BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:75

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:75

 

vyasa-prasadac chrutavan

etad guhyam aham param

yogam yogesvarat krsnat

saksat kathayatah svayam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

vyasa-prasadat--by the mercy of Vyasadeva; srutavan--have heard;

etat--this; guhyam--confidential; aham--I; param--the supreme;

yogam--mysticism; yoga-isvarat--from the master of all mysticism;

krsnat--from Krsna; saksat--directly; kathayatah--speaking;

svayam--personally.

 

TRANSLATION

 

By the mercy of Vyasa, I have heard these most confidential talks

directly from the master of all mysticism, Krsna, who was speaking

personally to Arjuna.

 

PURPORT

 

Vyasa was the spiritual master of Sanjaya, and Sanjaya admits that it

was by Vyasa's mercy that he could understand the Supreme Personality

of Godhead. This means that one has to understand Krsna not directly

but through the medium of the spiritual master. The spiritual master

is the transparent medium, although it is true that the experience is

still direct. This is the mystery of the disciplic succession. When

the spiritual master is bona fide, then one can hear Bhagavad-gita

directly, as Arjuna heard it. There are many mystics and yogis all

over the world, but Krsna is the master of all yoga systems. Krsna's

instruction is explicitly stated in Bhagavad-gita--surrender unto

Krsna. One who does so is the topmost yogi. This is confirmed in the

last verse of the Sixth Chapter. Yoginam api sarvesam.

 

Narada is the direct disciple of Krsna and the spiritual master of

Vyasa. Therefore Vyasa is as bona fide as Arjuna because he comes in

the disciplic succession, and Sanjaya is the direct disciple of Vyasa.

Therefore by the grace of Vyasa, Sanjaya's senses were purified, and

he could see and hear Krsna directly. One who directly hears Krsna can

understand this confidential knowledge. If one does not come to the

disciplic succession, he cannot hear Krsna; therefore his knowledge is

always imperfect, at least as far as understanding Bhagavad-gita is

concerned.

 

In Bhagavad-gita, all the yoga systems--karma-yoga, jnana-yoga and

bhakti-yoga--are explained. Krsna is the master of all such mysticism.

It is to be understood, however, that as Arjuna was fortunate enough

to understand Krsna directly, so, by the grace of Vyasa, Sanjaya was

also able to hear Krsna directly. Actually there is no difference

between hearing directly from Krsna and hearing directly from Krsna

via a bona fide spiritual master like Vyasa. The spiritual master is

the representative of Vyasadeva also. Therefore, according to the

Vedic system, on the birthday of the spiritual master the disciples

conduct the ceremony called Vyasa-puja.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.