Text 36] Answers by Citing the Lord’s Version 527

lowest can be so elevated, then what to speak of the highest who are well
versed in the Vedic knowledge? The conclusion is that devotional service
of the Lord is open for all, regardless of who they are. That is the
confirmation of its application for all kinds of performers of the service.

Therefore devotional service of the Lord with perfect knowledge
through the training of a bona fide spiritual master is advised for everyone,
even if they happen not to be human beings. This is confirmed in the
Garuda Purana as follows:

kita-paksi-mrganam ca harau sannyasta-karmanam
urdhvam eva gatirn manye kim punar jndninam nrnam

“Even the worms, birds and beasts are assured of elevation to the
highest perfectional life if they are completely surrendered to the
transcendental loving service of the Lord, so what to speak of those
philosophers amongst the human beings?”

Therefore there is no need to seek properly qualified candidates for
discharging devotional service of the Lord. Let them be either well behaved
or ill trained, let them be either learned or fools, let them be either grossly
attached or in the renounced order of life, let them be liberated souls
or desirous of salvation, let them be inexpert in the discharge of devotional
service or expert in the same, all of them can be elevated to the supreme
position by discharge of devotional service under the proper guidance.
This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita as follows:

api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyavasito hi sah

mam hi partha vyapdsritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sidras te ’pi yanti param gatim
(Bg. 9.30,32)
Even if a person is fully addicted to all sorts of sinful acts, if he happens
to be engaged in the loving transcendental service of the Lord under proper
guidance, he is to be considered the most perfect holy man without a
doubt. And thus any person, whatsoever and whosoever he or she may be—
even the fallen woman, the less intelligent laborer class or the dull mercan-
tile type of men, or even men lower than all these—can attain the highest
perfection of life by going back home, back to Godhead, provided he or
she takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord in all earnestness. This sin-
cere earnestness is the only qualification that can lead one to the highest
