Text 53]
The Process of Devotional Service
355
SYNONYMS
rahūgaṇa —O King Rahūgaṇa;  etat —this;  tapasā —by severe austerities and penances;  na yāti —one does not obtain;  na —neither;  ca —also;  ijyayā —by gorgeous worship;  nirvapaṇāt —by renounced order of life;  gṛhāt —by sacrifices while living in the home;  vā —or;  na chandasā —nor by scholarly study of the  Vedas ;  na —nor;  eva —certainly;  jala-agni-sūryaiḥ —by those who worship water, fire or scorching sunshine;  vinā —without;  mahat-pāda-rajaḥ —of the dust of the lotus feet of a  mahātmā ;  abhiṣekam —the sprinkling.
TRANSLATION
“O King Rahūgaṇa, without taking upon one’s head the dust from the lotus feet of a pure devotee [a mahājana or mahātmā], one cannot attain devotional service. Devotional service is not possible to attain simply by undergoing severe austerities and penances, by gorgeously worshiping the Deity, or by strictly following the rules and regulations of the sannyāsa or gṛhastha order, nor by studying the Vedas, submerging oneself in water, or exposing oneself to fire or scorching sunlight.’
PURPORT
This verse appears in  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  (5.12.12). Jaḍa Bharata herein tells King Rahūgaṇa how he attained the  paramahaṁsa  stage. Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa, the King of Sindhu-sauvīra, had asked Jaḍa Bharata how he had attained the  paramahaṁsa  stage. The King had called him to carry his palanquin, but when the King heard from  paramahaṁsa  Jaḍa Bharata about the supreme philosophy, he expressed surprise and asked Jaḍa Bharata how he had attained such great liberation. At that time Jaḍa Bharata informed the King how to become detached from material attraction.
TEXT 53
তৈষ্ণাং মতিস্তারহকক্রমাঙ্কিং ২ :
স্প্রুশত্যানর্থাপগমো বদর্থ: ।।
মহীদ্বনাং পাদরজোথভিষেকং
নিষ্কিণ্ডনানাং ন বুণীত যাবৎ ॥ ৫৩ ॥
naișăm matis tăvad urukramănghrim sprśaty anarthăpagamo yad-arthaḥ mahīyasām pāda-rajo-‘bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat