Unless you follow the standard way, na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim.

You must accept the standard way, then you’ll get siddhi, you’ll get sukha and parāṁ gati. Unless you follow the standard way, na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim. So if you have interest in bhakti-yoga, then you practice the bhakti-yoga properly. That will make you successful. Otherwise, teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate, simply whatever labor you are doing, that is your profit and no other profit. Kleśala eva. Nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām. The example is tuṣa. Tuṣa you know? The skin of rice? Husk. Yes. So if there is paddy, if you beat it, you’ll get rice. But if you beat on the husk, then...
Yogi Amrit Desai: You won’t get anything.
Prabhupāda: But your gain is only that labor. So similarly, if you don’t know what is the substance, you go on laboring, that laboring is your only achievement and nothing else.
Yogi Amrit Desai: Such a beautiful example. If you keep on beating the husk...
Prabhupāda: What you’ll get?
Yogi Amrit Desai: The labor you get.
Prabhupāda: Śrama eva hi kevalam.
dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]
Śrama eva hi kevalam. What is the profit? (Hindi) Sewer. Pigs. These are the natural examples. (Hindi) Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam. Just purify your existence, that tapasya. Then you’ll get... Yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. That is real yogic perfection. Satyānande cid-ātmani. (Hindi) So if you have taken the bhakti-yoga system, do it nicely. You’ll get success very quickly. Otherwise, śrama eva hi kevalam. So why should we waste our time, simply satisfied with the labor?

Conversation with
Yogi Amrit Desai of
Kripalu Ashram (PA USA)
--
January 2, 1977, Bombay