vidyāmayo hi yah sa kathaṁ viṣayī bhavati
yo hi kāṁena kāmān kāmayate sa kāmī bhavati
yo hi vai tva-kāmena kāmān kāmayate so ‘py akāmī bhavati
How can he who is full of knowledge be attracted to material objects? He who desires material objects with lust is a material enjoyer. He who desires objects out of love for you is without material desire. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad
The above is a quotation from Gopala-tapani Upanishad. Once the gopis wanted to offer bhoga to the brahmana Durvasa who was on the other side of the river. Krishna told them that just say to Yamuna – If Krishna is a brahmacari, Yamuna should give way!! And Yamuna gave way! They fed Durvasa very nicely, and when they wanted to go back, Durvasa told them to simply say to Yamuna – If Durvasa has not eaten anything, Yamuna must give way! Perplexed but having no choice, they did it. And again, surprisingly, Yamuna gave way! Being totally baffled, they asked Krishna about the same. Krishna replied that neither he was after the gopis, being atmarama Himself, nor was Durvasa attached to the foodstuffs that the gopis had offered. Both were simply reciprocating based on the gopis’ desire.
In the above verse, the difference between a kami and akami is mentioned.
Krishna is called as vidyamayah in the above verse. Vidya here refers to the cit-sakti of the Supreme Lord. In material world, because we are not in the shelter of the cit-sakti of the Lord, even after knowing, we may fall prey to sense objects.
So, knowledge alone is not sufficient.
Vidya-mayah is just like krsna-maya, guna-maya etc. basically meaning one whose existence is knowledge, or one who is fully imbued with knowledge.
What does it mean to be imbued with knowledge?
It doesn’t simply mean to remember a lot of verses of scriptures. BG also says – haranti prasabham manah.
Interestingly, Shrila Prabhupada gives the word-to-word definition of vidya in SB 2.2.23 as devotional service.
He also writes,
“The material body is the symbol of the gross and subtle form of forgetfulness; therefore the whole atmosphere of the material world is called avidyā, or nescience, whereas the whole atmosphere of the spiritual world is called vidyā, or full knowledge.” (SB 2.6.21)
How can we not be affected by desires for sense gratification?
Therefore, in essence, when we are imbued with Krishna Consciousness, and not keep even one moment for our own sense gratification, that is also another definition of vidya-maya. And, at that stage, even being amidst sense objects, we won’t be affected.
BG 2.64 explains the condition of a sthita prajna devotee.
rāga-dveṣa-vimuktais tu
viṣayān indriyaiś caran
ātma-vaśyair vidheyātmā
prasādam adhigacchati
BVB Translation
One whose mind is offered to me, even though he enjoys the sense objects with the senses freed of attachment and repulsion, under the control of the mind, attains a pure mind.
Such a person is beyond the attachments and aversions of this world. He has the power to wander freely amidst sense objects and not be affected. At some places, even we can observe in our own life. We may be going through a street full of delicious eatables, and while our senses may be taking in whatever is happening, still we won’t be affected because we know that it is NOT prasada! On a fasting day, even if mahaprasada plate comes, we won’t take it!
Also, as given in this verse, when one desires objects for the pleasure of Krishna, it is spiritual desire and it immediately places one under the cit-potency of the Supreme Lord.
Shrila Prabhupada was one such personality who was never affected by anything material. He was vidya-maya in the true sense. The name given to him was also Bhakti-Vedanta. He had immense bhakti, and he knew the goal of Vedanta which was to please Krishna.
And therefore in SB 3.31.37 where it is said that none apart from Nara-Narayana Rsi is immune to the sex desire, Visvanatha Cakravarti writes that the sages those who have taken shelter of the Lord, they also are free from this desire.
The same is confirmed in SB 1.11.38
etad īśanam īśasya
prakṛti-stho ‘pi tad-guṇaiḥ
na yujyate sadātma-sthair
yathā buddhis tad-āśrayā
This is the divinity of the Personality of Godhead: He is not affected by the qualities of material nature even though He is in contact with them. Similarly, the devotees who have taken shelter of the Lord do not become influenced by the material qualities.
Regarding King Rantideva, it is said in SB 9.21.17
īśvarālambanaṁ cittaṁ
kurvato ‘nanya-rādhasaḥ
māyā guṇa-mayī rājan
svapnavat pratyalīyata
O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, because King Rantideva was a pure devotee, always Kṛṣṇa conscious and free from all material desires, the Lord’s illusory energy, māyā, could not exhibit herself before him. On the contrary, for him māyā entirely vanished, exactly like a dream.
Therefore, not just knowledge, but bhakti can help one get freed from lust.
