The Eternal Abode of Bliss: A Devotee's Life in Golok

All living beings relentlessly pursue happiness, striving to attain an unsurpassed, everlasting bliss. Despite our tireless efforts, this true happiness remains elusive. Why? Because we are fundamentally ignorant of what true happiness is and how to attain it.

The Vedas provide a profound definition:

यो वै भूमा तत्सुखम् ।
yō vai bhūmā tatsukham |
"That which is eternal and unlimited is called Bliss."

True bliss can never be overpowered by sorrow or discontentment. The Upanishads further declare:

आनंदो ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् ।
ānaṁdō brahmēti vyajānāt |
"God is Bliss."

This isn't to say there is bliss in God; rather, God is the very bliss we seek. To understand this, consider that the phrase "a large quantity of water" is synonymous with "ocean." Similarly, our incessant search for happiness is, in its truest form, a quest for God.

The Trap of Materialism

Our senses can perceive only the material world. Due to the ignorance that "only what we can perceive is real," we continue to search for happiness in material objects (living and non-living). The Sankhya school of philosophy states:

त्रिविध दुःखात्यन्तनिवृत्तिरत्यन्त पुरुषार्थः ।
नकुत्रापि कोऽपि सुखी तदपि दुःखशबलामिति दुःखपक्षे निःक्षिपन्ते विवेचकाः ॥
duḥkhātyantanivr̥ttiratyanta puruṣārthaḥ | nakutrāpi kō'pi sukhī tadapi duḥkhaśabalāmiti duḥkhapakṣe niḥkṣipantē vivēcakāḥ ||

"There is no happiness in the material world. Any joy experienced in this world is fleeting and eventually results in misery."

Since God is divine and beyond our material senses, we fail to pursue Him. Instead, we chase countless objects. We may experience a temporary high upon obtaining something new, but this joy quickly diminishes, forcing us into a continuous, unsatisfying cycle of desire. Furthermore, these objects are perishable.

As the desire for lasting bliss is universal, Saint Tulsidas Ji proclaims:

अस को जीव जन्तु जग माहीं, जेहि रघुनाथ प्राण प्रिय नाहीं ॥
jaga māhīṁ, jēhi raghunātha prāṇa priya nāhīṁ || "For every living being, Lord Ram is dearer than life."

To read more about this please visit Even Atheists Believe in God.

What Awaits Us After God-Realization?

We perform diverse actions with the sole purpose of attaining "happiness." Many people innocently ask, "What will we do after attaining unlimited bliss?" They worry that a life with no unfulfilled desires will become monotonous.

This concern is rooted in a material mindset. The mind, intellect, and senses are all products of Maya, which is controlled by God. A material mind cannot grasp the divine God any more than a light bulb can comprehend the electricity that powers it.

The State of the Saint Scriptures say that a God-Realized soul forever remains in the ecstasy of divine love-bliss. Yet, inspired by God and equipped with the divine power of Yogmaya, a saint can control this ecstatic state to perform actions that serve others.

• They may appear to lead normal human lives while simultaneously participating in God's pastimes in Golok.
• Saints like Dhruv, Prahlad, and Ambareesh are perfect examples of this potent state.

Transformation: The Divine Body

God-realization happens only when the soul completely surrenders its body, mind, and intellect to God's will. When the entire apparatus of decision-making is surrendered, the individual soul no longer acts on its own accord. It becomes a tool in the hands of God.

Upon God-realization, the individual soul attains a divine body, divine senses, and a divine mind. Tulsidas Ji explains:

जानत तुमहिं तुमहिं ह्वै जाई ।
jānata tumahiṁ tumahiṁ hvai jāī |
"One who knows God becomes equivalent to God."

With these divine faculties, the soul can perceive God's original divine form. In Golok, where Maya cannot enter, the soul's new divine body is free from all afflictions like old age, disease, and suffering (the Panchklesh and Panchkosh).

The Nature of Golok In this divine abode, the environment itself is conscious. Shri Krishna Himself becomes the space, air, fire, water, and earth to serve His devotees.

Ever-New Pastimes

In this divine abode, the soul becomes Satya-Sankalp—what it resolves happens effortlessly. Moreover, God's intimate power, Yogmaya, fulfills every need. Shri Krishna says in the Gita:

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम्।
yē yathā māṁ prapadyantē tāṁstathaiva bhajāmyaham
"I reciprocate the feelings and intensity of love of My devotees."

Shri Radha and Krishna constantly enact ever-new divine pastimes (Lilas), and the blessed souls in Golok participate in them. This joy is not static; it is ever-increasing. As Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says:

जीवेर स्वरूप होय कृष्णेर नित्य दास
jīvēra svarūpa hōya kr̥ṣṇēra nitya dāsa
"Every soul is an eternal servant of God."

Like a part serving the whole, a jeev finds its highest bliss in serving God. The life of a devotee in Golok is a continuous flow of divine ecstasy, with no pain, suffering, or a single moment of boredom.

Conclusion

The divine realm cannot be understood through logic alone; it must be pursued with faith and devotion. As Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj reminds us:

उसकी प्रेर्णा से इन्द्रिय मन बुद्धि अपना-अपना कार्य करने में समर्थ होते हैं अतएव प्रेर्य इन्द्रिय मन बुद्धि अपने प्रेरक ईश्वर को ग्रहण करने में असमर्थ हैं ।

"It is through inspiration from God that the senses, mind, and intellect perform their respective functions. Thus, the inspired senses, mind, and intellect are incapable of grasping their Inspirer, God."

Ultimately, we must trust the word of the scriptures and strive for that divine bliss found in the love of Shri Radha Krishna.

Further Reading and Reference

• The Science of Evidence
• Svaroopavarika Maya
• Brahmand
• akarta
• karta