18.75 Through the favour of Vyasa I heard this secret concerning the supreme Yoga from Krsna, the Lord of yogas, while He Himself was actually speaking!

18.75 By the grace of Vyasa have I heard this supreme mystery of Yoga as declared in person by Krsna, the Lord of Yoga.

।।18.75।।व्यासजीकी कृपासे मैंने स्वयं इस परम गोपनीय योग (गीता-ग्रन्थ) को कहते हुए साक्षात् योगेश्वर भगवान् श्रीकृष्णसे सुना है।

।।18.75।। व्याख्या --   व्यासप्रसादात् श्रुतवान् -- सञ्जयने जब भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण और महात्मा अर्जुनका पूरा संवाद सुना? तब वे बड़े प्रसन्न हुए। अब उसी प्रसन्नतामें वे कह रहे हैं कि ऐसा परम गोपनीय योग मैंने भगवान् व्यासजीकी कृपासे सुना व्यासजीकी कृपासे सुननेका तात्पर्य यह है कि भगवान्ने यत्तेऽहं प्रीयमाणाय वक्ष्यामि हितकाम्यया (10। 1)? इष्टोऽसि मे दृढमिति ततो वक्ष्यामि ते हितम् (18। 64)? मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे (18। 65)? अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः (18। 66) आदिआदि प्यारे वचनोंसे अपना हृदय खोलकर अर्जुनसे जो बातें कही हैं? उन बातोंको सुननेमें केवल व्यासदेवजीकी कृपा ही है अर्थात् सब बातें मैंने व्यासजीकी कृपासे ही सुनी हैं।एतद् गुह्यं परं योगम् -- समस्त योगोंके महान् ईश्वरके द्वारा कहा जानेसे यह गीताशास्त्रयोग अर्थात् योगशास्त्र है। यह गीताशास्त्र अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठ और गोपनीय है। इसके समान श्रेष्ठ और गोपनीय दूसरा कोई संवाद देखनेसुननेमें नहीं आता।जीवका भगवान्के साथ जो नित्यसम्बन्ध है? उसका नामयोग है। उस नित्ययोगकी पहचान करानेके लिये कर्मयोग? ज्ञानयोग आदि योग कहे गये हैं। उन योगोंके समुदायका वर्णन गीतामें होनेसे गीता भीयोग,अर्थात् योगशास्त्र है।योगेश्वरात्कृष्णात्साक्षात्कथयतः स्वयम् -- सञ्जयके आनन्दकी कोई सीमा नहीं रही है। इसलिये वे हर्षोल्लासमें भरकर कह रहे हैं कि इस योगमें मैंने समस्त योगोंके महान् ईश्वर साक्षात् भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके मुखसे सुना है। सञ्जयको योगेश्वरात्? कृष्णात्? साक्षात्? कथयतः? स्वयम् -- ये पाँच शब्द कहनेकी क्या आवश्यकता थी सञ्जय इन शब्दोंका प्रयोग करके यह कहना चाहते हैं कि मैंने यह संवाद परम्परामें नहीं सुना है और किसीने मुझे सुनाया हैऐसी बात भी नहीं इसको तो मैंने खुद भगवान्के कहतेकहते सुना है

By the mercy of Vyāsa, I have heard these most confidential talks directly from the master of all mysticism, Kṛṣṇa, who was speaking personally to Arjuna.

Vyāsa was the spiritual master of Sañjaya, and Sañjaya admits that it was by Vyāsa’s mercy that he could understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that one has to understand Kṛṣṇa not directly but through the medium of the spiritual master. The spiritual master is the transparent medium, although it is true that the experience is still direct. This is the mystery of the disciplic succession. When the spiritual master is bona fide, then one can hear Bhagavad-gītā directly, as Arjuna heard it. There are many mystics and yogīs all over the world, but Kṛṣṇa is the master of all yoga systems. Kṛṣṇa’s instruction is explicitly stated in Bhagavad-gītā – surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. One who does so is the topmost yogī. This is confirmed in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter. Yoginām api sarveṣām. Nārada is the direct disciple of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master of Vyāsa. Therefore Vyāsa is as bona fide as Arjuna because he comes in the disciplic succession, and Sañjaya is the direct disciple of Vyāsa. Therefore by the grace of Vyāsa, Sañjaya’s senses were purified, and he could see and hear Kṛṣṇa directly. One who directly hears Kṛṣṇa can understand this confidential knowledge. If one does not come to the disciplic succession, he cannot hear Kṛṣṇa; therefore his knowledge is always imperfect, at least as far as understanding Bhagavad-gītā is concerned. In Bhagavad-gītā , all the yoga systems – karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga – are explained. Kṛṣṇa is the master of all such mysticism. It is to be understood, however, that as Arjuna was fortunate enough to understand Kṛṣṇa directly, so, by the grace of Vyāsa, Sañjaya was also able to hear Kṛṣṇa directly. Actually there is no difference between hearing directly from Kṛṣṇa and hearing directly from Kṛṣṇa via a bona fide spiritual master like Vyāsa. The spiritual master is the representative of Vyāsadeva also. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, on the birthday of the spiritual master the disciples conduct the ceremony called Vyāsa-pūjā.