Prabhupāda: Yes, somehow or other, at the time of your death if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life is successful. Ante nārāyaṇa smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). But if you do not practice while you're conscious, then it is very difficult to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death.
Guest (1): Would you possibly say that the moment of death, the last thought which is . . .
Prabhupāda: At the time of death, somehow or other, if you are fortunate enough to remember Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. I shall describe this instance in these discourses, Ajāmila, how he became delivered. So the real purpose is ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6): at the time of death we may be able to think of Kṛṣṇa. Then life is successful.
Guest (1): Much has been said about yoga and . . .
Prabhupāda: That yoga is also the same thing. Yoga practice means to concentrate one's mind, to practice, to Viṣṇu form within the heart. Viṣṇu is another form of Kṛṣṇa. So not this modern yoga system, thinking something void. This is not prescribed in the authoritative scriptures. That is simply taking trouble. Kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Those who are attached to void, voidness, they simply take more trouble to realize God.
Guest (2): Many books from the East advocate the . . . without any success in yoga, before one has success, the kuṇḍalinī must be opened. What do you think about this?
Prabhupāda: Well, we think of Bhagavad-gītā first, then others. Bhagavad-gītā says that yoga should be practiced concentrating one's mind on Kṛṣṇa. Mat-parāyaṇaḥ. Vāsudeva-parāyaṇaḥ. Nārāyaṇa parāyaṇaḥ. These words are there. So if yoga practice is performed by concentrating one's mind on Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, that is first-class yoga, and that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā (BG 6.47): "Of all yogīs, one who is always thinking of Me within the heart, he is first-class yogī."
So if you are practicing yoga, we should recommend that you think of Kṛṣṇa within your heart. That will help you. That is our advice. But if you think something else, that is your business. (laughter) We cannot advise anything. But we would advise you, if you are fond of practicing yoga . . . this is also yoga. This is called bhakti-yoga. Everything yoga—jñāna-yoga, karma-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga. Generally, they practice haṭha-yoga, and they're satisfied only by getting into practice the system of āsana. That's all.
But there are many other steps: yama, niyama, āsana, praṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, pratyāhāra, samādhi. Say, generally, the so-called yogī class, they simply practice some āsana. And no yama, niyama, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, pratyāhāra. So to practice yoga, it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, first of all you have to select a secluded place. And that must be very sacred. And you have to sit there alone.
Who is going to do that? It is not possible to practice yoga in a fashionable city. It is not possible. Therefore India, those who are actually yogīs, they go to the Himalaya, Haridwar, in a secluded place, in a sacred place they sit down tight and practice yoga. That is yoga. Not that in a yoga class you practice some gymnastic and you become a yogī.
Yoga system is very difficult this time, haṭha-yoga system. But we do not know that. We want everything very cheap. Oh, that is not possible. Because it is not possible, therefore in this age the śāstra recommends, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and you will achieve . . . and see the result. We have got thousands of students. They have been called by the newspaper reporter "bright-faced." Compare with these students and any yoga class student: how much they know, how do they know?
So this haṭha-yoga system is a recommended system. That's all right. But it is not possible in this age. It is very difficult. This practice is very easy. Even a child can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and he becomes purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). So if your business is how to become purified and realize yourself or realize God, then this is the system in this age. You have to take to it, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you take to other system, you are at liberty. But so far śāstra is concerned, that will not be successful.