In a Bengal, Bengali payar there is a very nice comparison like this, that bara bara ghonai gela rasatal beta gonra bale kata jala. That means . . . you know, the animals, they can swim over the river. So there was a big, overflowing river. So at that time there was no such carrying boats and ships, so everyone had to cross river either by small boats or by swimming.
So generally, the animals were allowed to swim over, to cross over the other part, other bank, and men, they took small boats and they would . . . now, there was very good current, so many horses, they swept away by the current. And one lean and thin horse came. He is asking, "Let me know how much water this is." You see?
So similarly, if what was impossible for Arjuna, such a stalwart, such an advanced and, I mean to say, in every respect, and directly a friend of Kṛṣṇa, he is admitting that, "Kṛṣṇa, this process is not possible for me. Oh, I am a military man. I have to look after the administrative affairs. So how can I concentrate my mind in that way which You have prescribed? So it is not possible for me." He flatly denied. He flatly denied.
And he never attempted it also, because from the history of Mahābhārata we don't find that Arjuna ever went for meditation of the yoga system. No, never. But still, he was certified by Kṛṣṇa that "You are the only man to understand Bhagavad-gītā. You are the only man." Why? Bhakto 'si: "Because you are My devotee." Priyo 'si (BG 4.3): "You are My very dear friend." So with such a nice certificate and such favorable condition, still, he refused.
cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva suduṣkaram (BG 6.34)
Vāyor iva: "Just it is impossible to control the hurricane wind, similarly, it is impossible for me to control my mind. It is not possible." Then? How to control the mind? That, the same thing—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You can control the mind if you fix up your mind always in Kṛṣṇa. That is the only remedy. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18).
That is the only perfect yoga. Our subject matter for today's lecture is perfect yoga. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the perfect form of yoga system. That is admitted five thousand years before. At that time there was all circumstances, very good. And in the śāstra also, it is said that:
kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt (SB 12.3.52)
You'll find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Canto, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is recommending to Mahārāja Parīkṣit that kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. In the Satya-yuga, when people used to live for ten millions of years, at that time this yoga system was nice. For that time. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. What was achieved, the success which was achieved in the Satya-yuga by this yoga process of meditation was achieved in the next yuga, Tretā-yuga, yajato makhaiḥ, by offering great sacrifices. And the same success was achieved in the next yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, by worshiping, temple worship. And the same success you can achieve simply by chanting hari-kīrtanam. So this is the perfect form of yoga.
- kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ
- tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ
- dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ
- kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt
- (SB 12.3.52)
So now, Arjuna flatly says that, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, the process which You have described is very nice process. But so far I am concerned, I admit that it is not possible for me. It is not possible." Now, we have to think that, "What was not possible for Arjuna in such favorable condition, and five thousand years before, how it is possible for me, a teeny living entity, and disturbed by so many things at the present moment. My . . ." Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum.
They used to live for ten millions of years, and it is very difficult to live for fifty years or sixty years at the present moment. Utmost, a man lives up to eighty years. That's all. Then again, we are not such much advanced. We are always disturbed in our circumstances. There is disease; there is war; there is pestilence; there is famine—so many disturbances.
So our duration of life is smaller, and at the same time, we are disturbed, and we are not intelligent, and we are unfortunate at the same time . . . moment you will find, eighty percent people, they are unfortunate. If we compare what is fortune or misfortune, then we'll find, in every country, eighty percent people, they are unfortunate, and therefore this world is getting to Communism, because they are fighting. They are fighting. So this is the condition of the present day.
How can you perform this such difficult process of yoga which was refused by Arjuna? That is my proposal. It is not possible. If you are attempting such difficult process in a pseudo way, then you can be satisfied in your own way. But you will never achieve success of the yoga system. You must know it clearly.
So yoga system is not possible in this age. If you want to prosecute any yoga system, this bhakti-yoga, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa . . . that is recommended in Vedic scripture, that is introduced by great authority like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
- daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
- bhajanty ananya-manaso
- jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
- (BG 9.13)
- satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
- yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- namasyantaś ca
- nitya-yuktā upāsate.
- (BG 9.14)
Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām. Always glorifying, they are mahātmās. They are great souls. If you want to be great soul in terms of the Vedic literature, in terms of Bhagavad-gītā, in terms of great saints and sages, then you have to adopt this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. No other process will be possible. It is not . . . impossible. Just imagine. A personality like Arjuna, with all facilities of life, and five thousand years before the circumstances were different, and still, he denied.
So yoga system . . . actually, if you simply making a show, show bottle of meditation, if you are satisfied, oh, that is a different thing. Make yourself a show bottle. But show bottle demonstration will not make you successful. It is clearly, according to Bhagavad-gītā. Show bottle demonstration will not make you successful. You have to be really bottle of medicine. Then it will cure. You know . . . of course I . . . here is not . . .
In India we have got some show bottles in the medicine shop. Some red water put into the big bottle, and with electric light. That means advertisement, "Here is a bottle of medicine." But that is a show bottle, red water. So red water will not cure the disease. You must have really, actually, a mixture, fever mixture. But that fever mixture is very difficult.