Text 19]
The Process of Devotional Service
331
TRANSLATION
“But for devotional service, all other methods for spiritual self-realization are weak and insignificant. Unless one comes to the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, jñāna and yoga cannot give the desired results.
PURPORT
In Vedic scriptures, stress is sometimes given to fruitive activity, speculative knowledge and the mystic  yoga  system. Although people are inclined to practice these processes, they cannot attain the desired results without being touched by  kṛṣṇa-bhakti , devotional service. In other words, the real desired result is to invoke dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  (1.2.6) states:
sa vai purṅsārṅ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati
Karma, jñāna  and  yoga  cannot actually awaken love of Godhead. One has to take to the Lord's devotional service, and the more one is inclined to devotional service, the more he loses interest in other so-called achievements. Dhruva Mahārāja went to practice mystic  yoga  to see the Lord personally face to face, but when he developed an interest in devotional service, he saw that he was not being benefited by  karma ,  jñāna  and  yoga .
TEXT 19
নৈষ্কর্ম্যমপ্যচ্যুতভাব-বর্জিতং ন শোভতে জ্ঞানমলং নিরঞ্জনম্ ।  সুতঃ পুনঃ শব্দদভদ্রমীশ্বরে   ন চাপিতং কর্ম যদপ্যকারণম্ ॥ ১৯ ॥
naișkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
SYNONYMS
naiṣkarmyam —which does not produce enjoyment of the resultant action;  api —although;  acyuta-bhāva —of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead;  varjitam —devoid;  na —not;  śobhate —looks beautiful;  jñānam —speculative knowledge;  alam —exceedingly;  nirañjanam —which is without