If they are not devotee, how they can interpret on Krsna? Just like a member of a family can say very nicely about the head of the family; how outsiders can say about the family? That is not possible

Expressions researched:
"if they are not devotee, how they can interpret on Kṛṣṇa? Just like a member of a family can say very nicely about the head of the family. How outsiders can say about the family? That is not possible"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

In this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Kṛṣṇa devotee interprets his own texts. So, about Kṛṣṇa... The devotees actually can interpret about Kṛṣṇa, book. Others, if they are not devotee, how they can interpret on Kṛṣṇa? Just like a member of a family can say very nicely about the head of the family; how outsiders can say about the family? That is not possible. Similarly, about Kṛṣṇa, a Kṛṣṇa devotee can speak nicely. Not others.

720529 - Lecture BG Introduction - Los Angeles:

I shall speak on Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. The purpose of saying Bhagavad-gītā as it is, explained, that there are many editions of Bhagavad-gītā, they have interpreted in their own way, giving up the spirit of Bhagavad-gītā. So this particular name, "As It Is," significant.

Perhaps there is no other edition of Bhagavad-gītā where it is written, "As It Is." In this connection, Professor Dimock of Chicago University has written a foreword, and he very much appreciates the thing. He says, "Swami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gita from this point of view, and that is legitimate." So he accepts that Bhagavad-gītā As It Is is legitimate presentation of the great book of knowledge.

And he also says more than that. "In this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Kṛṣṇa devotee interprets His own text." So, about Kṛṣṇa, the devotees actually can interpret about Kṛṣṇa book. Others, if they are not devotee, how they can interpret on Kṛṣṇa? Just like a member of a family can say very nicely about the head of the family. How outsiders can say about the family? That is not possible. Similarly, about Kṛṣṇa a Kṛṣṇa devotee can speak nicely, not others. Others have no right to speak about Kṛṣṇa.

And Kṛṣṇa also admits Arjuna as the right student of Bhagavad-gītā. In the beginning Kṛṣṇa says that, "I have selected you as my student, because you are My friend and you are My devotee." So, in other words, we can understand that Bhagavad-gītā can be understood who has intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Just as Kṛṣṇa says: "You are My dear friend." That is intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And without becoming a devotee, nobody can be intimately related with Kṛṣṇa. These are the factors to be understood.

So, this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken five thousand years ago to Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and the science of understanding God is there in this Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is the science of God. Everything has got some science, scientific book to understand that particular subject matter. Similarly, there are different types of concept of God. Generally they take it as an idea, but we don't take it as idea. We take God as concrete fact. Just like you are seeing me, I am seeing you, this is concrete fact. Similarly, a God can be seen by you, and God is already seeing you. There is no doubt about it. But you can see also God.

So that process we have to understand: how to see God. That process is mentioned in all the Vedic scripture. That is called bhakti-yoga, that process. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā:

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ

(BG 18.55)

If anyone wants to know Kṛṣṇa, what He is, then one has to accept the process of bhakti-yoga. There are different types of yogas. Yoga means linking oneself with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So speculative yoga will not help us. You have to take concrete yoga. Concrete yoga is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.