There are so many human beings all over the world, Mostly, they're like animals—without culture. Because, according to our Vedic culture, unless one takes to the institution of varṇa and āśrama, he's not a human being. He's not accepted. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Who is accepting this varṇāśrama? No. Chaotic condition. So in that chaotic condition you cannot understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Out of many, many thousands and millions of people, one takes to the scientific institute of varṇāśrama-dharma. That means followers of the Vedas, strictly. Out of these persons who are following the Vedic principles, mostly they're attached to karma-kāṇḍa, ritualistic ceremonies. So out of many millions of persons engaged in ritualistic ceremony, one becomes advanced in knowledge. They are called jñānīs, or speculative philosophers. Not karmīs, but jñānīs. So out of many millions of such jñānīs, one becomes mukta, liberated. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). This is liberated stage. One who is Brahman realized soul, he has nothing to lament or nothing to hanker. Because in the karmī stage we have got two diseases: hankering and lamenting. Whatever you have got, if it is lost, then I lament. "Oh, I got this and that and it is now lost." And whatever we do not possess, we hanker after. So for possessing, we hanker, we work so hard. And when it is lost, we again lament and cry. This is karmī stage. So brahma-bhūtaḥ stage... Jñāna stage means he has no more lamenting or hankering. Prasannātmā. "Oh, I am, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. What I have got to do with this body? My business is to cultivate transcendental knowledge, brahma-jñāna." So in that stage, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). That is the test. He has no lamenting. He has no hankering. And he's equal to everyone. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
He has no distinction. So in this way, when one is situated, then mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54), then he comes to the devotional platform. And when he comes to the devotional platform, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55), then he's able.
So this Kṛṣṇa yoga is the only process to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhāgavata also it is said: evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). One can become jolly by practice of this bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Kṛṣṇa-tattva-jñānaṁ jāyate, mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. Unless you are liberated, you cannot understand what is God. In the nonliberated condition, you cannot understand what is God or what is Kṛṣṇa. And if you engage yourself in the bhakti-mārga,
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
These are the bhakti processes. Śravaṇam. The first business is hearing. Tad-vijñānārtham. Vijñānārtham. If you want to know some science, you must hear from the authorized person. Similarly our process is to hear from Kṛṣṇa, the most authorized person. Not only our... All the ācāryas. Mostly ācāryas, they advented in your country, South India: Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, all of them. So in your country, in your part of India, they are very fortunate. And they can... Sometimes it is described the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is South Indian literature. I think in my Bhagavad-gītā one professor Dimmock, he has given an introduction of this Bhagavad-gītā, and he has mentioned Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as South Indian literature. Actually it is not. It is Vedic literature. It is meant for everyone. But because from South India, all the ācāryas, especially Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, they distributed the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, people, they understand this Bhā..., Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is from South India. So anyway it doesn't matter.