Text 18]
The History of the Life of Ajāmila
29
PURPORT
One should not think that the person who takes to  bhakti  is one who cannot perform the ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the  karma-kāṇḍa  section of the  Vedas  or is not sufficiently educated to speculate on spiritual subjects. Māyāvādīs generally allege that the  bhakti  path is for women and illiterates. This is a groundless accusation. The  bhakti  path is followed by the most learned scholars, such as the Gosvāmīs, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānujācārya. These are the actual followers of the  bhakti  path. Regardless of whether or not one is educated or aristocratic, one must follow in their footsteps.  Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ : one must follow the path of the  mahājanas . The  mahājanas  are those who have taken to the path of devotional service ( suśilāḥ sādhavo yatra nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ ), for these great personalities are the perfect persons. As stated in  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  (5.18.12):
yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
“One who has unflinching devotion to the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods.” The less intelligent, however, misunderstand the  bhakti  path and therefore allege that it is for one who cannot execute ritualistic ceremonies or speculate. As confirmed here by the word  sadhrīcīnaḥ ,  bhakti  is the path that is appropriate, not the paths of  karma-kāṇḍa  and  jñāna-kāṇḍa . Māyāvādīs may be  suśilāḥ sādhavaḥ  (well-behaved saintly persons), but there is nevertheless some doubt about whether they are actually making progress, for they have not accepted the path of  bhakti . On the other hand, those who follow the path of the  ācāryas  are  suśilāḥ  and  sādhavaḥ , but furthermore their path is  akuto-bhaya , which means free from fear. One should fearlessly follow the twelve  mahājanas  and their line of disciplinary succession and thus be liberated from the clutches of  māyā .
TEXT 18
प्रायश्चित्तानि चीर्णानि नारायणपराङ्मुखम् । न निष्पुनन्ति राजेन्द्र सुराक्रमभिवापगाः ॥१८॥