Kaivalyam – Achieving liberation through knowledge of Purusha & Prakriti

You can also listen to all the episodes through my Spotify Portal. And here on YouTube as well.

Keywords: Kaivalya Pataye – The Lord of Kaivalyam, Prakriti and Purusha Insights, karyam and karanam explained, Kaivalya Pataye prayer, Kunti devotion lessons, Kevala liberation path, Kuntibhoja story, three gunas and liberation, kaivalyam spiritual journey, dhyana and karma yoga, Kunti and Prakriti wisdom.

Verses 13.20 to 13.26

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि।
विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान्॥13.20॥

prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api
vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān

प्रकृतिम् (prakṛtim) – Material nature; पुरुषम् (puruṣam) – The living entity; च (ca) – And; एव (eva) – Indeed; विद्धि (viddhi) – Know; अनादी (anādī) – Without beginning; उभौ अपि (ubhau api) – Both of them; विकारान् (vikārān) – Transformations; च (ca) – And; गुणान् (guṇān) – The modes of material nature; च एव (ca eva) – Also; विद्धि (viddhi) – Know; प्रकृति-सम्भवान् (prakṛti-sambhavān) – Produced of material nature;

Know that Prakriti and Purusha (material nature and spirit soul) are both beginningless. Also know that all material transformations and the three gunas are produced by Prakriti.

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते।
पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते॥13.21॥

kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate

कार्य-कारण-कर्तृत्वे (kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve) – In the matter of cause and effect; हेतुः (hetuḥ) – The cause; प्रकृतिः (prakṛtiḥ) – Material nature; उच्यते (ucyate) – Is said to be; पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) – The living entity; सुख-दुःखानाम् (sukha-duḥkhānām) – Of happiness and distress; भोक्तृत्वे (bhoktṛtve) – In being the experiencer; हेतुः (hetuḥ) – The cause; उच्यते (ucyate) – Is said to be;

Prakṛti is considered the cause in the formation of the body and senses, while Puruṣa is regarded as the cause in experiencing pleasure and pain.

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्।
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु॥13.22॥

puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ‘sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) – The living entity; प्रकृति-स्थः (prakṛti-sthaḥ) – Situated in material nature; हि (hi) – Indeed; भुङ्क्ते (bhuṅkte) – Enjoys; प्रकृति-जान् (prakṛti-jān) – Produced by material nature; गुणान् (guṇān) – The modes of nature; कारणम् (kāraṇam) – The cause; गुण-सङ्गः (guṇa-saṅgaḥ) – Association with the modes of nature; अस्य (asya) – Of the living entity; सत्-असत्-योनि-जन्मसु (sat-asat-yoni-janmasu) – In good and evil wombs;

The Purusha (individual soul) that is seated in Prakriti (material nature) experiences the guṇas born of Prakṛti; the reason of its birth in good and evil wombs is based on the attachment to the guṇas.

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः।
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः॥13.23॥

upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ
paramātmeti cāpy ukto dehe ‘smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ

उपद्रष्टा (upadraṣṭā) – The overseer; अनुमन्ता (anumantā) – The permitter; च (ca) – And; भर्ता (bhartā) – The supporter; भोक्ता (bhoktā) – The supreme enjoyer; महेश्वरः (maheśvaraḥ) – The Supreme Lord; परमात्मा इति (paramātmā iti) – Known as the Supersoul; च अपि (ca api) – Also; उक्तः (uktaḥ) – Is said; देहे (dehe) – In this body; अस्मिन् (asmin) – In this; पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) – The living entity; परः (paraḥ) – Transcendental;

Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer who is the Supreme Lord. He is said to be the Witness, the Approver, the Supporter, Transcendental Enjoyer, the ultimate Controller, and the Paramātmā (Supreme Soul).

य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह।
सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते॥13.24॥

ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṇaiḥ saha
sarvathā vartamāno ‘pi na sa bhūyo ‘bhijāyate

यः (yaḥ) – Anyone who; एवम् (evam) – Thus; वेत्ति (vetti) – Understands; पुरुषम् (puruṣam) – The living entity; प्रकृतिम् (prakṛtim) – Material nature; च (ca) – And; गुणैः सह (guṇaiḥ saha) – Along with the modes of nature; सर्वथा (sarvathā) – In all ways; वर्तमानः अपि (vartamānaḥ api) – Though engaged; न (na) – Not; सः (saḥ) – He; भूयः (bhūyaḥ) – Again; अभिजायते (abhijāyate) – Is born;

Those who understand this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the gunas (modes of nature) are sure to attain liberation. They will not take birth here again, regardless of their situation in their current life.

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना।
अन्ये साङ्ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे॥13.25॥

dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecid ātmānam ātmanā
anye sāṅkhyena yogena karma-yogena cāpare

ध्यानेन (dhyānena) – By meditation; आत्मनि (ātmani) – Within the self; पश्यन्ति (paśyanti) – See; केचित् (kecit) – Some; आत्मानम् (ātmānam) – The soul; आत्मना (ātmanā) – By the purified mind; अन्ये (anye) – Others; साङ्ख्येन योगेन (sāṅkhyena yogena) – By the yoga of analysis; कर्म-योगेन (karma-yogena) – By the yoga of action; च (ca) – Also; अपरे (apare) – Others;

Some perceive the Supersoul within themselves through meditation, others by philosophical analysis, and still others by selfless service (karma yoga).

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते।
तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः॥13.26॥
anye tv evam ajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate
te ‘pi cātitaranty eva mṛtyuṁ śruti-parāyaṇāḥ

अन्ये (anye) – Others; तु (tu) – But; एवम् (evam) – Thus; अजानन्तः (ajānantaḥ) – Not knowing; श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) – By hearing; अन्येभ्यः (anyebhyaḥ) – From others; उपासते (upāsate) – Worship; ते अपि (te api) – They also; च (ca) – And; अतितरन्ति एव (atitaranti eva) – Certainly transcend; मृत्युम् (mṛtyum) – Death; श्रुति-परायणाः (śruti-parāyaṇāḥ) – Devoted to hearing the scriptures;

There are still  those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge or aware of these paths (dhyana, jnana, karma), begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from the learned ones. By such devotion to hearing from saints, they too can gradually cross over the ocean of birth and death.

Prakriti, Purusha, and the Path to Kaivalya 

In these verses, Lord Krishna reiterates the profound truth about the two fundamental energies that pervade the cosmos – the material energy (apara prakriti) and the spiritual energy (para prakriti). This concept is beautifully explained in chapter seven and further expanded upon here in chapter thirteen, where Shri Krishna uses the terms “ksetra” (the field of activity) and “kshetrajna” (the knower of the field).

Shri Krishna explains that Prakriti, the material energy, is the total ksetra, the complete field of activity. It is like a computer or a machine, operating without discrimination, under the influence of the three modes of nature – sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance). Prakriti undergoes constant modifications and transformations, giving rise to the ever-changing physical realm.

On the other hand, purusha, the spiritual energy, is the ultimate kshetrajna, the knower of the field. Purusha is immutable, eternal, and absolute. It is the superior energy, full of compassion and love. The Katha Upanishad (1.3.3-4) beautifully describes the relationship between the two:

आत्मानं रथितं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु |
बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ||
इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयांस्तेषु गोचरान् |
आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ||

ātmānaṁ rathitaṁ viddhi śarīraṁ rathameva tu
buddhiṁ tu sārathiṁ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca
indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayāṁsteṣu gocarān
ātmendriyamanoyuktaṁ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

Know the soul as the rider, and the body as the chariot. Consider the intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as the reins. The senses, they say, are the horses; the objects, the roads. The wise call the atman-united with the body, the senses and the mind-the enjoyer. 

The soul, residing within the body, experiences the world through the senses. However, attachment to the ever-changing material reality becomes the root cause of suffering. By cultivating bhakti, devotion to the Supreme, one can tap into the spiritual energy of purusha and receive the grace and love of God.

The concept of realizing that we are the purusha, coexisting with prakriti but not attached to it, is what is termed as kaivalya in Sankhya philosophy. Kaivalya, derived from the Sanskrit word “kevala,” meaning “alone” or “isolated,” refers to the state of ultimate liberation or absolute oneness with the Divine. It represents the realization of the true nature of the Purusha as distinct from Prakriti.

The Svetasvatara Upanishad (6.11) eloquently describes the concept of the Supreme Lord as the one hidden divinity residing in all beings, permeating the entire universe as the inner self of all creatures.

एको देवः सर्वभूतेषु गूढः
सर्वव्यापी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा।
कर्माध्यक्षः सर्वभूताधिवासः
साक्षी चेता केवलो निर्गुणश्च॥

eko devaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu gūḍhaḥ
sarva-vyāpī sarva-bhūtāntarātmā;
karma-adhyakṣaḥ sarva-bhūtādhivāsaḥ
sākṣī cetā kevalo nirguṇaś ca.

The one God, hidden in all beings, all-pervading, the inner self of all creatures, the overseer of actions, dwelling within all beings, the witness, the conscious one, alone, beyond attributes.

This verse reveals the nature of the Supreme Being as the single divine presence that resides within all creatures, encompassing everything in the universe. The Supreme is described as the antaryami, or inner self, of every living being, who silently witnesses and oversees all actions without being involved in them. This Supreme Being is both immanent (present within all beings) and transcendent (beyond qualities or attributes, nirguna).

The verse emphasizes the omnipresence of the Divine, the Paramatma, who resides within all beings as the inner witness. Realizing this unity and transcending the identification with the material body and its attributes is the essence of kaivalya.

Right after the Kurukshetra war, Kunti glorifies Shri Krishna and addresses Him as “kaivalya-pataye”. For context, let us revisit the illustrious and inspiring story of Kunti. 

The story of Kunti: Krishna as Kaivalya Pataye (Lord of Kaivalyam)

Amid the vibrant, turbulent landscape of ancient Bharat, Queen Kuntī’s story unfolds as a life shaped by extraordinary circumstances and unwavering devotion. She was the daughter of the powerful Yadu king Śūrasena. She was named Pṛthā at birth.

As a young girl, Kuntī had the unique honor of hosting Sage Durvāsā, known for his unpredictable temper but immense spiritual wisdom. Her dedication and selfless service impressed the sage, who blessed her with a mystical mantra. By invoking this mantra, she could call upon any celestial deity and bear their child. Pritha, in her curiosity and innocence, decided to test the mantra by invoking Surya, the sun god. As a result, she immediately conceived and gave birth to a son, who was born with divine armor and earrings. Fearing social stigma and disapproval, Pritha set the child afloat in a basket on the river.

The child was later found and adopted by Adhiratha, a charioteer, and his wife Radha. The child grew up to become the great warrior Karna.

After this incident, to avoid scandals and protect Pritha’s reputation, Shurasena decided to give her up for adoption to his childless cousin, King Kuntibhoja. Kuntibhoja lovingly raised Pritha as his own daughter, and she came to be known as Kunti.

Kunti’s upbringing in Kuntibhoja’s kingdom was marked by love, respect, and education befitting a princess. She grew up to be a wise, virtuous, and strong-willed woman. Later in life, Kuntī married King Pāṇḍu of the Kuru dynasty, a man of noble heart but troubled fate. Cursed to never father children, Pāṇḍu renounced his throne and retreated to the forest, with Kuntī and his second wife Mādrī accompanying him. 

In the wilderness, the responsibility of continuing the dynasty fell upon Kuntī’s shoulders. At Pāṇḍu’s request, she used her mantra to invoke divine beings, bringing into the world three extraordinary sons: Yudhiṣṭhira, born of Dharma, the god of righteousness; Bhīma, born of Vāyu, the wind god; and Arjuna, born of Indra, the king of the heavens. Mādrī, with Kuntī’s guidance, later bore the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, completing the illustrious lineage of the Pāṇḍavas.

Tragedy struck when Pāṇḍu died suddenly, and Mādrī chose to follow him in death. Left alone with five young children, Kuntī returned to the royal court of Hastināpura, where her real trials began. The court was dominated by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu’s blind elder brother, and his ambitious son Duryodhana, whose jealousy of the Pāṇḍavas knew no bounds. Under the guise of hospitality, Duryodhana plotted against Kuntī and her sons, subjecting them to endless hardships—from attempts on their lives to the humiliation of their shared wife Draupadī.

Through all this, Kuntī remained a pillar of resilience, her faith unwavering. She placed her trust in Lord Kṛṣṇa, who stood as a guardian and guide to the Pāṇḍavas. Time and again, Kṛṣṇa intervened to protect them, whether it was during their exile in the forest, their struggles in court, or the great Kurukṣetra war that followed.

The war ended with victory for the Pāṇḍavas but at an unimaginable cost. Millions perished, and Kuntī endured the heart-wrenching loss of her grandchildren, slain by Aśvatthāmā in an act of vengeance. Yet, even in this grief, Kuntī’s faith in Kṛṣṇa only deepened. She understood that life’s challenges were not punishments but opportunities to draw closer to the Divine.

When Shri Kṛṣṇa prepared to leave for His kingdom of Dvārakā, Kuntī approached Him with prayers that have resonated through the ages. Her words were not pleas for relief from suffering but a heartfelt acknowledgment of how those very hardships had drawn her closer to Him. She prayed:

विपदः सन्तु ताः शश्वत्
तत्र तत्र जगद्गुरो ।
भवतो दर्शनं यत् स्याद्
अपुनर् भवदर्शनम् ॥

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat
tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād
apunar bhava-darśanam

विपदः (vipadaḥ) – calamities; सन्तु (santu) – let there be; ताः (tāḥ) – those; शश्वत् (śaśvat) – forever; तत्र (tatra) – there; तत्र (tatra) – there; जगद्गुरो (jagad-guro) – O teacher of the universe; भवतः (bhavataḥ) – Your; दर्शनं (darśanam) – vision; यत् (yat) – which; स्याद् (syād) – may happen; अपुनर्भव (apunarbhava) – liberation from rebirth; दर्शनम् (darśanam) – vision of worldly existence;

I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.

In her prayer, Kuntī revealed the depth of her devotion and wisdom. She saw life’s trials as blessings, each one a reminder of Kṛṣṇa’s presence and grace. Her ultimate wish was for her mind to flow toward Him as naturally and unceasingly as the Ganges flows to the ocean.

Kuntī’s prayers remain a timeless testament to the power of faith and surrender. She teaches us that true strength lies in seeing the Divine hand in every challenge and responding with gratitude and love. Her life, marked by struggle but illuminated by devotion, continues to inspire, offering a path for all who seek meaning and connection in the face of life’s trials.

Here is the particular verse where she used the term kaivalya-pataye to refer to Shri Krishna:

नमो ऽकिञ्चन-वित्ताय
निवृत्त-गुण-वृत्तये ।
आत्मारामाय शान्ताय
कैवल्य-पतये नमः ॥

namo ‘kiñcana-vittāya
nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye
ātmārāmāya śāntāya
kaivalya-pataye namaḥ

नमः (namaḥ) – obeisance; अकिञ्चन-वित्ताय (akiñcana-vittāya) – the wealth of the destitute; निवृत्त-गुण-वृत्तये (nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye) – one who is free from the influence of material qualities; आत्मारामाय (ātmārāmāya) – one who delights in the self; शान्ताय (śāntāya) – the peaceful one; कैवल्य-पतये (kaivalya-pataye) – the lord of kaivalyam; नमः (namaḥ) – obeisance;

Salutations to the Lord who is the wealth of the poor,

Who is beyond the influence of the gunas (qualities of nature),

Who rejoices in the self,

Who is tranquil,

The Lord of kaivalya (liberation), I offer my salutations.

Kunti, while offering her salutations to Lord Krishna, describes Him as the embodiment of several divine attributes:

1. “akiñcana-vittāya” – The Lord is the wealth of those who have nothing, indicating that he is the ultimate refuge and support for the humble and the destitute.

    

2. “nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye” – The Lord is beyond the influence of the three gunas (sattva, rajas, and tamas), which are the fundamental qualities of material nature. He transcends these qualities and is not affected by them.
3. “ātmārāmāya” – The Lord rejoices in the self, meaning that he is self-satisfied and finds happiness within himself. He is not dependent on external factors for joy or contentment.
4. “śāntāya” – The Lord is tranquil and peaceful, representing the state of ultimate calm and serenity.
5. “kaivalya-pataye” – The Lord is the master of kaivalya, which is the state of ultimate liberation or oneness with the divine. He is the one who grants liberation to his devotees.

Through this prayer, Kunti acknowledges the divine attributes of Lord Krishna and surrenders to Him, seeking his grace and the ultimate goal of kaivalya.

Karya, Karana and the eternal soul

The word karyam means “effect” and the word karana means “cause”. Karyam is related to the material world and the physical body. Karana is the cause of all effects and the physical body is the instrument for performing actions. The word bhoktṛitve means experiencing. Lord Shri Krishna as the purusa is the cause, witnessing and experiencing through all jivas or embodied beings. 

The concepts of karyam (effect) and karanam (cause) form the bedrock of understanding the relationship between the physical body and the eternal soul. They also serve as keys to unraveling profound spiritual truths. 

Although the body performs various actions, we should remember that the body is only the karya, the effect. The soul is the karna, the cause. Imagine a skilled musician playing a violin. The music we hear isn’t created by the violin itself – it’s the musician’s artistry flowing through the instrument. Similarly, our body is like the violin, and the soul is the musician. Every action, every movement, every thought flows from the soul through its instrument, the body.

Although the soul is eternal and a tiny part of the Purusha, due to the influence of Ego, the soul identifies itself with the body.

This mistaken identity drives attachment and delusion, binding us to the cycle of birth and rebirth. Krishna’s teachings remind us that the body is merely the karya, the effect, while the soul is the karanam, the true cause and witness of all experiences.

If a bus hits and kills a pedestrian, we do not blame the bus. We blame the driver of the bus. Likewise, although the body performs various actions, the soul is accountable and responsible for those actions. That is why our karmic accounts are associated with the soul, not the body. These karmic impressions (samskaras) travel with the soul across lifetimes, shaping the circumstances of future births.

This is why Krishna urges us to look beyond the material plane and realize that the body is merely a temporary vessel. The soul, eternal and unchanging, is the true driver of our existence.

The Individual Soul and the Supreme Soul

Shree Shri Krishna has explained that there is an individual soul called the jīvātmā within the body and that the Paramātmā or Supreme Soul also resides within the body. This is another important concept that we discussed earlier. In verse 13.3, He said that the individual soul is the knower of the individual body (one ksetra) while the Supreme Soul is the knower of all the infinite bodies (all ksetras). 

In the Chandogya Upanishad it is stated (8.1.1):

एषः आलम्ब इति ह वाव किलोवाच महिदासः ऐतरेयः |
एतद्वै सत्यकाम परं चापरं च ब्रह्म यदेतदक्षरमिति ॥

eṣa ālambaḥ iti ha vāva kilovāca mahidāsaḥ aitareyaḥ
etadvai satyakāma paraṁ cāparaṁ ca brahma yadetadakṣaramiti

This body is the city of Brahman. Within it is an abode in the shape of a lotus [i.e., the heart], and within that there is a small space. One must search within this space and earnestly desire to know what is there.

This verse portrays the body as a sacred city, with the soul residing within the heart, surrounded by the Supreme Soul’s presence. To realize this truth, one must turn inward and seek the divine essence that lies within.

And in chapter two, we discussed how the soul and super soul are like two birds sitting on the same tree. All the soul has to do is to turn towards the super soul and seek guidance to get liberated from the material world.

The Free Will to Turn Towards the Divine

This brings us to the concept of free will, the ultimate power bestowed upon the soul. The choice to turn towards the Supreme Soul and seek liberation rests entirely in our hands. This choice of whether to align ourselves with divine or remain entangled in worldly attachments is pretty much the true free will that we have.

Covered by various levels of ignorance and influenced by the Ego, the soul has forgotten its true nature and instead started identifying with the material world and the body. That is bondage. Shri Krishna says that this is the reason why knowledge is so important for freeing the soul from this bondage and liberating it.

The knowledge that Shree Shri Krishna is talking about is not theoretical knowledge, but realized wisdom. Shri Krishna is talking about vijnana and not just jnana. We have to first get the jnana through humility and service to the Guru. Vijnana comes when we put this jnana to practice. We  have to also remember shravan, manan and nidhidhyasan. 

In the next few verses, Shree Shri Krishna will talk about a few of these spiritual practices that we need to follow.

Dhyana, Karma and Sankhya

Dhyanena atmani means meditation on the atma or the immortal soul within. Sankhyena means philosophical and intellectual pursuit of knowledge with an intent of knowing about the Supreme Lord. These people also follow the principles of śhravaṇa, manan and nididhyāsan (hearing, contemplating, and internalizing with firm faith). The term karma-yogena denotes those who follow the path of karma or action without attachment to results. 

Meditation is fruitful only when the focus of meditation is God.

Pursuit of knowledge is useful only when the object of knowledge is God.

And the path of karma yoga is helpful only when the actions and the results are dedicated to God.

Now Shri Krishna again says something very reassuring for most of us. He says that those who are unaware of the various methods of sādhanā or paths of yoga can just hear the knowledge through others, and still make progress on the spiritual path. In today’s world, this applies to most of us. We do not receive any formal education in spiritual knowledge, but when we develop an interest, we hear or read about God’s teachings and learn about spiritual knowledge. 

When done with the right intent and purity of heart, even such simple acts are rewarded by the Lord and He helps us develop devotion to Him and succeed on the spiritual path.

People usually think that we make spiritual progress only if we hear about spiritual knowledge from great sages and swamis. In other words, people think that the knowledge they receive depends on how famous or elevated the person providing the knowledge is. However, what is more important is our own state of mind and our own intent and purity of heart. If we have the right intent and purity of heart, we can hear about spiritual knowledge even from a very ordinary person and still develop devotion and progress on the spiritual path. 

In the holy scripture called Narayaneeyam, in dashakam 93, the author talks about the 24 gurus including elements like water, fire, air, etc. Here is an extract from the 4th verse:

May I be pure, refreshing, and sweet like water! Just as fire remains unaffected by whatever is burned in it, may I remain untainted regardless of what foods I consume. Like fire, which takes many forms but is always the same, may I realize that the soul is the same in all bodies despite their differences. Like the moon, which stays unchanged even though it appears to grow and shrink, may I understand that change only happens to the body, not to the soul. Through Your grace, may I see the oneness of all beings, just like the one sun reflects in many places.

As can be seen, if the student has the right state of mind and purity of heart, they can learn from anyone and everyone. Thus, the focus should always be on our own state of mind and how we approach the teachers and how we take in the knowledge.

Sravana, Manana and Nidhidhyasan

King Janaka used to love listening to the Vedic scriptures and became enlightened in the process. The Lord showered His grace upon Him and He had his daughter Sita married to Rama and his other daughter Urmila married to Lakshmana. 

In fact, listening is called sravanam and highly recommended in this age along with kirtanam (singing the Lord’s glories and chanting His holy names). 

It is said in the scriptures that in accordance with the measure of devotion unto the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna, by His desire every jiva or embodied being assumes qualities and attributes similar to Him. Thus, pure devotees who are totally immersed in devotion to Shri Krishna acquire many qualities of Shri Krishna. This is one of the reasons why pure devotees are considered superior to even demigods. 

Be it getting freedom from the clutches of Maya, or getting the true knowledge of the supreme Brahman, or attaining liberation, success depends upon receiving the grace of God. So, no matter which path we take, it should be supported by pure and consistent devotion to the Lord. Ultimate success on the spiritual path comes when we surrender to the Lord and realize that we are not the doers and it is only He who does everything and it is only by His grace that we can overcome and get liberation from this material world.

Key Insights and Takeaways from these verses

1. Recognize the True Self:
   The body is the effect (karya), while the soul is the eternal cause (karanam). Identifying with the soul helps transcend ego and attachments, shifting focus from the material to the eternal.
2. Accountability of Karma:
   Just as a driver is accountable for the actions of a bus, the soul bears the consequences of actions performed through the body. Understanding this empowers conscious decision-making and highlights the importance of responsible living.
3. The Supreme Witness:
   The Supreme Soul (Paramātmā) resides within, witnessing the actions of the individual soul (jīvātmā). Turning inward helps realize the constant presence of the Divine guiding us in every moment.
4. Exercise Free Will Wisely:
   True free will lies in choosing to align with the Divine. This choice leads to liberation, breaking the cycles of birth and death, and guiding us toward eternal peace.
5. Meditation, Knowledge, and Action:
   Meditation, knowledge, and selfless action are only fruitful when focused on the Divine. These paths lead to the same destination—union with God.
6. The Power of Simplicity in Spiritual Progress:
   Spiritual growth depends not on the teacher’s status but on the purity of the heart and sincerity of intent. With the right mindset, we can learn from anyone.
7. Nature as a Teacher:
   Elements like water, fire, and the moon symbolize the soul’s true nature—pure, unaffected, and eternal. Recognizing this helps detach from worldly illusions and understand the permanence of the soul.
8. Surrender and Grace:
   Success in spiritual life comes through surrender to God and recognizing that He is the ultimate doer. True liberation is attained by His grace, not by individual effort alone.

Hare Krishna!

kṛṣṇadaasa
(Servant of Krishna)