Sankaracarya's Vivekachudamani 443

यत्र प्रविष्टा विषयाः परेरिता

नदीप्रवाहा इव वारिराशौ ।

लिनन्ति सन्मात्रतया न विक्रियां

उत्पादयन्त्येष यतिर्विमुक्तः ॥

yatra praviṣṭā viṣayāḥ pareritā

nadīpravāhā iva vārirāśau |

linanti sanmātratayā na vikriyāṃ

utpādayantyeṣa yatirvimuktaḥ ||

(Sankaracarya's Vivekachudamani 443)

A disciplined person in whom the sense-objects directed by others are received like flowing rivers into the ocean, producing no change because of his absorption in Existence Absolute, is truly liberated.

There are many other births besides human birth, Sage Nārada Muni speaking of human birth. Among human beings, there are different types of men. Of these, those who are advanced in spiritual consciousness, or bhakta, The senses are worth possessing when engaged in the service of the Lord. Actually, devotional service means engaging the senses in the service of the Lord. At the present moment, our senses are not purified; therefore our senses are engaged in the service of society, friendship, love, politics, sociology, and so on. However, when the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, one attains bhakti or devotional service. When the whole body is engaged in the service of the creator, then the soul goes to the Supreme Lord, as the river merges to the ocean. That is the state of true liberation. One should practice serving the Lord as a bhakta