We are bound up in this material existence due to our karma. According to my past karma, I have got this body, and again, as we are acting in this body, I am preparing forward my next body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). We have got varieties of body. Varieties of body. Not that because we are all human beings . . . we have got common factors—two hands, two legs, one head—but each body is different from the other body. You won't find one pair of body exactly of the same nature. That is not possible. Because everyone's karma is different. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. According to our karma, we get different types of body.
So we have to stop this karma. We have to stop this karma. How you can stop this karma? Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If we simply act for Kṛṣṇa, then we get rid of the resultant action of karma. Yajñārthe karma. Whatever you do, you do for Kṛṣṇa. Yajñārthe. Yajña means Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa's the origin of viṣṇu-tattva. So whatever you are ordered to do for Kṛṣṇa, you are not bound up by the karma. Otherwise, good or bad, you are bound up by the resultant action of karma.
So when one is actually in the liberated stage . . . liberated stage means to remain fixed up in devotional service, bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Otherwise it is not possible. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). You can stand liberated on the platform of devotional service. As soon as you deviate from devotional service, immediately the māyā is standing. She'll capture you.
You can see practically. There is sunshine, and just next to the sunshine, there is darkness, or shadow. So little deviation from the sunshine there is shadow. And little deviation from this shadow, you go to the sunshine. Both things are side by side, māyā and Kṛṣṇa. Māyā means absence of Kṛṣṇa. Shadow means absence of light, sunshine. So if you always keep in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no shadow of māyā.
- kṛṣṇa—sūrya-sama, māyā andhakāra
- yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra
- (CC Madhya 22.31)
Kṛṣṇa is just like sunshine, and māyā is just like darkness. So wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be any possibility of darkness. So you keep always yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then there is no possibility of māyā. And māyā means to engaged in fruitive activities.
Tṛtīya-karma, karma-saṅgaḥ anya tṛtīya-śaktir iṣyate. Māyā . . . so long we are in māyā, we have to engage ourself in fruitive activities, karma. Therefore here it is said, kṣīyante ca asya karmāṇi. One who is liberated, being engaged in devotional service, his karma, fruitive activities, stop immediately.