किं वा श्रेयोभिरन्यैश्च न यत्रात्मप्रदो हरिः ॥१२॥
kiá¹ vÄ yogena sÄá¹…khyena
nyÄsa-svÄdhyÄyayor api
kiá¹ vÄ Å›reyobhir anyaiÅ› ca
na yatrÄtma-prado hariḥ
2 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: SB(2)
kim - what is the use; vÄ - or; yogena - by mystic yoga practice; sÄá¹…khyena - by the study of SÄá¹…khya philosophy; nyÄsa - by accepting sannyÄsa; svÄdhyÄyayoḥ - and by study of Vedic literature; api - even; kim - what is the use; vÄ - or; Å›reyobhiḥ - by auspicious activities; anyaiḥ - other; ca - and; na - never; yatra - where; Ätma-pradaḥ - full satisfaction of self; hariḥ - the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Transcendental practices that do not ultimately help one realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead are useless, be they mystic yoga practices, the analytical study of matter, severe austerity, the acceptance of sannyÄsa, 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.
In Caitanya-caritÄmá¹›ta (Madhya 24.109) it is said:
bhakti vinÄ kevala jñÄne ‘mukti’ nÄhi haya
bhakti sÄdhana kare yei ‘prÄpta-brahma-laya’
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 MahÄprabhu therefore told SanÄtana GosvÄmÄ« that without a touch of devotional service jñÄna, yoga and SÄá¹…khya 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, ParamÄtmÄ and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All these require a touch of devotional service. Sometimes it is actually seen that these MÄyÄvÄdÄ«s also chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahÄ-mantra, although their motive is to merge into the Brahman effulgence of the Absolute. The yogÄ«s also at times take to chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahÄ-mantra, but their purpose is different from that of the bhaktas. In all processes — karma, jñÄna or yoga — bhakti is required. That is the purport of this verse.
