FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.31.12

किं वा योगेन साङ्ख्येन न्यासस्वाध्याययोरपि । किं वा श्रेयोभिरन्यैश्च न यत्रात्मप्रदो हरि: ॥ १२ ॥
kiṁ vā yogena sāṅkhyena
[kim vaa yogena saankhyena]
nyāsa-svādhyāyayor api
[nyaasa-svaadhyaayayor api]
kiṁ vā śreyobhir anyaiś ca
[kim vaa shreyobhir anyaish cha]
na yatrātma-prado hariḥ
[na yatraatma-prado harih]
kim — what is the use vā — or yogena — by mystic yoga practice sāṅkhyena — by the study of Sāṅkhya philosophy nyāsa — by accepting sannyāsa svādhyāyayoḥ — and by study of Vedic literature api — even kim — what is the use vā — or śreyobhiḥ — by auspicious activities anyaiḥ — other ca — and na — never yatra — where ātma-pradaḥ — full satisfaction of self hariḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kiṁ vā yogena sāṅkhyena
kim
what is the use
vā
or
yogena
by mystic yoga practice
sāṅkhyena
by the study of Sāṅkhya philosophy
nyāsa-svādhyāyayor api
nyāsa
by accepting sannyāsa
svādhyāyayoḥ
and by study of Vedic literature
api
even
kiṁ vā śreyobhir anyaiś ca
kim
what is the use
vā
or
śreyobhiḥ
by auspicious activities
anyaiḥ
other
ca
and
na yatrātma-prado hariḥ
na
never
yatra
where
ātma-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 sannyāsa, 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-caritāmṛta ( Madhya 24.109) it is said:

bhakti vinā kevala jñāne ‘mukti’ nāhi haya bhakti sādhana kare yei ‘prāpta-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 Mahāprabhu therefore told Sanātana Gosvāmī that without a touch of devotional service jñāna, yoga and Sāṅkhya 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, Paramātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All these require a touch of devotional service. Sometimes it is actually seen that these Māyāvādīs also chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, although their motive is to merge into the Brahman effulgence of the Absolute. The yogīs also at times take to chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, but their purpose is different from that of the bhaktas. In all processes — karma, jñāna or yoga — bhakti is required. That is the purport of this verse.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
What is the use of yoga, sāṅkhya, sannyāsa, study of the Vedas, or other auspicious acts, in which the Lord does not give realization of himself? Yoga means aṣṭāṅga-yoga. “Other auspicious acts” include vows and vairāgya. What is the use of these things in which the Lord does not give realization of himself? The yogīs and others do not attain realization of Paramātmā by yoga and other processes. The Lord does not give himself except by bhakti. Because the other processes lack bhakti and do not produce bhakti, they are useless. On the other hand, if bhakti is present, by being mixed with bhakti, these processes become successful. They are not successful on their own.
Transcendental practices that don't help one realize the Lord — yoga, sāṅkhya, austerity, sannyāsa, Vedic study — are useless. The instrumental test for any practice: does it actually deliver the Lord?
Reflection Questions
  • Which of my practices fails this test and continues anyway?
  • Where would honest evaluation by this criterion change my routine?
📝 My note

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