Text 13] Narada Instructs the Pracetas 1571
TRANSLATION
Transcendental practices that do not ultimately help one realize the

Supreme Personality of Godhead are useless, be they mystic yoga prac-
tices, the analytical study of matter, severe austerity, the acceptance of
sannyasa, or the study of Vedic literature. All these may be very important
aspects of spiritual advancement, but unless one understands the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Hari, all these processes are useless.

PURPORT

In Caitanya-caritamrta it is said:
bhakti vind kevala jiidne ‘mukti’ nahi haya
bhakti sadhana kare yei ‘prapta-brahmalaya’

(Cc. Madhya 24.109)
Impersonalists do not take to devotional service but take to other practices,
such as the analytical study of the material elements, the discrimination
between matter and spirit, and the mystic yoga system. These are beneficial
only insofar as they are complementary to devotional service. Caitanya
Mahaprabhu therefore told Sanatana Gosvami that without a touch of
devotional service, jiiana, yoga and sankhya philosophy cannot give one
the desired results. The impersonalists wish to merge into the Supreme
Brahman; however, merging into the Supreme Brahman also requires a
touch of devotional service. The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases—
impersonal Brahman, Paramatma and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
All these require a touch of devotional service. Sometimes it is actually
seen that these Mayavadis also chant the Hare Krsna maha@-mantra, although
their motive is to merge into the Brahman effulgence of the Absolute.
The yogis also at times take to chanting the Hare Krsna mahda-mantra, but
their purpose is different from that of the bhaktas. In all processes—
karma, jiia@na or yoga—bhakti is required. That is the purport of this
verse.

TEXT 13
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Swart aire | wafireia: |
aaa Yara eftereassene: ra: 1123
Sreyasam api sarvesam
atmda hy avadhir arthatah
