Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Chapter 7: Knowledge of the Absolute |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 7.1
SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Lord said; mayi — to Me; āsakta-manāh — mind attached; pārtha — O son of Prithā; yogam — self-realization; yuñjan — practicing; mat-āśrayah — in consciousness of Me (Krishna consciousness); asamśayam — without doubt; samagram — completely; mām — Me; yathā — how; jñāsyasi — you can know; tat — that; śrinu — try to hear.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Prithā, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.
PURPORT
In this Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the nature of Krishna consciousness is fully described. Krishna is full in all opulences, and how He manifests such opulences is described herein. Also, four kinds of fortunate people who become attached to Krishna and four kinds of unfortunate people who never take to Krishna are described in this chapter.
In the first six chapters of Bhagavad-gītā, the living entity has been described as nonmaterial spirit soul capable of elevating himself to self-realization by different types of yogas. At the end of the Sixth Chapter, it has been clearly stated that the steady concentration of the mind upon Krishna, or in other words Krishna consciousness, is the highest form of all yoga. By concentrating one's mind upon Krishna, one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise. Impersonal brahmajyoti or localized Paramātmā realization is not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth, because it is partial. Full and scientific knowledge is Krishna, and everything is revealed to the person in Krishna consciousness. In complete Krishna consciousness one knows that Krishna is ultimate knowledge beyond any doubts. Different types of yoga are only steppingstones on the path of Krishna consciousness. One who takes directly to Krishna consciousness automatically knows about brahmajyoti and Paramātmā in full. By practice of Krishna consciousness yoga, one can know everything in full — namely the Absolute Truth, the living entities, the material nature, and their manifestations with paraphernalia.
One should therefore begin yoga practice as directed in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter. Concentration of the mind upon Krishna the Supreme is made possible by prescribed devotional service in nine different forms, of which śravanam is the first and most important. The Lord therefore says to Arjuna, tac chrinu, or "Hear from Me." No one can be a greater authority than Krishna, and therefore by hearing from Him one receives the greatest opportunity to become a perfectly Krishna conscious person. One has therefore to learn from Krishna directly or from a pure devotee of Krishna — and not from a nondevotee upstart, puffed up with academic education.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this process of understanding Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is described in the Second Chapter of the First Canto as follows:
nashta-prāyeshv abhadreshu
bhaktir bhavati naishthikī
ceta etair anāviddham
drishta evātmanīśvare
"To hear about Krishna from Vedic literatures, or to hear from Him directly through the Bhagavad-gītā, is itself righteous activity. And for one who hears about Krishna, Lord Krishna, who is dwelling in everyone's heart, acts as a best-wishing friend and purifies the devotee who constantly engages in hearing of Him. In this way, a devotee naturally develops his dormant transcendental knowledge. As he hears more about Krishna from the Bhāgavatam and from the devotees, he becomes fixed in the devotional service of the Lord. By development of devotional service one becomes freed from the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus material lusts and avarice are diminished. When these impurities are wiped away, the candidate remains steady in his position of pure goodness, becomes enlivened by devotional service and understands the science of God perfectly. Thus bhakti-yoga severs the hard knot of material affection and enables one to come at once to the stage of asamśayam-samagram, understanding of the Supreme Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead." (Bhāg. 1.2.17-21)
Therefore only by hearing from Krishna or from His devotee in Krishna consciousness can one understand the science of Krishna.
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness