The Bhagavad-gita (04.01) indicates how Krishna shares spiritual offers the ultimate legacy to all of us, his children. That legacy is knowledge about the best path to transcendence, the path of unending love: bhakti-yoga. By practicing bhakti-yoga, we can easily, quickly and happily redirect our love from the temporary to the eternal. This redirection elevates us to the immortal realm, where we delight in eternal love with him. Thus, Krishna’s legacy for us forms a bridge between the realm of mortality, the material world where we presently reside, and the realm of immortality, the spiritual world where we eternally belong.

Even if we receive the best possible legacy from our parents, it will be stripped away from us by the irresistible pull of time. But Krishna as the supreme parent offers us a legacy that time has no power to touch, leave alone steal.

Krishna not only offers this unique legacy, but also sets up a system of disciplic succession to keep it available generation after generation. He even personally descends to our world again and again to remind us of what is waiting for us. Thus he demonstrates how much he loves us and how much he wants us to receive and relish the legacy.

Normally, children are eager to receive their parent’s legacy, but unfortunately we are lethargic to receive Krishna’s immortal legacy. Why? Because we are infatuated with mortal pleasures and treasures. To free us from such infatuations, Krishna provides in the Gita penetrating analysis about the futility of everything material that is disconnected from him.

By contemplating this sobering reality and, more importantly, contemplating the inspiring reality of Krishna’s love, we can motivate ourselves to turn our heart from the world to him. When we offer him our love, immortal enrichment will soon be ours.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 04 Text 01

“The Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.”