SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM - Prabhupada

272 Srbnad-Bhigavabun (Canto 7, Ch. 5One may ask why highly educated persons do not take to .i(rI;ta consciousness.The reason is explained in this verse. Unless one takes shelterof a bona fide, fully .i(rQa conscious spiritual master, there is no chanceof understanding .i(rQa. The educators, scholars and big political leadersworshiped by millions of people cannot understand the goal of life andtake to .i(rI;ta consciousness, for they have not accepted a bona fidespiritual master and the Vedas. Therefore in the Mw:u)aka Upanad(3.2.3) it is said, nayam dtmd pravacanena labhyo na medhaya nabahuna srutena: one cannot become self-realized simply by having anacademic education, by presenting lectures in an erudite way(pravacanena labhya/:l), or by being an intelligent scientist who discoversmany wonderful things. One cannot understand .i(rQa unless oneis graced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only one who has surrenderedto a pure devotee of .i(rJ;ta and taken the dust of his lotus feetcan understand .i(rQa. First one must understand how to get out of theclutches o.f maya. The only means is to become .i(rJ;ta conscious. And tobecome .i(rQa conscious very easily, one must take shelter of a realizedsoul-a mahat, or mahatma-whose only interest is to engage in the serviceof the Supreme Lord. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gitii (9.13):mahiitmdnas tu mdril parthadaiviril prakrtim asritabbhajanty ananya-manasojiiiitva bhatadim aryayam"0 son of Ptha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are underthe protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotionalservice because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead,original and inexhaustible." Therefore, to end the unwanted miseries oflife, one must become a devotee.yasyiisti bhaktir bhagavaty akiiicanasaroair gulJ.llis tatra samiisate suriib"One who has unflinching devotional faith in .i(rQamanifests all the good qualities of .i(rJ;ta and the(Bhag. 5.18.12)consistentlyemtg od s. "d .