366
[Ch. 7]
without knowledge of  bhakti  may be easy, but when it is practiced factually according to the rules and regulations, the speculative scholars and philosophers fall away from the path. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes in his  Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu :
śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate.
“Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the  Upaniṣads ,  Purāṇas ,  Nārada-pañcarātra , etc., is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.”
It is not possible for the Brahman realized impersonalist or the Paramātmā realized  yogī  to understand Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the son of mother Yaśodā or the charioteer of Arjuna. Even the great demigods are sometimes confused about Kṛṣṇa: “ muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ ,” “ māṁ tu veda na kaścana .” “No one knows Me as I am,” the Lord says. And if one does know Him, then “ sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ .” “Such a great soul is very rare.” Therefore unless one practices devotional service to the Lord, he cannot know Kṛṣṇa as He is ( tattvataḥ ), even though one is a great scholar or philosopher. Only the pure devotees can know something of the inconceivable transcendental qualities in Kṛṣṇa, in the cause of all causes, in His omnipotence and opulence, and in His wealth, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation, because Kṛṣṇa is benevolently inclined to His devotees. He is the last word in Brahman realization, and the devotees alone can realize Him as He is. Therefore it is said:
atah śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ
“No one can understand Kṛṣṇa as He is by the blunt material senses. But He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him.”  (Padma Purāṇa)
TEXT 4
भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च ।
अहंकार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा || ४ ||