There are many religious groups in northern India which believe that the living entity is God. But on further evaluation, this does not hold true. [Holding up a paperweight]: This is a paperweight made of glass. If anyone claims that it is a gem or gold, it will not become these things just by his saying so, because this object is completely different from what he is saying it is. Similarly, to say that the living entity is God is also not correct. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that the living entity (jiva) is a part of the marginal potency of Lord Kṛṣna. This marginal potency (taṭastha-sakti) exists between the internal potency (antaraṅga-sakti) and external potency (bahiraṅga- or maya-sakti). The jiva is neither a part of the external potency nor of the internal potency. The scriptural evidence for this can be found in the Narada Pañcaratra:

yat taṭastham tu cid-rūpam
sva-samvedyad vinirgatam
rañjitam guna-ragena
sa jiva iti kathyate

The marginal potency consists of particles of consciousness that have emanated from the cit-sakti of the Omniscient Supreme Lord. Being agitated by the three modes of material nature, these spiritual beings are known as jivas.

Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the taṭastha-sakti as follows:

taṭasthatvam ca maya-sakty-atitatvat. asyavidya-para-bhavadi-rūpena doṣena paramatmano lepabhavac cobhaya-koṭav apravesat.
tasya tac-chaktitve saty api paramatmanas tal-lepabhavas ca yatha kvacid eka-desa-sthe rasmau chayaya tiraskṛte ’pi sūryasyatiraskaras tadvat.
(Paramatma Sandarbha, Anuccheda 37, texts 12 & 13)

The marginal potency known as jiva-sakti is different from the external potency; it is not a part of the external potency. On the other hand, due to being enveloped by ignorance, the jiva is also different from Paramatma, the Supreme Lord, who is always transcendental and uncontaminated. Although ignorance (avidya) is one of the potencies of the Supreme Lord, even a trace of ignorance cannot affect the Lord, in the same way that a ray of the sun can become covered by clouds, but the sun always remains uncovered. The constitutional position (svarūpa) of the jiva is that it is an eternal servant of Lord Kṛṣna. It has appeared from the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord and is a manifestation that is simultaneously different and non-different from Him. Just as there are atomic particles in the rays of the sun and sparks of the fire, similarly, innumerable jivas emanate from the marginal potency of Sri Kṛṣna.

Therefore, the jiva can never become God. In the past, he was also a servant of the Supreme Lord, but at present, being entrapped by maya (the external potency), he has forgotten his servitorship of God. Nevertheless, the jiva is, by nature, an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. When the jiva realises his actual position and becomes freed from the clutches of maya, he will still remain a servant of the Supreme Lord.

Many people question the necessity of performing hari-bhajana throughout one’s life: “Let us spend our youth in enjoying material pleasures or fulfilling our wordly obligations. We will chant the Lord’s Holy Name during our old age or at the time of death. By doing only this much, we will be able to rescue ourselves from the 84 lakhs of species and become eligible to go to Vaikunṭha.”

If you think that you will perform hari-bhajana in your old age, then this will be impossible to do. At that time, you will not be able to serve the Lord as there won’t be any energy left in your body. Your hands and legs will tremble, and your eyesight and power of hearing will be diminished. The biggest hurdle will be the deeds performed by you throughout your life which will fill your consciousness. At the time of death, you will keep recalling these deeds out of habit and then you will be forced to dwell on material subject matters.

Srimad-Bhagavatam says that the mind (citta) is the cause of bondage and also of liberation. It is within this mind that we will have to establish Sri Kṛṣna. How is this possible, one might ask? The reply to this is, all our lives, we have heard, spoken about and thought of material subject matters. That is why our minds are filled with material subjects. Therefore, we should now listen to the sermons given by pure devotees of the Lord, and recite whatever we have heard to others. In this way, if we keep on recalling those sermons, Sri Bhagavan will become established in our hearts. The reason for this is, the very things that we keep hearing and speaking about become established in our minds. For example, if we keep on hearing about a cat, dog or any other person, within a short time, that very cat, dog or person will become established in our mind. In the same way, if one wants to establish the Lord within his heart, if one wants to attain the Lord, he will have to hear about Kṛṣna, talk about Kṛṣna and think about Kṛṣna. In this way, his heart will go to Bhagavan Sri Kṛṣna. Therefore, the three devotional forms of hearing, chanting and remembering about the Name, Form, Qualities and Pastimes of the Supreme Lord and His associates are the best means of attaining the Supreme Lord. There are thousands of devotional forms mentioned in the scriptures but these three [hearing, chanting and remembering] are the foremost. That is why we have special arrangements to follow these three devotional forms in our maṭhas (temples).

This human life is the most precious form of life in which we have the best opportunity of performing devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Only the human being has the ability to differentiate between good (sat) and bad (asat) and by worshipping sad-vastu, the Supreme Lord, he can achieve everything, even up to achieving the highest good, Sri Kṛṣna Himself.

The Kaṭha Upaniṣad says:

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko bahūnam yo vidadhati kaman
tam atma-stham ye ’nupasyanti dhiras teṣam santih sasvati netareṣam
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.5.13 & Svetasvatara Upaniṣad 6.13)

The one who is the greatest Eternal Entity among all eternal entities; by whose absence, the eternity of the eternal does not remain, i.e., that which is the cause of the eternal entities and the Real Knowledge among all mundane knowledge; who is the One among many; who fulfils all kinds of desires—that Supreme Being is always seen or experienced by dhira (grave or resolute) persons. The sruti says that only such dhira persons can attain eternal peace, not others. Therefore, as long as the body has strength, the senses are working and the breath is flowing, we should surrender everything unto the Lotus Feet of the Transcendental Eternal Entity, the Supreme Lord, and engage ourselves in His worship. That we will perform bhajana in our old age, or chant the Holy Name only at the time of death and cross over the ocean of material existence is a most futile thought. Learned persons never think in this manner.