SB 03.29.13 salokya-sarsti-samipya... cited

Expressions researched:
"A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation" |"Sayujya" |"diyamanam na grhnanti" |"salokya-sarsti-samipya" |"sarupyaikatvam apy uta" |"vina mat-sevanam janah"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "3.29.13" or "A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation"

SB Canto 3

SB 3.29.13, Translation and Purport:

A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation—sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, sārūpya or ekatva—even though they are offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lord Caitanya teaches us how to execute pure devotional service out of spontaneous love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Śikṣāṣṭaka, He prays to the Lord: "O Lord, I do not wish to gain from You any wealth, nor do I wish to have a beautiful wife, nor do I wish to have many followers. All I want from You is that in life after life I may remain a pure devotee at Your lotus feet." There is a similarity between the prayers of Lord Caitanya and the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lord Caitanya prays, "in life after life," indicating that a devotee does not even desire the cessation of birth and death. The yogīs and empiric philosophers desire cessation of the process of birth and death, but a devotee is satisfied to remain even in this material world and execute devotional service.

It is clearly stated herein that a pure devotee does not desire ekatva, oneness with the Supreme Lord, as desired by the impersonalists, the mental speculators and the meditators. To become one with the Supreme Lord is beyond the dream of a pure devotee. Sometimes he may accept promotion to the Vaikuṇṭha planets to serve the Lord there, but he will never accept merging into the Brahman effulgence, which he considers worse than hellish. Such ekatva, or merging into the effulgence of the Supreme Lord, is called kaivalya, but the happiness derived from kaivalya is considered by the pure devotee to be hellish. The devotee is so fond of rendering service to the Supreme Lord that the five kinds of liberation are not important to him. If one is engaged in pure transcendental loving service to the Lord, it is understood that he has already achieved the five kinds of liberation.

When a devotee is promoted to the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭha, he receives four kinds of facilities. One of these is sālokya, living on the same planet as the Supreme Personality. The Supreme Person, in His different plenary expansions, lives on innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, and the chief planet is Kṛṣṇaloka. Just as within the material universe the chief planet is the sun, in the spiritual world the chief planet is Kṛṣṇaloka. From Kṛṣṇaloka, the bodily effulgence of Lord Kṛṣṇa is distributed not only to the spiritual world but to the material world as well; it is covered by matter, however, in the material world. In the spiritual world there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, and on each one the Lord is the predominating Deity. A devotee can be promoted to one such Vaikuṇṭha planet to live with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In sārṣṭi liberation the opulence of the devotee is equal to the opulence of the Supreme Lord. Sāmīpya means to be a personal associate of the Supreme Lord. In sārūpya liberation the bodily features of the devotee are exactly like those of the Supreme Person but for two or three symptoms found exclusively on the transcendental body of the Lord. Śrīvatsa, for example, the hair on the chest of the Lord, particularly distinguishes Him from His devotees.

A pure devotee does not accept these five kinds of spiritual existence, even if they are offered, and he certainly does not hanker after material benefits, which are all insignificant in comparison with spiritual benefits. When Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered some material benefit, he stated: "My Lord, I have seen that my father achieved all kinds of material benefits, and even the demigods were afraid of his opulence, but still, in a second, You have finished his life and all his material prosperity." For a devotee there is no question of desiring any material or spiritual prosperity. He simply aspires to serve the Lord. That is his highest happiness.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 4.208, Translation and Purport:

"My devotees do not accept sālokya, sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya or oneness with Me—even if I offer these liberations—in preference to serving Me."

These three verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.29.11–13) were spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of Kapiladeva.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 9.268, Translation and Purport:

“"Pure devotees always reject the five kinds of liberation, which include living in the spiritual Vaikuṇṭha planets, possessing the same opulences as those possessed by the Supreme Lord, having the same bodily features as the Lord"s, associating with the Lord and merging into the body of the Lord. The pure devotees do not accept these benedictions without the service of the Lord.’

This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.29.13).

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 3.189, Translation and Purport:

""My devotees do not accept sālokya, sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya or oneness with Me—even if I offer these liberations—in preference to serving Me.""

This verse is spoken by Lord Kapila, an avatāra of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.29.13).

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 83:

My dear Queen Draupadī, please take it from us that we are not after any opulence such as a kingdom, an empire or a position of heavenly enjoyment. We do not want to enjoy such material opulences, nor do we desire to achieve the yogic perfections, nor the exalted post of Lord Brahmā. Nor do we want any of the different kinds of liberation—sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya or sāyujya. We are not at all attracted by any of these opulences. Our only ambition is to bear on our heads life after life the dust particles attached to the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The goddess of fortune also desires to keep that dust on her breasts, along with fragrant saffron.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

So there are five kinds of liberation. Sāyujya, the first liberation is supposed to be sāyujya, means, to become one with the Supreme. The Māyāvāda philosophers, monists, they aspire after sāyujya-mukti. But the devotees, Vaiṣṇavas, they do not aspire after sāyujya-mukti. Their, for them, there are other, four kinds of mukti: sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya. And those who are still further advanced, they do not want any kind of mukti, neither of these five kinds of muktis. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He prays, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is pure devotional prayer. The devotees does not approach the Supreme for any material gain. Pure devotion means without any aspiration of any kind of material gain.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

So even in this material world there is one personality, Brahmā, he has got four hands. So we can get also the same body, the same features, the same opulence. Sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, sālokya, there are different kinds of liberation. Or sāyujya.

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

And the living entities, they are also of the same feature. The inhabitants or citizens, they are also of the four hands. And one cannot distinguish who is God and who is not God. This is called sārūpya-mukti, liberation of the same feature.

There are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, five kinds of liberation. So sāyujya-mukti is to merge into the impersonal effulgence of God. That is called sāyujya-mukti. If you like, you can merge your identity with the impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord, which is called Brahman, brahma-jyotir. That you can do. But that is not very palatable. That we have discussed many times. But others...

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

So mokṣa... Sāyujya. It is called sāyujya-mokṣa. Merging. Sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya. Five kinds of liberation. So for the Vaiṣṇavas, this merging liberation is rejected. They accept the other four kinds of..., sārūpya, sālokya, sāmīpya, sārṣṭi. Means to possess equal opulence with God. As Kṛṣṇa is full in six kinds of opulences, one can become almost as opulent as Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

Sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya. There are different types of position, although they are all spiritual. The one is the sāyujya-mukti, or to become one with the Supreme, merge into the Supreme.

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

Therefore Vaiṣṇava never accepts sāyujya-mukti, to become one with the Supreme. Because Vaiṣṇava knows that impersonal advancement is risky. They know it perfectly. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava never... Vaiṣṇava is not anxious for any kind of mukti. Dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. They don't want... Especially Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, they don't want mukti. They are happy wherever they are existing. If they get the chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that is perfection of life. They don't want anything more. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. We should not imitate, but the position is like that.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971:

Janmani janmani means He does not want even liberation, because when there is liberation, there is no question of janmani janmani. So He says, mama janmani janmani īśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. So this is the sample of pure devotee. A pure devotee does not want even liberation. Dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. If liberation is offered to a devotee, he does not want it. He'll refuse to accept it. He is satisfied only in the service of the Lord. That is the standard of satisfac... Or in other words, to a devotee, liberation is not very valuable thing. Just like our one devotee, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī... No, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

The upāsana, the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65)—this is not stopped after liberation. The same business goes on. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava, even if he is offered mukti... Dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. Even if he's offered that "You take mukti," they do not accept it.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in His prayer to the Supreme Lord,

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

They want to keep... Nitya-yukta upāsate. Nitya-yukta. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, nitya-yukta upāsata. The upāsana, the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65)—this is not stopped after liberation. The same business goes on. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava, even if he is offered mukti... Dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. Even if he's offered that "You take mukti," they do not accept it.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in His prayer to the Supreme Lord,

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is also a contaminated desire. Otherwise why Caitanya will say mama janmani, to go? Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam (BG 15.6). If one goes to Vaikuṇṭha he does not come. But Caitanya also says He does not desire that. He is.... "Let me remain perpetually here, but be engaged in Your service." That is real, pure devotee. He doesn't want even promotion. That is also mentioned now: dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. Dīyamānam, even Kṛṣṇa says, "Come immediately to Vaikuṇṭha," "Sir, that is for..." Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered, "Whatever you like, you take." "Sir, do not make me a bāniyā (indistinct)." (break) But if anyone wants in exchange of service, then he's not a devotee, he's a bāniyā (merchant).