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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 7, Ch. 15]
' nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ : if one neglects to serve the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, one cannot become free from the material clutches simply by knowledge. Even if one attains the stage of  brahma-padam , merging in Brahman, without  bhakti  he is prone to fall down. One must be very careful in regard to the danger of falling down again into material bondage. The only insurance is to come to the stage of  bhakti , from which one is sure not to fall. Then one is free from the activities of the material world. In summary, as stated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one must get in touch with a bona fide spiritual master coming in the  paramparā  of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for by his mercy and instructions one is able to get strength from Kṛṣṇa. Thus one engages in devotional service and attains the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of Viṣṇu.
Significant in this verse are the words  jñānāsim acyuta-balaḥ .  Jñānāsim , the sword of knowledge, is given by Kṛṣṇa, and when one serves the  guru  and Kṛṣṇa in order to hold the sword of Kṛṣṇa's instructions, Balarāma gives one strength. Balarāma is Nityānanda.  Vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei, balarāma ha-ila nitāi . This  bala —Balarāma—comes with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and both of Them are so merciful that in this age of Kali one may very easily take shelter of Their lotus feet. They come especially to deliver the fallen souls of this age.  Pāpī tāpī yata chila, hari-nāme uddhārila . Their weapon is  saṅkīrtana, hari-nāma . Thus one should accept the sword of knowledge from Kṛṣṇa and be strong with the mercy of Balarāma. We are therefore worshiping Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma in Vṛndāvana. In the  Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad  (3.2.4) it is said:
nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyo na ca pramādāt tapaso vāpy aliṅgāt etair upāyair yatate yas tu vidvāṁs tasyaiṣa ātmā viśate brahma-dhāma
One cannot attain the goal of life without the mercy of Balarāma. Śrī Narottama dāsa Thākura therefore says,  nitāiyera karuṇā habe, vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe : when one receives the mercy of Balarāma, Nityānanda, one can attain the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa very easily.
se sambandha nāhi yāra, bṛthā janma gela tāra, vidyā-kule hi karibe tāra