Pure bhakti-yoga can be attained only by executing devotional service to Vāsudeva. Otherwise it is not possible. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Without vairāgya, there is no question of liberation. Of course, a devotee's not hankering after liberation. Why he should hanker? As soon as he's a pure devotee of Vāsudeva, he's already liberated. Already liberated.
- māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
Brahmā-bhūyāya. At the present moment, in our conditional state, we are jīva-bhūta. And when we become actually situated in our spiritual platform, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahmā-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54).
So everything, there is link. So bhakti-yoga means detachment and knowledge. Somebody thinks like that, foolishly, that "Bhaktas are generally fools and rascals, and therefore they take to bhakti-yoga." But actually that is not bhakti-yoga. One who has taken to bhakti-yoga, he cannot be fools and rascals. He must be very learned. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. How he becomes learned? Now, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Everything becomes revealed. Kṛṣṇa reveals.
Nāśayāmy ātmā . . . ātma-bhāvastho jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā (BG 10.11). If one is pure devotee, then Kṛṣṇa, from within, He will give knowledge. The Kṛṣṇa . . . just like Kṛṣṇa is giving knowledge to Arjuna. He's a gṛhastha. He's a soldier. He's not even a brāhmin. But who can be greater man of knowledge than Arjuna? Because he's directly receiving from Kṛṣṇa. And who can be greater teacher than Kṛṣṇa? So Kṛṣṇa says that, "If you are engaged twenty-four hours in devotional service," then, Kṛṣṇa says from within He will give all knowledge.
Therefore vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If you actually engage in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, then jñāna and vairāgya automatically becomes revealed unto you. There is no endeavor.