Alot has been said and written by modern philosophers, intellectuals, and prelates on the ways and means of God-realisation. Whatever they give by way of advancing theories and treatises contains only verbal instructions. Alas! Theory is not capable of producing the desired results. Theory sans practical experience of the divinity inherent in man is like filling the minds of people with prolific description of Soul and God only to eventually be confronted with natural questions; like, Where is He? How can I see Him?
Could verbal instructions and assurances by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita pacify Arjuna? No, they could not! From chapter one to ten of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna replied to a plethora of questions posed by Arjuna. This constituted verbal instructions. This, however, could not calm the agitated, confused, and wavering mind of Arjuna. Replies generated further questions! Though the answering authority was the Lord Himself, yet verbal knowledge could not satisfy, convince, and pacify the flustered mind of Arjuna. All exhortations and teachings of the Lord did not yield any lasting effect. This was in reality a divine sport of the Supreme in human embodiment. He wanted to show to mankind that the attainment of God is beyond verbal knowledge. The Lord, thus, showed to posterity the limited value of theory.
Eventually, Lord Krishna blessed Arjuna with the Divine Eye to enable him see His cosmic form. For, physical eyes can just see the manifested world and its objects. The soul- a fragment of Supreme Being can be practically perceived only by the eye of spirit. This, in turn, elevated Arjuna to the supra-mental plane of consciousness. Rejuvenated by the light of the immortal self, he immediately picked up his bow to fulfil the prime duty of his life - to fight for the cause of righteousness.
Sagacity lies in combining the reading of scriptures with the practical experience of Divine. Otherwise, reading becomes fruitless, ritualistic affair, incapable of bringing inner transformation in an aspirant. Saint Ramakrishna Paramhansa also emphasised this when he said: “The Vedas and all other sacred books do not contain God; they contain only information about God. They are like the Hindu almanac, which contains forecast of the rainfall of the year. But by squeezing the almanac you won't get a drop of water! Similarly, by squeezing the sacred scriptures, none can get God; but by squeezing one's own inner experiences, all can realise God.”
But for such inner experiences, we need some outside help. And this help comes from a perfect spiritual master of the time, who has himself known and seen the metaphysical form of God by unravelling the profoundest mystery. Only such a self-realised soul, having attained the pinnacle of human perfection, can help us see the Lord's Vision. This supra-sensorial experience is instant and spontaneous in every aspirant at the time of initiation and remains with him life-long thereafter! This did not happen only in the remote past. It is possible even today, provided one has the urge in his heart.