Bhaja Govindam Verse 9

सत्सङ्गत्वे निस्सङ्गत्वं निस्सङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् ।
निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः ॥
satsaṅgatve nissaṅgatvaṃ nissaṅgatve nirmohatvam |
nirmohatve niścalatattvaṃ niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ ||

  • satsaṅgatve: through good company (company of the wise); nissaṅgatvaṃ (bhavati): non-attachment (arises); nissaṅgatve: through non-attachment; nirmohatvam (bhavati): freedom from delusion (arises); nirmohatve: through freedom from delusion; niścalatattvaṃ (bhavati): an unwavering, peaceful mind (arises); niścalatattve: through an unwavering mind; jīvanmuktiḥ (bhavati): liberation while living (is attained)

Summary: Step by Step process of jīvanmuktiḥ
Through the company of good people, one develops complete non-attachment in the mind.
This non-attachment then leads to a state free from delusion, which in turn creates a calm, unwavering state of mind.
Ultimately, this unwavering mind results in jīvanmukti, the state of being liberated while still living in this world.

  • The Next Step for a Seeker: Swamiji explains that suppose śaṅkarācārya‘s hammering of delusions succeeds and a person becomes a sincere seeker (mumukṣuḥ) willing to seek the eternal. The natural question that arises is: “What should I do now?”
  • The Necessity of Association: In response, śaṅkarācārya advises satsaṅgaṃ kuru. One cannot navigate the spiritual journey alone because the scriptures describe numerous and seemingly conflicting sādhanās (such as service, meditation, nāmajapa, or yoga). The śāstra is like a dense forest, and without direction, a seeker will easily become lost and confused.
  • The Role of the Teacher: To navigate this forest, you must go to an ācārya (a guide), a satpuruṣaḥ or a jnani. Just as a guide is essential for a complicated physical tour, a guru is necessary for the complex spiritual journey. Through satsaṅgatve (association with a master), you begin to gain the necessary qualifications.
  • The Twofold Path: The spiritual journey requires two distinct steps: jñānayogyatāprāpti (purification of the mind) and jñānaprāpti (spiritual enlightenment).
  • Achieving Detachment: The guru helps you attain nissaṅgatvam (purification). Literally meaning vairāgyaṃ, this represents gathering all the necessary qualifications, such as viveka, vairāgya, and śamādiṣaṭkasampattiḥ. The guru prescribes the appropriate sādhanās to purify your mind, turning you into a ready receptacle (pātram) for wisdom.
  • Receiving the Teaching: Once you have become a prepared pātram, the guru imparts the upadeśa (teaching) to remove your ignorance, taking you to the next stage: nissaṅgatve nirmohatvam.
  • Freedom from Delusion: The word mohaḥ means ajñānam (ignorance), and nirmohatvam means ajñānanivṛttiḥ (the removal of this ignorance). Thus, after the guru removes the mind’s impurities, the spiritual teaching destroys the fundamental ignorance.
  • Unshakable Knowledge: Once ignorance is destroyed, what remains is niścalatattvajñānam (unshakable knowledge of the truth). This leads to the realization of bhagavan within oneself, who was previously obscured by ignorance.
  • The Ultimate Discovery: The guru‘s upadeśa simply removes the covering of ignorance. True discovery is simply “dismissing the cover.” By doing so, you find that bhagavan—the ultimate source of ānanda, security, and peace—is already fully present within you.
  • Liberation While Living: This profound realization culminates in niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ. When you find everything you need within yourself, you become entirely free from external emotional dependencies. You no longer wander the world with a psychological begging bowl, constantly asking others for love and validation.
  • The True Meaning of Freedom: muktiḥ is this very freedom from psychological bankruptcy and dependence. It does not happen posthumously; it is enjoyed right here and now (jīvan). Instead of desperately seeking love, you discover such an internal abundance of love that you can freely distribute it to others without needing anything in return.
  • The Course of Action: Therefore, the ultimate instruction for what to do is to approach an ācārya. In this context, true devotion to govinda (govinda bhakti) effectively translates to attaining a qualified spiritual teacher (ācāryaprāptiḥ).