84 Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta
pasyanty atmani catmanam

bhaktya sruta-grhitaya
The words bhaktya Sruta-grhitaya in this verse are very important, for they indicate
that bhakti must be based upon the philosophy of the Upanisads and Vedanta-sutra.
Srila Ripa Gosvami said:

Sruti-smrti-puranadi-

paficaratra-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
“Devotional service performed without reference to the Vedas, Puranas, Paficaratras,
etc., must be considered sentimentalism, and it causes nothing but disturbance to
society.”’ There are different grades of Vaisnavas (kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-
adhikari, uttama-adhikari), but to be a madhyama-adhikari preacher one must be a
learned scholar in Vedanta-sutra and other Vedic literature because when bhakti-
yoga develops on the basis of Vedanta philosophy it is factual and steady. In this
connection we may quote the translation and purport of the verse mentioned
above (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.2.12):
TRANSLATION
That Absolute Truth is realized by the seriously inquisitive student or sage who is well
equipped with knowledge and who has betome detached by rendering devotional service
and hearing the Vedanta-sruti.
PURPORT
The Absolute Truth is realized in full by the process of devotional service to the Lord

Vasudeva or the Personality of Godhead who is the full-fledged Absolute Truth. Brahman
is His transcendental bodily effulgence, and Paramatma is His partial representation. As
such, Brahman or Paramatmi realization of the Absolute Truth is but a partial realization.
There are four different types of living beings, the karmis, the jfanis, the yogis and the
devotees. The karmis are materialistic, whereas the other three are transcendental. The
first-class transcendentalists are the devotees who have realized the Supreme Person. The
second-class transcendentalists are those who have partially realized the plenary portion
of the absolute person. And the third-class transcendentalists are those who have barely
realized the spiritual focus of the absolute person. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita and
other Vedic literatures, the Supreme Person is realized by devotional service, which is
backed by full knowledge and detachment from the material association. We have already
discussed the point that devotional service is followed by knowledge and detachment from
material association. As Brahman and Paramatma realization are imperfect realizations of
the Absolute Truth, so the means of realizing Brahman and Paramatmi, i.e., the paths of
jfiana and yoga, are also imperfect means of realizing the Absolute Truth. Devotional
service, which is based on the foreground of full knowledge combined with detachment
from material association fixed up on the aural reception of the Vedanta-sruti, is the only
perfect method of realizing the Absolute Truth by the seriously inquisitive student. Devo-
tional service is not, therefore, meant for the less intelligent class of transcendentalist.
