ĹrÄŤ-bhagavÄn uvÄca
mayy Äsakta-manÄḼ pÄrtha
yogaáš yuĂąjan mad-ÄĹrayaḼ
asamĹayaáš samagraáš mÄáš
yathÄ jĂąÄsyasi tac chášášu
ĹrÄŤ-bhagavÄn uvÄca - the Supreme Lord said; mayi - to Me; Äsakta-manÄḼ - mind attached; pÄrtha - O son of PášthÄ; yogam - self-realization; yuĂąjan - practicing; mat-ÄĹrayaḼ - in consciousness of Me (KášášŁáša consciousness); asamĹayam - without doubt; samagram - completely; mÄm - Me; yathÄ - how; jĂąÄsyasi - you can know; tat - that; Ĺášášu - try to hear.
In this Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ, the nature of KášášŁáša consciousness is fully described. KášášŁáša is full in all opulences, and how He manifests such opulences is described herein. Also, four kinds of fortunate people who become attached to KášášŁáša and four kinds of unfortunate people who never take to KášášŁáša are described in this chapter.
In the ďŹrst six chapters of Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ, the living entity has been described as nonmaterial spirit soul capable of elevating himself to self-realization by different types of yogas. At the end of the Sixth Chapter, it has been clearly stated that the steady concentration of the mind upon KášášŁáša, or in other words KášášŁáša consciousness, is the highest form of all yoga. By concentrating oneâs mind upon KášášŁáša, one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise. Impersonal brahma-jyotir or localized ParamÄtmÄ realization is not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth, because it is partial. Full and scientiďŹc knowledge is KášášŁáša, and everything is revealed to the person in KášášŁáša consciousness. In complete KášášŁáša consciousness one knows that KášášŁáša is ultimate knowledge beyond any doubts. Different types of yoga are only steppingstones on the path of KášášŁáša consciousness. One who takes directly to KášášŁáša consciousness automatically knows about brahma-jyotir and ParamÄtmÄ in full. By practice of KášášŁáša consciousness yoga, one can know everything in full â namely the Absolute Truth, the living entities, the material nature, and their manifestations with paraphernalia.
One should therefore begin yoga practice as directed in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter. Concentration of the mind upon KášášŁáša the Supreme is made possible by prescribed devotional service in nine different forms, of which Ĺravaášam is the ďŹrst and most important. The Lord therefore says to Arjuna, tac chášášu, or âHear from Me.â No one can be a greater authority than KášášŁáša, and therefore by hearing from Him one receives the greatest opportunity to become a perfectly KášášŁáša conscious person. One has therefore to learn from KášášŁáša directly or from a pure devotee of KášášŁáša â and not from a nondevotee upstart, puffed up with academic education.
In the ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam this process of understanding KášášŁáša, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is described in the Second Chapter of the First Canto as follows:
ĹášášvatÄáš sva-kathÄḼ kášášŁášaḼ
puášya-Ĺravaáša-kÄŤrtanaḼ
hášdy antaḼ-stho hy abhadrÄáši
vidhunoti suhášt satÄm
naᚣáša-prÄyeᚣv abhadreᚣu
nityaáš bhÄgavata-sevayÄ
bhagavaty uttama-Ĺloke
bhaktir bhavati naiᚣášhikÄŤ
tadÄ rajas-tamo-bhÄvÄḼ
kÄma-lobhÄdayaĹ ca ye
ceta etair anÄviddhaáš
sthitaáš sattve prasÄŤdati
evaáš prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḼ
bhagavat-tattva-vijĂąÄnaáš
mukta-saáš gasya jÄyate
bhidyate hášdaya-granthiĹ
chidyante sarva-saášĹayÄḼ
kᚣčyante cÄsya karmÄáši
dášášŁáša evÄtmanÄŤĹvare
âTo hear about KášášŁáša from Vedic literatures, or to hear from Him directly through the Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ, is itself righteous activity. And for one who hears about KášášŁáša, Lord KášášŁáša, who is dwelling in everyoneâs heart, acts as a best-wishing friend and puriďŹes the devotee who constantly engages in hearing of Him. In this way, a devotee naturally develops his dormant transcendental knowledge. As he hears more about KášášŁáša from the BhÄgavatam and from the devotees, he becomes ďŹxed in the devotional service of the Lord. By development of devotional service one becomes freed from the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus material lusts and avarice are diminished. When these impurities are wiped away, the candidate remains steady in his position of pure goodness, becomes enlivened by devotional service and understands the science of God perfectly. Thus bhakti-yoga severs the hard knot of material affection and enables one to come at once to the stage of asaášĹayaáš samagram, understanding of the Supreme Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead.â (BhÄg. 1.2.17â21) Therefore only by hearing from KášášŁáša or from His devotee in KášášŁáša consciousness can one understand the science of KášášŁáša.