“Yoga — Our Confidential Relationship With Krishna”

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68/09/10 San Francisco, Bhagavad-gita 7.1

Prabhupada:

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]

So this yoga system, Krishna consciousness yoga system, is to begin with developing attachment for Krishna. 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 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-gita.

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 bahunam vidadhati kaman. 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 Krishna, 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 Krishna who has got two hands, two legs, two… No. That is not the fact. Actually, because Krishna 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 Krishna. When he saw Krishna in His supreme universal form, he said, “My dear Krishna, 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 Krishna 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 Krishna 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 Krishna is to love Him as your lover.

So Krishna says, mad-asrayam. This yoga system, bhakti-yoga, is to develop attachment for Krishna under His protection. Mad-asrayah. 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-asrayah: “Krishna is my friend, He’ll protect me. Krishna is my master, He’ll protect me. Krishna is my son, He’ll protect me. Krishna is my lover, He’ll protect me.” So this, this is called mad-asrayah. 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 Krishna, then asamsaya, without any doubt, samagram, in complete…, in full completeness, you can understand what is God.

This is the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, that you have to take shelter of Krishna in either of these aspects, and you have to develop your attachment for either of these aspects.

Then Krishna says that jnanam te ‘ham sa-vijnanam idam vaksyamy asesatah. 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 Krishna is assuring Arjuna that “What I’m talking to you is not a religious sentiment, but it is jnanam.” Jnanam means it is practical knowledge.

Jnanam. Jnanam means theoretical knowledge, and vijnanam means practical knowledge. So Krishna says, jnanam. Jnanam te ‘ham sa-vijnanam: “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, Paramatma, 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, Krishna 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 Krishna, Krishna consciousness, is there within you. Otherwise, how could you accept the Krishna consciousness? “I’ve imported Krishna from India,” that is also a mistake. Krishna 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 jnanam. That is knowledge. And vijnanam. And practical also.

So Krishna says that “I will explain to you, if you adopt this principle, that development of attachment with Krishna, under My protection…” If you don’t take the protection of Krishna, then you cannot develop attachment for Krishna. 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 Krishna to eat something. By six processes. So Krishna says, “I am speaking to you this jnanam,” sa-vijnanam.

Jnanam te aham sa-vijnanam idam. Sa-vijnanam means “with scientific knowledge.” Vaksyamy, “I’ll say.” Yad jnatva, “If you try to understand this knowledge, or if you understand this knowledge,” yaj jnatva 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 Krishna says that “If you understand this knowledge, the knowledge of Krishna or the science of Krishna, or the science of Krishna consciousness,” yaj jnatva na iha bhuyo. Bhuyo means “again.” Anyaj, “anything more.” Anyaj jnatavyam, “understandable,” avasisyate, “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 jnatva neha bhuyo anyaj jnatavyam avasisyate. Tac-chakti-dvaya-vivikta-