Bhakti-yoga alone grants complete knowledge of Krishna without doubt, surpassing all other spiritual paths.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 7.1–3 — June 13, 1974, Paris 740613BG-PARIS [56:47 Minutes] Bg-07.01–03_740613BG-PARIS [translated into French throughout] Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.] śrī-bhagavān uvāca mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu [Bg. 7.1] [02:38] Translation: "Now hear, O son of Pṛthā, Arjuna, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt." [03:25]
Prabhupāda: śrī-bhagavān uvāca mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu [Bg. 7.1] We are speaking from Bhagavad-gītā. I think most of you know this book, Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is sometimes translated in foreign languages, "The Song of God." In other words, God Himself speaking. So far we are concerned, we cannot understand God by mental speculation.
Even in this material world, we cannot understand what is there in the planetary system. So our knowledge is very, very limited. Besides that, we have got four deficiencies. The one deficiency is that we commit mistake. Anyone, any big man of this material world, he commits mistake.
Besides that, he is illusioned. Illusioned means to accept something what is not fact. Just like... [coughs] [aside:] Water.
We accept this body as self. This is called illusion. According to Vedic understanding, anyone who thinks of this body as the self, he's animal. Just like a dog, he thinks that he is the body, similarly, if a man thinks that he is this body—he is American or Indian or Frenchman or German or Hindu or Muslim, with this bodily concept of life—so, according to Vedic understanding, this conception is animal conception.
So this is called illusion. Then next item is cheating. Cheating means with imperfect knowledge one takes the place of a teacher. And the last deficiency is that our senses are imperfect. It is not independent; still, we are very much proud of our senses.
For example, atheist class of men, they say that "Can you show me God?" He does not think whether he has got any power to see. So far our eyes are concerned, we can see so long when the conditions are fulfilled. Just like here we are speaking. As soon as the light will be off, we cannot see one another.