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  • śrīmad-gopāla-mantro’yaṁ naiva kiñcid apekṣate |
    hṛn-mātra-spṛk phalaty eva spṛṣṭo hi dahano yathā ||
    (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 17.260)
    “This divine Gopāla-mantra does not depend on anything [i.e., any saṁskāra, such as the upanayana, or other means of purification, preparation, etc. (DDT: kiñcit saṁskārādikaṁ)]. Upon touching just the heart, it certainly produces results just as fire does upon being touched.”

    Read on →: śrīmad-gopāla-mantro’yaṁ naiva kiñcid apekṣate

  • dvijānām anupetānāṁ sva-karmādhyayanādiṣu |
    yathādhikāro nāstīha syāc copanayanād anu ||
    tathātrādīkṣitānāṁ tu mantra-devārcanādiṣu |
    nādhikāro’sty ataḥ kuryād ātmānaṁ śiva-saṁstutam ||
    (Āgama-śāstra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.3–4)
    “As the twice-born [i.e., those of the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya varṇas] who have not been invested with the sacred thread do not have eligibility (adhikāra) for their own rites [e.g., chanting the gāyatrī-mantra and conducting yajñas], study [of the Veda], and so forth, and can [have eligibility] in that regard [only] after the upanayana [-saṁskāra, i.e., only after investiture with the sacred thread, meaning, only after receiving the sāvitra-birth and thus actually becoming twice-born], so those without dīkṣā here [i.e., on the path of bhakti] do not have eligibility for [chanting] mantras, [performing] ritual worship of Deva [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān], and so forth. Therefore, one should make oneself truly praised by Śiva!”

    Read on →: dvijānām anupetānāṁ sva-karmādhyayanādiṣu

  • tac chrūtvācintayaṁ brahman vaiśyatve syāt sukhaṁ mahat |
    prabhor eṣāṁ ca viprāṇāṁ tad-bhaktānām upāsanāt ||
    eṣāṁ yajñaika-niṣṭhānām aikyenāvaśyake nije jape ca |
    sad-gurūddiṣṭe māndyaṁ syād dṛṣṭa-sat-phale |
    tatas tān anumānyāham anaṅgīkṛtya vipratām |
    tatrāvasaṁ svato jāta-prājāpatya-mahāsukhaiḥ ||
    (Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.2.56–58)
    “Hearing that [i.e., the instruction of the great ṛṣis in Maharloka to become a brāhmaṇa and perform worship of the Lord of the universe by means of fire sacrifice (yajña) as is done by these ṛṣis in Maharloka], O brāhmaṇa, I thought, ‘Greater joy shall come about by being a vaiśya [rather than a brāhmaṇa] because of [the] worship [a vaiśya and not a brāhmaṇa can perform] of Prabhu and of these brāhmaṇas [here in Maharloka] who are his bhaktas. Also, slacking in regard to my own japa, which is imperative, which was taught [to me] by a genuine guru, and which has had genuine observable results, shall arise as a result oneness with those of singular fixity upon yajña [i.e., if I were to become one of these brāhmaṇas who engage solely in yajña].’ Therefore, honoring them [i.e., the brāhmaṇas of Maharloka] but not accepting brāhmaṇahood (vipratā), I dwelled there in the great joy manifested of its own accord among the Prajāpatis [i.e., among Bhṛgu and the other sages of Maharloka].”

    Read on →: tac chrūtvācintayaṁ brahman vaiśyatve syāt sukhaṁ mahat

  • na me priyaś caturvedī mad-bhaktaḥ śvapacaḥ priyaḥ |
    tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ sa ca pūjyo yathā hy aham ||
    (Itihāsa-samuccaya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.127; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.19.50, 2.20.58)
    “[Śrī Bhagavān:] A caturvedī [i.e., a brāhmaṇa versed in the four Vedas] is not dear to me [if they are not my bhakta]. [Even] A dog-cooker who is my bhakta [however] is dear [to me]. Give [charity, etc.] to him [i.e., such a bhakta] and accept [prasāda, etc.] from him since he is also worshipable as I am.”

    Read on →: na me priyaś caturvedī mad-bhaktaḥ śvapacaḥ priyaḥ

  • śvapākam iva nekṣeta loke vipram avaiṣṇavam |
    vaiṣṇavo varṇa-bāhyo’pi punāti bhuvana-trayam ||
    na śūdrā bhagavad-bhaktās te tu bhāgavatā matāḥ |
    sarva-varṇeṣu te śūdrā ye na bhaktā janārdane ||
    (Padma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.164–165; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455; Bhakti Sandarbha: 247)
    “Like a dog-cooker [is not to be looked at], one should not look at a non-Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa in this world. Even a Vaiṣṇava outside the varṇas [i.e., who does not belong to any of the four varṇas] purifies the three worlds. Bhaktas of Bhagavān are not śūdras. Rather, they are accepted as Bhāgavatas [i.e., to belong to Śrī Bhagavān and not to any caste]. Among all the varṇas, they are śūdras who are not bhaktas of Janārdana.”

    Read on →: śvapākam iva nekṣeta loke vipram avaiṣṇavam

  • śūdraṁ vā bhagavad-bhaktaṁ niṣādaṁ śvapacaṁ tathā |
    vīkṣate jāti-sāmānyāt sa yāti narakaṁ dhruvam ||
    (Itihāsa-samuccaya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.119; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455)
    “One who sees a bhakta of Bhagavān to be a śūdra, tribesman (niṣāda), or dog-cooker [i.e., outcaste] because of commonality in caste (jāti) certainly goes to Naraka.”

    Read on →: śūdraṁ vā bhagavad-bhaktaṁ niṣādaṁ śvapacaṁ tathā

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