To understand the meanings of liberation and immortality one must first agree on a common point and from there we shall proceed with the explanation. First of all, the body is temporary and the soul is eternal. The soul is the actual living entity that gives consciousness to the body. Without the soul, the body dies and decomposes with time. The quality of the soul is that it is eternal. It transmigrates from one body to another according to its past activities. If we agree on the existence of the soul then we can move on. The subject of reincarnation is a very complex one and we are not going to explain that here.



To be immortal means to live eternally in a particular realm and in a particular type of body compatible with that realm. The duration of life varies on different planetary systems. On earth people live for a maximum of roughly 100 years. In previous ages they used to live for thousands of years. On the heavenly planets they live for far longer time than here on earth. The more one moves upwards on the planetary systems the longer he lives. The demigods live for millions of years whereas the life of Lord Brahma appears to be eternal. The demigods are always devising plans about how to extend their lives so that they can enjoy more.

Millions of years ago, the demigods came up with the idea to churn the ocean of milk. They made an agreement with the demons to perform this task because a great manpower was needed. When the nectar came up, a fight broke but at last the demigods secured the nectar. Here one question might come up. One might ask how the demigods can be eternal by drinking nectar since nothing is eternal in this world. The answer is that by drinking nectar they prolonged their lives to what seem unlimited years. From our point of view they appear to be eternal for they live for seemingly eternally. But at the time of destruction everything and everyone goes back into the body of Mahavishnu. Eternality is not a feature of this material universe.

Becoming immortal means to transcend the three modes of material nature and reach the transcendental platform. On that level one associates oneself with the nature of the Supreme Lord, who is eternal. When one leaves his body in such a state, he attains to the kingdom of God. There he lives eternally because by being situated on the platform of transcendence, he gets liberation from the cycle of birth and death.