Actually the prakṛti, the material nature, is pulling everyone by the ear: "You do like this. You do like this." Forcing. But because we are fools and rascals we are thinking, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham: "I am karta." We are not karta.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- (BG 3.27)
Everything . . . because as soon as we associate with a certain quality of the material nature, modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa . . . they may be different variety—goodness, passion—but they are all under the prakṛti. Therefore in this material world, even if you become very good man, that is also under the reins of the prakṛti. So therefore Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna:
- trai-guṇya-visayā vedā
- nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna
- (BG 2.45)
"You just try to transcend all the influences of this prakṛti, material modes of nature." And how we can transcend? Very easy, if we actually are serious. That is also recommended in Bhagavad-gītā:
- māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
Avyabhicāreṇa bhakti: without any adulteration. Pure bhakti, not mixed bhakti. Pure bhakti. Then immediately you are transcendental. Sa guṇān samatītya. Guṇān—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Samatītya, sama-atītya, brahma-bhūyāya.
So this bhakti-yoga process is so nice that it can give you immediately liberation. Immediate, within a second, provided you agree, "Yes." Just like Arjuna said. Arjuna was asked, "Now I have given you all instruction. Now what do you want to do?" That discrimination depends on us, because in the Vedic literature everything is given there. Take for example Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says:
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- (BG 18.66)
Now it is up to us whether we shall accept or not. Kṛṣṇa does not force you. He says, śaraṇaṁ vraja: "You do this." But He is all-powerful. If He likes He can force one. But that force He does not apply. He applies sometimes force to His very, very dear devotee; not to the ordinary. Just like a father forces his own child, not others'. This is an example. Similarly, one who is actually a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, He sometimes forces him, "You must do this." Others He does not force. He says, śaraṇaṁ vraja. Now it is our choice. But if we make our choice like that, then we are liberated immediately, because that is our position. Mukti means:
- muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ
- sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ
- (SB 2.10.6)
Sva-rūpeṇa, that is mukti. One should be standing on his original position.
The original position is that we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Aṁśa. Aṁśa, not the full, not the whole. Part cannot be equal to the whole, but if the part is always attached to the whole, it has got value; otherwise it is valueless. The same example, this finger, so long it is attached with this body, it has got value; and if it is cut off from this body, it has no value. Similarly, so long we are cut off from the relationship with Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya, to serve Him, we have no value. We may conjecture that "I am this," "I am that," "I am that." This is all troublesome.
So Kṛṣṇa personally says, therefore that, "You give up all these mental concoctions. You simply surrender unto Me, and I shall give you protection from all calamities." Sarva-pāpebhyaḥ. He has mentioned the pāpa, not the puṇyebhyaḥ. Because those that are puṇya, they are not suffering. They have got some solace, because Kṛṣṇa says:
- yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
- janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
- (BG 7.28)
So Kṛṣṇa does not say that, "I shall save you from the reaction of puṇya." He says pāpebhyo, because sufferings, actual suffering, is due to our sinful activities. That is suffering. Nature will not tolerate.