How can we realize our spiritual nature?

The Bhagavad-gita in its thirteenth chapter overviews the nature of the soul’s entanglement in matter and the way to disentanglement. It mentions three of those methods – dhyana-yoga, sankhya-yoga and karma-yoga – in one verse (13.25) and then devotes one full verse (13.26) to the process of hearing, which is the first and foremost limb of bhakti-yoga. The Gita’s emphasis on bhakti-yoga is evident not only from the special attention it receives, but also from the special reach that it has, as is mentioned in the verse. The verse specifically highlights those who are unaware of life’s spiritual dimension, indicating thereby that they aren’t and don’t have to be spiritual seekers striving strenuously for higher realization. Even such people who might be considered mediocre spiritualists can, the verse assures, attain by regular hearing the supreme destination and go beyond the clutches of death.

Thus special efficacy of hearing stems from the distinctive potency of spiritual sound to arouse souls slumbering in spiritual forgetfulness. Just as material sound awakens from material sleep, spiritual sound awakens from spiritual sleep. Spiritual sound doesn’t refer to some eerie sound of a queer frequency produced by some exotic means; it simply refers to sound about spiritual reality, specifically the supreme spiritual reality, Krishna, coming from those who are perceiving that reality or at least sincerely aiming for it. Such Krishna-centered sound can be either his holy name or his sacred message or his sweet pastimes. Being our supreme savior who is eager to deliver us from all miseries, Krishna imbues spiritual sounds with his divine presence and omnipotence and grace. When we thus connect with him, spiritual sound activates our higher spiritual perception, thereby enabling us to sense Krishna’s presence everywhere, including close to us in our own heart.