If you actually come in contact with Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is within your heart . . . Kṛṣṇa is not far away. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. But He's still nearer. He is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva . . . so if you become attached to Kṛṣṇa . . . when Kṛṣṇa sees now you are attached to Kṛṣṇa, then hṛdy antaḥ-stho abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām (SB 1.2.17). He is friend of the devotees. He's friend of everyone, but a special friend of the devotees. Suhṛt satām. Therefore you have to become a devotee. Therefore it is said, na yujyamānayā bhaktyā. Bhaktyā means devotee. Who performs devotional service unless he's a devotee? Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). So if we become devotee, if we take to devotional service, then Kṛṣṇa says, teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11), "For special favor." Special favor. What is that? Teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmi. Kṛṣṇa says: "I kill all kinds of ignorance."
So simply this qualification required, that you become perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then you perfectly become jñānī. Jñāna is there. Simply it is covered by the curtain of ignorance. Just like in darkness, everything is there. The light is there, everything is there. But as soon as it is dark, we cannot see where the things are there. So Kṛṣṇa says that anyone can understand Himself, anyone can understand Kṛṣṇa and the relationship, provided the darkness of ignorance is taken away. That is required. That is done by Kṛṣṇa personally. For whom? Teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11). Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Those who are engaged twenty-four hours with love and faith in devotional service. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam. The buddhi-yogam. He directs, "Do like this, do like that." Then . . . what for buddhi? Yena mām upayānti te. Then gradually you come to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead.
Therefore it is recommended here, na yujyamānayā bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani, sadṛśo 'sti śivaḥ panthā. Śiva means auspicious. Śiva means auspicious. So if you actually interested for self-realization, if you want to become perfect in this life, śivaḥ panthā, the most auspicious, most perfect panthā is . . . what is that? Now, bhaktyā bhagavati. You just become a devotee and engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not the so-called rascal Bhagavān, but bhagavaty akhilātmani, one, the . . . that Bhagavān who is present everywhere. That Bhagavān. Not this false bhagavān. Akhilātmani. These are the śāstric injunction. So that Bhagavān . . . "I don't find that Bhagavān." No. That Bhagavān is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). That is real Bhagavān. So as soon . . . tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. That Bhagavān is always acting. He instructed Brahmā. Brahmā, the lord of the universe, he got instruction from Kṛṣṇa, and he created the whole universe, and what to speak of you? He'll also give instruction to you, provided you take to the devotional service, bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).