Only the muktas. Those who are conditioned, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. They will say: "Kṛṣṇa—a dark," "Kṛṣṇa is unknown," "Kṛṣṇa is black." That's all. Because he is seeing with his eyes. Kṛṣṇa is not unknown. Kṛṣṇa known only to the devotees.
- athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
- prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam
- (SB 10.14.29).
Athāpi te deva. "My dear Lord, by Your mercy, one who has got a little, fragmental portion of Your mercy," prasāda leśa . . . prasāda means mercy, and leśa means very small portion. "Anyone who has got a little portion of Your mercy, he cannot know You." Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam. He can understand. Na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan. Others, they can go on speculating on their philosophy for millions of years; still they will not be able to understand. They will not be able to understand—simply futile, simply futile. They cannot.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that, "Surrender unto Me. If you don't surrender unto Me, you do not become My devotee, I'll not be exposed to you. I am not so cheap." Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap, but He's cheap to the devotees. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Vedeṣu durlabham. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa by the strength of your Vedic study, so-called Vedic study . . . because that is foolish study. He does not know. That is the test. If he . . . one does not understand Kṛṣṇa, his Vedic study is simply waste of time. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. The test will be whether he has understood Kṛṣṇa. If one has studiesVedas, the test will be whether he understands Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). If he is missing Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa is unknown—then all his study is useless waste of time. Useless waste of time. This is the verdict of the śāstra.
So those . . . one who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he . . . his knowledge is not at all advanced, what to speak of perfection. There is no question of perfection. Perfection of knowledge is surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa.
- bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
- jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
- vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
- sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
- (BG 7.19)
So this is the position. So one who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, if they speak to the public about Kṛṣṇa, about Bhagavad-gītā, they are nonsense, simply misleading people. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are themselves blind, and they are other blind men there also, therefore they do not get any profit out of it. So many Gītār jñāna, Gītār version is going on, but still they are in the same darkness. Same darkness. Not a single . . . (indistinct) . . . is follower. Why? Well, that is not the way of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
Such, you have to approach a jñānī who has seen the truth. And how the truth can be seen? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). The tattva-darśinaḥ and tattva. It is through the devotional side.