When we embark on our inward spiritual journey towards Krishna, our mind blocks us with naughty desires and our intelligence, with knotty doubts.

Bhakti removes both these roadblocks, as indicated in the Bhagavad-gita (08.07): those who offer their mind and intelligence to Krishna positively attain him. Let’s see how bhakti removes these inner obstacles:

1. Naughty desires: The mind is like a naughty child that is readily allured by anything that seems new or pleasurable. Certainly, the mind can do much more harm than a naughty child. Still, we cannot execute or exile it; we have to live with it lifelong. And we can’t silence or shackle it lifelong; we need to provide it a safe playing arena. Bhakti offers it just that: freedom to explore and enjoy within the perimeter of service to Krishna.

Knotty doubts: The intelligence shackles us with doubts about knotty philosophical paradoxes that we just can’t comprehend at our present level of consciousness. A common such knotty doubt is: how did we fall from the spiritual world? The spiritual world is beyond the arena of time as we know it. There, causality – the system of connection between cause and effect – is radically different from causality here, within the arena of time. Consequently, we are as likely to resolve this doubt as a monkey is likely to understand quantum physics. Bhakti frees our intelligence from such futile endeavors by providing it a far more relishable and profitable engagement: comprehending Krishna’s glories, thereby boosting our conviction about the reality of his love. That conviction empowers us to neglect irresolvable doubts as irrelevant, and march confidently and joyfully towards him.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 08 Text 07

“Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.”