एकान्तभक्त्या को वाञ्छेत्पादमूलं विना बहिः ॥५५॥
taá¹ durÄrÄdhyam ÄrÄdhya
satÄm api durÄpayÄ
ekÄnta-bhaktyÄ ko vÄñchet
pÄda-mÅ«laá¹ vinÄ bahiḥ
tam - unto You; durÄrÄdhyam - very difficult to worship; ÄrÄdhya - having worshiped; satÄm api - even for the most exalted persons; durÄpayÄ - very difficult to attain; ekÄnta - pure; bhaktyÄ - by devotional service; kaḥ - who is that man; vÄñchet - should desire; pÄda-mÅ«lam - lotus feet; vinÄ - without; bahiḥ - outsiders.
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?
The word satÄm refers to transcendentalists. There are three kinds of transcendentalists: the jñÄnÄ«, yogÄ« 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 outside 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, jñÄna-yoga, dhyÄna-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 durÄrÄdhya is especially significant. It is very difficult to attain the lotus feet of the Lord by any method other than bhakti-yoga.
