Chapter 5. Karma yoga--Action in Krsna Consciousness

TEXT 26

kama-krodha-vimuktanam
yatinam yata-cetasam
abhito brahma-nirvanam
vartate viditatmanam

SYNONYMS

kama--desires; krodha--anger; vimuktanam--of those who are so liberated; yatinam--of the saintly persons; yata-cetasam--of persons who have full control over the mind; abhitah--assured in the near future; brahma-nirvanam--liberation in the Supreme; vartate--is there; vidita-atmanam--of those who are self-realized.

TRANSLATION

Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.

PURPORT

Of the saintly persons who are constantly engaged in striving toward salvation, one who is in Krsna consciousness is the best of all. The Bhagavatam confirms this fact as follows:

yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya
karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti santah
tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-
sroto-ganas tam aranam bhaja vasudevam

"Just try to worship, in devotional service, Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even great sages are not able to control the forces of the senses as effectively as those who are engaged in transcendental bliss by serving the lotus feet of the Lord, uprooting the deep grown desire for fruitive activities." (Bhag. 4.22.39)
In the conditioned soul the desire to enjoy the fruitive results of work is so deep-rooted that it is very difficult even for the great sages to control such desires, despite great endeavors. A devotee of the Lord, constantly engaged in devotional service in Krsna consciousness, perfect in self-realization, very quickly attains liberation in the Supreme. Owing to his complete knowledge in self-realization, he always remains in trance. To cite an analogous example of this:

darsana-dhyana-samsparsair
matsya-kurma-vihangamah
svany apatyani pusnanti
tathaham api padma-ja

"By vision, by meditation and by touch only do the fish, the tortoise and the birds maintain their offspring. Similarly do I also, O Padmaja!"

The fish brings up its offspring simply by looking at them. The tortoise brings up its offspring simply by meditation. The eggs of the tortoise are laid on land, and the tortoise meditates on the eggs while in the water. Similarly, a devotee in Krsna consciousness, although far away from the Lord's abode, can elevate himself to that abode simply by thinking of Him constantly--by engagement in Krsna consciousness. He does not feel the pangs of material miseries; this state of life is called brahma-nirvana, or the absence of material miseries due to being constantly immersed in the Supreme.