Verse 1.12.49

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.12.49:

পডে কেনে লোক?—কৃষ্ণ-ভক্তি জানিবারে সে যদি নহিল, তবে বিদ্যায কি করে?” ॥ ৪৯ ॥

पडे केने लोक?—कृष्ण-भक्ति जानिबारे से यदि नहिल, तबे विद्याय कि करे?” ॥ ४९ ॥

paḍe kene loka?—kṛṣṇa-bhakti jānibāre se yadi nahila, tabe vidyāya ki kare?” || 49 ||

pade kene loka?—krsna-bhakti janibare se yadi nahila, tabe vidyaya ki kare?” (49)

English translation:

(49) “Why do people study? Education is only for understanding devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. If that purpose is not served, then what is the use of Your education?”

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Devotion to Kṛṣṇa, or achieving devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, is the perfection of all knowledge and learning. If devotion to Kṛṣṇa is not attained, then all endeavors for accumulating knowledge are useless. Knowledge that does not awaken one’s attachment for Kṛṣṇa simply increases one’s material illusion. That is why Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has written in his Kalyāṇa-kalpa-taru: jaḍa-vidyā yata māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. moha janamiyā, anitya saṃsāre, jīvake karaye gādhā—“Materialistic studies are the glare of māyā only, for they are an obstacle to spiritual progress. They create illusion in this material world and turn the living entity into an ass.” In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 8.245) it is stated: “On one occasion the Lord inquired, ‘Of all types of education, which is the most important?’ Rāmānanda Rāya replied, ‘No education is important other than the transcendental devotional service of Kṛṣṇa.’”