Verse 9 mahat krpa vina kona

CC Madhya 22.51

mahat-kṛpā vinā kona karme ‘bhakti’ naya
kṛṣṇa-bhakti dūre rahu, saṁsāra nahe kṣaya

Synonyms

mahat-kṛpā — the mercy of great devotees; vinā — without; kona karme — by some other activity; bhakti naya — there is not devotional service; kṛṣṇa-bhakti — love of Kṛṣṇa or devotional service to Kṛṣṇa; dūre rahu — leaving aside; saṁsāra — the bondage of material existence; nahe — there is not; kṣaya — destruction.

Translation

“Unless one is favored by a pure devotee, one cannot attain the platform of devotional service. To say nothing of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, one cannot even be relieved from the bondage of material existence.

Vedabase with purport

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Madhukar Prabhu's video on this and the previous verse.

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Beautiful talk by Srila Narayan Maharaj in France in 1999 What to think about when chanting..

 

Visuddha Chaitanya Vani Excerpt of Hari Katha by Srila Bhakti  Vijñāna Bharati Maharaj, Recognizing a Pranayi Bhakta. 

Srila ACBVSwami Srila Prabhupad quotes this verse in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 5.3.14, where a similar sentiment is expressed by the priests of King Nabhi in the sacrifice that leads to the birth of Rsabhdev. 

Lots of discussion of this in Madhurya Kadambini, but especially First shower, text 4, eg:

“Like Bhagavān, sādhus also wander in the realm of ānanda, which is made up of śuddha-sattva (pure existence), and therefore, they cannot be touched by any of the unhappiness of the material world, which innately consists of the modes of passion and ignorance. Still, as a man waking from sleep can remember the miseries he felt in his dreaming state, the mahā-puruṣas sometimes remember the miseries of this world. When their hearts are thus melted with compassion, they show mercy to the wayward souls. Because of this, Śrī Bhagavān, who is all-compassionate, places His own mercy in the heart of these great souls and keeps their mercy completely independent, so that the common people can become inclined to Him. Therefore, Bhagavān’s mercy is transmitted into the heart of the jīvas in the wake of mahat-kṛpā (the mercy of great souls), and not through His own personal will.”