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TEXT 17
jnanatah su-labha muktir
bhuktir yajnadi-punyatah
seyam sadhana-sahasrair
hari-bhaktih su-durlabha
SYNONYMS
jnanatahby cultivation of knowledge; su-labhaeasily obtainable; muktihliberation; bhuktihsense enjoyment; yajna-adiperformance of sacrifices, etc.; punyatahand by performing pious activities; sathat; iyamthis; sadhana-sahasraihexecution of thousands of sacrifices; hari-bhaktihdevotional service; su-durlabhais very rare.
TRANSLATION
"By cultivating philosophical knowledge one can understand his spiritual position and thus be liberated, and by performing sacrifices and pious activities one can achieve sense gratification in a higher planetary system, but the devotional service of the Lord is so rare that even by executing hundreds and thousands of such sacrifices one cannot obtain it."
PURPORT
matir na krsne paratah svato va
mitho 'bhipadyeta grha-vratanam naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah mahiyasam pada-rajo-'bhisekam niskincananam na vrnita yavat These slokas are to be discussed. Their purport is that one cannot obtain krsna-bhakti, or the devotional service of the Lord, by official execution of the Vedic rituals. One has to approach a pure devotee. Narottama dasa Thakura sings, chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba: "Who has been elevated without rendering service to a pure Vaisnava?" It is the statement of Prahlada Maharaja that unless one is able to accept the dust from the lotus feet of a pure Vaisnava there is no possibility of achieving the platform of devotional service. That is the secret. The above-mentioned tantra-vacana, quoted from the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.36), is our perfect guidance in this connection.
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