Jeeva or a living entity is that soul which is within the grip of mind, intelligence, false ego and may or may not possess a gross body. Ghouls and ghosts are also jeevas but they do not have gross bodies. The human being is the most complex example of jeeva. In the context of Bhakti, understanding “jeeva sthithi” or the standing of the jeeva in the context of Bhakti becomes an object of paramount importance. A jeeva is in a perfect bound condition and maya Devi, usually jeeva maya and yoga maya are in control of the jeeva. Only a jeeva who gets elevated to the platform of a pure devotee becomes free from maya and comes under the direct jurisdiction of the Lord and gets managed by the Lord’s personal leela shakti. Such a jeeva who is free of maya is undoubtedly beyond the laws of material nature because such a jeeva will never ever challenge the perfect material laws. Even under special circumstances, the Lord will bend the material laws to suit his dear devotee.
Analyzing the nature of jeevas is very important in the context of achieving success in Bhajana and thus slowly getting elevated to the platform of being considered a pure devotee in the eyes of the Supreme Lord. A jeeva although, it takes to devotional service, is blinded by spots of materialism is said to be on the jeeva sthithi. Until and unless, the jeeva develops the capacity and capability of being able to access and analyze its own nature and thereby enter into a state of auto-correction through the mercy of Guru and Bhajana, the jeeva is said to be bound by “jeeva sthithi”. A jeeva who is able to enter this mode of auto-correction through a deep sense of introspection is said to be on the “sadhaka” platform. A jeeva that is single-pointed towards Bhajana without any external aid, on its own, is said to be a sadhaka. Otherwise typically that jeeva remains positioned in jeeva sthithi.
A sadhaka is well on the free-way to Bhajana Siddhi, however the jeeva in jeeva sthithi will have to inquire and probe into deeper aspects of Bhajana before tasting even the initial shower nectar of success in sadhana. The jeeva has an innate tendency to make mistakes, to be deluded, to cheat and to be mislead by imperfect senses. A person who develops the capability of going beyond these four defects is said to be on the platform of a sadhaka. Before such a stage the jeeva is said to perform only Bhajana Kriya and not yet qualified to enter the stage of Bhajana whereby the taste of servitude to the Lord has not yet been 
established. A jeeva is fundamentally harassed by the six enemies of lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy. The four types of innate defects existing within the jeeva along with these six enemies makes the jeeva an extremely complex entity. The jeeva tries to put to use its innate deficiencies for benefit, even in the field of Bhakti. The definitions of righteousness, financial well being through righteousness, fulfilling one’s personal desires according to scriptures and liberation have been sufficiently misinterpreted by the jeeva to maintain its treacherous stand even in the field of Bhakti. Trying to serve one’s family at the cost of others, Neglecting the larger order of the universe, Undermining the “truth” principle, Having a transactional attitude without caring for the larger welfare, taking advantage of other’s weakness, compensating with wealth one’s integrity and putting it to use for success in Bhakti are predominant in the jeeva’s false pursuit of success. Bhakti, it should be remembered, can be performed only if the jeeva is brutally true to itself and is ready to pay “any” price for attaining the Lord. The Supreme Lord is the personification of the highest principles, hence cannot ever be approached by the jeeva with a shoddy infiltrated mind-set.
Charan Pahari 