SB 5.12.12
Devanāgarī
रहूगणैतत्तपसा न याति न चेज्यया निर्वपणाद् गृहाद्वा । नच्छन्दसा नैव जलाग्निसूर्यै- र्विना महत्पादरजोऽभिषेकम् ॥ १२ ॥
Text
rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekam
Synonyms
rahūgaṇa—O King Rahūgaṇa;etat—this knowledge;tapasā—by severe austerities and penances;nayāti—does not become revealed;na—not;ca—also;ijyayā—by a great arrangement for worshiping the Deity;nirvapaṇāt—or from finishing all material duties and acceptingsannyāsa;gṛhāt—from ideal householder life;vā—or;na—nor;chandasā—by observing celibacy or studying Vedic literature;naeva—nor;jala-agni-sūryaiḥ—by severe austerities such as keeping oneself in water, in a burning fire or in the scorching sun;vinā—without;mahat—of the great devotees;pāda-rajaḥ—the dust of the lotus feet;abhiṣekam—smearing all over the body.
Translation
My dear King Rahūgaṇa, unless one has the opportunity to smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by observing celibacy [brahmacarya], strictly following the rules and regulations of householder life, leaving home as a vānaprastha, accepting sannyāsa, or undergoing severe penances in winter by keeping oneself submerged in water or surrounding oneself in summer by fire and the scorching heat of the sun. There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute Truth is only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great devotee.