Bhakti means to come to our original consciousness by purifying the senses. How the senses can be purified? This bhakti-yoga process. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). (coughs) (aside:) Water.
This is the first process. You have kindly come here; you are hearing about Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's talk with Arjuna. It is very good. If you continue hearing like this, you will be perfect, simply by hearing, even if you do not do anything. Kevala, only hearing. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ (SB 10.14.3). This is the recommendation by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that people should be given chance for hearing. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, they cannot do anything, but if they simply agree to hear, sitting for some time . . . that can be introduced in every house, every home. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, and everything is explained there. If family-wise everyone sits down in the evening or in the morning for half an hour and reads Bhagavad-gītā, chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, just see the result. Every home will be happy. This is our propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Simply try to hear about Kṛṣṇa.
So about Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is personally speaking this Bhagavad-gītā about Himself. So why not take this opportunity? Why you are losing the opportunity given in this human form of life to hear about Kṛṣṇa? Everyone can do that. But don't misinterpret according to your own, I mean to say, fertile brain. No. Just hear Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa says, as it is. Kṛṣṇa . . . don't try to interpret, malinterpretation. That will not make you profit. Try to hear Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). There is nothing superior than Kṛṣṇa. That is, if you accept that, then you immediately advance fifty percent in spiritual knowledge, immediately, if you simply accept this, that Kṛṣṇa said that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya.
And that is the verdict of the śāstra.
- īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
- anādir ādir govindaḥ
- sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
- (Bs. 5.1)
This is statement of Brahma-saṁhitā. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Again it is said, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu, kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yaḥ (Bs. 5.39). We have got description of many avatāras, incarnation. So they are Kṛṣṇa's expansion, by Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Matsya. There are so many incarnation, They are coming, incarnation or hundreds and thousand. So They are all incarnation . . . but kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ paramaḥ pumān: "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person." In this way accept Kṛṣṇa, the origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa also explains:
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
Those who are actually budhāḥ, intelligent, and bhāva, with ecstatic love, they worship Kṛṣṇa. Bhajante mām. Catur-vidhā . . . ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Sarvam means . . . because in the beginning of creation, there were three deities: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. So they are also emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ sarvam. Sarvam includes Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Iti matvā: "One who knows it very well." Iti matvā bhajante mām: "Those who know, in the knowledge, they worship Me," budhāḥ, "because they are expert, they are actually in knowledge," budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, "with ecstasy of love." This is wanted. This is perfection of life. If we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness with love and faith, full understanding of Kṛṣṇa, that is the perfection of life. That you can get, everyone of us can get it, if we study Bhagavad-gītā very carefully, without any malinterpretation.