. When we renounce the attitude of enjoying this world, we can be liberated even while living here.

Entanglement in Fruitive Activities

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In the previous chapter, Lord Kapila described the dangers of the sinful path, and the results it brings, such as going to hell and being reborn in an animal body. Once a soul falls into this cycle, it is very difficult to get out of it, since every time the soul stays for an extremely long time going through the gradual evolution in the animal species, and once attaining the human form of life, tends to fall again by repeatedly engaging in sinful life. Practically speaking, the only way for a soul to escape this cycle is to meet devotees and start his practice of devotional service. As declared in the first verse of the Vedanta-sutra, athāto brahma-jijñāsā: Having come to the human form of life and attained the association of devotees, now it is time to enquire about the absolute truth. Now that we finally have the opportunity of finally practicing Krsna Consciousness,

In his chapter, Lord Kapila concludes His teachings, offering a description of different levels of knowledge about the absolute truth, starting from followers of the process of karma-kanda, all the way to the level of demigods and great sages.

Attached workers

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In the last chapter, Lord Kapila described the sufferings created by sinful life, including going to hell, progressing to the animal species, suffering in the womb, and so on. To avoid such suffering, he recommends that one follow the path of devotional service and return to his original position of bliss as a pure soul.

One could however argue that there is a third option. One can just stay in this material world, following the recommendations of the scriptures in the path of fruitive action (Karma-kanda) and thus enjoy the pious results of his activities, both in this life and in the next, eventually attaining the celestial planets and enjoying there in the company of Apsaras and Gandharvas. Lord Kapila addresses this idea in the first four verses:

"The Personality of Godhead said: The person who lives in the center of household life derives material benefits by performing religious rituals, and thereby he fulfills his desire for economic development and sense gratification. Again and again he acts the same way.
Such persons are ever bereft of devotional service due to being too attached to sense gratification, and therefore, although they perform various kinds of sacrifices and take great vows to satisfy the demigods and forefathers, they are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service.
Such materialistic persons, attracted by sense gratification and devoted to the forefathers and demigods, can be elevated to the moon, where they drink an extract of the soma plant. They again return to this planet.
All the planets of the materialistic persons, including all the heavenly planets, such as the moon, are vanquished when the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, goes to His bed of serpents, which is known as Ananta Śeṣa." (SB 3.32.1-4)

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The real purpose of the scriptures is to gradually bring one to the platform of devotional service. In his Govinda Bhasya, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana boldly states that all the topics mentioned in the Vedas directly or indirectly describe the Lord or offer a path for understanding Him. The Lord and devotional service to Him are the only topics discussed in the Vedas. Other topics have the sole purpose of elevating the reader to this understanding. This is confirmed by Vyasadeva himself in the Vedanta Sutra: tat tu samanvayāt. The goal of the Vedas is not fruitive activities. On the contrary, Lord Vishnu is the sole topic discussed. This is the agreement of all Vedic scriptures.

The different ceremonies and pious activities described in the Karma-kanda section of the Vedas have the purpose of elevating householders who are too attached to material sense gratification by promising material rewards in exchange for obedience to the scriptures. The idea is that by following the principles of the scriptures and associating with Brahmanas and Vaishnavas, one may gradually come to understand the real goal of life. One who follows this process with the sole goal of enjoying his senses and remaining in this material world in a comfortable position abuses the system and is called a gṛhamedhī. Even though he can attain some sense gratification by following the precepts of the scriptures, he doesn't become free from the miserable factors of material existence. He just remains in the cycle of birth and death, sometimes going to the celestial planets and sometimes back to this Earth. His position is also very dangerous, because at any point he may forget about the recommendations of the scriptures and return to sinful life, becoming again eligible to hell and all the sufferings described in the last chapter.

As Prabhupada describes: "The objective of the gṛhamedhī is sense gratification, and the objective of the gṛhastha is self-realization. Here the Lord is speaking about the gṛhamedhī, or the person who wants to remain in this material world. His activity is to enjoy material benefits by performing religious rituals for economic development and thereby ultimately satisfy the senses. He does not want anything more. Such a person works very hard throughout his life to become very rich and eat very nicely and drink. By giving some charity for pious activity he can go to a higher planetary atmosphere in the heavenly planets in his next life, but he does not want to stop the repetition of birth and death and finish with the concomitant miserable factors of material existence. Such a person is called a gṛhamedhī."

Materialistic life is described as punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30): repeatedly chewing that which has already been chewed. One who is too attached to this material world follows the Vedic process of pious life with the goal of enjoying his senses, tolerating all kinds of difficulties. Again and again, he repeats the same cycle, enjoying the same stale objects of the senses life after life, and being beaten by the material energy at each small mistake. Such materialists are usually attracted to impersonalism or to the worship of demigods and are condemned in the scriptures. In this way, they remain deprived of their original nature of service to the Lord life after life.

Although they may sound attractive to a materialist, the celestial planets are described in the Bhagavad-gita as places of misery, where repeated birth and death take place. Even if one reaches there, he will have to come down again after the results of his pious activities are exhausted, and the planets themselves are destroyed at the end of each day of Brahma by the combined action of Lord Shiva, the Rudras, and Lord Sesa, burning the universe from the bottom. The destruction extends to the level between Swargaloka and Maharloka. All the planetary systems where souls are engaged in fruitive activities, up to Swargaloka are destroyed, and Maharloka becomes uninhabitable. The great sages residing there survive by taking shelter in Janaloka. The three highest planetary systems, Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Brahmaloka remain undisturbed until the end of the second half of the life of Brahma.

Apart from being destroyed, the celestial planets are also not completely free of miseries, being plagued by envy, wars, and other problems. Existence there is not really different from life on Earth in essence, it is just a polished version of the same thing.

Detached workers

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As explained by Lord Kapila, the destination of followers of the Vedas that are attached to the results of fruitive activities is just a continuation of the process of birth and death, albeit in better conditions than the sinful materialists. There is however a category of workers that are much better situated: the ones who work without attachment, executing their activities for the satisfaction of the Lord. These Karma-yogis are on the path of liberation from birth and death.

"Those who are intelligent and are of purified consciousness are completely satisfied in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Freed from the modes of material nature, they do not act for sense gratification; rather, since they are situated in their own occupational duties, they act as one is expected to act.
By executing one’s occupational duties, acting with detachment and without a sense of proprietorship or false egoism, one is posted in one’s constitutional position by dint of complete purification of consciousness, and by thus executing so-called material duties he can easily enter into the kingdom of God.
Through the path of illumination, such liberated persons approach the complete Personality of Godhead, who is the proprietor of the material and spiritual worlds and is the supreme cause of their manifestation and dissolution." (SB 3.32.5-7)

—

At the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna had decided to not fight, based on his calculation that abandoning the battle would bring him more happiness than fighting in the battle. The mistake in his conclusion was that it failed to properly consider his duties, and above all, it failed to consider the desire of Krsna. That's the main difference between attached work and detached work. In the former, we act according to our sense gratification, while in the latter we act according to what will be pleasant to Krsna, or at least based on our material duties according to the scriptures, without attachment. Attached work binds us to the reactions according to the laws of karma, while detached work is called akarma because it frees us from all reactions and brings us to the path of transcendence.

Religious performances described in the Vedas are not all the same. The Vedas describe different paths for different classes of people and they are not all the same. Being situated in knowledge includes being able to differentiate between these different paths.

When we speak about work, there are two classes of dharma: pravṛtti-dharma and nivṛtti-dharma. Pravṛtti-dharma is the path of fruitive activity for elevation to the higher planets practiced by gṛhamedhīs, while pravṛtti-dharma is the path of detached work practiced by devotees, who act for the satisfaction of the Lord. The path of pravṛtti-dharma keeps one imprisoned in a mentality of false lordship over the material world, while the path of pravṛtti-dharma brings us back to our original position as servants of the Lord. As we can see, even when we try to follow the Vedas, we need to be intelligent enough to differentiate between different paths. Just like we can't enter into a drugstore and start taking all medicines, we can't just follow anything from the Vedas without discrimination. Proper spiritual knowledge put into practice under the guidance of a qualified spiritual master is essential.

The great yogis

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Devotees of the Lord who practice Karma-yoga, or who are directly engaged in loving devotional service attain the spiritual planets as soon as they perfect their practice. However, there is another class of transcendentalists who attain liberation only after a very long time. These are the yogis who go through the gradual process of elevation, taking shelter in the planetary systems of Janaloka, Tapoloka, or Brahmaloka, and thus living until the end of the universe, when they have the opportunity of attaining liberation together with Lord Brahma. This is an extremely long process since Brahma lives for 311.04 trillion years.

As Prabhupada explains: "Persons who are worshipers of Hiraṇyagarbha, the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, do not directly approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Vaikuṇṭha. They remain within this universe on Satyaloka or other higher planets until the end of the life of Brahmā. Then, with Brahmā, they are elevated to the spiritual kingdom."

This point is explained by Lord Kapila in verses 8 to 11:

"Worshipers of the Hiraṇyagarbha expansion of the Personality of Godhead remain within this material world until the end of two parārdhas, when Lord Brahmā also dies.
After experiencing the inhabitable time of the three modes of material nature, known as two parārdhas, Lord Brahmā closes the material universe, which is covered by layers of earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, ego, etc., and goes back to Godhead.
The yogīs who become detached from the material world by practice of breathing exercises and control of the mind reach the planet of Brahmā, which is far, far away. After giving up their bodies, they enter into the body of Lord Brahmā, and therefore when Brahmā is liberated and goes to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supreme Brahman, such yogīs can also enter into the kingdom of God.
Therefore, My dear mother, by devotional service take direct shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is seated in everyone’s heart." (SB 3.32.8-11)

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Dvi-parārdhā is a term also mentioned in other verses, it is an important concept in terms of Vedic cosmology. A day of Brahma lasts for 4.32 billion years, and the same is the duration of his night. Thus, 24 hours of Brahma equals a total of 8.64 billion years. Brahma's years have 360 days, just like in our lunar calendar, and he lives for 100 of such years, or a total of 36,000 days. In this way, the total life of Brahma is calculated as 311.04 trillion years, which are divided into two parārdhas, or two halves, of 155.52 trillion years each. At the end of the first parardha, there is a complete devastation of the universe, but the great sages don't attain liberation. They are just reborn at the beginning of the second half.

After this, they remain in the same bodies until the end of the dvi-parārdhā, the end of the life of Brahma.

On each day of Brahma, new yogis and sages reach the higher planets, and in this way, the population of these abodes is quite numerous. They form complete planetary systems with millions of luminous planets and a huge population. However, because they don't directly worship the Lord in bhakti-yoga, they depend on Lord Brahma to attain liberation. If for some reason Brahma does not attain liberation at the end of his life, they are forced to enter into another material universe for a new turn of existence. There is also no guarantee that they will attain the celestial planets. Many will remain in the Brahmajyoti, without being able to progress further.

Since this path is so uncertain, Lord Kapila concludes this topic by recommending his mother remain on the path of devotional service, which is the direct process. Being his mother and the wife of Kardama Muni, she was already situated in this process, therefore he advised her to just continue, and take full shelter in the Lord. In any case, Bhakti is the only process that can take one out of the material world. Other processes are effective only to the degree they are mixed with Bhakti. Therefore, if one is already situated on the platform of Bhakti, there is no need to degrade his practice by mixing it with something else.

Why even Lord Brahma sometimes does not attain liberation

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Brahma is supposed to go back to Godhead at the end of his life, and the great sages and yogis are supposed to go with him. However, this does not always happen, as hinted in the previous section. One could ask why, and thus Lord Kapila elaborates on this topic in the next verses.

"My dear mother, someone may worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead with a special self-interest, but even demigods such as Lord Brahmā, great sages such as Sanat-kumāra, and great munis such as Marīci have to come back to the material world again at the time of creation. When the interaction of the three modes of material nature begins, Brahmā, who is the creator of this cosmic manifestation and who is full of Vedic knowledge, and the great sages, who are the authors of the spiritual path and the yoga system, come back under the influence of the time factor. They are liberated by their nonfruitive activities and attain the first incarnation of the puruṣa, but at the time of creation they come back in exactly the same forms and positions they previously had." (SB 3.32.12-15)

Although great sages are usually liberated together with Lord Brahma at the end of the universe, this liberation is not directly given by Brahma, it still depends on the mercy of the Lord, which comes as a reciprocation of their devotional service. Similarly, Lord Shiva can't give liberation to his devotees, they also depend on the mercy of the Lord.

Prabhupada emphasizes the usage of the word bheda-dṛṣṭyā by Lord Kapila to explain that even Lord Brahma Himself does not always go back to Godhead at the end of his life. Even though Brahma is always a devotee, sometimes he thinks he is independent of the Lord, or that he is an incarnation of the Lord, equal with Him. In this case, Brahma does not go back to Godhead. He reaches Maha-Vishnu at the end of his life, but he has to come back for another cycle of creation. In this way, although Brahma has great knowledge and great power, the greatness of his position is a great allurement. Some think they are God just because they can maintain a small business or a small family, therefore it is not difficult to understand how Brahma, having the power to create an entire universe can sometimes come to think he is God.

Similarly, worshipers of Brahma or great sages may think that Brahma is independent of the Lord, or that they themselves are one with the Lord. In this case, they also can't attain liberation, even if Brahma goes back to Godhead. As long as one has separate interests from the Lord, one can't attain liberation in the spiritual planets. Even if he attains impersonal liberation in the Pradhāna, or the impersonal brahmajyoti, he has to eventually come back.

Elevation to Pitṛloka

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Lord Kapila concludes this section by explaining the destination of materialistic fruitive workers who are elevated to Pitṛloka, joining their ancestors. They are also defined by Lord Kapila as addicted to this material world and attached to fruitive results.

"Persons who are too addicted to this material world execute their prescribed duties very nicely and with great faith. They daily perform all such prescribed duties with attachment to the fruitive result.
Such persons, impelled by the mode of passion, are full of anxieties and always aspire for sense gratification due to uncontrolled senses. They worship the forefathers and are busy day and night improving the economic condition of their family, social or national life.
Such persons are called trai-vargika because they are interested in the three elevating processes. They are averse to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can give relief to the conditioned soul. They are not interested in the Supreme Personality’s pastimes, which are worth hearing because of His transcendental prowess.
Such persons are condemned by the supreme order of the Lord. Because they are averse to the nectar of the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are compared to stool-eating hogs. They give up hearing the transcendental activities of the Lord and indulge in hearing of the abominable activities of materialistic persons.
Such materialistic persons are allowed to go to the planet called Pitṛloka by the southern course of the sun, but they again come back to this planet and take birth in their own families, beginning again the same fruitive activities from birth to the end of life.
When the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they fall down by higher arrangement and again come back to this planet, just as any person raised to a high position sometimes all of a sudden falls." (SB 3.32.16-21)

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We can see that these fruitive performers execute their duties with great faith. Still, they attain only temporary results. On the other hand, even if a devotee performs his devotional service with all kinds of faults, his ultimate success is assured. Narada Muni explains this point to Vyasadeva in the first canto:

"One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything." (SB 1.5.17)

All kinds of fruitive activities executed with a separatist attitude, with the goal of obtaining material gain, result in only temporary material results. In the ultimate sense, one does not gain anything. Everything that is valuable is eternal. Anything that is not eternal does not have real value. If an intelligent person were offered to have a million dollars for five minutes, he would reject it as nonsense, but a fool would be interested.

People influenced by the mode of passion work very hard to improve the material situation of their families. To attract such persons, the Vedas offer the possibility of joining their ancestors in Pitṛloka, in exchange for executing their duties according to the scriptures and properly educating their children so they continue the same process in the future. In this way, this attachment is channeled into creating pious families where the new generations are trained to follow the principles of the scriptures. As a recompense, one is promoted to Pitṛloka, where he lives with his ancestors, but eventually one has to again fall into Earth to start a new round of fruitive activities.

Similarly, worshipers of different demigods, who see their respective deities as independent gods may attain the planets of such demigods, but they also have to fall when the results of their pious activities are exhausted. These persons who are simply attracted to the temporary, averse to hearing about the transcendental activities of the Lord are compared to hogs, because even though offered nectar, they reject it in favor of obnoxious things, just like a hog rejects nice preparations made out of ghee and condensed milk in favor of his usual diet of rejects.

Kapila's last instructions

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"My dear mother, I therefore advise that you take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for His lotus feet are worth worshiping. Accept this with all devotion and love, for thus you can be situated in transcendental devotional service.
Engagement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and application of devotional service unto Kṛṣṇa make it possible to advance in knowledge and detachment, as well as in self-realization.
The exalted devotee’s mind becomes equipoised in sensory activities, and he is transcendental to that which is agreeable and not agreeable.
Because of his transcendental intelligence, the pure devotee is equipoised in his vision and sees himself to be uncontaminated by matter. He does not see anything as superior or inferior, and he feels himself elevated to the transcendental platform of being equal in qualities with the Supreme Person.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead alone is complete transcendental knowledge, but according to the different processes of understanding He appears differently, either as impersonal Brahman, as Paramātmā, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead or as the puruṣa-avatāra." (SB 3.32.22-26)

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In this section, Lord Kapila concludes his instructions to his mother, instructing her to take shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, and no one else, in pure devotional service. This pure devotional service may be achieved through the process of astanga-yoga or any other process. The emphasis of the teachings of Lord Kapila is not in the process, but on the ultimate goal. Although astanga-yoga is not recommended as a process of self-realization in Kali-yuga, we can reach the same ultimate goal through the practical process of Krsna Consciousness taught by Srila Prabhupada. We should thus not think that the teachings of Lord Kapila are a different process. As we studied, the stages and goals described by Him are directly applicable to us, directly relating to the practice of Krsna Consciousness.

Sometimes, there is confusion about the usage of words in the scriptures, and it appears that different passages describe other great personalities such as Brahma and Shiva, or even material elements, like ether (ākāśa) or the vital air (prana) as supreme. In verse 22, for example, the word parameṣṭhinam (the supreme person) can be sometimes interpreted as meaning Lord Brahma, because he is the supreme person within this universe. However, in the highest meaning, it means Krsna, the Supreme Lord. Similarly, all other terms that sometimes appear to address someone else, in reality, address the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is indicated by Vyasadeva himself in the Vedanta-sutra (1.4.28): etena sarve vyākhyātā vyākhyātāḥ, "The Supreme Lord is the original cause of everything. All words of the scriptures should be interpreted according to this explanation."

There is also controversy about different aspects of the Lord. Impersonalists study the impersonal aspects, the yogis try to realize the localized aspect and so on, and everyone thinks the aspect he understands is supreme. The truth however is that these are just different aspects of the same absolute truth. As one grows in knowledge and realization, his understanding of the absolute truth deepens, culminating with the realization of His personal aspect. When one becomes situated in a platform of devotional service, understanding Krsna in His personal form, the concepts of Brahman and Paramatma are automatically understood, but one who is stuck in the understanding of Brahman or Paramatma can't understand the Supreme Person. Bhakti-yoga is thus the supreme process that awards the results of all other processes.

In his purport, Srila Prabhupada emphasizes the mercy of Krsna in His dealings with His devotees to highlight the idea that there is indeed no need to take shelter in anyone else. Although Putana came to the Lord as an enemy, intending to kill Him, she simultaneously manifested an attitude of service by feeding the Lord with her breast milk. The Lord thus accepted her service and at the same time destroyed her demoniac nature by killing her body. In this way, Putana became free and was able to join the Lord's eternal pastimes in Goloka Vrindavana as one of the lady assistants of Mother Yashoda.

All that demigods can offer is a short vacation on the celestial planets, after which one has to return to the hard struggle of life in this world, and even the short stay on the celestial planets is not free of inconveniences as illustrated in many descriptions of the scriptures. Even while living on the celestial planets, one can be killed, cursed, attacked by demons, or offended at any point. Apart from the original position of the soul in service to Krsna, all other positions are unstable and temporary. One can travel all over creation, but as long as one is not able to find this original position, one will not find any permanent shelter. The only one who can help us to reestablish ourselves in this original position is the Lord Himself, therefore He is the only worthy of taking shelter on.

Even if one wants material prosperity, mystic powers, etc. still one should worship Krsna, since in any way, these blessings ultimately depend on the sanction of the Lord, even if awarded by some demigod. As described previously: "A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead." (SB 2.3.10)

As Prabhupada mentions: "There are two kinds of religious activities: one for material advancement and the other for spiritual advancement. By taking shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, one is endowed with both kinds of prosperity, material and spiritual. Why then should one go to any demigod?"

Just as one receives the results of all other processes by practicing devotional service, qualities such as detachment and transcendental knowledge automatically awaken in the devotee. By the grace of Krsna, a devotee acquires all good qualities of the demigods. This is not just an empty boast. The soul has originally 78% of the qualities of Krsna. What prevents us from displaying these qualities even now is our material contamination. As this material contamination is removed, the original qualities of the soul become apparent, just as in the demigods. Eventually, a devotee surpasses even the demigods, becoming fully reestablished in his original, pure identity as a servant of the Lord. In this stage, a devotee becomes equipoised, beyond the duality of the material world. He sees everything in connection with Krsna and becomes agreeable to the desires of the Lord, utilizing everything in the service of the Lord, beyond material attachment and aversion. At this stage, the devotee becomes situated in transcendental bliss, sharing the transcendental pleasure of the Lord.

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