Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 12
Nārada Instructs the Pracetās: Bhakti as the Goal of All Paths
किं वा योगेन साङ्ख्येन न्यासस्वाध्याययोरपि । किं वा श्रेयोभिरन्यैश्च न यत्रात्मप्रदो हरि: ॥ १२ ॥
kiṁ vā yogena sāṅkhyena nyāsa-svādhyāyayor api kiṁ vā śreyobhir anyaiś ca na yatrātma-prado hariḥ
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:
FAQs
This verse says that yoga, Sāṅkhya (jnana), renunciation, and even Vedic study are ultimately of little value if they are not connected to Śrī Hari, the giver of true self-realization.
In their prayers, the Pracetās highlight that all disciplines become fruitful only when they lead to the Lord; without Hari, practices may remain indirect or incomplete in granting the soul’s true fulfillment.
Use study, meditation, and self-discipline as supports for devotion—regularly connect them to remembrance, worship, and service of Hari, so spiritual practice leads to inner transformation rather than mere technique.