To understand Krsna superficially, that is not sufficient. That is also good, but you must have tattvatah, what is Krsna actually. That knowledge can be achieved - bhaktya, by this krsna-yoga

Expressions researched:
"To understand Kṛṣṇa superficially, that is not sufficient. That is also good, but you must have tattvataḥ what is Kṛṣṇa actually. That knowledge can be achieved—bhaktyā, by this kṛṣṇa-yoga"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). To understand Kṛṣṇa superficially, that is not sufficient. That is also good, but you must have tattvataḥ what is Kṛṣṇa actually. That knowledge can be achieved—bhaktyā, by this kṛṣṇa-yoga.

730127 - Lecture BG 07.01 - Calcutta

Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān. Children, kaumāra . . . kaumāra means from fifth year to the fifteenth year. These ten years, the boys and girls, especially boys, they should be instructed about religion. Now our government is secular. There is no question of teaching the children about religion, dharmān. Because dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ (Hitopadeśa). If you don't teach your children from the beginning of life about religion, then you are creating so many animals. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Not only here, everywhere, the whole world, they are . . . their universities are producing some animals, that's all. Therefore there is so much chaos and confusion all over the world. Varṇa-saṅkara.

So if you want to be happy really, if you want to make your life successful, human life, then you have to take this principle of mayy āsakta manāḥ. You have to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a sectarian religion; it is the fact. Unless the human society take to this principle of increasing their attachment . . . we have got . . . at last, we increase our attachment for dogs and cats. So attachment is there. Now this attachment has to be employed on Kṛṣṇa.

That yoga system, kṛṣṇa-yoga system, is described in this Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter: mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ mām (BG 7.1). Asaṁśayam, "Without any doubt." In any other process, you cannot understand what is God in full sense. That is not possible. By speculating process . . . there are so many speculators, theosophist, theologist, philosopher, Māyāvādī. They are speculating about God by . . . but that, by that process, by speculative process, you cannot understand God. That is not possible. Panthās tu . . . it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām so 'py asti yat prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve . . . (Bs. 5.34) If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, or God, by the speculative process, not only for one year, two year . . . panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi. Not mental speculation, but on the aeroplane running on the speed of vāyu, or air, or mind, the speed of mind—still, by traversing many crores of years, you cannot reach. Still it . . . it remains avicintya, inconceivable. But if you take to the process of this kṛṣṇa-yoga, or bhakti-yoga, then you can become aware of Kṛṣṇa very easily.

Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). To understand Kṛṣṇa superficially, that is not sufficient. That is also good, but you must have tattvataḥ what is Kṛṣṇa actually. That knowledge can be achieved—bhaktyā, by this kṛṣṇa-yoga. Otherwise:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3) 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 jñānī, or speculative philosopher. Not karmīs, but jñānī. 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 we 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.