1094 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 24

Thus if one desires to enter into the spiritual world, he must try to
understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by practicing bhakti-yoga.
Simply by practicing bhakti-yoga one can understand the Supreme Lord
in truth, but without such understanding, one cannot enter the spiritual
kingdom. One may be elevated to the heavenly planets or may realize him-
self as Brahman (aham brahmdsmi), but that is not the end of realization.
One must realize the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by
bhakti-yoga; then real perfection of life is attained.

TEXT 55
aq greasy aay gaa |
THETA Rl AHSAN TAS (TAT TTI
tam durdradhyam aradhya
satam api durapaya
ekanta-bhaktya ko vanichet
pada-mitlam vind bahih

tam—unto You; duraradhyam—very difficult to worship; aradh ya—hav-
ing worshiped; satam api—even for the most exalted persons; durapaya—
very difficult to attain; ekanta—pure; bhaktya—by devotional service;
kah—who is that man; vafchet—should desire; pada-mulam—lotus feet;
vina—without; bahih—those who are outsiders.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, pure devotional service is even difficult for liberated
persons to discharge, but devotional service alone can satisfy You. Who
will take to other processes of self-realization if he is actually serious about
the perfection of life?

PURPORT

The word satam refers to transcendentalists. There are three kinds of
transcendentalists: the jidni, yogi and bhakta. Out of these three, the
bhakta is selected as the most suitable candidate to approach the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. It is emphasized herein that only one who is out-
side devotional service would not engage in searching for the lotus feet of
the Lord. Foolish people sometimes maintain that God may be attained in
any way—either by karma-yoga, jidna-yoga, dhydna-yoga, etc.—but here it
is clearly stated that it is impossible to obtain the mercy of the Lord by
any means but bhakti-yoga. The word duraradhya is especially significant.
