Hare Krsna,
It is conclusively established in the scriptures that one can get liberation from the bondage of material nature ONLY by performing pure devotional service unto the Supreme Lord.
BG 7.14: This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
On a side note, I could not fully understand from the conversation of Mother Devahuti and Lord Kapiladeva whether complete release from the material nature is possible for the spirit soul. What I understood is that complete release is not possible because both material nature and the spirit soul are two different potencies of the Supreme Lord. The spirit soul is the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord, and matter is the external potency of the Lord. The two eternal potencies have somehow or other been combined, and therefore it is difficult to separate one from the other.
What struck me from their conversation is the usage of the words ‘seriously’ and ‘strongly’.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One can get liberation by seriously discharging devotional service unto Me and thereby hearing for a long time about Me or from Me. By thus executing one’s prescribed duties, there will be no reaction, and one will be freed from the contamination of matter. This devotional service has to be performed strongly in perfect knowledge and with transcendental vision. One must be strongly renounced and must engage in austerity and perform mystic yoga in order to be firmly fixed in self-absorption. (SB 3.27.21-22)
This shows that getting release from the material bondage is not easy. It is possible only by SERIOUS, STRONG, and STEADY engagement in devotional service. Lord Kapiladeva says that we must continue to hear about Krsna or from Krsna for ‘a long time’.
As conditioned souls living in Kali, we are restless to achieve immediate results. We want everything quickly and instantly. We want instant food, instant heating/cooling system, instant customer service, instant ordering and returning policy, etc. We carry this material conditioning to spiritual realm and expect immediate results. We perform bhakti for a few years and start doubting the process if we think we haven’t made much progress in bhakti. I have heard devotees complain, ‘I have been chanting for so many years but why am I not advancing?’ The answer lies in Lord Kapiladeva’s teachings. It is important to ask ourselves from time to time, “Am I performing bhakti seriously and strongly? Am I chanting without any offenses? Am I able to put my mind, action, and words in remembering Lord Krsna’s lotus feet?”
Bhakti is a relatively simple process as compared to jnana-yoga, astanga-yoga, and so on. What is difficult is to continue our bhakti for a prolonged period of time without observing symptoms of progress. It’s like being in-flight for a long time and not reaching anywhere. But the fact is we are travelling closer to our destination every minute. This is why Srila Rupa Goswami says in Nectar of Instruction Verse 3:
“There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam – hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.”
He mentions being enthusiastic, being confident and being patient. All three are important. It is important to always stay enthusiastic. Enthusiasm means action, but action for whom? The answer is that one should always act for Kṛṣṇa – kṛṣṇārthākhila-ceṣṭā (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu). Secondly, one should be confident and patient. The successful execution of Kṛṣṇa conscious activities requires both patience and confidence. A newly married girl naturally expects offspring from her husband, but she cannot expect to have them immediately after marriage. Of course, as soon as she is married she can attempt to get a child, but she must surrender to her husband, confident that her child will develop and be born in due time. Similarly, in devotional service surrender means that one has to become confident. The devotee thinks, avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa: “Kṛṣṇa will surely protect me and give me help for the successful execution of devotional service.” This is called confidence. (NOI 3 Purport)
“Since all the devotees of the Lord are under the protection of His supreme potency, they should not deviate from the path of devotional service and take to the path of the karmī, jñānī or yogī. This is called utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, enthusiastically executing the regulative activities of devotional service with patience and confidence. In this way one can advance in devotional service without hindrance.” (NOI 3 Purport)
At a personal life, I have extremely confident about the process and promise of bhakti. What I am struggling with is complete absorption in the Supreme Lord. I am trying to be aware of the diktats of my mind and try to bring it back to Krsna whenever it deviates. This applies while chanting, reading, and performing services at home or temple. I think small steps like this will make a difference. I am not yet at a stage where I am able to fix my mind on Krsna 24 hours a day. Hopefully with patience and enthusiasm, I will get there some day. Therefore, I do not expect perfection in one lifetime. Considering my limited capability and late start to bhakti, I am determined to continue this process for many lifetimes. It is hard to erase countless lifetimes of material conditioning in one lifetime. This is why I like Lord Kapiladeva mentioning ‘hearing for a long time about Me or from Me.’ It is important to remain fixed in devotional service. Remaining fixed on the transcendental platform is liberation from material entanglement.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 