One cannot be bhakti-yogī without jñāna and vairāgya. It is not a sentimental thing; it is based on pure knowledge. What is that pure knowledge? Pure knowledge means "I do not belong to this material world. I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Therefore my business is to serve the Supreme Brahman, or Para-brahman." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna agreed to serve Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because he understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, śāśvataṁ puruṣam: puruṣam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not impersonal. Impersonal feature is one of the features of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa factually is the Supreme Person, vekti. That is called jñāna. And without this knowledge, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15), by studying all the Vedas and Vedāntas, if one cannot understand what is the nature of Kṛṣṇa, what is actually Kṛṣṇa, then he is not in perfect knowledge. Ajñāna.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Who surrenders to Kṛṣṇa? Unless one is fully in knowledge, "What is Absolute Truth, what I am, what is my relationship with the Absolute Truth . . ." That is called knowledge. And if one understands that "Kṛṣṇa is my eternal master. He is my eternal father. I am not this body. I am also the same thing as Kṛṣṇa, spiritual . . ." Mamaivāṁśaḥ. "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is gold, then I am also gold. But Kṛṣṇa is gold mine; I am gold earring, that's all." This is knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. And when one comes to this knowledge, then he becomes reluctant to this material attachment. That is called vairāgya.
Just like you, boys and girls who have joined this movement, you have understood to some extent that, "We didn't require this material opulence. We want Kṛṣṇa." So the idea that we don't want this material opulence, that is called vairāgya. And why you want Kṛṣṇa? Because Kṛṣṇa is your eternal master, eternal father. That is called jñāna. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. Not sentimental. We must know very clearly what is Kṛṣṇa—that is jñāna—what is my relationship with Kṛṣṇa—that is jñāna—and what is my duty to Kṛṣṇa—that is jñāna. And as soon as you know all these things—what is Kṛṣṇa, what you are, what is your relationship, and what is your duty—then naturally you become reluctant to these material activities. That is called vairāgya.
So jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena bhakti-yogena (SB 3.25.18). How this jñāna and vairāgya can be awakened? The jñāna is there, but it is now covered. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. It is stated in the Caitanya . . . that my relationship with Kṛṣṇa is nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means it is eternal; it is not artificial. Not that we accept Kṛṣṇa as my master or father or like this, artificially. This is eternal fact. But by forgetting Kṛṣṇa, I am suffering. This is your fact. So if we want to be free from this fearfulness, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām . . . that is the Prahlāda Mahārāja's advises. Prahlāda Mahārāja was asked by his father, "My dear boy, what best thing you have learned from your teachers?" So he said:
- tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ
- sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt
- hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ
- vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta
- (SB 7.5.5)
"That is the best thing." He said, tat sādhu manye asura-varya dehinām. Anyone who has accept this material body . . . this is asat. It will not stay. But we have accepted this body. But we are so foolish that we do not know that "I am not this body; I am separate from this body. Somehow or other, I am now entrapped or encaged in this body." Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. Dehinām. Dehī means . . . dehinām means one who has accepted this material body. And Vaiṣṇava is suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām (SB 3.25.21). Kapiladeva has said. A Vaiṣṇava who is in connection with Kṛṣṇa, his business is to go door to door and canvass everyone, "My dear sir, you are not this body. You are wasting your time only under the concept of body. You are Kṛṣṇa's . . . you become Kṛṣṇa's servant." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. "My dear sir, you are not this body. You are not American. You are not Indian. You are not Brahmin. You are not śūdra. You are not cat. You are not dog. You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and you serve Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all.