The yoga of love for Kṛṣṇa through chanting transcends impossible austerities that even Arjuna refused.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Lecture — March 1, 1973, Jakarta 730301LE-JAKARTA [11:49 Minutes] Lecture_730301LE-JAKARTA Prabhupāda: ...he was personal friend of Kṛṣṇa. Just try to understand how much qualified he was. Not only that; he belonged to the royal family, he was a great warrior, great hero, so many qualities. But he said that "I cannot practice this yoga system.
It is not possible. I cannot control my mind and practice this haṭha-yoga system." Now just try to understand. He is such a personality, great personality, and five thousand years ago, when things were so nice. So at that time a person like Arjuna felt that he's unable to practice this yoga system.
And nowadays a paltry people with teeny knowledge, they are trying to practice yoga system as if they're..., he has become more than Arjuna. It is very difficult subject matter. It is not possible for ordinary man. The first principle is that he has to sit down alone in a sacred place, alone. Yoga practice is not possible in a big city, with friends and smoking habit and drinking habit.
This all farce. One has to become very strong in controlling the mind, controlling the senses, sitting in a solitary place, sacred place like Himalaya or Haridwar, like that. And who is going there, and who is practicing? It is not possible.
Not only that; he has to sit down straight, and not bending, and looking on the tip of the nose, and not closing the eyes completely, half closed—so many rules and regulation—and always thinking of Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā pra... [SB 12.13.1]. It is not possible.
This yoga system, Arjuna denied five thousand years ago. And what we are? This is going on, all farce. Here is the yoga system Kṛṣṇa is describing, sa ma guhyatamam, most confidential yoga system. What is that?
Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto [Bg. 18.65]: "Simply always think of Me." Man-manā. Mad-bhakta: "You just become My devotee." So this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Even I don't like it think Kṛṣṇa, as soon as the name is chanted immediately I'm forced to think of Kṛṣṇa, immediately. Hare Kṛṣṇa, as I say, immediately I remember Kṛṣṇa, man-manā. Not only that; a devotee thinks of Kṛṣṇa because he develops love for Kṛṣṇa.