durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ

durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ

andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās

te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ

Having evil hearts and thinking that sense enjoyment has value, they do not know that the goal of real value is Viṣṇu. Just as blind men lead other blind men into a ditch, bound by the ropes of Vedic instructions on rituals and binding others in the same way, they fall into the dark well of material existence. 

“O fool! You are criticizing me, your father, whose feet are worshipped by Indra. Listen foolish boy! Do your teachers, greatly learned pupils of Śukrācārya, not know the import of scriptures? You do not think that what they have taught is correct.” Prahlāda replies. They do not know that Viṣṇu, who is one’s treasure, is the goal. They know only goals like Svarga, which are not valuable at all. They have evil hearts and consider sense enjoyment which is useless to be valuable. If they do not know what is valuable, how will their pupils know? An example is given. Blind men directed on the path by other blind men fall into a ditch. Similarly the teachers, bound up by the rituals, tied by the long ropes—names like brāhmaṇa—mentioned in the Vedas, fall along with their students.

 

|| 7.5.32 ||

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ

spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ

mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ

niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat

As long as their intelligence does not accept the dust from the feet of devotees having no material desires, the intelligence of these people will not realize the lotus feet of the Lord, whose secondary goal is destruction of saṁsāra.

“If the scriptures say that Viṣṇu is the valuable goal, then your teachers, who know scriptures, would have become fixed on Viṣṇu. Since they do not think of Viṣṇu, bhakti to Viṣṇu must not be the instruction of scripture.” Niṣkiñcanānāṁ means those who have given up karma, jñāna, and desires for material wealth, sons, and family, with a desire only for bhakti.

 

mayy ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām

mat-kṛte tyakta-karmāṇas tyakta-svajana-bāndhavāḥ

 

They perform firm bhakti to me with exclusive devotion, giving up all actions to attain me, giving up friends and relatives. SB 3.25.22

 

As long as the intelligence does not accept a bath in the dust from the feet of great devotees who have given up all material desires, bathing in his Vaiṣṇava behavior and knowledge, that intelligence will not touch the feet of the Lord. Śruti says:

 

yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthā prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

 

He who has bhakti for the guru as much as he has for the Lord understands the meaning of the scriptures. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad

 

yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām

 

The Lord reveals his form to he whom he chooses. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad

 

The goal of the intelligence touching the Lord’s feet (yad arthaḥ) is destruction of saṁsāra (anartha-apagamaḥ).  This is actually an accompanying result. The main goal is simply to touch the feet of the Lord.

 

|| 7.5.33 ||