198
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 2, Ch. 4]
śreyaḥ srutiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho 
  kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye 
  teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate 
  nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām. 
  (Bhag. 10.14.4)
Bhakti-yoga  is the highest quality of perfection to be achieved by the intelligent person in lieu of performing a large quantity of spiritual activities. The example cited here is very appropriate. A handful of real paddy is more valuable than heaps of paddy skins without any substance within. Similarly, one should not be attracted by the jugglery of  karma-kāṇḍa  or  jñāna-kāṇḍa  or even the gymnastic performances of  yoga , but skillfully should take to the simple performances of  kīrtanam ,  smaraṇam , etc., under a bona fide spiritual master and without any difficulty attain the highest perfection.
TEXT 17
तपस्विनो दानपरा यशस्विनो 
  मनस्विनो मन्त्रविदः सुमङ्गलाः । 
  क्षेमं न विन्दन्ति विना यदर्पणं 
  तस्मै सुभद्रश्रवसे नमो नमः ॥१७॥
tapasvino dāna-parā yaśasvino 
  manasvino mantra-vidaḥ su-maṅgalāḥ 
  kṣemaṁ na vindanti vinā yad-arpaṇaṁ 
  tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ
tapasvinaḥ —the great learned sages;  dāna-parāḥ —the great performer of charity;  yaśasvinaḥ —the great worker of distinction;  manasvinaḥ —the great philosophers or mystics;  mantra-vidaḥ —the great chanter of the Vedic hymns;  su-maṅgalāḥ —strict followers of Vedic principles;  kṣemaṁ —fruitful result;  na —never;  vindanti —attain;  vinā —without;  yad-arpaṇaṁ —dedication;  tasmai —unto Him;  subhadra —auspicious;  śravase —hearing about Him;  namaḥ —my obeisances;  namaḥ —again and again.