Verse 2.2.207

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.207:

मुक्ताश् चास्य तया शक्त्या सच्-चिद्-आनन्द-देहितम् ।
प्रापितास् ते भजन्ते तम् तादृशैः करणैर् हरिम् ॥ २०७ ॥

muktāś cāsya tayā śaktyā sac-cid-ānanda-dehitam |
prāpitās te bhajante tam tādṛśaiḥ karaṇair harim || 207 ||

muktāḥ–being liberated; ca–also; asya–His; tayā śaktyā–by that potency; sat-cit-ānanda-dehitām–a body of eternity, cognizance, and felicity; prāpitāḥ–having attained; te–they; bhajante–worship; tam–Him; tādṛśaiḥ–with similar; karaṇaiḥ–senses; harim–Śrī Hari.

By the influence of the Lord’s potency, all these liberated persons obtain bodies comprised of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. With these transcendental bodies and senses, they worship Śrī Hari with hearing, chanting, and other processes of bhakti.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Gopa-kumāra might raise the following doubt, “It is true that perfected and liberated souls worship Bhagavān. But without bodies and senses, how can they practice bhakti by the processes of hearing, chanting, praying, performing Deity worship, and so on? Those who are fixed in the conception of impersonal Brahman and who are jīvan-mukta (liberated in this life) still possess bodies, so it is possible for them to undertake devotional practice. However, perfected beings who attain liberation merge into Brahman and lose their bodies, senses, and so on. How can they worship the Lord?”

Addressing the question, the bhakti-śāstras speak this verse, saying, “O virtuous soul! Do not entertain such a doubt. Although all liberated beings (following the philosophy expressed previously) merge into Brahman, still they continue to exist as different individuals.

Therefore, it is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.14.5):

मुक्तानाम् अपि सिद्धानां नारायण-परायणः
सु-दुर्लभः प्रशान्तात्मा कोटिष्व् अपि महा-मुने

muktānām api siddhānāṃ nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ
su-durlabhaḥ praśāntātmā koṭiṣv api mahā-mune

O great sage, one may search among millions of perfected and liberated souls and rarely find one who is devoted to Lord Nārāyaṇa. Such a devotee is completely peaceful.”

“In this verse, the word siddhānāṃ, meaning ‘perfected beings,’ indicates that perfected beings also worship Bhagavān. Moreover, the phrase ‘among perfected liberated souls’ indicates that, even after merging in Brahman, they exist as separate individuals. This has been proven in many places.

“Having been given, by the Lord’s spiritual potency, bodies made of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, or sac-cid-ānanda, even liberated souls worship the supremely attractive qualities and glories of Bhagavān Śrī Hari with senses suitable for transcendental bodies. The Lord cannot be served with body and senses that are material. The truth is, only liberated personalities by means of spiritual bodies and senses can perform services to the Lord, such as hearing and chanting.”