1430 Stimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 33

PURPORT

Devotional service is so perfect that simply by following the rules and
regulations and executing them under the direction of the spiritual
master, one is liberated, as it is said herein, from the clutches of maya,
even in this body. In other yogic processes, or in empiric philosophical
speculation, one is never certain whether or not he is at the perfectional
stage. But in the discharge of devotional service, if one has unflinching
faith in the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master and follows the
rules and regulations, he is sure to be liberated, even within this present
body. Srila Ripa Gosvami, in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, has also
confirmed this. Jha yasya harer dasye: anyone whose only aim is to serve
the Supreme Lord under the direction of the spiritual master, regardless
of where he is situated, is called jivan-mukta, or one who is liberated
even with his material body. Sometimes doubts arise in the minds of
neophytes about whether or not the spiritual master is liberated, and
sometimes neophytes are doubtful about the bodily affairs of the
spiritual master. The point of liberation, however, is not to see the
bodily symptoms of the spiritual master. One has to see the spiritual
symptoms of the spiritual master. Jivan-mukta means that even though
one is in the material body (there are still some material necessities,
since the body is material), because one is fully situated in the service of
the Lord, he is to be understood to be liberated.

Liberation entails being situated in one’s own position. That is the
definition in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: muktir. . . svaruipena vyavasthitih.
The svariipa, or actual identity of the living entity, is described by Lord
Caitanya. Jivera ‘svariipa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-ddsa’: the real identity of
the living entity is that he is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Lord. If
someone is one hundred percent engaged in the service of the Lord, he is
to be understood as liberated. One must understand whether or not he is
liberated by his activities in devotional service, not by other symptoms.

TEXT 11
agraand ve ge apearehi: |
Fa AMAT AT BePRESeTaASe: 112 Vl

Sraddhatsvaitan matam mahyam
justam yad brahma-vadibhih

yena mam abhayam yaya
mrtyum rcchanty atad-vidah
