The importance of approaching a self-realized soul:

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna, “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge to you because he has seen the truth.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.34) In Chapters 6 and 7 of the Gita, Lord Krishna describes the symptoms of a liberated soul. The Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, and all revealed scriptures teach that a genuine spiritual master must be a fully liberated soul. Why? Srila Prabhupada offers a commonsense explanation: “A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself—he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated.” (Bg.7.14, Purport)

In Vedic culture even common people understood that a spiritual master must be a liberated soul. To this day in India such understanding is still not uncommon. For that reason, unscrupulous men sometimes try to imitate liberated persons for the sake exploiting the sentiments of uneducated spiritual seekers. Srila Prabhupada said that his mission to spread the teachings of Lord Krishna and Lord Chaitanya was made more challenging due to the propaganda of upstarts and deviants who pose as gurus and/or self-realized souls. False “gurus” and their misguided followers generally ignore or distort scriptural conclusions for selfish motives. They contradict the instructions of the genuine teachers of Krishna consciousness (acharyas). Ignorant people are lured to follow the personality cults of false teachers, who flatter their followers for the sake of extracting money and services. Those who pervert or neglect fundamental principles of Vedic religion, or varnashrama-dharma, mislead others by their bad examples. Such posers concoct their own paths and practices in defiance of scriptures and the genuine Vaishnava acharyas.

“A person who doesn’t have knowledge of devotional service may think himself liberated but actually he is not. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho ‘nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah: such people may approach the impersonal Brahman effulgence, but they fall down again into material enjoyment because they have no knowledge of devotional service.” (SB.5.5.5, Purport)

Srila Prabhupada often quotes this Sanskrit verse mentioned above. It specifically refers to transcendentalists who practice severe austerities for the sake of attaining Brahman realization. Usually, due to incomplete realization, such people return to material life and take up some political or social cause. Sometimes they imitate devotional activities for the sake of gaining wealth and followers.  Even those who approach the bona fide spiritual master and the mission of Krishna consciousness—but for ulterior motives–may fail to achieve liberation for many lifetimes.

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Bg.7.19)

“In the lowest stage of devotional life, one is not an unalloyed devotee. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam: to be an unalloyed devotee one must be freed from all material desires and untouched by fruitive activity and speculative knowledge.” (SB.5.5.7, Purport)

All revealed scriptures and Vaishnava acharyas emphasize that students of Krishna consciousness should accept a self-realized pure devotee as spiritual master or diksa-guru. Therefore, serious students must first learn the characteristics of a “highly elevated paramahamsa”. Lord Rishabhadeva instructs His sons: “O My sons, you should accept a highly elevated paramahamsa, a spiritually advanced spiritual master. In this way, you should place your faith in Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (SB.5.5.10) Previously, in Vedic society, most people recognized the obvious differences between a liberated person and a non-liberated person. It was common knowledge that only a liberated soul can act as a genuine spiritual master. Unfortunately, people in India and around the world are losing interest in religion and the path of liberation. If one has any interest at all, he (or she) is often misled by pretenders.

“Presently people are so fallen that they cannot distinguish between a liberated soul and a conditioned soul.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.18.5, Purport)

Characteristics of a liberated person:

It is surely important to understand the symptoms of a liberated person. Srila Prabhupada has often explained that only a liberated person, or “unbound” person, can help the “bound”, the conditioned soul, become free from the cycle of birth and death. “Without such superior help, one cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature.” (Bg.7.14, Purport) Charlatan “gurus” may fool people who don’t understand the symptoms of a liberated soul, or a jivan-mukta.

“By the slight association of a devotee, one can be freed from the clutches of maya. Without the mercy of the pure devotee, one cannot get freedom by any means.” (SB. 5.3.14, Purport)

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam we find numerous descriptions of self-realized souls and the paths such great souls followed.  For instance, in Fifth Canto of Bhagavatam we find descriptions of Maharaja Nabhi, the father of Lord Rishabhadeva. Maharaja Nabhi was a great Vaishnava king, a raja-rishi. He carefully followed the varanashrama way of living throughout his life and finally retired with his wife to Bhadrikashrama in the Himalayas. King Nabhi attained liberation, or full Krishna consciousness (samadhi-yoga), and was promoted to the spiritual world, Vaikuntha. In the fourth chapter, citing recognized authorities, Srila Prabhupada presents a detailed description of a person who is already liberated, even while living in this world:

“This is the way of Vedic life. One must stop the process of repeated birth and death and return home, back to Godhead. The words tan–mahimānam avāpa are significant in this regard. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī says that mahimā means liberation in this life. We should act in such a way in this life that after giving up this body, we will become liberated from the bondage of repeated birth and death. This is called jīvan–mukti. Śrīla Vīrarāghava Ācārya states that in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad there are eight symptoms of a jīvan–mukta, a person who is already liberated even when living in this body. The first symptom of one so liberated is that he is freed from all sinful activity (apahata–pāpa). As long as one is under the clutches of māyā in the material energy, one has to engage in sinful activity. Bhagavad-gītā describes such people as duṣkṛtinaḥ, which indicates that they are always engaged in sinful activity. One who is liberated in this life does not commit any sinful activities. Sinful activity involves illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Another symptom of a liberated person is vijara, which indicates that he is not subjected to the miseries of old age. Another symptom is vimṛtyu. A liberated person prepares himself in such a way that he does not take on any more material bodies, which are destined to die. In other words. he does not fall down again to repeat birth and death. Another symptom is viśoka, which indicates that he is callous to material distress and happiness. Another is vijighatsa, which indicates that he no longer desires material enjoyment. Another symptom is apipātā, which means that he has no desire other than to engage in the devotional service of Krishṇa, his dearmost pursuable Lord. A further symptom is satya–kāma, which indicates that all his desires are directed to the Supreme Truth, Kṛishṇa. He does not want anything else. He is satya–saṅkalpa. Whatever he desires is fulfilled by the grace of Krishna. First of all, he does not desire anything for his material benefit, and secondly if he desires anything at all, he simply desires to serve the Supreme Lord. That desire is fulfilled by the Lord’s grace. That is called satya–saṅkalpa. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that the word mahimā means returning to the spiritual world, back home, back to Vaikuṇṭha. Śrī Śukadeva says that the word mahimā means that the devotee attains the qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called sadharma, or “the same quality.” Just as Kṛishna is never born and never dies, His devotees who return to Godhead never die and never take birth within the material world.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.4.5, Purport)

In this Fifth Canto of Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada confirms that the purpose of varnashrama-dharma is to help people attain liberation—even in this lifetime. In this age, wherein false preachers and bogus gurus are rampant, it is especially important to understand the characteristics of truly liberated souls like Maharaja Nabhi. By this understanding, people can avoid getting cheated and learn to hear from and follow Srila Prabhupada, who perfectly represents the teaching of Lord Krishna and Lord Chaitanya and Their great devotees. Srila Prabhupada encouraged his disciples to make their lives perfect in this lifetime. “We should act in such a way in this life that after giving up this body, we will become liberated from the bondage of repeated birth and death.” (SB.5.4.5, Purport)

“Although we may be engaged in the Lord’s devotional service in the temple, material conditions are so tough and inevitable that we may forget the Lord at the time of death due to a diseased condition or mental derangement. Therefore we should pray to the Lord to be able to remember His lotus feet without fail at the time of death, when we are in such a precarious condition…” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.3.12, Purport)

[Note: All book quotes cited are from Srila Prabhupada’s authorized original editions (AOE).]

Compiled by,

Narasimha dasa