In plain words
so it said. The seeker wishes for the fruit of merit. But he does not come forward to do meritorious deeds. He keeps saying, ‘The fruit of sin? No, no!’ He keeps saying, ‘No,’ but he presses ahead into sinful deeds. This is the very path that runs contrary to sādhana. Whatever you wish for, you must make the effort that fits it. Whatever you put aside, saying you do not want it, you must not take it up at all. But all the efforts at sādhana today go on along this kind of path.
In the nine paths of Bhakti, Prema flows as the stream within
There are nine paths for man to attain divinity, to experience realisation, to see his own svarūpa.
Śravaṇaṃ kīrtanaṃ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṃ pādasevanaṃ arcanaṃ vandanaṃ dāsyaṃ sakhyam ātma nivedanaṃ
When you go deep into these nine paths and inquire, Prema stands as the chief life-breath of them. Without Prema he does not even listen. Without Prema he does not sing bhajans. Without Prema he does not even remember the Name of Viṣṇu. In this way Prema flows as the stream within the nine paths. Prema alone is the chief thing in them all. But how are we to attain this Brahma-principle? Brahma means the vast form. That which pervades everywhere is the Brahma-principle. Where is the birthplace of Brahma? The Purāṇas have described him as born from the navel of Viṣṇu. Who is Viṣṇu? To pervade everywhere is the very nature of Viṣṇu. This Viṣṇu and Brahma have the name Ātma. What does Ātma mean? Ātma is born from what is called ‘ahas’. What does ahas mean? It means day. When this ‘ahas’ begins, darkness goes far away. So if Ajñāna and darkness are to go, we must light what is called light. That is why they named the One whose form is Parabrahma ‘the One whose form is divine light’. He has no one name. They called Him Bṛhat. God is full of light; God is the One who shines.