In this connection, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya says that after hearing Ramananda Raya, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, eho haya, age kaha ara. This means that this is the process accepted in devotional service, but there is something more than this. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested him to explain what was beyond. Simply executing the duties of all varnas and asramas is not as good as offering all the results of one's activities to the Lord. When one gives up all fruitive activity and fully surrenders to the Lord, he attains sva-dharma-tyaga, wherein he abandons the social order and takes to the renounced order. That is certainly better. However, better than the renounced order is cultivation of knowledge mixed with devotional service. Yet all these activities are external to the activities of the spiritual world. There is no touch of pure devotional service in them. Pure devotional service cannot be attained by empiric philosophy, nor can perfection be attained simply by good association. Devotional service by self-realization is a different subject matter. It is untouched by fruitive activity, for one surrenders the results of activities to the Lord, abandons prescribed duties and accepts the renounced order of life. Such devotional service is situated on a higher platform than that of empiric philosophical speculation with a mixture of bhakti. This is verified by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11):

"One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krsna favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service."