1170 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 27
energy of unadulterated bliss. That is the ultimate perfectional goal of the
living entity. After giving up the present material body, the mystic devotee
goes to that transcendental abode and never comes back.

PURPORT

Actual self-realization means becoming a pure devotee of the Lord. The
existence of a devotee implies the function of devotion and the object of
devotion. Self-realization ultimately means to understand the Personality
of Godhead and the living entities; to know the individual self and the
reciprocal exchanges of loving service between the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and the living entity is real self-realization. This cannot be attained
by the impersonalists or other transcendentalists; they cannot understand
the science of devotional service. Devotional service is revealed to the pure
devotee by the unlimited causeless mercy of the Lord. This is especially
spoken of here by the Lord—“‘mat-prasddena,” ‘‘by My special grace.” This
is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita. Only those who engage in devotional
service with love and faith receive the necessary intelligence from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead so that gradually and progressively they
can advance to the abode of the Personality of Godhead.

Nihsreyasa means the ultimate destination. Sva-samsthana means
that the impersonalists have no particular place to stay. The impersonalists
sacrifice their individuality so that the living spark can merge into the
impersonal effulgence emanating from the transcendental body of the
Lord, but the devotee has a specific abode. The planets rest in the sunshine,
but the sunshine itself has no particular resting place. When one reaches
a particular planet, then he has a resting place. The spiritual sky, which is
known as kaivalya, is simply blissful light on all sides, and it is under the
protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-
gitd, brahmano hi pratisthaham: the impersonal Brahman effulgence rests
on the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, the
bodily effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is kaivalya, or
impersonal Brahman. In that impersonal effulgence there are spiritual
planets, which are known as Vaikunthas, chief of which is Krgnaloka. Some
devotees are elevated to the Vaikuntha planets, and some are elevated to
the planet of Krsnaloka. According to the desire of the particular devotee,
he is offered a particular abode, which is known as sva-samsthdna, his
desired destination. By the grace of the Lord the self-realized devotee
engaged in devotional service understands his destination even while in the
material body. He therefore performs his devotional activities steadily,
