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may be impractical for one man may be practical for another. Arjuna is representative of the common man in the sense that he is not a mendicant or a  sannyāsī  or a scholar. He is on the battlefield fighting for his kingdom, and in this sense he is an ordinary man engaged in a worldly activity. He is concerned with earning a livelihood, supporting his family, and so on. Arjuna has many problems, just as the common man, and generally this system of  aṣṭānga-yoga  is impractical for the ordinary common man. That is the point being made. It is practical for one who has already completely renounced everything and can sit in a secluded, sacred place on the side of a hill or in a cave. But who can do this in this age? Although Arjuna was a great warrior, a member of the royal family, and a very advanced person, he proclaims this  yoga  system impractical. And what are we in comparison to Arjuna? If we attempt this system, failure is certain.
Therefore this system of mysticism described by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna beginning with the words  śucau deśe  and ending with  yogī paramaḥ  is here rejected by Arjuna out of a feeling of inability. As stated before, it is not possible for an ordinary man to leave home and go to a secluded place in the mountains or jungles to practice  yoga  in this age of Kali. The present age is characterized by a bitter struggle for a life of short duration. As Kali-yuga progresses, our life span gets shorter and shorter. Our forefathers lived for a hundred years or more, but now people are dying at the age of sixty or seventy. Gradually the life span will decrease even further. Memory, mercy, and other good qualities will also decrease in this age.
In Kali-yuga, people are not serious about self-realization even by simple, practical means, and what to speak of this difficult  yoga  system, which regulates the mode of living, the manner of sitting, selection of place, and detachment of the mind from material engagements. As a practical man, Arjuna thought it was impossible to follow this system of  yoga , even though he was favorably endowed in many ways. He was not prepared to become a pseudo  yogī  and practice some gymnastic feats. He was not a pretender but a soldier and a family man. Therefore he frankly admitted that for him this system of  yoga  would be a waste of time. Arjuna belonged
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to the royal family and was highly elevated in terms of numerous qualities; he was a great warrior, he had great longevity, and, above all, he was the most intimate friend of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Five thousand years ago, when Arjuna was living, the life span was very long. At that time, people used to live up to one thousand years. In the present age of Kali-yuga, the life span is limited to a hundred years; in Dvāpara-yuga, the life span was a thousand years; in Tretā-yuga, the life span was ten thousand years; and in Satya-yuga, the life span was one hundred thousand years. Thus as the  yugas  degenerate, the life span decreases. Even though Arjuna was living at a time when one would live and practice meditation for a thousand years, he still considered this system impossible.
Five thousand years ago, Arjuna had much better facilities than we do now, yet he refused to accept this system of  yoga . In fact, we do not find any record in history of his practicing it at any time. Therefore, this system must be considered generally impossible in this age of Kali. Of course, it may be possible for some very few, rare men, but for the people in general it is an impossible proposal. If this were so five thousand years ago, what of the present day? Those who are imitating this  yoga  system in different so-called schools and societies, although complacent, are certainly wasting their time. They are completely ignorant of the desired goal.
Since this  aṣṭānga-yoga  system is considered impossible, the  bhakti-yoga  system is recommended for everyone. Without training or education, one can automatically participate in  bhakti-yoga . Even a small child can clap at  kīrtana . Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has proclaimed  bhakti-yoga  the only system practical for this age.
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no