988
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[ Canto 4, Ch. 23 ]
think of attaining liberation without rendering devotional service, but actually this is not possible because their intelligence is not as pure as that of a pure devotee. In other words, the  jñānīs  and  yogīs  cannot become factually liberated unless they become elevated to the position of devotees.
Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ  ( Bhāg.  10.2.32). The  jñānīs  and  yogīs  may rise to the highest position, Brahman realization, but because of their lack of devotion unto the lotus feet of the Lord, they again fall down into material nature. Therefore  jñāna  and  yoga  should not be accepted as the real processes for liberation. By discharging devotional service, Mahārāja Pṛthu automatically transcended all these positions. Since Mahārāja Pṛthu was a  śaktyāveśa  incarnation of the Supreme Lord, he did not have to act in any way to attain liberation. He came from the Vaikuṇṭha world, or spiritual sky, in order to execute the will of the Supreme Lord on earth. Consequently he was to return home, back to Godhead, without having to execute  jñāna ,  yoga  or  karma . Although Pṛthu Mahārāja was eternally a pure devotee of the Lord, he nonetheless adopted the process of devotional service in order to teach the people in general the proper process for executing the duties of life and ultimately returning home, back to Godhead.
TEXT 12
छिन्नान्यधीरधिगतात्मगतिर्निरीह-
स्तत्तत्यजेऽच्छिन्नदिदं वयुनेन येन ।
तावन्न योगगतिभिर्यतिरप्रमत्तो
यावद्गदाग्रजकथासु रतिं न कुर्यात् ॥१२॥
chinnānya-dhīr adhigatātma-gatir nirīhas tat tatyaje 'cchinad idaṁ vayunena yena tāvan na yoga-gatibhir yatir apramatto yāvad gadāgraja-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt
chinna —being separated;  anya-dhīḥ —all other concepts of life (the bodily concept of life);  adhigata —being firmly convinced;  ātma-gatiḥ —ultimate goal of spiritual life;  nirīhaḥ —desireless;  tat —that;  tatyaje —gave up;  acchinat —he had cut;  idam —this;  vayunena —with the knowledge;  yena —by which;  tāvat —so long;  na —never;  yoga-gatibhiḥ —the practice of the mystic  yoga  system;  yatiḥ —the practicer;  apramattaḥ —without any illusion;  yāvat —so long;  gadāgraja —of Kṛṣṇa;  kathāsu —words;  ratim —attraction;  na —never;  kuryāt —do it.