only devotees can

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In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu it is said that by executing devotional service to the Lord, one can understand the transcendental position of the living being and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be understood by any means except bhakti. The Lord confirms this in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.14.21). Bhaktyaham ekaya grahyaḥ: "Only by executing devotional service can one appreciate Me." Similarly, in Bhagavad-gita (18.55) Lord Krsna says, bhaktya mam abhijanati: "Simply by discharging devotional service, one can understand Me." Thus for a bhakta to become attached to family affairs is impossible, since a bhakta and his associates are liberated. Everyone is searching after ananda, or bliss, but in the material world there can never be any bliss. It is only possible in devotional service. Attachment for family affairs and devotional service are incompatible. Therefore Maharaja Pariksit was somewhat surprised to hear that Maharaja Priyavrata was simultaneously attached to devotional service and to family life. (More...)

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Krsna says, "Anyone who is preaching this confidential cult..." Mad-bhaktesu abhidhasyati. Bhaktesu means "amongst the devotee." Who will understand Krsna, and who will surrender to Krsna, unless he is bhakta? Therefore, guru's business is first of all to make him bhakta. Then he will be able to understand what is Krsna and surrender to Him. He has got very double business. Krsna says, mad-bhaktesu abhidhasyati: "This cult, who preaches, anyone who preaches this cult of bhakti-yoga amongst My devotees..." He is selecting, "devotees." He never says the jnanis, yogis. The jnanis, yogis will not be able to understand what is Krsna. From the very beginning they think they have become Krsna. Vimukta-maninaḥ. They think like that. Actually, it is not. Krsna is not so cheap thing that one can become Krsna. One can become Krsna's most confidential servant-that is possible. But one cannot become Krsna. That is another illusion, maya. (More...)

Therefore Krsna said that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. This cult, who will understand unless he is devotee? A jnani, yogi cannot understand. It is not possible. Because they are not bhakta, they cannot understand Krsna. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg 18.55]. Krsna never says, "By jnana or by yoga, by karma one can understand Me." No, that is not possible. Therefore jnani, yogi, karmi, they cannot understand. Therefore they are misled. Maya-mohita. Nabhijanati mam ebhyaḥ param avyayam [Bg 7.13]. Tribhir gunamayair bhavaiḥ. Nabhijanati: they cannot understand. Mam ebhyaḥ param avyayam. So Krsna says, therefore, "Preach this cult amongst the devotees." He never said that "Preach this cult amongst the karmis, amongst the jnanis, amongst the yogis." Because they are very unfortunate; they cannot understand Krsna. Mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa [Cc Madhya 6.169]. One who comes in touch with the Mayavadi... Mayavadi means one who thinks Krsna is also in maya. That is called Mayavadi. "Krsna's body is also maya." They are called Mayavadi. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu warns that mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: anyone who listens to the commentary of the Mayavadi philosopher, then his fate is doomed. He is finished. He will never be able to understand bhakti philosophy. It is so poisonous. (More...)

Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.

There are various grades of men, and out of many thousands one may be sufficiently interested in transcendental realization to try to know what is the self, what is the body, and what is the Absolute Truth. Generally mankind is simply engaged in the animal propensities, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating, and hardly anyone is interested in transcendental knowledge. The first six chapters of the Gita are meant for those who are interested in transcendental knowledge, in understanding the self, the Superself and the process of realization by jnana-yoga, dhyana-yoga, and discrimination of the self from matter. However, Krsna can only be known by persons who are in Krsna consciousness. Other transcendentalists may achieve impersonal Brahman realization, for this is easier than understanding Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Person, but at the same time He is beyond the knowledge of Brahman and Paramatma. The yogis and jnanis are confused in their attempts to understand Krsna, although the greatest of the impersonalists, Sripada Sahkaracarya, has admitted in his Gita commentary that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But his followers do not accept Krsna as such, for it is very difficult to know Krsna, even though one has transcendental realization of impersonal Brahman. (More...)

Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the primeval Lord Govinda. Īsvaraḥ paramaḥ krsnaḥ sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaḥ anadir adir govindaḥ sarva-karana-karanam. It is very difficult for the nondevotees to know Him. Although nondevotees declare that the path of bhakti or devotional service is very easy, they cannot practice it. If the path of bhakti is so easy, as the nondevotee class of men proclaim, then why do they take up the difficult path? Actually the path of bhakti is not easy. The so-called path of bhakti practiced by unauthorized persons without knowledge of bhakti may be easy, but when it is practiced factually according to the rules and regulations, the speculative scholars and philosophers fall away from the path. Srila Rūpa Gosvami writes in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu: (More...)

"No one can understand Krsna as He is by the blunt material senses. But He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him." (Padma Purana) (More...)

"Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth." The yogis and jnanis-that is, the mystic yogis and the impersonalists-can understand the Absolute Truth as impersonal or localized, but although such realized souls are above ordinary human beings, they cannot understand how the Supreme Absolute Truth can be a person. Therefore it is said that out of many siddhas, the souls who have already realized the Absolute Truth, one may understand Krsna, who exactly resembles a human being (narakrti). This human form was explained by Krsna Himself after He manifested the virat-rūpa. The virat-rūpa is not the original form of the Lord; the Lord's original form is Dvibhuja-syamasundara, Muralidhara, the Lord with two hands, playing a flute (yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarūpam). The Lord's forms are proof of His inconceivable qualities. Although the Lord maintains innumerable universes within the period of His breath, He is dressed with a form exactly like that of a human being. That does not mean, however, that He is a human being. This is His original form, but because He looks like a human being, those with a poor fund of knowledge consider Him an ordinary man. The Lord says: (More...)

"Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upanisads, Puranas and Narada Pancaratra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society." [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu ], without following, aikantiki harer bhaktiḥ, the show of a devotee, the aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate, it is simply disturbance. Simply disturbance. (More...)

"It is not possible for the Brahman realized impersonalist nor the Paramatma realized yogi to understand Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as the son of Mother Yasoda or the charioteer of Arjuna. Even the great demigods are sometimes confused about Krsna: muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ, mam tu veda na kascana, 'No one knows Me as I am,' the Lord says. And if one does know Him, then sa mahatma sudurlabhaḥ [Bg 7.19], 'Such a great soul is very rare...' If one does know Him, such a great soul is very rare. Therefore unless one practices devotional service to the Lord, he cannot know Krsna as He is [tattvataḥ], even though one is a great scholar or philosopher. Only the pure devotees can know something of the inconceivable transcendental qualities in Krsna, in the cause of all causes, in His omnipotence and opulence, and in His wealth, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation, because Krsna is benevolently inclined to His devotees. He is the last word in Brahman realization, and the devotees alone can realize Him as He is. Therefore it is said: (More...)

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