In Padma Puräëa , Lord Çiva says to Durgä:

ghore kali-yuga präpte

sarva-dharma-vivarjitäù

Väsudeva parä martyäs

te kåtärthä na çaàçayaù

“In the dangerous age of Kali only those who have abandoned all kinds of religious activities and engage in the service of Lord Väsudeva, are really successful (kåtärtha). Of this there is no doubt.”

The word 'ghore' means very dangeorus, subject to the unavoidable network of dangers which bind one in worldly existence. Such a Kali-Yuga arrives after the age of Dväpara, and has a duration of 432,000 years. 'Sarva-dharma-vivarjita' means those who have avoided all kinds of religious activities of varëa and äçrama, and only engage in the service of Lord Väsudeva, not even worshipping demigods and forefathers to achieve fruitive result. They are doubtlessly successful in their purpose. It has already been explained that both service to Väsudeva and the fulfillment of one's desire is achieved by chanting the name of Lord Hari and other devotional activities.

As well it is stated in Skaëda Puräëa :

sa kartä sarva-dharmäëäà

bhakto yas tava keçava

sa kartä sarva-päpänäà

yo na bhaktas taväcyuta

“O Keçava, one who is Your devotee has performed all auspicious activities, while one who is not Your devotee is the committer of all sinful activities.”

Lord Brahmä himself says, “Simply because he is Your devotee, O Keçava, whoever adores only You, is the performer of all religious activities. That means the pure and steady-minded devotee has certainly already performed all fruitive activities (which he is supposed to perform in his so-called religion according to varëa and äçrama, such as worshipping demigods and honouring forefathers) because he worships You, the infallible Godhead. But, O Acyuta, one who is not Your devotee or one who has not accepted Your holy name from a bona fide guru and has neglected to follow the regulative principles, being under the control of the external energy of the Lord, desiring to get material results, he is certainly a committer of all sinful activities.”

How is this possible? Having avoided dedication to devotional service and rejecting the worship of the Lord who is always in pure goodness, one who acts like a prostitute by following activities prescribed in Çruti, Småti, and Puräëic texts (that are in the modes of passion and ignorance) performs many kinds of yoga, sacrifice, oblations, charity, penance and worship of demigods. According to the statement, 'svakarma-phala-bhuk pumäm', one has to enjoy or suffer according to all of his deeds. One has to revolve in the cycle of birth and death through 8,400,000 species of life, as an enjoyer of his own deeds after leaving his body. After wandering through all these species, when one finally gets a human life, that person again acts sinfully by the influence of his previous activities -- because of not having lived according to the principles of devotional life.

Again, in the same scripture it is stated:

päpaà bhavati dharmo' pi

tava bhaktaiù kåtaà hare

niù çeña-karma kartä vä-

’py abhakto narake patet

“O Lord Hari, even the sinful actions commited by Your devotees are considered a religious action, but a nondevotee who performs all kinds of religous activities, is still thrown into hell.”

The meaning of 'bhakta' and 'abhakta' have been explained already. “O Lord, the apparent sin of not performing demigod and ancestor worship by Your devotees is certainly considered correct according to the principles of Bhagavata-dharma, because they have undeviated devotion to the Lord. On the other hand, a nondevotee may perform all kinds of religious actions, but as a result he has to fall down to hell. This refers to all the actions mentioned in the Vedas and Puräëas which are in the modes of passion and ignorance, such as Soma-Yaga, Väjapeya-Yaga, Ñaò-Aìga-Yaga, atonement, Païcägni Sädhana (the process in which one has to sit down lighting five fires around himself), Väyu-Bhojana ( or eating only air), Açvamedha Yajïa, penance and sacrifice which involves killing animals, and worshipping demigods. After quitting his body such a person sometimes goes to the heavenly planets and enjoys the results of his actions; sometimes he stays on this planet; and sometimes falls down to hell. I, Lord Brahmä, servant of Your servants, being afraid of Kali, pray to You, O Lord Hari, by the two vocative words “he hare!”

(This section proves that in any varëa, the Vaiñëava, exclusively worshipping Viñëu, is the best, and amongst all the Vaiñëavas- the brähmaëa-sannyäsé is the best. )