Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.80.34

nāham ijyā-prajātibhyāḿ

tapasopaśamena vā

tuṣyeyaḿ sarva-bhūtātmā

guru-śuśrūṣayā yathā

SYNONYMS

na — not; aham — I; ijyā — by ritual worship; prajātibhyām — the higher birth of brāhmaṇa initiation; tapasā — by austerity; upaśamena — by self-control; vā — or; tuṣyeyam — can be satisfied; sarva — of all; bhūta — beings; ātmā — the Soul; guru — to one's spiritual master; śuśrūṣayā — by faithful service; yathā — as.

TRANSLATION

I, the Soul of all beings, am not as satisfied by ritual worship, brahminical initiation, penances or self-discipline as I am by faithful service rendered to one's spiritual master.

PURPORT

The word prajāti here indicates either begetting good children or the second birth obtained by ritual initiation into Vedic culture. Although both of these are praiseworthy, Lord Kṛṣṇa here states that faithful service rendered to a bona fide spiritual master is still higher.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari