Verse Text
asyās tatra praveśāya dvāratve ’py aṅga-viṁśateḥ |
trayāṁ pradhānam evoktaṁ guru-pādāśrayādikam ||83||
Translation
These twenty aṅgas serve as the door for entering bhakti. The first three aṅgas — taking shelter of the feet of guru, receiving teachings after initiation, and serving the guru with respect — are said to be the principal ones.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Though all twenty aṅgas act as the door to bhakti, the first three aṅgas are the most important.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
Altogether, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī mentions twenty items, and all of them are very important. Out of the twenty, the first three—namely accepting the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, taking initiation from him and serving him with respect and reverence—are the most important.