SB 8.16.61
ta eva niyamah saksat
ta eva ca yamottamah
tapo danam vratam yajño
yena tusyaty adhoksajah
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
This is the best process for pleasing the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Adhoksaja. It is the best of all regulative principles, the best austerity, the best process of giving charity, and the best process of sacrifice.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
The Supreme Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (18.66):
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” Unless one pleases the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to His demand, no good result will come from any of his actions.
dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
“The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.” (Bhag. 1.2.8) If one is not interested in satisfying Lord Visnu, Vasudeva, all his so-called auspicious activities are fruitless. Moghasa mogha-karmano mogha-jñana vicetasah: because he is bewildered, he is baffled in his hopes, baffled in his activities, and baffled in his knowledge. In this regard, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti remarks, napumsakam anapumsakenety-adinaikatvam. One cannot equate the potent and the impotent. Among modern Mayavadis it has become fashionable to say that whatever one does or whatever path one follows is all right. But these are all foolish statements. Here it is forcefully affirmed that this is the only method for success in life. Isvara-tarpanam vina sarvam eva viphalam. Unless Lord Visnu is satisfied, all of one’s pious activities, ritualistic ceremonies and yajñas are simply for show and have no value. Unfortunately, foolish people do not know the secret of success. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum. They do not know that real self-interest ends in pleasing Lord Visnu.