So we do not know that we are now living conditional life, virupa, which is not my svarūpa. This is the science that svarūpa can be perceived, can be realized. That is described in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūta. Brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), spiritual realization, that is also not svarūpa. That is the beginning of self-realization.
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
That is svarūpa. After Brahman realization, when one is perfectly free from all material anxieties, that is beginning of svarūpa. And then the conception of equality, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Those who are learned, they have no such distinction that "I am Indian," "You are American," "You are Bengali," "I am Andhra," and this... No. This is all virūpa, all virūpa. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). We have several times explained, we have to be free from all these designation. That is svarūpa, designationless.
But we are now busy with designation and fighting. That means we are not yet completely educated. Kṛṣṇa also chastised Arjuna in the beginning, (sic:) asatyam anvaśocas tvam prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase, "You are talking like a very learned scholar, but you are lamenting only the body, bodily concept of life." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). "So far the body is concerned, either it is dead or alive, a learned man does not care for it." That is svarūpa. Now we are simply concerned with this body; therefore we are missing our svarūpa, therefore missing mukti. I have already explained, mukti means to be situated in his own original, spiritual life. That is called svarūpa. Svarūpanu bhuti (?). Svarūpa. There is, I think there is the word used in Bhagavad-gītā that all the persons assembled in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, after death they attained svarūpa. Means liberated, all liberated and situated in spiritual life because they gave up their life in the presence of Kṛṣṇa. While dying they saw Kṛṣṇa. Therefore all of them after death attained svarūpa. So the mukti means sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ mukti hitva anyathā rūpam sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ. This is the meaning of mukti. So if we want that mukti, liberation, no more conditioned by the material nature, unconditional life, sa-guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). That is svarūpa.
So virūpa means under the control of the three modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Of course, in the material world the quality of brāhmaṇa, satya, śama, dama, titikṣa, ārjava, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42), this is the first-class quality within this material world. But that is also not svarūpa. That is also not svarūpa. One may become the topmost person within human society by acquiring brahminical qualification, but that is also not svarūpa. Real svarūpa is above that brahminical qualification. That is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava qualification means completely dedicated to the service of Kṛṣṇa. Sarvopādhi vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Even if I consider myself that I am a learned brāhmaṇa, that is also misconception. That is also not svarūpa. When one understands that "I am not brāhmaṇa, not kṣatriya, not vaiśya, not śūdra, nor American, nor Indian, nor this, nor that; simply I am spiritual part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and my only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa." Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167), that is first-class life. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. Not pratikūlyena. Pratikūlyena means against the will of Kṛṣṇa. That is pratikūla. Bhakti means ānukūla. Just like Kamsa. He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa: "Whether Kṛṣṇa is born? I have to kill Him. Whether this or that..." He was thinking of Kṛṣṇa. But pratikūlyena, not ānukūlyena. One Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always making plan how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and another Kṛṣṇa cons..., how to kill Kṛṣṇa.