sri-bhagavan uvaca mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Prtha, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt. (Bhagavad-gita 7.1)

Krishna himself is speaking about yoga. One of Krishna's names is Yogeshvara, "the supreme master of all yoga systems." Yoga means "the link between the soul and the Supersoul," and ishvara means "master." The ultimate object of yoga is Krishna. For that reason, also, Krishna's name is Yogeshvara.

At the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita, Sanjaya says, yatra Yogeshvarah krsno yatra partho dhanur-dharah... "Wherever there is Yogeshvara, Krishna, and wherever there is Arjuna, the greatest fighter, there will undoubtedly be victory."

The Bhagavad-gita was spoken as a narration by Sanjaya to Maharaja Dhritarashtra. Sanjaya was Dhritarashtra's secretary. By spiritual vision Sanjaya could see what was going on in the battlefield—just as one sees something on television—and he narrated to Maharaja Dhritarashtra, who was blind. Sanjaya's conclusion was that the side
that has Yogeshvara, Krishna, must be victorious.
Attachment To Krishna
There are different systems of yoga, and there are many kinds of yogis. Yoga refers to the system, and the yogi is the person who practices the system. The object of yoga, the ultimate goal of yoga, is to understand Krishna. Therefore Krishna consciousness means to practice the topmost yoga system. That yoga system is being described
by Krishna Himself. Why? Because He is teaching His most intimate friend, Arjuna.

In the beginning of His explanation, the Lord says, "This system of yoga can be practiced by persons who have developed attachment for Me." The topmost yoga system cannot be practiced by an ordinary man who has no attachment for Krishna. A yogi who has no attachment for Krishna is practicing a different yoga system.

There are five kinds of direct attachment, or asakti. And there are seven kinds of indirect attachment. Direct attachment is called bhakti, but indirect attachment is not bhakti. If you are attached to Krishna by the direct method, that is called devotional service. And if you are attached to Krishna by the indirect method, that is not devotional service, but that is also attachment. For example, Kamsa had indirect attachment. Kamsa was the maternal uncle of Krishna, and it was foretold that Kamsa would be killed by his sister's eighth son. So Kamsa became very anxious, and he wanted to kill his younger sister, Devaki, Krishna's mother. She was saved by her husband, Krishna's father, Vasudeva, by some compromises. That's a great, long story. The last compromise was that Vasudeva told his brother-in-law Kamsa, "You are afraid of the son of your sister. Your sister is not going to kill you. So I request, don't kill your sister. Save her. And I promise that all the sons born of your sister will be brought to you, and if you like you can kill them.''

Vasudeva was a king. He was thinking, "For the time being, this poor girl may be saved, and it may be that time will change the mind of Kamsa. When her sons will be born, he might change his mind.''

But Kamsa was such a great demon that he killed all the sons of Devaki. So when Krishna was in the womb of His mother, Kamsa was always thinking of Krishna. Now, you see, Kamsa was also Krishna conscious, but he was Krishna conscious not directly—not for love's sake—but as an enemy. That is not devotional service. When one is Krishna conscious and Krishna's friend, Krishna's parent, Krishna's servant, Krishna's lover—that is devotion.
Relationships With God
Here it is clearly said, mad-asrayah: "one who wants Krishna." You may want Krishna as your lover. You may want Krishna as your son. You may want Krishna as your friend. You may want Krishna as your master. You may want Krishna as the supreme sublime. These five kinds of direct relationship with Krishna are called devotion, bhakti. Devotees in these relationships are without any desire for material profit.

The concept of accepting God as one's son is superior to the concept of accepting God as one's father. In the relationship between father and son, the son wants to get something from the father. But the father always wants to give something to the son. Therefore the relationship in which one treats God, or Krishna, as son is better than the relationship in which one treats Krishna as father. If I accept God as my father, then I am the son and my only business will be to ask my necessities from the father. But if I become the father of Krishna, then from the beginning of Krishna's childhood my business will be to serve Him. The parents serve the child from his birth.

Therefore the ideal of Krishna's parents and foster parents—Vasudeva and Devaki, and Nanda and Yashoda— is very sublime. Yashoda is thinking, "If I do not feed Krishna sumptuously, He will die.'' She forgets that Krishna, the Supreme Lord, is sustaining the three worlds. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. Only one God is supplying the necessities of all other living entities. That very same Personality of Godhead has become the son of Yashoda, and she is thinking, "If I do not feed Krishna nicely, He will die.'' That is love. She has forgotten that the person who has appeared before her as her little child is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So the relationship of asakti—attachment—is very sublime. It requires time to understand. But there is a position in which instead of asking, "O God, give us our daily bread,'' you think that God will die if you do not supply Him bread. That is the ecstasy of extreme love, and there is such a relationship between Krishna and His devotees.

Radharani, the greatest devotee, the greatest lover of Krishna, loves Him as a paramour. Nanda and Yashoda love Him as parents. Sudama and Arjuna love Him as friends. Similarly, there are millions and trillions of different kinds of devotees of Krishna. They are directly playing with Krishna.

The yoga system described herein—bhakti-yoga—can be practiced by persons who have developed such attachment for Krishna. Others cannot practice it. And if anyone is able to develop such attachment, he will understand God, or Krishna, perfectly.