982
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[ Canto 4, Ch. 23 ]
be subject to polluted desires, he has to accept one material body after another. So-called  yogīs , without knowledge of the real purpose of  yoga , practice it in order to keep the body fit. Thus they engage themselves in fruitive activities, and thus they are bound by desire to accept another body. They are not aware that the ultimate goal of life is to approach Kṛṣṇa. In order to save such  yogīs  from wandering throughout the different species of life, the  śāstras  warn that in this age such  yogic  practice is simply a waste of time. The only means of elevation is the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa  mahā-mantra .
King Pṛthu's activities took place in Satya-yuga, and in this age this practice of  yoga  is misunderstood by fallen souls who are not capable of practicing anything. Consequently the  śāstras  enjoin:  kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā . The conclusion is that unless the  karmīs ,  jñānīs  and  yogīs  come to the point of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, their so-called austerities and  yoga  have no value.  Nārādhitaḥ : if Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is not worshiped, there is no point in practicing meditational  yoga , performing  karma-yoga  or culturing empiric knowledge. As far as  prāṇāyāma  is concerned, chanting of the holy name of the Lord and dancing in ecstasy are also considered  prāṇāyāma . In a previous verse, Sanatkumāra instructed Mahārāja Pṛthu to engage constantly in the service of the Supreme Lord, Vāsudeva:
yat pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā karmāśayam grathitam udgrathayanti santaḥ
Only by worshiping Vāsudeva can one become free from the desires of fruitive activities. Outside of worshiping Vāsudeva, the  yogīs  and  jñānīs  cannot attain freedom from such desires.  Tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo pi ruddha-srotogaṇās tam araṇam bhaja vāsudevam  (Bhāg. 4.22.39). Here the word  prāṇāyāma  does not refer to any ulterior motive. The actual aim is to strengthen the mind and senses in order to engage them in devotional service. In the present age this determination can be very easily acquired simply by chanting the holy names—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
TEXT 9
सनत्कुमारो भगवान् यदाहाध्यात्मिकं परम् । योगं तेनैव पुरुषमभजत्पुरुषर्षभः ॥ ९ ॥
sanat-kumāro bhagavān yad āhādhyātmikam param