Text 43] The Advent of Lord Krsna: Introduction 75
When the living entity receives these different forms, he identifies with
them, and not with his original, spiritual form. As soon as the living en-
tity returns to his original, spiritual form and understanding, he im-
mediately surrenders to the supreme form, the Personality of Godhead.
This is explained in Bhagavad-gita (7.19). Bahinar janmanaém ante
Jfidnavaén mam prapadyate. When the living entity, after many, many
births in different forms, returns to his original form of Krsna con-
sciousness, he immediately surrenders unto the lotus feet of the supreme
form, Krsna. This is liberation. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita
(18.54):
brahma-bhitah prasannétma
na Socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhitesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme
Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have
anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he at-
tains pure devotional service unto Me.” Surrender unto the supreme
form is the result of bhakti. This bhakti, or understanding of one’s own
position, is the complete liberation. As long as one is under an imper-
sonal understanding of the Absolute Truth, he is not in pure knowledge,
but must still struggle for pure knowledge. Kleso ‘dhikataras tesim
avyaktdsakta-cetasam (Bg. 12.5). Although one may be spiritually ad-
vanced, if one is attached to the impersonal feature of the Absolute
Truth one must still work very hard, as indicated by the words kleso
‘dhikatarah, which mean “greater suffering.” A devotee, however,
easily attains his original position as a spiritual form and understands the
Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original form.

Krsna Himself explains the forms of the living entities in the Second
Chapter of Bhagavad-gitd, where He clearly says to Arjuna that He,
Arjuna and all other living entities, who were previously in their original
forms, are separate individual identities. They were individuals in the
past, they are now situated in individuality, and in the future they will
all continue to maintain their individual forms. The only difference is
that the conditioned living entity appears in various material forms,
