SB 6.1.17
TEXT 17
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TEXT
सध्रीचीनो ह्ययं लोके पन्थाः क्षेमो ऽकुतोभयः ।
सुशीलाः साधवो यत्र नारायणपरायणाः ॥ १७ ॥ sadhricino hy ayam loke
panthaḥ ksemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ
susilaḥ sadhavo yatra
narayana-parayanaḥ
sadhricinaḥ-just appropriate; hi-certainly; ayam-this; loke-in the world; panthaḥ-path; ksemaḥ-auspicious; akutaḥ-bhayaḥ-without fear; su-silaḥ-well-behaved; sadhavaḥ-saintly persons; yatra-wherein; narayana-parayanaḥ-those who have taken the path of Narayana, devotional service, as their life and soul.
TRANSLATION
The path followed by pure devotees, who are well-behaved and fully endowed with the best qualifications, is certainly the most auspicious path in this material world. It is free from fear, and it is authorized by the sastras.
One should not think that the person who takes to bhakti is one who cannot perform the ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the karma-kanḍa section of the Vedas or is not sufficiently educated to speculate on spiritual subjects. Mayavadis generally allege that the bhakti path is for women and illiterates. This is a groundless accusation. The bhakti path is followed by the most learned scholars, such as the Gosvamis, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramanujacarya. These are the actual followers of the bhakti path. Regardless of whether or not one is educated or aristocratic, one must follow in their footsteps. Mahajano yena gataḥ sa panthaḥ: one must follow the path of the mahajanas. The mahajanas are those who have taken to the path of devotional service (susilaḥ sadhavo yatra narayana-parayanaḥ), for these great personalities are the perfect persons. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.18.12):
yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana
sarvair gunais tatra samasate suraḥ "One who has unflinching devotion to the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods." The less intelligent, however, misunderstand the bhakti path and therefore allege that it is for one who cannot execute ritualistic ceremonies or speculate. As confirmed here by the word sadhricinaḥ, bhakti is the path that is appropriate, not the paths of karma-kanḍa and jnana-kanḍa. Mayavadis may be susilaḥ sadhavaḥ (well-behaved saintly persons), but there is nevertheless some doubt about whether they are actually making progress, for they have not accepted the path of bhakti. On the other hand, those who follow the path of the acaryas are susilaḥ and sadhavaḥ, but furthermore their path is akuto-bhaya, which means free from fear. One should fearlessly follow the twelve mahajanas and their line of disciplic succession and thus be liberated from the clutches of maya.
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