100 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 2
TRANSLATION

That Absolute Truth is realized by the seriously inquisitive student or
sage who is well equipped with knowledge and who has become detached
by rendering devotional service and hearing the Vedanta-sruti.

PURPORT

The Absolute Truth is realized in full by the process of devotional ser-
vice to the Lord Vasudeva or the Personality of Godhead who is the
full-fledged Absolute Truth. Brahman is His transcendental bodily efful-
gence, and Paramatma is His partial representation. As such, Brahman or
Paramatmai realization of the Absolute Truth is but a partial realization.
There are four different types of living beings, the karmis, the jiidnis, 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 realiza-
tions of the Absolute Truth, so the means of realizing Brahman and
Paramatma, i.e., the paths of jiidna 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 Veddnta-sruti, is the
only perfect method of realizing the Absolute Truth by the seriously
inquisitive student. Devotional service is not, therefore, meant for the less
intelligent class of transcendentalist. There are three classes of devotees,
namely first, second, and third class. The third-class devotees, or the
neophytes, who have no knowledge nor are detached from the material
association, but who are simply attracted by the preliminary processes of
worshiping the Deity in the temple, are called material devotees. Material
devotees are more attached to material benefit than transcendental profit.
Therefore, one has to make definite progress from the position of material
devotional service to the second-class devotional position. In the second-
