Gita 08.14 – What is difficult in one perspective is easy in another perspective
ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ
yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ
tasyāhaṁ su-labhaḥ pārtha
nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ (Bg 81.4)
Word-for-word:
ananya-cetāḥ — without deviation of the mind; satatam — always; yaḥ — anyone who; mām — Me (Kṛṣṇa); smarati — remembers; nityaśaḥ — regularly; tasya — to him; aham — I am; su-labhaḥ — very easy to achieve; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; nitya — regularly; yuktasya — engaged; yoginaḥ — for the devotee.
Translation:
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pṛthā, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.
Explanation:
ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ: One whose consciousness is undistracted and always fixed,
yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ: and who constantly remembers Me,
tasyāhaṁ su-labhaḥ pārtha: O Pārtha, for that person I am easily attainable.
nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ: because that yogī is perpetually engaged in My service.
This is practically the only verse in the Bhagavad-gītā where Kṛṣṇa clearly says that He is easily attained—tasyāhaṁ su-labhaḥ pārtha*. Su-labhaḥ means “easily attainable.” Earlier, however, Kṛṣṇa states at least twice that He is quite difficult to attain.
He first says this in 7.3:
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
Among thousands of people, only a few even endeavor for transcendence, and among those who genuinely strive, only a rare soul comes to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth.
Thus, it is clear that knowing Kṛṣṇa is rare. Again, in 7.19 He says that those who truly understand Him are su-durlabhaḥ:
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
Those who realize that Kṛṣṇa is everything and surrender to Him are described as su-durlabhaḥ. Durlabhaḥ means “difficult to obtain,” and the prefix “su” intensifies it—making it “extremely difficult to obtain.” Linguistically, if we remove “dur” from su-durlabhaḥ, what remains is su-labhaḥ, the very term Kṛṣṇa uses here. In this verse He declares, tasyāhaṁ su-labhaḥ pārtha—“For such a person, I am easily attained.”
This declaration—that Kṛṣṇa is easily attained—is deeply reassuring.
But for whom is He easily attained? Kṛṣṇa explains: ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ—for one who, without any distraction or deviation of consciousness, always remembers Him. For such a person, He becomes easily attainable. In other words, for yogīs who remain constantly engaged in remembering Kṛṣṇa (nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ), He becomes su-labhaḥ—easy to attain.
Now, this might seem like a prohibitively demanding condition. Kṛṣṇa uses strong words here—ananya, satatam, nityaśaḥ, and nitya—four expressions that all indicate constancy and undistracted focus. This may prompt the question: is this promise of “easy attainment” somewhat deceptive?
Consider an analogy. Suppose someone tells us, “You can easily lose ten kilograms—just fast for twenty-five days.” Technically, yes, the body can biologically survive that long without food because of reserve energy. But practically speaking, for most people, such a fast would be nearly impossible. It would feel like excruciating torture, and there would be nothing “easy” about that method of weight loss.
Similarly, is Kṛṣṇa prescribing something extremely difficult and then assuring us that by doing this we will “easily” attain Him? What exactly is Kṛṣṇa conveying here?
When we read the Bhagavad-gītā without considering the context in which Kṛṣṇa speaks, this instruction can indeed feel overwhelming. The idea of always remembering Kṛṣṇa may seem unrealistic. We may wonder: How can anyone remember Kṛṣṇa constantly? And if attaining Him depends on such continuous remembrance, then that attainment might feel anything but easy. This reaction, based on our present level of experience and practice, is understandable—and in one sense, quite valid.
However, this verse in the Gītā is spoken within a specific context. Here, Kṛṣṇa is comparing bhakti-yoga with aṣṭāṅga-yoga—and the requirements of aṣṭāṅga-yoga are far more demanding. Aṣṭāṅga-yoga asks one to see everyone with equal vision, renounce the world, and fix one’s consciousness on subtle points such as the space between the eyebrows. Throughout the sixth chapter, Kṛṣṇa outlines practices that are exceptionally austere and difficult.
Even after undertaking such rigorous discipline, success is not guaranteed in a single lifetime. Kṛṣṇa explains in 6.45:
prayatnād yatamānas tu yogī saṁśuddha-kilbiṣaḥ
aneka-janma-saṁsiddhas tato yāti parāṁ gatim
After endeavoring with determination, the yogī becomes purified of all contamination. Only after achieving perfection over many lifetimes does such a yogī finally attain the supreme destination.
It is by no means an easy process. In fact, it is excruciatingly difficult. When we understand how demanding aṣṭāṅga-yoga truly is—stretching over many lifetimes—and that even across these many lifetimes a practitioner without the element of bhakti must undergo intense physical austerities, the difficulty becomes clear. One must renounce the world, live in seclusion, and maintain an extraordinary level of concentration on an object that is not inherently engaging. After all, there is nothing intrinsically attractive about the tip of the nose or the space between the eyebrows.
Further, even if one succeeds in turning inward, there is still no guarantee of discovering the ultimate reality within. It becomes a long journey through an inner darkness and wilderness. When something is dark, we cannot see what lies where; but when that darkness is coupled with a wilderness, it means there may also be hidden dangers—like predators roaming in an unseen forest. In the same way, the inner landscape can be filled not only with uncertainty but also with challenges that can easily overwhelm or mislead the seeker.
Similarly, when a yogi embarks on the inner journey, it is not just the darkness of the unknown that confronts them; there is also an inner wilderness. Many dangerous anarthas lurk within, capable of dragging a person off the path. Navigating through all of this, and ultimately reaching yogic perfection—which culminates in attaining Kṛṣṇa—is an excruciatingly difficult process.
As contrasted with that, the process of bhakti, which centres on fixing the mind on Kṛṣṇa, is far easier. Kṛṣṇa is a living, loving person endowed with innumerable attractive qualities. He is the all-attractive Supreme Person, the all-loving Lord of our heart. Although constant remembrance of Him may be challenging for us as sādhakas, both in principle and in practice, it is still far easier than staring at the tip of the nose or searching for some unknown object of meditation in the inner dark land.
Kṛṣṇa has a profound message, He performs wonderful pastimes, and He manifests in various attractive forms. Meditating on Him is therefore a mind-nourishing experience, not a mind-starving one. Just as the body experiences hunger, the mind too hungers—to know new things, to think of new things, to contemplate new things. When we force the mind to stay fixed on a single object, it may resent it as if it were a harsh punishment. The mind may make us feel as though we are starving by not being allowed to think of anything else.
But when we fix the mind on Kṛṣṇa, because He both encompasses everything and transcends everything—vasudevaḥ sarvam iti—meditating on Him becomes a fresh, refreshing, and deeply relishable experience. As Yamunācārya declares, nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt—ever since I began meditating on Kṛṣṇa, I have been constantly relishing newer and newer rasa.
From this perspective, compared to the object of meditation prescribed in aṣṭāṅga-yoga—which is initially unattractive and largely unknown for most of the journey—meditating on Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) is far easier. Even when one meditates on Viṣṇu without devotion, merely as a tool for meditation, the practice may not be very satisfying. Therefore, in general, the process of aṣṭāṅga-yoga is quite demanding and challenging.
In comparison, meditating on Kṛṣṇa is relatively much easier and far more joyful, especially when we associate with devotees who are attracted to Him. In their association, our own attraction to Kṛṣṇa naturally grows, and this attraction spontaneously kindles meditation. Just as cricket fans naturally think of cricket, and patriots naturally think of their nation, similarly, when we are drawn to Kṛṣṇa with devotion, our thoughts naturally turn to Him.
When this devotion and constant remembrance of Kṛṣṇa become natural, we realize that by continuing this joyful process, we can attain Him. This is truly su-labhaḥ—easily attained. Compared to other paths, it is eminently and gloriously easy.
Thank you.
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