206
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
[Ādi-līlā, Ch. 16]
TRANSLATION
In East Bengal there was a brāhmaṇa named Tapana Miśra who could not ascertain the objective of life nor how to attain it.
PURPORT
One must first ascertain the object of life and then understand how to attain it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pointing out to everyone that the object of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa, and to attain that goal of life one must practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following the methods prescribed by the Gosvāmīs with reference to the authoritative  śāstras  and  Vedas .
TEXT 11
বহুনামে বহুবাক্যে চিন্তে ভ্রম হয় । সাধ্য-সাধন শ্রেষ্ঠ না হয় নিশ্চয় ॥ ১১ ॥
bahu-śāstre bahu-vākye citte bhrama haya sādhya-sādhana śreṣṭha nā haya niścaya
SYNONYMS
bahu-śāstre —by many books or scriptures;  bahu-vākye —by many versions of many persons;  citte —within the heart;  bhrama —doubt;  haya —there is;  sādhya-sādhana —objective and means;  śreṣṭha —about the best;  nā —not;  haya —there is;  niścaya —certainty.
TRANSLATION
If one becomes a bookworm, reading many books and scriptures and hearing many commentaries and the instructions of many men, this will produce doubt within his heart. One cannot in this way ascertain the real goal of life.
PURPORT
In  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  (7.13.8) it is said,  granthān naivābhyased bahūn na vyākhyām upayuñjīta : "One should not read many books, nor should one try to make a profession of reciting many books, especially if one is a devotee." One must give up the ambition to be a learned scholar and in this way earn a worldly reputation and financial facilities. If one diverts his attention to studying many books, he cannot fix his mind in devotional service, nor can he understand many scriptures, for they are full of grave statements and meanings. In this connection Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Śarasvatī Thākura gives his opinion that those who are attracted to studying many kinds of literature concerning various subject matters, especially fruitive activities and philosophical speculation, are deprived of unalloyed devotional service because of their splayed attention.
Man has a general tendency toward fruitive activities, religious ritualistic ceremonies and philosophical speculation. A living entity thus bewildered since time immemorial does not understand the real goal of life, and thus his activities in life