Bhakti-yoga alone reveals Krishna; all other paths lead merely to lesser perfections and eventual descent.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 — February 7, 1974, Vṛndāvana 740207BG-VRNDAVAN [61:46] Bg-04.01_740207BG-VRNDAVAN [poor recording]
Prabhupāda: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt [Bg. 4.1] Yesterday this yoga system... Anything attempting to understand the Absolute Truth, it is called yoga, yoga system, mainly. This Bhagavad-gītā is bhakti-yoga. It is a conversation between the Lord and the devotee.
Arjuna is a devotee, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So when there is serious conversation between the devotee and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then what should be the subject matter of conversation? Suppose if a big businessman is talking with his secretary seriously, so anyone can suggest what is the subject matter of this conversation. It must be about business.
When a big businessman, talking with his business secretary, what would be the subject matter of the talking? It must be business. Similarly, bhakti means the transaction between the Lord and the devotee. Bhakti is the dealings: sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana.
The whole Vedic system as propounded by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. Actually, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]: “The Vedic subject matter is to understand Kṛṣṇa.” And who can understand Kṛṣṇa? That is explained by Kṛṣṇa: bahunam janmanam ant…, er, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ [Bg. 7.3] To understand Kṛṣṇa, or God, is not very easy subject matter. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: “Out of many millions of human beings,” kaścid yatati siddhaye, “hardly one may be trying for perfection of life.” Hardly—not all.
There are millions and millions of persons all over the world, but some of them come here in Vṛndāvana to achieve perfection. It is a fact. Not that everyone is eager to make his perfect life. [indistinct] Everyone is working very, very hard, like asses, dogs, to enjoy sense gratification: eating, sleeping, mating, defending.
This is their business. So out of many such persons… We have traveled all over the world, all Western countries—they're only busy for this purpose: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. So out of many, many millions of such persons, try to understand what is the value of life, how to make the life perfect: manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. And those who are trying to achieve perfection, most of them are trying to understand the Absolute Truth, karma-kāṇḍi, by performing yajñas, charitable work, opening schools, colleges, hospitals—pious activities.