BY: SUN STAFF
Apr 12, CANADA (SUN) —
Bhagavat Sandarbha
by Srila Jiva Goswami
SECTION SIXTY-FIVE
Only Those Free From the Modes of Nature Attain Vaikuntha.
Vaikuntha is attained by persons free from the modes of material nature. Lord Krsna says (11.15.22):
"Those who leave this world in the mode of goodness go to the heavenly planets, those who pass away in the mode of passion remain in the world of human beings, and those dying in the mode of ignorance must go to hell. But those who are free from the influence of all modes of nature come to Me."
Here, instead of saying "they attain My planet," which would be proper in this context, the Lord says "they attain Me" (mameva). The Lord says this considering Himself non-different from His abode. It means that attaining His abode is attaining Him.
COMMENTARY
Lord Krishna taught Uddhava about the modes of nature and their effect on human beings. He explained that the destination one achieves depends on the influence of the modes at the time of death. In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord taught the same to Arjuna (B.g. 8.6):
"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail."
Sridhara Swami comments that the Lord refers to the influence of the mode that has overpowered the other two because modes are always mixed. Another interesting point is that the word lina or laya, death, is not used for those who are nirguna. Nirgunah means devotees. This indicates that pure devotees are in a nirguna state even while living, and attain the Lord in this very life. Therefore they are called jivana-muktas or liberated while living. They will surely reach abode of the Lord after giving up their body. The word eva i (in mam eva) "only" negates any other possibility.
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