by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The position, the special attractions and the opulences of Krsna can be understood only by devotional service (Bhakti). If we wish to gain the favor of a great personality, we must satisfy him by our service. Even in this material world, one cannot understand a great man by speculation alone. If we wish to understand what a great man is, we have to satisfy him with our service, friendship and love, and he will disclose what he has to offer us. Bhakti is a similar process. If we wish to know Krsna, His opulences and His special features, as well as His special attractive qualities, we must understand Him through this process of devotional service called Krsna consciousness. Indeed, in the last chapter of Bhagavad-gita Krsna Himself says:
"One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter the kingdom of God." (Bg. 18.55)
"Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth." (Bg. 7.3)
In other words, the vast majority of men are engaged in the animal propensities to eat, sleep, be merry, enjoy and mate a little. Of millions of these, only one will strive to know Krsna as He is, and of millions of these, only one will succeed. Only those who have attained perfection can understand what Krsna actually is. That perfection and understanding can be attained by bhakti, devotion, as indicated also in the Eleventh Chapter:
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