Hare Krsna,
In Bhakti-Rasamrta Sindhu (BRS 1.2.4), Srila Rupa Goswami has summarized the whole essence of Krsna consciousness in the following verse –
Yena kena prakarena manah Krsna nivesayet
“Somehow or other just engage your mind in Krsna.”
Also, in Padma Purana there is a famous verse,
smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇurvismartavyo na jātucitsarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syuretayor eva kiṅkarāḥ
“‘Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Lord Viṣṇu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the śāstras should be the servants of these two principles.’”
In this regard, the teachings of both Lord Kapiladeva and Lord Caitanya are the same because the ultimate goal is one – to always fix the mind on Krsna. Only the process to attain the goal is different according to time, place, and circumstances. Lord Kapiladeva’s instructions to Mother Devahuti were practical and possible during Satya-yuga. What is possible then is not possible now. What to speak of now? It was not even possible 5000 years ago. Five thousand years ago, Arjuna had much better facilities than we do now, yet he refused to accept the system of dhyana-yoga recommended by Lord Krsna. Arjuna said:
BG 6.33-34: O Madhusūdana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady. The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.
If the environment was not conducive 5000 years ago for yogic practice, things are harder now. The present age is characterized by a bitter struggle for existence.
SB 1.1.10: “O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.” (SB 1.1.10)
With such a disturbed mine, it is almost impossible to perform astanga-yoga in the present age. It is difficult to master correct asanas, regulate breathing, withdraw the senses from material objects, and so on.
The ultimate stage of astanga-yoga is samadhi. Samadhi is the state of the mind’s being virtually absorbed in the Lord. Performing the eight-limbed astanga-yoga is liking taking stairs to the top of the building (samadhi). Lord Caitanya is so kind that He has given us an elevator to reach the top. That elevator is the constant chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord and thus fixing the mind on the Lord.
SB 3.28.11 purport — “For every item in the yoga system there is a parallel activity in bhakti-yoga, but the practice of bhakti-yoga is easier for this age. What was introduced by Lord Caitanya is not a new interpretation. Bhakti-yoga is a feasible process that begins with chanting and hearing. Bhakti-yoga and other yogas have as their ultimate goal the same Personality of Godhead, but one is practical, and the others are difficult.”
Even five thousand years ago, Lord Krsna confirmed to Arjuna that of the two processes (astanga-yoga and bhakti-yoga), the path of bhakti-yoga is better and one can reach the highest platform by this process.
BG 6.47: And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport, “The culmination of all kinds of yoga practices lies in bhakti yoga…If one is fortunate enough to come to the point of bhakti-yoga, it is to be understood that he has surpassed all other yogas.”
SB 3.28.18 purport — “One has to fix his mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly. When one is accustomed to thinking of one of the innumerable forms of the Lord — Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, Rāma, Nārāyaṇa, etc. — he has reached the perfection of yoga. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: a person who has developed pure love for the Lord, and whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of transcendental loving exchange, always sees within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The devotees especially see the Lord in the beautiful blackish form of Śyāmasundara. That is the perfection of yoga.”
BG 6.47 Purport: The ideal yogī concentrates his attention on Kṛṣṇa, who is called Śyāmasundara, who is as beautifully colored as a cloud, whose lotuslike face is as effulgent as the sun, whose dress is brilliant with jewels, and whose body is flower-garlanded. Illuminating all sides is His gorgeous luster, which is called the brahma-jyotir. He incarnates in different forms such as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He descends like a human being, as the son of mother Yaśodā, and He is known as Kṛṣṇa, Govinda and Vāsudeva. He is the perfect child, husband, friend and master, and He is full with all opulences and transcendental qualities. If one remains fully conscious of these features of the Lord, he is called the highest yogī.
Therefore, it is a matter of great comfort that the eight-limbed astanga-yoga and the nine-limbed bhakti-yoga (Sravan, kirtanam, visno smaranam, etc.) are one and the same thing. The process of meditating on the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within oneself and the process of chanting the glories and pastimes of the Lord are the same. The only difference is that hearing and fixing the mind on the pastimes of the Lord through the chanting of the Holy Name is easier than visualizing the form of the Lord within one’s heart.
It is said that whatever purpose is served by a small well of water is naturally served in all respects by a large lake (BG 2.46). Similarly whatever purpose is served by the practice of astanga-yoga taught by Lord Kapiladeva is easily served by the process of chanting the Holy Name of the Lord taught by Lord Caitanya.
Let us therefore chant the Holy Name of the Lord with full relish, attention, and detachment because is the yuga-dharma of this age.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 