Bg 7.1 — September 10, 1968, San Francisco

Prabhupāda: 

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ
yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
[Bg. 7.1]

So this yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga system, is to begin with developing attachment for Kṛṣṇa. And the process of developing attachment I have already explained to you for the several last meetings. So for the beginners, attachment for God, everyone, people in the lowest stage, he has to admit the greatness of the Supreme Lord. God is great; there is no doubt about it. Everyone, even in the lowest status of life, he can admit. I don’t speak of the animals. Animals, they have no sense of God. I am speaking of the human being. There are different, different grades of human civilization—the highest type of civilization and the lowest aboriginal—but every one of them has got a sense of God. That is there. This is the special prerogative of human being. Not that only the civilized men. Perhaps you know all, when you came here from European countries in America, the Red Indians. They are considered as aboriginals; still, they have some religion, they have some conception of God. 

So God is great. That is admitted by the human civilization. Now what is that greatness? Generally when we speak of greatness…[coughs] [aside:] Water. We think of the greatness of the sky. That is the simple example how thing can be great: “As great as the sky.” But in the sky you have no perception. As there is development of these material elements from finer, I mean to say, existential form, to grosser form, and the grosser form becomes tangible for our understanding, similarly, in every religion or in every society, the greatness of God is admitted. But how that greatness becomes tangible, that you can find in the Bhagavad-gītā. 

Suppose you have got conception of a sky, but you cannot have a definite idea of the greatness of sky because your experience and knowledge is gathered by sense perception. In the sky there is no sense perception. Just like we are sitting in this room. Within this room there is sky, but we cannot understand the sky. But if we try to understand this table we can at once understand, because in the table, if I touch, I feel the hardness; the perception is there. My knowledge can receive that this is a hard table. But if I speak about sky, I cannot get any direct perception. Therefore simply understanding of greatness of God is not all. That, that is the beginning of attachment, “God is great.” But you have to develop your attachment to the fullest extent. And that is love of God. 

You cannot love sky. That is not possible. If I say, “You love sky,” you’ll say, “How to love sky? I want a tangible thing. I want a boy, I want a girl, then I can love. How I can love sky?” So simply understanding of greatness is not all. Then from the development of the, from the idea of sky, there is, next development is air. In the air you can perceive something. When the air is blowing you can at least have some touch sensation. So as in the material world from the sky develops the air, from air develops the fire, electricity, and from electricity or fire develops the water, and from water develops this land… When it comes to the land you can understand something very tangible. Similarly, greatness of God has to be developed how? From greatness of God, the idea of greatness, the sense of service must develop. God is so great, so I must render some service to God. This sense of service is further development. Just like from the sky the air develops, similarly, from the idea of greatness of God the sense of service develops. Because I am serving somebody great, I go to some office because he provides me. The proprietor gives me some salary; therefore he is greater than me. I render service in exchange of something given by him. 

So God is so great. In the Vedic literatures it is found that eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one great supreme living being, He is supplying all the necessities of all other small living beings. We are all small living beings, and Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is the greatest living being. He is also a living being, just like us. The other day I explained that man is made after God, not that God is made after man. Don’t think that because I have got two hands, two legs, one head, therefore I have created a Kṛṣṇa who has got two hands, two legs, two… No. That is not the fact. Actually, because Kṛṣṇa has got two legs, two hands, one head, therefore you have also got. 

So God is great, and I am dependent. So my sense of love has to be developed. We must accept that God is great, He is supplying our necessities, why not render some service in gratitude? Is there any harm? Suppose somebody is always supplying you everything, don’t you think in your gratitude to supply, to render some service to him? If you develop that sense of gratitude, that is further development, attachment, service. Now that service has again to be further developed. How it is to be developed? Just like service to your friend. A friend does not demand service. Just like master, he demands service: “You must do it.” But friend does not demand service, but dear friend: “Yes, why not?” That means voluntary service. More intimately. That is further development. That friendly service… One sort of friendship is with awe and veneration. Just like if you have a very rich friend, you cannot talk with him so frankly although he is so…, he is your intimate friend. But a friend in the same status, you can talk with him very freely. Similarly, we can develop friendship with God in two stages. The first stage is with awe and veneration. “Oh, God is so great. God is supplying us so many things, and in gratitude I must serve Him.” Or, “He is my well-wisher; He’s my friend.” 

But if you further development your friendship… Just like Arjuna. Arjuna developed friendship with Kṛṣṇa. When he saw Kṛṣṇa in His supreme universal form, he said, “My dear Kṛṣṇa, I have talked with You as friend. I have insulted You in so many ways.” Friends and friends, sometimes they talk in insulting tone, but that is not insult, that is pleasure. Similarly, Arjuna also talks to Kṛṣṇa in so many insulting tones. But when he saw that “Oh, here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” he was afraid. So friendship. Then further development of service is to accept the Supreme Lord as son. When I get somebody as my son, the full service is there from the beginning of his life. So similarly, as the subtler form of elements develop into grosser forms, from sky to air, from air to fire, from fire to water, from water to land, similarly, the attachment of Kṛṣṇa begins to develop from the sense of greatness. “God is great,” then “God is master,” then “God is friend,” and then “God is my son,” and then “God is my lover.” In the lover stage, there are all other elements. When you love somebody, then there is loving element, and there is paternal element, there is friendship element, there is master and servant element, and there is greatness element. Therefore, in the sense of loving God, all other elements are full. Therefore the full attachment for Kṛṣṇa is to love Him as your lover. 

So Kṛṣṇa says, mad-āśrayam. This yoga system, bhakti-yoga, is to develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa under His protection. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Just like a friend protects his friend, a master protects his servant, a parent, a father protects his child, or a lover protects his lover, similarly, there is some protectional element. Mad-āśrayaḥ: “Kṛṣṇa is my friend, He’ll protect me. Kṛṣṇa is my master, He’ll protect me. Kṛṣṇa is my son, He’ll protect me. Kṛṣṇa is my lover, He’ll protect me.” So this, this is called mad-āśrayaḥ. If we take this attitude in either of these attitudes, either friend or lover or son or master, like that, and you develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then asaṁśaya, without any doubt, samagram, in complete…, in full completeness, you can understand what is God. This is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that you have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa in either of these aspects, and you have to develop your attachment for either of these aspects. 

Then Kṛṣṇa says that jñānaṁ te ‘haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ [Bg. 7.2]. Now this knowledge of God is not a sentiment, it is science. It is science. This is scientific. Nobody can deny it. We are not preaching any particular type of sentiment, or any frog’s speculation. It is fact. How our relationship with the Supreme Lord can develop, how we are related with Him, these things are fact on philosophical basis. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is assuring Arjuna that “What I’m talking to you is not a religious sentiment, but it is jñānam.Jñānam means it is practical knowledge. Jñānam. Jñānam means theoretical knowledge, and vijñānam means practical knowledge. So Kṛṣṇa says, jñānam. Jñānaṁ te ‘haṁ sa-vijñānam: “I am just speaking to you the exact knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with practical demonstration.” [break] 

…appear for practical examination. Simply knowing that such and such chemical element mixed with such and such chemical element becomes such and such chemical element is theoretical knowledge. Oxygen and hydrogen mixed together produces water. This is theoretical knowledge. But when in the laboratory you actually act—such and such quantity of oxygen gas you mix with such and such quantity of hydrogen gas—at once there is formulation of water. As soon as you mix alkali and acid together, there is at once reaction, soda-bicarbonate. So similarly, theoretical knowledge that we have got a particular type of relationship with God, that you cannot deny. Anything, whatever you have got in your possession, you have got some particular relationship. Suppose you are Americans, we are Indian. So we have got some particular relationship with the state. I am Indian citizen, you are American citizen. So relationship must be there. You are sitting here. There is some relationship. Suppose my students, they have got relationship with me. I am their teacher, they are my disciples. Or if you are not my disciple then you are audience, I am speaker. Must be there some relationship. 

So similarly, if with everything we have got some relationship, why not with God? There is. That is practical relationship, but we have forgotten. We have forgotten our relationship. And yoga means to connect, to reconnect that relationship again. That is called yoga. Yoga is not a mental speculation or for health’s sake. Oh, for health’s sake you may not go to the yoga system. If you simply adopt the practice of Sandoz exercise you can become very healthy, very strong. There is no need of… Yoga is different thing. Yoga means concentration of the mind towards God, God, Paramātmā, which we have forgotten now. 

At the present moment, although we remember sometimes there or the material energy, we have forgotten. So we have to establish, reestablish our forgotten relationship. It is not that you have no relationship with God and we are artificially forcing something, relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No. You have your relationship. Simply by hearing, by cultivation of this knowledge, you revive your relationship, that’s all. Just like in the matches there is fire. You simply rub it for some time, for a few seconds, oh, the fire will come out. Similarly, your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is there within you. Otherwise, how could you accept the Kṛṣṇa consciousness? “I’ve imported Kṛṣṇa from India,” that is also a mistake. Kṛṣṇa is not for India or America. Just like the sun. This is same sun which I have seen in India, the same sun is in your America. So nobody can claim, “Oh, this is Indian sun and this is American sun.” Sun is one. It is our miscalculation that we say, “This is American land, this is American sun, this is American atmosphere.” No. Everything in relationship with God. That is jñānam. That is knowledge. And vijñānam. And practical also. 

So Kṛṣṇa says that “I will explain to you, if you adopt this principle, that development of attachment with Kṛṣṇa, under My protection…” If you don’t take the protection of Kṛṣṇa, then you cannot develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa. You have to accept. That development I have… The other day, I have explained to you that it takes place by giving something, by taking something, by disclosing something, by understanding something, by eating something, by giving Kṛṣṇa to eat something. By six processes. So Kṛṣṇa says, “I am speaking to you this jñānam,sa-vijñānam. Jñānaṁ te aham sa-vijñānam idam. Sa-vijñānam means “with scientific knowledge.” Vakṣyāmy, “I’ll say.” Yad jñātvā, “If you try to understand this knowledge, or if you understand this knowledge,” yaj jñātvā na iha, “not in this material world.” Na iha. Because in the spiritual world there is no ignorance. Spiritual life means full of knowledge, full of bliss, eternal life. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says that “If you understand this knowledge, the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa or the science of Kṛṣṇa, or the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness,” yaj jñātvā na iha bhūyo. Bhūyo means “again.” Anyaj, “anything more.” Anyaj jñātavyam, “understandable,” avaśiṣyate, “there remains.” That means “If you understand as I am speaking to you, in science, practical and theoretical, if you understand this knowledge, then you’ll have nothing to know. There is nothing more knowable to you in this world. That means your knowledge becomes full.” Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate. Tac-chakti-dvaya-vivikta-svarūpa-visayakam jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ tena sahitaṁ te tubhyāṁ prapannāyāśeṣataḥ samagraṁ vakṣyāmi. 

Now here Kṛṣṇa says that “I am speaking to you.” He’s particularly marking Arjuna. Why? He does not say here, “I’m speaking to everyone.” No. Everyone cannot understand this knowledge. It is confidential. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not understandable by any ordinary man. Of course, Lord Caitanya has made it so easy for this age that if you sincerely, with devotion, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you’ll be able to understand. But the science as it is, itself, it is very difficult. It is very difficult. But because the age is not very favorable, the time is not very favorable, therefore Lord Caitanya has inaugurated this saṅkīrtana movement by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and dancing, so that your mind very quickly becomes cleared so that you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This simple process. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa says it is not for all. 

“I am speaking to you this scientific knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness unto you.” Why “unto you”? Because he’s a surrendered soul. He’s a surrendered soul. The beginning of Bhagavad-gītā is there. You know. When Kṛṣṇa was talking with Arjuna as friend, He did not talk very seriously. He was simply saying, “My dear Arjuna, it is not good for you that you shall not fight. You are a kṣatriya, you belong to the warrior class, so if you don’t fight, it will not be very good.” In this way, on the basis of friendship. But Arjuna also understood that “Kṛṣṇa is not very seriously talking with me, because we are friends.” So he surrendered himself. He said that “My dear Kṛṣṇa, I can understand that the problem which has arisen in this battlefield, it is very difficult problem. I have come here to fight, but I have been disturbed with sentiments. So how I can kill my brothers, my teacher, my grandfather, my grandsons, and so on, so on? So, but I know also that these problems, this problematic situation which has arisen, it can be solved by You only.” But Arjuna knew it that “Kṛṣṇa is not my ordinary friend. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Therefore he at once surrendered. Śiṣyas te ‘haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] “I am surrendered unto You as Your disciple. Please accept me and just teach me what is good for me.” Therefore Kṛṣṇa also says that jñānaṁ te aham, “I am speaking to you this knowledge, this confidential knowledge, because you are surrendered.” 

So this thing, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins. Unless you have got at least a little attachment for Kṛṣṇa, unless you have taken to any sort of service to Kṛṣṇa it is very difficult to understand. Jñānaṁ te ‘haṁ sa-vijñānam [Bg. 7.2]. Tac-chakti-dvaya-vivikta-svarūpa-viṣayakam. So jñānam, you can understand this because you are surrendered soul. Prapannāyāśeṣataḥ samagrena upadekṣyāmi. So jñānam means the actual, factual knowledge. Jñānam means factual knowledge and practical demonstration of that knowledge. That will be explained in this chapter, and we shall further discuss on this point. 

Now if there is any question, you can ask. 

Devotee (1): Swamiji, you said that the relationship with Kṛṣṇa as lover contains all the other symptoms of the other relationships. 

Prabhupāda: Yes. 

Devotee (1): Does this mean that that rasa is superior or better than the other rasas? 

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is…If you neutrally examine that the position of the lover is better than the position of a person who is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa as master and servant. But that is studying the relationship or the mellows from neutral point of view. But anyone, either who is…, anyone, either he is in relationship as master and servant or relationship as father and child or lover and lover, from his position, He is supreme. But from neutral position the lover and the beloved, this kind of relationship with Kṛṣṇa is the best, is the supreme. Therefore the worship of the gopīs to Kṛṣṇa… Lord Caitanya also displayed. His propaganda or His understanding of Kṛṣṇa was just like the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa as Lord Caitanya was playing the part of Rādhārāṇī. He wanted to understand. Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand what is there in Rādhārāṇī. So that understanding, that feature of Kṛṣṇa is Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is not different from Kṛṣṇa, but the feature in which Kṛṣṇa is trying to understand Rādhārāṇī, that is Lord Caitanya. So Rādhārāṇī’s position is greater than Kṛṣṇa’s. These are very confidential talks, but the relationship of love and the beloved, as it was between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, that is the highest type of relationship. There is no doubt about it. [pause] Yes? 

Devotee (1): I just didn’t hear you correctly. Did you say that Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya was playing Rādhā? 

Prabhupāda: Yes, He is playing the part of Rādhārāṇī. He is worshiping Kṛṣṇa as Rādhārāṇī worshiped Kṛṣṇa. There is a verse composed by Lord Caitanya. He says, 

āśliṣya vā pāda ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām
[adarśanān] marma-hatāṁ karotu vā
yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo
mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ
[Cc. Antya 20.47]

He’s praying, “My Lord Kṛṣṇa, either You trample me down by Your feet, either You embrace me as lover, or You make me brokenhearted without Your presence. Whatever You like You can do. But still I am Your eternal servitor.” So this attitude was Rādhārāṇī’s. So Lord Caitanya is the feature of Kṛṣṇa understanding Rādhārāṇī. That Kṛṣṇa is great undoubtedly, but He thinks that Rādhārāṇī is greater than Him, because He cannot repay the loving transaction of Rādhā, of Kṛṣṇa. So he wanted to study what is there in Rādhārāṇī. “So I cannot study Rādhārāṇī in the feature of Kṛṣṇa. If I take the feature of Rādhārāṇī, then I can understand what are…” This is highest, I mean to say, transcendental sentiments. But Lord Caitanya is Rādhārāṇī’s feature. Tad-dvayaṁ caikyam aptam. Caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caityam āptam. Kṛṣṇa, when He wants to enjoy, He expands His pleasure potency, which is Rādhārāṇī. Now one Kṛṣṇa becomes two, Kṛṣṇa and His pleasure potency. And that pleasure potency, when unites with Kṛṣṇa, that is Caitanya. Kṛṣṇa becomes two, Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything material because He is full in Himself. Therefore if He has to enjoy something, then that enjoyable personality must be expanded from Him only. So that is Rādhārāṇī. And when that enjoyable personality again takes into one, that is Caitanya. These things you’ll understand as you develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in higher development stage. But it is, we can discuss. This is the fact. Yes? 

Gargamuni: I just want to… You said that yoga means to connect with the Supreme, and then you said by that we concentrate our mind on God, and then after that you said Paramātmā. 

Prabhupāda: Yes. The beginning of searching out God is within yourself. God is within yourself. So yoga means concentrating the mind on the Paramātmā. Paramātmā is the feature of the Supreme Lord who is seated in everyone’s heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ‘rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Hṛd-deśe means in the heart. In the heart I am, as spiritual spark, I am also sitting, and the Kṛṣṇa is also sitting. The medical science cannot explain. As soon as the heart fails, they say, “Oh, he’s gone.” That means in the heart I am sitting and the Paramātmā is sitting. As the I and Paramātmā leaves the heart, the heart fails and there is no life. And it is a fact from medical science that all the energies of the body is coming from the heart. So this statement of the Bhagavad-gītā, that īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe… [Bg. 18.61]. Hṛd-deśe means in the heart. So yoga means, as prescribed in the standard yoga system in the Bhagavad-gītā, means I myself try to find out the Paramātmā within my heart. So I cannot concentrate unless I withdraw all my sensual activities. You cannot practice yoga, [chuckling] at the same time indulge in sensual activities. These are all nonsense. So we have to concentrate all our sensual activities. That means repose them in the mind, and mind is concentrated upon the Paramātmā. That is real yoga. 

Gargamuni: Yes, but we in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we aren’t interested in that Paramātmā, are we? 

Prabhupāda: No. We have no interest because we are directly meditating the Supreme. Therefore if we concentrate our mind on Kṛṣṇa, that means Paramātmā is already served. If you have got one million dollars, then ten dollar service is already done. Paramātmā is partial representation of Kṛṣṇa. So if you concentrate your attention, whole attention to Kṛṣṇa, that is far, far better than… And that is, I mean to say, accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā [Bg. 6.47]. “Anyone who is concentrating his mind upon Me, he is the topmost yogi.” He’s the topmost yogi. And that is very easy. If you simply see the picture of Kṛṣṇa, the statue of Kṛṣṇa, worship Kṛṣṇa, chant His name Kṛṣṇa, eat Kṛṣṇa’s prasādam, talk Kṛṣṇa, read Kṛṣṇa’s book, then you are always in samādhi. Samādhi, this is perfect samādhi. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an ordinary thing. It is the highest, topmost yoga system. Is that clear? 

Gargamuni: Yes. 

Prabhupāda: All right. Chant. Śrī rāma jaya rāma jaya jaya… [end] 

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