We become eligible to get liberated from our bondage and return back to Krishna’s spiritual abode if we truly understand the transcendental nature of Krishna’s birth and activities (BG 4.9).
Being freed from (vīta) material attachment (rāga), fear (bhaya), and anger (krodhā), being fully absorbed in Krishna (man-mayā ) and taking refuge (upāśritāḥ) in Krishna (mām), many individuals (bahavo) have attained (āgatāḥ) love and devotion for Krishna (mad-bhāvam), being purified (pūtā) by knowledge and austerity (jñāna-tapasā). (BG 4.10)
Here are three points to note in regards to liberation:
- The prerequisite for liberation is to become pure. (BG 4.10) In the purified state, one is …
- free from attachment, fear, and anger (vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā) [Recall that this is ascribed to the state of steady intelligence in BG 2.56],
- fully absorbed in Krishna (man-mayā), and
- taking full shelter of Krishna moment to moment (mām upāśritāḥ).
- Whatever we do in the practicing stage and start doing better (or perfectly) in the purified state, that state we attain in the liberated state (pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ). [This general principle is also understood from BG 8.6.] It does not even logically make sense for us to take shelter of Krishna in our practicing stage and then lose our sheltered identity to merge into the Supreme Lord in the liberated state.
- There is no evidence in the Vedic scriptures that points to the scenarios of pure devotees merging into the Supreme Lord in their liberated state. For example, Hanuman never merged into Lord Rama; Arjuna is a constant companion of Krishna even in his liberated state (BG 4.5). We also hear about Prince Dhruva and Ajamila in the Srimad Bhagavatam, for whom a special transcendental airplane was sent to take them back to the spiritual abode.
As (yathā) some (ye) surrender (prapadyante) unto Krishna (māṁ), Krishna (aham) reciprocates (bhajāmy) with them (tāṁs) accordingly (tathaiva). Human beings (manuṣyāḥ) follow (anuvartante) Krishna’s (mama) path (vartma) in all respects (sarvaśaḥ). (BG 4.11)
Desiring (kāṅkṣantaḥ) success (siddhiṁ) in actions (karmaṇāṁ), people here (iha) worship (yajanta) demigods [the cosmic administrators] (devatāḥ). Success (siddhir) born of actions (karma-jā) indeed (hi) quickly (kṣipraṁ) comes (bhavati) in the human (mānuṣe) society (loke). (BG 4.12)
In general, Lord Krishna rewards us in proportion to the degree of our surrender to Him. Everyone is ultimately following Krishna’s path, which is going either toward or away from Krishna at a rate decided by the living entity. In other words, two things are in our control: (1) our rate of advancement (BG 4.11, part 1) and (2) our direction of advancement (BG 4.11, part 2). Going away from Krishna progressively would mean taking to demigod worship, impersonalism, and ultimately, atheism. Going toward Krishna is characterized by our progressive understanding of Brahman (all-pervasive), Paramatma (localized), and Bhagavan (personal) features of the Absolute Truth.
