FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.18.37

न हि तस्य विकल्पाख्या या च मद्वीक्षया हता । आदेहान्तात् क्व‍‍चित् ख्यातिस्तत: सम्पद्यते मया ॥ ३७ ॥
na hi tasya vikalpākhyā
[na hi tasya vikalpaakhyaa]
yā ca mad-vīkṣayā hatā
[yaa cha mad-veekshayaa hataa]
ā-dehāntāt kvacit khyātis
[aa-dehaantaat kvachit khyaatis]
tataḥ sampadyate mayā
[tatah sampadyate mayaa]
Word-for-word
na — not hi — certainly tasya — for the realized person vikalpa — of something separate from Kṛṣṇa ākhyā — perception yā — which perception ca — also mat — of Me vīkṣayā — by realized knowledge hatā — is destroyed ā — until deha — of the body antāt — the death kvacit — sometimes khyātiḥ — such perception tataḥ — then sampadyate — achieves equal opulences mayā — with Me.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na hi tasya vikalpākhyā
na
not
hi
certainly
tasya
for the realized person
vikalpa
of something separate from Kṛṣṇa
ākhyā
perception
yā ca mad-vīkṣayā hatā
yā
which perception
ca
also
mat
of Me
vīkṣayā
by realized knowledge
hatā
is destroyed
ā
until
ā-dehāntāt kvacit khyātis
deha
of the body
antāt
the death
kvacit
sometimes
khyātiḥ
such perception
tataḥ sampadyate mayā
tataḥ
then
sampadyate
achieves equal opulences
mayā
with Me.
A realized soul no longer sees anything as separate from Me, for his realized knowledge of Me has destroyed such illusory perception. Since the material body and mind were previously accustomed to this kind of perception, it may sometimes appear to recur; but at the time of death the self-realized soul achieves opulences equal to Mine.
Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa explained in verse 32 of this chapter that all material and spiritual objects are expansions of His potency. By realized knowledge of the Lord one gives up the illusion that anything, anywhere, at any time, can be separate from Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa has also explained, however, that one must keep the material body and mind fit for executing devotional service; therefore even a self-realized soul may sometimes appear to accept or reject certain conditions or objects within this world. Such brief apparent duality of concentration upon something other than Kṛṣṇa does not change the liberated status of a self-realized soul, who achieves at the time of death the same opulences as Lord Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world. The function of illusion is to separate one from Lord Kṛṣṇa, but the brief and occasional appearance of duality in the behavior or mentality of a pure devotee never separates him from the Lord. It does not constitute actual illusion, for it lacks the essential function of illusion, namely, the separation of one from Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura describes the self-realized devotees as follows. The devotee of the Lord does not see anything as separate from Lord Kṛṣṇa and thus does not consider himself to be a permanent resident of the material world. At every moment the devotee is moved by his desire to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa. Just as those who are inclined to sense gratification pass their time making arrangements for their enjoyment, similarly the devotees are busy throughout the day arranging their devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they have no time to act like materialistic sense enjoyers. To ordinary persons it may seem that a pure devotee is seeing something as separate from Kṛṣṇa, but a pure devotee is actually fixed in his status as a liberated soul and is guaranteed to achieve a spiritual body in the kingdom of God. Ordinary, materialistic persons cannot always understand the activities of a pure devotee of the Lord, and thus they may try to minimize his position, considering him to be the same as themselves. At the end of life, however, the results achieved by the devotees of the Lord and ordinary materialists are vastly different.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The jñānī does not explain about difference at all, since difference is destroyed by realization of me. Sometimes however, before the body is given up, this false perception recurs. But after death he merges with me. The cause of the jñānī not being a slave to rules is explained. He does not perceive difference (vikalpa ākhyāḥ). “By words he may not express difference since he says that ātmā is the universe, but does he not think in terms of difference?” That perception is destroyed by direct realization of me. “Is it not partially destroyed?” Sometimes before he leaves the body there is false perception which was previously annulled.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
A realized soul no longer sees anything as separate from the Lord; though old perceptions may recur, at death they cease. Realization may surface incompletely until the final crossing.
Reflection Questions
  • When old perceptions of separation return, how do I respond?
  • What practice metabolizes them?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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