Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). First of all, to get out of the entanglement, this bodily conception of life. The bodily conception of life is meant for the animals. Even if he is human being, but if he is under the bodily concept of life—"I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brahmin," "I am kṣatriya," "I am fat," "I am thin," "I am white," "I am black," "I am . . ."—if that is the identification, then he is not even a human being. Ātma-tattva. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ (SB 5.5.5). Abodha-jāta. Everyone is born that "I am this body," but if he continues to remain under the impression that "I am this body," then whatever he is doing under the bodily concept of life, he is parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Everything is defeat, because he is doing under the bodily concept of life.
So this so-called nationalism, socialism, community-ism and this "ism," that "ism," they have manufactured—they are all defeat, defeating. They are being defeated, because next life he does not know what he is going to become. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and according to your work, you will offer . . . you will be offered . . .
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
So actually they do not know what is siddhi. They do not know. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). He does not know what is siddhi. He does not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). These foolish persons, they do not know what is siddhi, and they are after siddhi. What is siddhi? Ignorance is not siddhi. It is parābhava. Siddhi is, real siddhi is, as Kṛṣṇa says, and in so many ways, that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8).
- bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
- jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
- vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
- sa mahātmā . . .
- (BG 7.19)
This is siddhi: to know Kṛṣṇa; to know Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself, what He is. The foolish person, they do not take to Kṛṣṇa's instruction. They manufacture their own way of explanation. He thinks that he has become Kṛṣṇa. This is foolishness. This is foolishness.
Therefore people do not know what is siddhi. It is not my version; Kṛṣṇa says. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasre . . . what is siddhi? If you do not know what is siddhi, what is the use? Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). You do not know what is the ultimate goal of life, what is siddhi, and you're working so hard. So Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: "He is working uselessly, laboriously." That's all.
They do not know siddhi. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). Yatatām api siddha, siddhānāṁ kaścit. These siddhas, those who are self-realized, athāto brahma jijñāsā . . . even if he thinks that, "I am the Supreme," that is partially in the . . . that is also light. Just like if you come to the sunlight, sunshine, that is also light, but that is not perfection. If you can go within the sun globe and see the origin of shining, brightening principle, the sun-god, that is siddhi. Similarly, to merge into the Brahman is not siddhi. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Actually, it is a fact. Bhāgavata, whatever it says, that is real fact. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If one thinks that, "Now I am merged in the brahma-jyotir, so I am now vimukta. I am now mukta. I am now liberated," so that Bhāgavata says, "He is thinking like that, he's liberated—he is not liberated." Vimukta-mānina. Just like if I think am millionaire, does it mean I have become millionaire? I am not millionaire. Vimukta-mānina.
Why? Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because these persons who are thinking that he has become liberated, their buddhi is not yet cleansed. Aviśuddha. Śuddhāśuddha. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ . . . vimukta-mānina tvayy asta-bhāvāt. Asta-bhāvāt: no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is thinking that the Absolute is imperson. Therefore, asta-bhāvāt, he has no information of the Supreme Person.