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Many times in the Bhagavad-gita, Kṛṣṇa is addressed as Hrsikesa. Why? According to the Esoteric Teaching, bhakti is defined as follows:

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate

“Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects: one is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.”

This verse quoted from the Narada-pancaratra is found in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu [1.1.12].

“Freed from all material designations” here means that we no longer identify with the material body. Normally we think that we are a man, a woman, from this country or that country, old or young, rich or poor, wise or foolish, and so forth. These are all material designations.

But when we are engaged in the transcendental activities of bhakti-yoga we think, “I am an eternal spirit soul, a servant of Kṛṣṇa.” This is freedom from material designation, and it is the beginning of the higher spiritual dimensions of our ontology. As we increase the spiritual dimensions of our ontology, we become more spiritually conscious.

In material consciousness, we cannot understand what God is, or what we are. Then as we enter the path of the Esoteric Teaching, we can begin to understand that we are not this body, we are spirit soul, and realize God as the impersonal effulgence of Brahman. Then when we become a little advanced, we realize God as the Supersoul within the heart, and begin to have a direct personal relationship with Him as Paramatma. Finally in the highest stage we realize the personal form of Kṛṣṇa as Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and also realize our perfect spiritual body in eternal relationship with Him in the spiritual world.

“Purification of the senses” means that we no longer have a taste for polluted material things. We no longer crave meat, fish, eggs, onions, garlic and other food in the mode of ignorance. We no longer relish lust, anger, envy and hate, but we develop a taste for purity, simplicity, spiritual service and love. This is the purifying effect of bhakti.

Bhakti, and indeed the whole program of the Esoteric Teaching, is simply hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam: engaging the senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa, Hrisikesa, the master of the senses and the indwelling Supersoul.

As a devotee, Arjuna was meant for serving Kṛṣṇa, because he is bhakta or practitioner of bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa addresses him as bhakta:

sa evayam maya te ’dya
yogah proktah puratanah
bhakto ’si me sakha ceti
rahasyam hy etad uttamam

“That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend, and therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” [Bhagavad-gita 4.3]

Bhakto ’si me “My dear Arjuna, My devotee”; sakha ceti “And certainly My friend”; rahasyam hy etad uttamam: “therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science of Bhagavad-gita.” It is a mystery.

Mystery means very secret, arcane, recondite; no ordinary man can understand. Only initiates can understand. Therefore it is called mystery, rahasyam. And not just an ordinary rahasyam: rahasyam uttamam. Uttamam means transcendental, ultimate; not covered with the darkness of material nescience. Bhagavad-gita is a brilliant transcendental mystery: rahasyam uttamam.

The ordinary person cannot understand the mystery of Bhagavad-gita, therefore they foolishly misinterpret, speculate, and demonstrate their foolishness. Even big academic scholars cannot understand Bhagavad-gita or this Esoteric Teaching properly. They cannot understand because they are not devotees, and this mystery is meant for the devotee: bhakto ’si me.

The Bhagavad-gita and this whole Esoteric Teaching is a transcendental transaction between God and His devotee. That is the secret. Just like if you go to the market and see two businessmen talking. You don’t even have to eavesdrop to know the subject they are discussing. They are businessmen, so naturally they must be talking about business. It is a natural conclusion. Whenever two businessmen are seen talking seriously, they must be talking about business, investment and profit.

Similarly, whenever there is talk between the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, the discussion must be about bhakti. It can’t be anything else. The devotees and the Lord derive ever-increasing transcendental pleasure from talks about bhakti, devotional service activities. But only pious people can understand these transcendental discussions:

yesam tv anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.” [Bhagavad-gita 7.28]

Punyanam, pious men, can understand. But people addicted to impious life cannot inquire about God or understand talks about God. Papis, sinful men, cannot understand. They misunderstand, thinking that “I am also God.” This is the conclusion of the abhaktas, non-devotees and sinful men. So you should know that anyone who declares himself God, is the greatest sinful man. And if you study his private life, you will see that he is a very sinful man, according to the standards of Bhagavad-gita.

This is the test. Without being sinful, nobody will dare to say that “I am God.” No pious man will do it. A pious man thinks, “Who am I? I am an ordinary human being. How can I claim to take the position of God?” Only a sinful fool will claim to be God. But they become very famous among the foolish sinful people:

sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih
samstutah purusah pasuh
na yat-karna-pathopeto
jatu nama gadagrajah

“Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from evils.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.19]

In this world we see there are many so-called great men, and they are very much praised by the general people. But the Bhagavatam says that anyone who is not a devotee, who never chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he may be very great man in the estimation of fools, but he is nothing but an animal: purusah pasuh. Sva-vid-varaha-ustra-kharaih: dogs, hogs, camels and asses.

Next: Mystery of Bhagavad-gita 2