Text 36]
Kapila's Instructions on Devotional Service
1215
forcibly trained to accept meditation on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when one is actually elevated to loving the Supreme Lord, then the mind is automatically absorbed in thought of the Lord. In such a position a  yogī  has no other thought than to serve the Lord. This dovetailing of the mind with the desires of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called  nirvāṇa , or making the mind one with the Supreme Lord.
The best example of  nirvāṇa  is cited in  Bhagavad-gītā . In the beginning the mind of Arjuna deviated from Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa wanted Arjuna to fight, but Arjuna did not want to, so there was disagreement. But after hearing  Bhagavad-gītā  from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna dovetailed his mind with Kṛṣṇa's desire. This is called oneness. This oneness, however, did not cause Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa to lose their individualities. The Māyāvādī philosophers cannot understand this. They think that oneness necessitates loss of individuality. Actually, however, we find in  Bhagavad-gītā  that individuality is not lost. When the mind is completely purified in love of Godhead, then the mind becomes the mind of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind at that time does not act separately, nor does it act without inspiration to fulfill the desire of the Lord. The individual liberated soul has no other activity.  Pratinivṛtta-guṇa-pravāhaḥ . In the conditioned state the mind is always engaged in activity impelled by the three modes of the material world, but in the transcendental stage, the material modes cannot disturb the mind of the devotee. The devotee has no other concern than to satisfy the desires of the Lord. That is the highest stage of perfection, called  nirvāṇa  or  nirvāṇa-mukti . At this stage the mind becomes completely free from material desire.
Yathārciḥ .  Arciḥ  means flame. When a lamp is broken or the oil is finished, we see that the flame of the lamp goes out, but according to scientific understanding, the flame is not extinguished; it is conserved. This is conservation of energy. Similarly, when the mind stops functioning on the material platform, it is conserved in the activities of the Supreme Lord. The Māyāvādī philosophers' conception of cessation of the functions of the mind is explained here: cessation of the mental functions means cessation of activities conducted under the influence of the three modes of material nature.
TEXT 36
सोऽप्येतया चरमया मनसो निवृत्त्या
तस्मिन्नादिष्यवसितः सुखदुःखवाहो ।