170 Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta

jnanatah sulabha muktir
bhuktir yajnadi-punyatah

seyam sadhana-sahasrair
hari-bhaktih sudurlabha

SYNONYMS

jnanatah—by cultivation of knowledge; su-/abha—easily obtainable; muktih—
liberation; bhuktih—sense enjoyment; yajfha-adi—performance of sacrifices, etc.;
punyatah—and by performing pious activities; sa—that; iyam—this; sadhana-
sahasraih—execution of thousands of sacrifices; hari-bhaktih—devotional service;
sudurlabha—is very rare.
TRANSLATION

“By cultivating philosophical knowledge one can understand his spiritual position
and thus be liberated, and by performing sacrifices and pious activities one can
achieve sense gratification in a higher planetary system, but the devotional service
of the Lord is so rare that even by executing hundreds and thousands of such sacri-

fices one cannot obtain it.”
PURPORT

Prahlada Maharaja instructs:

matir na krsne paratah svato va
mitho ’bhipadyeta grha-vratanam
(Bhag. 7.5.30)

naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
sprsaty anarthapagamo yad arthah
mahiyasam pada-rajo ‘bhisekam
niskificananam na vrnita yavat
(Bhag. 7.5.32)

These Ss/okas are to be discussed. Their purport is that one cannot obtain Krsna-
bhakti, or the devotional service of the Lord, by official execution of the Vedic
rituals. One has to approach a pure devotee. Narottama dasa Thakura sings, chagiya
vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba: ‘‘Who has been elevated without rendering
service to a pure Vaisnava?”’ It is the statement of Prahlada Maharaja that unless one
is able to accept the dust from the lotus feet of a pure Vaisnava there is no possi-
bility of his achieving the platform of devotional service. That is the secret. The
above-mentioned Tantra-vacana, quoted from the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, is our
perfect guidance in this connection.

TEXT 18

Sy ay KLE ere Oe gfe fen)
SH CMASS al CHA TCA STA Ut Sv
