Hare Krishna!
In the last reading class, a very important question came up and due to time constraints, we could not spend more time. For completeness, here is that question and the answer… I am making this as a blog.
The Question:
If the original nature of atma is to be a ‘nitya-dasa’, then what is their nature in Vaikuntha and Mathura where they are also enjoying themselves?
Answer:
Yes, an atma (jivatma) in its ‘original nature’ is to be a servant of Krishna.
“jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya dasa” – Caitanya Caritamrta.”
Here, we have to understand that the sloka implies the ‘original nature or pure state’. When the atma eternally appears from the Jiva Sakti of Krishna, it has the ‘original’ nature. The purest state is only when the jiva is in Goloka Vrindavan – the highest realm. Everything below is not the purest state.
When the atma falls down into the material world, it is the most impure state. However, due to the fact that the jiva is a servant anyway (but not necessarily pure), the jiva becomes a servant to the maya (material senses). It has to be a servant of something, and in this case the maya.
– It becomes a dasa for the body and senses
– It becomes a dasa of wife or husband
– It becomes a dasa for the family and children and relatives
Even the king serves the people. So, jiva can never be a master but only a servant always.
Now let us delve more to get to the subject of the question…
*1. VAIKUNTHA:*
Why is the original nature not seen fully in Vaikuntha?
Because in Vaikuntha they are not worshipping Krishna directly, but indirectly.
As they do not worship Bhagavan Krishna, the ‘nitya-krsna-dasa’ cannot be applicable in the true sense.
We can see it from the nature of those atmas even though liberated, liberation means free from maya.
In Vaikuntha, with dasya bhava to the Lord, they are also enjoying big mansions made of gold and cintamani, kalpa viriksha trees, airplanes and wives and so on.
However we should understand that even though in Vaikuntha, every atmas have dasya bhava primarily, close service is done only by the direct associates (samipya) under the direction of Maha Lakshmi.
There are 5 kinds of liberation and their seva differ:
*1) Salokya*
Here the liberated jivas live in luxury in the ‘same planet’ of Vaikuntha but away from the residence of Lord Narayana.
These are all mostly the Santa Bhaktas. Not even dasya bhava.
So, there is hardly any direct seva to the Lord.
Once in a while they go to the residence of Lord Narayana to worship and get blessings.
*2) Sarshti*
These jivas get the same four handed form as Lord Narayana.
They live not far from Lord and hence go to the residence of Lord Narayana to worship and get blessings.
They have dasya bhava and do little direct seva.
*3) Sarupya*
These jivas get the same four handed form as Lord Narayana but live closer to the Lord and are also more powerful.
They visit Lord Narayana often. They have more dasya and hence sometimes do direct seva.
*4) Samipya*
These jivas have the same 4 handed form and live as associates to Lord Narayana.
As they live with Lord Narayana, they have full dasya and do direct seva along with Maha Lakshmi.
*5) Sayujya*
This is merging into the brahman the effulgence of Krishna.
This is a condemned form of liberation and not available in Vaikuntha or any spiritual abodes above brahman.
…
*2. MATHURA & DWARAKA:*
In Mathura and Dwaraka, seva to the Lord is much more than Vaikuntha as there is no fear of Lord as in Vaikuntha.
Here the predominating mood of Sakhya adds to the seva and hence this seva is more intimate than Dwaraka.
As Krishna here is complete, and this seva of His associates is also complete.
*3. GOLOKA:*
In Goloka, the gopas and motherly relationship are the bhavas found here. Mother Yashoda, Nanda Baba and all the jivas with parental mood towards Krishna live here.
As Krishna is more complete here, their seva performed by more love and affection than Mathura or Dwaraka is also more complete.
*4. GOLOKA VRINDAVAN:*
Here only Krishna, the gopis and manjaris reside. Krishna here is the most complete and only Madhurya Bhava is found. Prema dominates everything and there are no selfish desires. The only desire is to serve Krishna and make Him happy.
This is the place where a jiva displays its real intrinsic nature – ‘jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya dasa’.
The seva performed by the jivas is completely pure, without any trace of self enjoyment as found in Vaikuntha or Mathura or Dwaraka.
The seva here is the real ‘nitya-krsna-dasa’ in full form and covered by Love.