In a conversation between Rukmāṅgada (a king) and Mohinī quoted from the Skanda Purāṇait is said:

adīkṣitasya vāmoru
kṛtaṁ sarvaṁ nirarthakam
paśu-yonim avāpnoti
dīkṣā-virahito janaḥ

Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.6)

O Vāmoru (O woman with beautiful thighs), all the auspicious activities of men are worthless without accepting dīkṣā. A person who is bereft of dīkṣā obtains birth in the animal species of life.

Kailāśa was a farmer, who was always busy on his land.
One day, Nārada Muni came and said, “Now, Kailāśa, it
is time to take initiation.”
Kailāśa responded, “No, I will take later. I am too busy
now.” Sometime later, Nārada Muni returned but he was
unable to find Kailāśa. As he was leaving his farm, he saw
a bull.
“Kailāśa? Is that you? Will you take initiation now?”
“No,” Kailāśa said, “I am too busy ploughing the land.”
Nārada Muni left and returned a few years later, but that
bull was nowhere to be found. Occupying that farm now
was a dog.
“Kailāśa? Is that you? Will you take initiation now?”
“No, I am too busy protecting the land and the children
here. I have no time to take initiation.” Years later, Nārada
Muni returned again. He could not find the dog, but he
knew that Kailāśa must still be there in some form because
of Kailāśa’s attachment to the farm. He then saw cobra.
“Kailāśa? Is that you? Will you take initiation now?”
“No, I am too busy protecting the treasure hidden on
the property.” Nārada Muni then instructed the children
there to break back of snake but not kill it, and then throw
the snake into the forest.
Nārada Muni then went to the forest and said, “Kailāśa,
are you ready to take initiation now?”
“Yes, I am now ready to receive initiation,” Kailāśa
finally said.

―Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja