 As Long As You Are Prepared to ACCEPT TRANSLATION
As long as one has to accept a material body, with its different parts and paraphernalia, which are not fully under one's control, one must have the lotus feet of his superiors, namely his spiritual master and the spiritual master's predecessors. By their mercy, one can sharpen the sword of knowledge, and with the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's mercy one must then conquer the enemies mentioned above. In this way, the devotee should be able to merge into his own transcendental bliss, and then he may give up his body and resume his spiritual identity.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gétä (4.9) the Lord says:
janma karma ca me divyam
evaà yo vetti tattvataù
tyaktvä dehaà punar janma
naiti mäm eti so 'rjuna
"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna." This is the highest perfection of life, and the human body is meant for this purpose. It is said in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.20.17):
nå-deham ädyaà sulabhaà sudurlabhaà
plavaà sukalpaà guru-karëadhäram
mayänukülena nabhasvateritaà
pumän bhaväbdhià na taret sa ätma-hä
This human form of body is a most valuable boat, and the spiritual master is the captain, guru-karëadhäram, to guide the boat in plying across the ocean of nescience. The instruction of Kåñëa is a favorable breeze. One must use all these facilities to cross over the ocean of nescience. Since the spiritual master is the captain, one must serve the spiritual master very sincerely so that by his mercy one will be able to get the mercy of the Supreme Lord.
A significant word here is acyuta-balaù. The spiritual master is certainly very merciful to his disciples, and consequently by satisfying him a devotee gets strength from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu therefore says, guru-kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja: [Cc. Madhya 19.151] one must first please the spiritual master, and then one automatically pleases Kåñëa and gets the strength with which to cross the ocean of nescience. If one seriously desires to return home, back to Godhead, one must therefore become strong enough by pleasing the spiritual master, for thus one gets the weapon with which to conquer the enemy, and one also gets the grace of Kåñëa. Simply getting the weapon of jïäna is insufficient. One must sharpen the weapon by serving the spiritual master and adhering to his instructions. Then the candidate will get the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In general warfare one must take help from his chariot and horses in order to conquer his enemy, and after conquering his enemies he may give up the chariot and its paraphernalia. Similarly, as long as one has a human body, one should fully use it to obtain the highest perfection of life, namely going back home, back to Godhead.
The perfection of knowledge is certainly to become transcendentally situated (brahma-bhüta [SB 4.30.20]). As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gétä (18.54):
brahma-bhütaù prasannätmä
na çocati na käìkñati
samaù sarveñu bhüteñu
mad-bhaktià labhate paräm
"One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed toward all living entities. In that state he attains pure devotional service." Simply by cultivating knowledge as the impersonalists do, one cannot get out of the clutches of mäyä. One must attain the platform of bhakti.
bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti
yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù
tato mäà tattvato jïätvä
viçate tad-anantaram
"One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." (Bg. 18.55) Unless one has attained the stage of devotional service and the mercy of the spiritual master and Kåñëa, there is a possibility that one may fall down and again accept a material body. Therefore Kåñëa stresses in Bhagavad-gétä (4.9):
janma karma ca me divyam
evaà yo vetti tattvataù
tyaktvä dehaà punar janma
naiti mäm eti so 'rjuna
"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."
The word tattvataù, meaning "in reality," is very important. Tato mäà tattvato jïätvä. Unless one understands Kåñëa in truth by the mercy of the spiritual master, one is not free to give up his material body. As it is said, äruhya kåcchreëa paraà padaà tataù patanty adho 'nädåta-yuñmad-aìghrayaù: [SB 10.2.32] if one neglects to serve the lotus feet of Kåñëa, one cannot become free from the material clutches simply by knowledge. Even if one attains the stage of brahma-padam, merging in Brahman, without bhakti he is prone to fall down. One must be very careful in regard to the danger of falling down again into material bondage. The only insurance is to come to the stage of bhakti, from which one is sure not to fall. Then one is free from the activities of the material world. In summary, as stated by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, one must get in touch with a bona fide spiritual master coming in the paramparä of Kåñëa consciousness, for by his mercy and instructions one is able to get strength from Kåñëa. Thus one engages in devotional service and attains the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of Viñëu.
Significant in this verse are the words jïänäsim acyuta-balaù. Jïänäsim, the sword of knowledge, is given by Kåñëa, and when one serves the guru and Kåñëa in order to hold the sword of Kåñëa's instructions, Balaräma gives one strength. Balaräma is Nityänanda. Vrajendra-nandana yei, çacé-suta haila sei, balaräma ha-ila nitäi. This bala—Balaräma—comes with Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, and both of Them are so merciful that in this age of Kali one may very easily take shelter of Their lotus feet. They come especially to deliver the fallen souls of this age. päpé täpé yata chila, hari-näme uddhärila. Their weapon is saìkértana, hari-näma. Thus one should accept the sword of knowledge from Kåñëa and be strong with the mercy of Balaräma. We are therefore worshiping Kåñëa-Balaräma in Våndävana. In the Muëòaka Upaniñad (3.2.4) it is said:
näyam ätmä bala-hénena labhyo
na ca pramädät tapaso väpy aliìgät
etair upäyair yatate yas tu vidväàs
tasyaiña ätmä viçate brahma-dhäma
One cannot attain the goal of life without the mercy of Balaräma. Çré Narottama däsa Öhäkura therefore says, nitäiyera karuëä habe, vraje rädhä-kåñëa päbe: when one receives the mercy of Balaräma, Nityänanda, one can attain the lotus feet of Rädhä and Kåñëa very easily.
se sambandha nähi yära, båthä janma gela tära,
vidyä-kule hi karibe tära
If one has no connection with Nitäi, Balaräma, then even though one is a very learned scholar or jïäné or has taken birth in a very respectable family, these assets will not help him. We must therefore conquer the enemies of Kåñëa consciousness with the strength received from Balaräma.
Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.45
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