Text 45] = Instructions for Civilized Human Beings 251
brahma-bhitah prasannatma
na Socati na karksati
samah sarvesu bhitesu
mad-bhaktirn labhate param
“One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme
Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have
anything; he is equally disposed toward all living entities. In that state he
attains pure devotional service.” Simply by cultivating knowledge as the
impersonalists do, one cannot get out of the clutches of maya. One must
attain the platform of bhakti.
bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas casmi tattvatah
tato mam tattvato jndtva
visate tad-anantaram
“One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devo-
tional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme
Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.”
(Bg. 18.55) Unless one has attained the stage of devotional service and
the mercy of the spiritual master and Krsna, there is a possibility that
one may fall down and again accept a material body. Therefore Krsna
stresses in Bhagavad-gita (4.9):
janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mdm eti so ’rjuna
“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and ac-
tivities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this ma-
terial world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.”

The word tattvatah, meaning “‘in reality,” is very important. Tato
mam tattvato jndtvd. Unless one understands Krsna in truth by the
mercy of the spiritual master, one is not free to give up his material
body. As it is said, druhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho
