रहूगणैतत्तपसा न याति न चेज्यया निर्वपणाद् गृहाद्वा । नच्छन्दसा नैव जलाग्निसूर्यै- र्विना महत्पादरजोऽभिषेकम् ॥ १२ ॥
rahuganaitat tapasa na yati na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va na cchandasa naiva jalagni-suryair vina mahat-pada-rajo-’bhisekam
- rahugana
- O King Rahugana
- etat
- this knowledge
- tapasa
- by severe austerities and penances
- na yati
- does not become revealed
- na
- not
- ca
- also
- ijyaya
- by a great arrangement for worshiping the Deity
- nirvapanat
- or from finishing all material duties and accepting sannyasa
- grhat
- from ideal householder life
- va
- or
- na
- nor
- chandasa
- by observing celibacy or studying Vedic literature
- na eva
- nor
- jala-agni-suryaih
- by severe austerities such as keeping oneself in water, in a burning fire or in the scorching sun
- vina
- without
- mahat
- of the great devotees
- pada-rajah
- the dust of the lotus feet
- abhisekam
- smearing all over the body
My dear King Rahugana, 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 vanaprastha, accepting sannyasa, 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.