Bhakti - The Universal Solvent
Date: 2004-06-04 Author: Suhrt Krsna das
Hare Krsna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.
We all know from Srimad Bhagavad Gita (7.4) that Earth, Water Fire, Air and Ether are the 5 gross creations within which the 5 sense objects are included and constitute our gross body. Mind, Intelligence and false Ego constitute our subtle body. Both our subtle and gross body are a part of Krsna's inferior energy (material nature). Our true identity is however the spirit soul (part and parcel of Krsna) concealed within the subtle body which in turn is concealed within the gross body.
Being conditioned in this material world, the subtle body is always under illusion in trying to lord instead of trying to serve as a servant of KRSNA, which is its true nature. So the free will that Krsna has given us is uselessly wasted in activities that the mind thinks would ensure better sense gratification for us, our family, friends, society, community, nation and so on.
Whenever we are successful in our material endeavors we become elated and praise ourselves but when our plans fail, we are frustrated. This is an ongoing process till the gross body has to die. After death of the gross body, the soul encaged with all the unfulfilled desires and material thoughts stored in the subtle body takes on another gross body with a particular set of sense objects to fulfill the unfulfilled desires in the best possible way as per the laws of nature.
Here it is evident that its the subtle body that keeps the soul encaged and moves endlessly from one gross body to another. But if the spirit soul can break open the clutches of the subtle body, just like a bird flies out naturally as soon as the cage is broken, then it goes back naturally to its original destination - back to KRSNA. Then there would be no requirement for a gross body. But how can we detach ourselves from the subtle body?
HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj in one of his lectures, quoted a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.33 which answers the above question.
jarayaty āśu yā kośaṁ nigīrṇam analo yathā
Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate effort, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat.
That gave us the answer - it is Bhakti alone that dissolves the subtle body releasing the spirit soul - i.e., Devotional service dissolves all the material thoughts and desires and in turn focusses them on Krsna. So to fulfill our uncontaminated desire to serve Him, Krsna gives us a spiritual body to go to Him and serve Him eternally. To facilitate this happening Krsna instructs us in the concluding verse of chapter 11 in Bhagavad Gita (11.55)
mat-karma-kṛn mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava
My dear Arjuna, he who engages in my pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of fruitive activities and mental speculation, he who works for me, who makes me the supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living being- he certainly comes to me.
What could be a more logical or a better scientific explanation for the return journey of the soul!
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev, Suhrt Krsna das Auckland.
Moderator's Note: In our school days we learnt in our science subject that "Water is the universal solvent" - i.e., it has the ability to dissolve all the gross elements in this material world. The verse that HG Suhrt Krsna prabhu has quoted reveals the extraordinary power of devotional service as it says that bhakti can dissolve even the subtle body! Amazing power isn't it?