The material desirous persons, they get some benefit for this short duration of life, but that will be ended. That will not continue. With the end of the body, everything will be finished. Therefore these desires, that "Let me have wealth. Let me have nice wife. Let me have nice material education and so on, so on," these are not permanent. It is temporary, antavat. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām.
So a real learned person who is interested in eternal life, they are not interested with all these temporary things. Even if you go to the heavenly planet, because these things are promised in the Vedic literature, that is also temporary. So mukti means to give up all these material desires situated in your original constitutional position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is liberation. Liberation does not mean that when you get liberation—you have got now two hands—you will have four hands, like that, no. Liberation means change of consciousness. Now we are conscious of material enjoyment: "Give me nice wife. Give me nice wealth. Give me nice education. Give me this. Give me this," so many. There is no end. So therefore Bhāgavata says, hitvā anyathā rūpam: "These are all meant, the necessities of the body." Sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ: "You be situated in your original consciousness, namely Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is mukti, liberation." Therefore the definition of bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam, no other material desires, no desires, material... Desire means we desire now material desire.
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (Brs. 1.1.11)
This is bhakti-mārga, means simply to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti-mārga, no other desire, no other motive. So that is recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says,
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
- (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We are following Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and therefore His instruction should be followed. What is it? Na dhanam: "I don't want any wealth, material wealth," na dhanam. Na janam: "I don't want any so-called followers." Na sundarīṁ kavitām: "Neither I want a very beautiful wife." "Then what do You want? These are the material things everyone wants." No, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktiḥ: (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "Even I don't want liberation." Liberation means there is no more janma. But He said, janmani janmani: "Life after life, I want to be engaged in Your devotional service." This is real characteristic, and that should be followed. So this is the essence of Vedic knowledge. The essence of Vedic knowledge is Vedānta, Vedānta. There are four Vedas and many branches, eighteen Purāṇas and then 108 Upaniṣad. All combined together, the essence is taken as the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. First of all, Vyāsadeva... Vyāsadeva is the author of all these literatures. Not author, he has written. Formerly there was no need of writing because people were very intelligent. As soon as one hears from the spiritual master, he remembers.
That was the position five thousand years ago, not now. Now the memory is not sharp. Therefore he left all this Vedic literature, Vedic tradition, into writing. So Vedānta-sūtra is the cream of all Vedic literature, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the further explanation of this Vedānta-sūtra. So because Vyāsadeva knew that "Later on this Vedānta-sūtra will be misinterpreted by so many rascals," therefore he left the comment on the Vedānta-sūtra in the form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore if we hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī and his disciplic succession, then we shall enjoy life even after liberation. Rasam ālayam. Ālayam. Ālayam means liberation, means this material life completely finished, spiritual life. In the spiritual life also, you will enjoy Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But for whom it is meant? That is said here, muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ. Those who are very thoughtful and rasika, humorous, transcendentally humorous, they can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and enjoy it.