SB 8.12.10

Factually speaking, even those who are situated in the material mode of goodness cannot understand the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What then is to be said of those who are situated in rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, the base qualities of material nature? How can we even imagine the Supreme Personality of Godhead? There are so many philosophers trying to understand the Absolute Truth, but since they are situated in the base qualities of material nature and are addicted to so many bad habits, like drinking, meat-eating, illicit sex and gambling, how can they conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? For them it is impossible. For the present day, the pāṣcarātrikī-vidhi as enunciated by Nārada Muni is the only hope. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, therefore, has quoted the following verse from the Brahma-yāmala: śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi- paṣcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate “Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and Nārada-paṣcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.” ( Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101) Those who are very advanced in knowledge and are situated in the mode of goodness follow the Vedic instructions of the śruti and smṛti and other religious scriptures, including the pāṣcarātrikī-vidhi. Without understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this way, one only creates a disturbance. In this Age of Kali, so many gurus have sprung up, and because they do not refer to the śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pāṣcarātrika-vidhi, they are creating a great disturbance in the world in regard to understanding the Absolute Truth. However, those who follow the pāṣcarātrikī-vidhi under the guidance of a proper spiritual master can understand the Absolute Truth. It is said, paṣcarātrasya kṛtsnasya vaktā tu bhagavān svayam: the paṣcarātra system is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just like Bhagavad-gītā. Vāsudeva-śaraṇā vidur aṣjasaiva: the truth can be understood only by one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Vāsudeva. bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jṣānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” ( Bg. 7.19 ) Only those who have surrendered to the lotus feet of Vāsudeva can understand the Absolute Truth. vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jṣānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam “By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.” ( Bhāg. 1.2.7 ) Therefore, Vāsudeva, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, personally teaches in Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” ( Bg. 18.66 ) bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ “One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service.” ( Bg. 18.55 ) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not properly understood even by Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, what to speak of others, but He can be understood by the process of bhakti-yoga. mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuṣjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jṣāsyasi tac chṛṇu (Bg. 9.7) If one practices bhakti-yoga by taking shelter of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, simply by hearing Vāsudeva speak about Himself, one can understand everything about Him. Indeed, one can understand Him completely ( samagram ).