Text 139] Talks Between the Lord and Ramananda Raya 175

“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of
those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” (Bg. 7.3)

The word siddhaye indicates liberation. Only after being liberated from material
conditioning can one understand Krsna. When one can understand Krsna as He is
(tattvatah), one actually lives in the spiritual world, although apparently living
within the material body. This technical science can be understood when one is
actually spiritually advanced.

In his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.187), Srila Rapa Gosvami says:

iha yasya harer dasye
karmand manasé gira

nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate

When a person in this material world desires only to serve Krsna with love and
devotion, he is liberated, even though functioning within this material world. As
Bhagavad-gita confirms:

mam ca yo ‘vyabhicarena
bhakti- yogena sevate

sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhiyaya kalpate

“One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any
circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to
the level of Brahman.” (Bg. 14.26)

Simply by engaging in the loving service of the Lord one can attain liberation.
As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.54): brahma-bhdtah prasannatma na socati na
kanksati. A person who is highly advanced in spiritual knowledge and who has at-
tained the brahma-bhdata stage neither laments nor hankers for anything material.
That is the stage of spiritual realization.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura considered the brahma-bhdta stage in two divi-
sions —svaruipa-gata and vastu-gata. When one has understood Krsna in truth but
is still maintaining some material connection, he is known to be situated in his
svaruipa, his original consciousness. When that original consciousness is com-
pletely spiritual, it is called Krsna consciousness. One who lives in such conscious-
ness is actually living in Vrndavana. He may live anywhere; material location
doesn’t matter. When by the grace of Krsna one thus advances, he becomes com-
pletely uncontaminated by the material body and mind and at that time factually
lives in Vendavana. That stage is called vastu-gata.

One should execute his spiritual activities in the svardpa-gata stage of con-
sciousness. He should also chant the cinmayi gayatri, the spiritual mantras: om
