Text 146]
The Process of Devotional Service
415
advancement in devotional service. Actually this is not a fact. The path of knowledge, mystic yoga and renunciation has nothing to do with the pure soul. When one is temporarily in the material world, such processes may help a little, but they are not necessary for a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. In the material world, such activities end in material enjoyment or merging into the effulgence of the Supreme. They have nothing to do with the eternal loving service of the Lord. If one abandons speculative knowledge and simply engages in devotional service, he has attained his perfection. The devotee has no need for speculative knowledge, pious activity or mystic yoga. All these are automatically present when one renders the Lord transcendental loving service.
TEXT 146
তস্মান্নম্ভক্তিযুক্তসা যোগিনো বৈ মদস্মনঃ । ন জ্ঞানং ন চ বৈরাগ্যং প্রায়ঃ শ্রেয়ো ভবেদিহ ॥ ১৪৬ ॥
tasmān mad-bhakti-yuktasya yogino vai mad-ātmanaḥ na jñānaṁ na ca vairāgyaṁ prāyaḥ śreyo bhaved iha
SYNONYMS
tasmāt—therefore; mat-bhakti—in My devotional service; yuktasya—of one who is engaged; yoginaḥ—the first-class yogī or mystic; vai—certainly; mat-ātmanaḥ—whose mind is always engaged in Me; na—not; jñānam—speculative knowledge; na—not; ca—also; vairāgyam—dry renunciation; prāyaḥ—for the most part; śreyaḥ—beneficial; bhavet—would be; iha—in this world.
TRANSLATION
“For one who is fully engaged in My devotional service, whose mind is fixed on Me in bhakti-yoga, the path of speculative knowledge and dry renunciation is not very beneficial.”
PURPORT
The path of devotional service is always independent of other activity. The path of speculative knowledge or mystic yoga may be a little beneficial in the beginning, but it cannot be considered part of devotional service. This verse (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.31) was spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa when He was speaking to Uddhava before His departure from this material world. These are important instructions given directly by Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Uddhava asked the Lord about the two kinds of instructions given in the  Vedas . One instruction is called  pravṛtti-mārga ,