Text 27] = Prthu Maharaja’s Meeting with the Four Kumaras 923

PURPORT

As described by Srila Rapa Gosvami (anyabhilasita-Sunyam), one must
be devoid of all material desires. When a person becomes devoid of all
material desires, there is no longer need for speculative knowledge or
fruitive activities. In that condition it is to be understood that one is free
from the material body. The example is already given above—a coconut
which is dry is loosened from its outward husk. This is the stage of
liberation. As said in Srimad- -Bhagavatam, mukti (liberation) means
svarupena avasthitih—being situated in one’s own constitutional position.
All material desires are present as long as one is in the bodily concept of
life, but when one realizes that he is an eternal servant of Krsna, his
desires are no longer material. A devotee acts in this consciousness.
In other words, when material desires in connection with the body are
finished, one is actually liberated.

When one is liberated from the material qualities, he does not do any-
thing for his personal sense gratification. At that time all activities per-
formed by him are absolute. In the conditioned state there are two kinds
of activities. One acts on behalf of the body, and at the same time he acts
to become liberated. The devotee, when he is completely free from all
material desires or all material qualities, transcends the duality of action
for the body and soul. Then the bodily concept of life is completely over.
Therefore Srila Ripa Gosvami says: tha yasya harer dasye karmana manasa
vaca/ nikhilasv apy avasthasu jivan-muktah sa ucyate. When one is com-
pletely fixed in the service of the Lord, he is a liberated person in any
condition of life. He is called jivan-muk tah, liberated even within this body.
In such a liberated condition, there is no distinction between actions for
sense gratification and actions for liberation. When one is liberated from
the desires of sense gratification, he has no longer to suffer the reactions
of lamentation or illusion. Activities performed by the karmis and jranis
are subjected to lamentation and illusion, but a self-realized liberated
person acting only for the Supreme Personality of Godhead experiences
none. This is the stage of oneness, or merging into the existence of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that the individual soul,
while keeping his individuality, no longer has separate interests. He is
fully in the service of the Lord, and he has nothing to do for his personal
sense gratification; therefore he sees only the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and not himself. His personal interest completely perishes.
When a person comes out of a dream, the dream vanishes. While dreaming
a person may consider himself a king and see the royal paraphernalia, his
soldiers, etc., but when the dream is over, he does not see anything beyond
