The conditioned state of life means influence of material nature. When we are very much influenced by the material nature . . . we have already discussed: guṇa. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Material nature means the three guṇas, three material qualities: ignorance, passion and goodness. Goodness is better than the other two qualities, ignorance and passion. But mostly, especially in this age, they are conducted or influenced by the modes of ignorance and passion. People do not know what is the aim of life. Just like they are called śūdras. Śūdras means they do not know what is the aim of life. Just like animal, animal does not know what is the aim of life. That is ignorance. And passion is power, creative power, or working for sense gratification. That is called passion. And goodness means knowledge. One can see what is what. So we have discussed in the last verse how one becomes liberated.
- tadā puruṣa ātmānaṁ
- kevalaṁ prakṛteḥ param
- nirantaraṁ svayaṁ-jyotir
- aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam
- (SB 3.25.17)
Aṇimānam, aṇu. We are minute particle of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are not Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa's part, minute part. That minute part also we have discussed—one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9). So when we realize this, that "I am not God, but I am godly. I have got the quality of God . . ." I have given the example also: just like the sea and the drop of water of the sea. So chemically, the drop of water of the sea is the same quality. There is no change of taste or other chemical composition. Similarly, we should understand fully that we are simply qualitatively one with God, but quantitatively, God is great and we are very minute particle. This is self-realization. Therefore part and parcel. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ. The all living entities, Kṛṣṇa says: "They are My part and parcel."
Part and parcel, we have several times explained. Just like in my body there are different parts, but the business of the part is to satisfy the central point, stomach. The leg is working, the hand is working, the eyes, the ears, everyone is working. Why working? To satisfy the stomach. The Hindi, there is a pet kaste, sat. So similarly, we should work for Kṛṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore we should work for Kṛṣṇa. I can repeat the same story again, udarendriyāṇām. The indriyas, the different parts of the body, because they were working hard, and the stomach within the abdomen, he's simply eating, so they went on strike, "We shall no more work. This part is only simply . . . this man is simply eating, and we are working. We shall not work." They stopped work. The indriyas, they stopped work. So gradually they became weak. So when next meeting they saw that, "We have become weak," therefore again decided that "Let us supply food to the stomach." This is sense.
So this godless societies, the rascal society, who is . . . which has forgotten that we have to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. When the society forgets Kṛṣṇa and stops Kṛṣṇa's service, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. Real dharma means the characteristic. Dharma does not mean some rules and regulation. So just like sugar. Sugar, the characteristic of sugar is to become sweet. The characteristic of chili means to become hot. If sugar becomes hot and chili becomes sweet, then nobody cares for it. Similarly, our characteristic is to serve Kṛṣṇa. And when we serve anything other than Kṛṣṇa, that is our diseased condition of life. Just like this hand is meant for picking up something eatable and put it into the mouth. If it is unable to do it, then it is diseased. If the fingers and hand cannot pick up nice foodstuff and put into the mouth, then it is diseased condition. Similarly, when we are unable to serve Kṛṣṇa, or we do not serve Kṛṣṇa, we serve . . . serving we are. That is a fact. We cannot become master. Nobody . . . can anyone say that he is master? He's not serving anyone? Everyone is serving. That's a fact. Either you are serving your family or society or country or office or so many service. If anyone hasn't got to serve anything, then he picks up a master a cat and dog and serves him. Because service is my nature. But we are missing where to put the service. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is, that is Kṛṣṇa.
So when we understand that we are missing . . . we are serving, but we are having no pleasure. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ (CC Madhya 22.16). We are serving . . . instead of serving Kṛṣṇa, I am serving my lusty desires. Kāma-lobhādi. If I go to serve any office, I am not going to serve that particular person, proprietor of the office, but I require some money—therefore I am serving. So I am serving the money, not the person. Therefore it is said, kāma-lobha. Lobha. We serve the . . . service must be. Kṛṣṇa is the master. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only master is Kṛṣṇa, and anyone—all demigods or man or animal or trees or anything—they are all servants. This is the position. And when one realizes this position that, "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, particle, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," then it is called self-realization. Not that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I become Bhagavān." How you can become Bhagavān? If you are Bhagavān, if you are actually the supreme powerful, then why you are in miserable condition under māyā? Does Bhagavān comes under māyā? No. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. Māyā is the maidservant of Kṛṣṇa, and we are servant of māyā. So how we can become māyā, uh, Bhagavān? This is common sense. Had I been Bhagavān, then why I have become servant of māyā?
Therefore we are engaged in the service of māyā in so many phases and different names. Somebody's serving country, somebody's serving society, somebody's serving family, office, this, that, so many. This is māyā's service. Now, when we come to our senses that, "I am . . . so long I was engaged in māyā's service. Now I have to engage myself in Kṛṣṇa's service," that is self-realization. That is described here that jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. Jñāna-vairāgya. This is knowledge, that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. I am nobody's servant." This is jñāna. Because I am in illusion, I am, for nothing, without any benefit, I am serving so many . . . kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. Kāma-lobha. I am serving this kāma, lobha, moha, mātsarya, but without any benefit, without any pleasure. So when we come to this stage, to know, that is called jñānam. And as soon as you become jñānī, actually in knowledge, then what is the next step? Vairāgya. "No more I am serving anyone. I shall serve only Kṛṣṇa. That's all." This is called vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya.