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mano hi dvi-vidhaṁ proktaṁ śuddhaṁ cāśuddham eva ca |
aśuddhaṁ kāma-samparkāt śuddhaṁ kāma-vivarjitam ||
(Maitrāyaṇīya Upaniṣad: 6.34.6)
“The mind is said to be of two types: pure and impure. It is impure because of association with kāma, and pure when completely purged of kāma.”
Read on →: mano hi dvi-vidhaṁ proktaṁ
akāmasya kriyā kācid dṛśyate neha karhicit |
yad yad dhi kurute jantus tat-tat-kāmasya ceṣṭitam ||
(Manu Smṛti: 2.4)
“No action whatsoever of a desireless person is observable anywhere here [i.e., in this world] since whatever a person does is an action of [i.e., motivated by] desire for that [i.e., for whatever object the action is related to].”
Read on →: akāmasya kriyā kācid
kāmātmatā na praśastā na caivaihāsty akāmatā |
kāmyo hi vedādhigamaḥ karma-yogaś ca vaidikaḥ ||
(Manu Smṛti: 2.2)
“Being desirous is not praiseworthy, but there is no desirelessness in this world. Study of the Veda and the practice of the karma described in the Vedas are based on [i.e., prompted by] desire.”
Read on →: kāmātmatā na praśastā
kāmamaya evāyaṁ puruṣa iti | sa yathā-kāmo bhavati tat-kratur bhavati | yat-kratur bhavati tat karma kurute | yat karma kurute tad abhisampadyate |
(Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: 4.4.5)
“The living being is indeed made of desire. As is his desire, so is his intention. As is his intention, so is the action he performs, and as is the action he performs, so is that which he attains.”
Read on →: kāmamaya evāyaṁ puruṣa iti
saṅkalpo viditaḥ sādhvyo bhavatināṁ mad-arcanam |
mayānumoditaḥ so’sau satyo bhavitum arhati ||
na mayy āveśita-dhiyāṁ kāmaḥ kāmāya kalpate |
bharjitāḥ kvathitā dhānā prāyo bījāya neśate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.22.25–26)
“[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa to the gopīs who worshipped Kātyāyanī to attain him as their husband:] O honorable girls, your resolve (saṅkalpa) in worshipping me is understood. It is approved by me and fit to become true. The desire of those whose minds are absorbed in me does not lead to desire [i.e., desire for anything else]. Do fried and boiled roasted grains likely act as seed?”
Read on →: saṅkalpo viditaḥ sādhvyo bhavatināṁ mad-arcanam
loka-dharma veda-dharma deha-dharma-karma |
lajjā dhairya deha-sukha ātma-sukha-marma ||
dustyaja ārya-patha nija parijana |
svajane karaye yata tāḍana-bhartsana ||
sarva-tyāga kari kare kṛṣṇera bhajana |
kṛṣṇa-sukha-hetu kare prema-sevana ||
ihāke kahiye kṛṣṇe dṛḍha anurāga |
svaccha dhauta-vastre yaiche nāhi kona dāga ||
ataeva kāma-preme bahuta antara |
kāma andha-tamaḥ, prema nirmala bhāskara ||
ataeva gopī-gaṇe nāhi kāma-gandha |
kṛṣṇa-sukha lāgi mātra, kṛṣṇa se sambandha ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.4.167–172)
“Social dharma [i.e., conventional rites and conduct], Vedic dharma [i.e., rites and conduct enjoined in the Vedas], activities dictated by bodily dharma [i.e., appeasing one’s thirst and hunger, etc.], shyness, composure, and pleasing the body [i.e., activities performed to please the senses]—which are [all] based on pleasing oneself—the difficult to give up noble path [i.e., the code of proper social conduct], one’s own relatives, and all the punishment and chastisement leveled by one’s kinsfolk—forsaking all [of these] and engaging in worship of Kṛṣṇa, that is, engaging in service with prema for the sake of Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure—this is called firm anurāga for Kṛṣṇa. It [i.e., such anurāga] is like a pure washed cloth on which there is no blemish whatsoever. Therefore, there is a vast difference between kāma and prema: kāma is like blinding darkness, and prema is like the spotless sun. Therefore, there is not even a trace of kāma within the gopīs. Their relationship with Kṛṣṇa is only for the sake of Kṛṣṇa’s happiness.”
Read on →: loka-dharma veda-dharma deha-dharma-karma