Verse 2.17.106

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.17.106:

আগে হয মুক্তি, তবে সর্ব-বন্ধ-নাশ তবে সে হৈতে পারে শ্রী-কৃষ্ণের দাস ॥ ১০৬ ॥

आगे हय मुक्ति, तबे सर्व-बन्ध-नाश तबे से हैते पारे श्री-कृष्णेर दास ॥ १०६ ॥

āge haya mukti, tabe sarva-bandha-nāśa tabe se haite pāre śrī-kṛṣṇera dāsa || 106 ||

age haya mukti, tabe sarva-bandha-nasa tabe se haite pare sri-krsnera dasa (106)

English translation:

(106) First one attains liberation, then his material bondage is destroyed, then he can become the servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Until one is freed from the clutches of material knowledge, he cannot understand the vidvad-rūḍhi of sound vibrations. In such a situation, one is unable to render service. The devotees who are servants of the Supreme Lord become liberated only when they retire from the sense of lording it over material enjoyment. After becoming liberated, the śānta-bhaktas develop an intense desire to attain the platform of dāsya. Those who are servants of matter think that the liberated souls’ service attitude is restricted within the abomination of the material world. They then become completely bound by the ropes of temporary desires. The eternal propensity of the pure spirit soul who is completely freed from all designations that are covetable according to material considerations is service to the Supreme Lord. In this regard one should discuss the Kṛṣṇa- karṇāmṛta verse: bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā [bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā bhagavan yadi syād, daivena naḥ phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥmuktiḥ svayaṃ mukulitāñjali sevate ‘smān, dharmārtha-kāma-gatayaḥ samaya- pratīkṣāḥ “If I am engaged in devotional service unto You, my dear Lord, then very easily can I perceive Your presence everywhere. And as far as liberation is concerned, I think that liberation stands at my door with folded hands, waiting to serve me—and all material conveniences of dharma [religiosity], artha [economic development] and kāma [sense gratification] stand with her.” (Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta 107)].