An explanation of the mystic techniques offered by the great Teachers of Vedic wisdom—and their value to contemporary man.

Yoga means the connecting link between the soul and the Supersoul, or the Supreme and the minute living creatures. Lord Sri Krishna is that Supreme, the Personality of Godhead. Being, therefore, the ultimate object of Yoga, Krishna's Name is "Yoga Iswara," the Master of Yoga.

At the conclusion of The Bhagavad-gita it is said: "Where there is Krishna and where there is Arjuna, the greatest of bowmen, there, undoubtedly, is victory."

The Bhagavad-gita is a narrative spoken by Samjaya, the secretary of Maharaj Dhritarashtra. This is just like airwaves from the radio: the play is going on in the auditorium, but you can hear from your room. So, just as we now have such a mechanical arrangement, at that time there were also certain arrangements, although there was no machine. Anyway, the secretary of Dhritarashtra could see what was going on at the battlefield, and he was in the palace telling this to Maharaj Dhritarashtra, who was blind. Now, the ultimate conclusion made by Samjaya was that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

When the Yoga performance is described, it is said that Krishna's Name is Yoga Iswara. No one can be a better yogi than the Master of Yoga, and Krishna is the Master. There are many different types of Yoga. Yoga means the system, and yogi means the person who practices that system. The object of Yoga, the ultimate goal, is to understand Krishna. Therefore, Krishna Consciousness means to practice the topmost type of Yoga.

This topmost Yoga system was described by Krishna in The Gita to His most intimate friend, Arjuna. In the beginning, the Lord said that this system can be practiced only by a person who has developed attachment for it. This Krishna conscious Yoga system cannot be practiced by an ordinary man who has no attachment for Krishna, for it is a different system, and the topmost-Bhakti Yoga.

There are five types of direct attachment to God, and there are seven types of indirect attachment. Indirect attachment is not Bhakti. Direct attachment is called Bhakti. If you are attached to Krishna by the direct method, it is called devotional service, and if you are attached to Krishna by an indirect method, it is not devotional service. But that is also attachment. King Kansa, for example, was the maternal uncle of Krishna; and there was a warning that Kansa would be killed by one of his sisters' sons. So he became very anxious about the sons of his sisters, and he decided to kill his sisters. Devaki, Krishna's mother, was saved by her husband, Vasudeva, by a compromise. The Lord's compromise was that He had Vasudeva propose to the brother-in-law: "You are afraid of the son of your sister. So your sister herself is not going to kill you." He requested, "Don't kill your sister. Save her, and I promise that all the sons born of her will be brought to you, and if you like you can kill."

Vasudeva did this in order that his poor wife might be saved. And Vasudeva thought, "When Devaki's son is born, Kansa may have a change of heart." But Kansa was such a great demon that he killed all the sons of Devaki. It was told that the eighth son of the sister would kill him. So, when Krishna was in the womb of His mother, Kansa was always thinking of Krishna. You may say that he was not Krishna conscious, but actually he was. Not directly, not for love's sake, but as an enemy. So, that is not devotional service. One in devotional service is Krishna conscious as Krishna's friend, Krishna's servant, or Krishna's lover.

You may want Krishna as your lover, you may want Krishna as your Son, you may want Krishna as your Friend, you may want Krishna as your Master, you may want Krishna as the Supreme Sublime. These five different kinds of direct relationship with Krishna are called devotion, or Bhakti. They entail no material profit.

The concept of accepting God as a Son is superior to the concept of accepting God as a Father. There is a distinction. The relationship between father and son is that the son wants to take something from the father. The father's relationship with the son is that the father always wants to give something to the son. Therefore, the relationship with God or Krishna as Son is better then the relationship with Krishna by one who thinks, "If I accept God as my Father, then my business will be to ask for my necessities from the Father." But, if I become the father of Krishna, then from the beginning of His Childhood, my business will be to serve Him. The father is the parent of the child from the very beginning of his birth: therefore the concept of Vasudeva and Devaki is so sublime.

Krishna's foster mother Yasoda is thinking, "If I do not feed Krishna sumptuously, He will die." She forgets that Krishna is the Supreme Lord, that He is sustaining the three worlds. She forgets that only one Lord is supplying the necessities of all the living entities. This same Personality of Godhead has become the Son of Yasoda, and she is thinking, "If I do not feed Him nicely, He will die." This is love. She has forgotten that it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Who has appeared before her as a little Child.

This relationship of attachment is very sublime. It requires time to understand, but there is a position where, instead of asking, "Oh God, please give us our daily bread," you can instead think that God will die if you do not supply bread to Him. This is the ecstasy of extreme love. There is such a relationship between Krishna and His devotee Radharani, the greatest devotee, the greatest lover of Krishna. Mother Yasoda is His lover as a parent; Sudama is His lover as a friend; Arjuna also as a friend-there are millions and billions of different kinds of direct devotees of Krishna.

So the various Yoga systems lead to Bhakti Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga can be practiced by persons who have developed attachment to Krishna. Others cannot practice it. And, if anyone is able to develop that attachment, the relationship will be that he will understand God, Krishna, perfectly. However we may try to understand God by our different theories or speculations, it is still a difficult job. We may say that we have understood God, but it is not possible to understand Him as He is, because we have limited senses, and He is unlimited.

It is said in the Srimad Bhagwatam that our senses are imperfect, all of them. We cannot understand even the material world perfectly. You have seen so many planets and stars in the sky at night, but you do not know what they are. You do not even know what the moon planet is, though men have been trying for so many years to go there in sputniks. Even this one planet, Earth! We do not know what varieties there are even on this planet! If you go to the sea, to the sky, your perception is limited. Our knowledge is, therefore, always imperfect. On that we must agree. If we foolishly think that we have acquired all forms of knowledge, and we have advanced in science, this is another foolishness. It is not possible.

And, when it is not possible to understand even the material things which we daily see with our eyes, what can we say of the spiritual world and Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He is the Supreme Spiritual Form, and it is not possible to understand Him by our limited senses. Then why are we bothering so much for Krishna Consciousness, if it is not possible? If these imperfect senses cannot realize Krishna as He is? The answer is that, if you become submissive, if you develop the spiritual attitude of following Krishna, and you are as a servant or a friend, as a parent or as a lover-if you begin to give service to the Supreme Lord-then you can begin to know Him.

Your service begins with the tongue. How? By the tongue you can chant Hare Krishna, and by the tongue you can taste Krishna "Prasadam," spiritual food. So, the beginning of the process is very nice. You chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-and whenever Prasadam is offered to you by Krishna, by His kindness, you accept it. The result will be that-if you become submissive, and if you begin this service, chanting and eating Prasadam-Krishna will reveal Himself before you.