SB 3.27.13

The conditioned soul thinks that "I am this body," but a liberated soul thinks that "I am not this body. I am a spirit soul." So this "I am" is called ego, identifications of oneself. Now when one thinks, "I am this body" or "Everything in relationship with the body are mine," that is called false ego, but when one is self-realized and thinks that he is eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord, that identification of oneself is there but one is in the darkness of threefold qualities of material nature, namely the quality of goodness, quality of passion and ignorance-and the other identification is in the pure state of goodness, called suddha-sattva (s-u-d-d-h-a s-a-t-t-w-a) which is called also vasudeva (v-a-s-u-d-v-a). So then when we have to give up our ego, it means that we have to give up our false ego, but real ego is always present. But when they are reflected through the material contamination of the body and mind in false identification, that is called conditional stage, but when they are reflected in pure stage, that is called liberated stage. In the conditional stage the identification of oneself, material possession is purified when that identification is in relationship with the Supreme Lord. In the conditioned state everything accepted as objects of sense gratification, and in the liberated state everything accepted as things for the service of the Supreme Lord. So Krsna consciousness or devotional service is the right liberated stage of a living entity. Otherwise either accepting in the material platform or negativating the material things to voidness or impersonalism, they are all imperfect condition of the pure soul.

The understanding of pure soul is called satya-drk (s-a-t-y-a d-r-i-k), satya-drk. Satya-drk means one who can see in everything the reflection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A concrete example can be given in this connection. Thus a conditioned soul is seeing one flower, very nice beautiful rose flower, and he is thinking that this nice aromatic flower should be used for smelling, for his own sense gratification. This is one kind of seeing the flower and a liberated soul sees the same flower in the reflection of the Supreme Lord, that "This beautiful flower is made possible by the superior energy of the Supreme Lord; therefore this flower is belonging to the Supreme Lord and it should be utilized for the service of the Supreme Lord." There is two kinds of vision. The conditioned soul sees the flower for his own enjoyment, and the liberated soul sees the flower in connection with the service of the Lord. In the same way, one can see the reflection of the Supreme Lord either in his own senses, mind and body, in everything and thus by correct vision of all these paraphernalia one can engage everything in the service of the Lord. It is stated in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu that one who has engaged his everything-his vital energy, his wealth, his intelligence and his words-in the service of the Lord, or desires to engage all these in the service of the Lord, such a person even though situated in any position of life in the material world, he is to be considered as a liberated soul, or satya-drk. Satya-drk means one who has understood things as they are.