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- Read on →: sarac-candra-bhrāntiṁ sphurad-amala-kāntiṁ gaja-gatiṁ
sarac-candra-bhrāntiṁ sphurad-amala-kāntiṁ gaja-gatiṁ
hari-premonmattaṁ dhṛta-parama-sattvaṁ smita-mukham |
sadā ghūrṇan-netraṁ kara-kalita-vetraṁ kali-bhidaṁ
bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi ||
(Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura’s Nityānandāṣṭakam: 1)“Revolving like the autumnal moon,
Shining with spotless luster,
His gait resembling an elephant,
Intoxicated with prema for Hari,
Bearing a form of the highest nature,
His face smiling,
His eyes continuously rolling,
Holding a staff in hand,
And cutting Kali asunder,
I forever worship Nityānanda,
The root of the tree of bhajana.” - Read on →: oṁ athāśvalāyano bhagavantaṁ
oṁ athāśvalāyano bhagavantaṁ
parameṣṭhinam upasametyocāva |
adhīhi bhagavan brahma-vidyāṁ variṣṭhāṁ
sadā sadbhiḥ sevyamānāṁ nigūḍhām |
yathācirāt sarva-pāpaṁ vyapohya
parātparaṁ puruṣaṁ yāti vidvān ||1||
tasmai sa hovāca pitāmahaś ca
śraddhā-bhakti-dhyāna-yogād avaihi ||2||
na karmaṇā na prajayā dhanena
tyāgenaike amṛtatvam ānaśuḥ |
pareṇa nākaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ
vibhrājate yad yatayo viśanti ||3||
vedānta-vijñāna-suniścitārthāḥ
sannyāsa-yogād yatayaḥ śuddha-sattvāḥ |
te brahmalokeṣu parānta-kāle
parāmṛtāḥ parimucyanti sarve ||4||
(Kaivalya Upaniṣad: 1–4; Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: 3.2.6)“Om. Now, Āśvalāyana approached illustrious Brahmā and said, ‘O illustrious One, please teach me Brahmā-vidyā, which is most excellent [among all types of knowledge], ever-adhered to by the sādhus, and secret, and by which the wise soon become absolved of all sin and attain the Supreme Puruṣa,’ and to him [i.e., to Āśvalāyana], the Grandsire [i.e., Lord Brahmā] verily spoke, ‘You can realize [the Brahma-vidyā you wish to attain] through the practices of śraddhā, bhakti, and meditation. Neither by karma, nor by progeny or wealth, but only by renunciation can you attain immortality, which is beyond heaven and shines hidden in the cave [i.e., heart]. Ascetics [lit., those who strive (for it)] enter it. Completely determined upon the object of realization established by Vedānta and of purified nature by virtue of practice of sannyāsa, the ascetics in the planes of Brahmā [i.e., in the various planes through the material universe] at the time of the final end [i.e., at the time of the dissolution of the material universe] overcome death and become completely liberated [from entanglement in saṁsāra, i.e., they realize Brahman].”
- Read on →: sā ca bhaktiḥ śāstra-jñāna-pūrvikaivānuṣṭheyā
sā ca bhaktiḥ śāstra-jñāna-pūrvikaivānuṣṭheyā tam eva dhīro vijñāya prajñāṁ kurvīta brāhmaṇaḥ iti śravaṇāt |
(Vedānta-syamantaka: 3.13)“That bhakti [i.e., the bhakti learned from śrī-guru by which one attains the fulfillment of life (puruṣārtha)] is to be performed preceded by [i.e., after having properly acquired] knowledge of śāstra, since it is heard [in Bṛhadārayaṇka Upaniṣad: 4.4.21], ‘After verily understanding that [i.e., the Ātmā], a sagacious seeker of Brahman should engage in contemplation [of the Ātmā].”
- Read on →: apragalbhasya yā vidyā
apragalbhasya yā vidyā kṛpaṇasya ca yad dhanam |
yac ca bāhu-balaṁ bhīror vyartham etat trayaṁ bhuvi ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2153)“The knowledge of the timid, the wealth of the miserly, and the arm-strength of the cowardly—these three are useless in the world [because they are never applied and thus never fulfill their potential].”
- Read on →: vaiṣṇavera nindya-karma nāhi pāḍe kāṇe
vaiṣṇavera nindya-karma nāhi pāḍe kāṇe |
sabe kṛṣṇa-bhajana kare—ei-mātra jāne ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.13.133)“He [i.e., Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa] would not take into his ears [talk of] censurable acts of Vaiṣṇavas. ‘Everyone engages in Kṛṣṇa-bhajana.’ He perceived only of this.”
- Read on →: para-vācyeṣu nipuṇaḥ
para-vācyeṣu nipuṇaḥ sarvo bhavati sarvadā |
ātma-vācyaṁ na jānīte jānann api ca muhmati ||
(Unknown source)“Everyone is always expert in regard to the faults of others [alt., in commenting on or criticizing others]. They are unaware [however] of their own faults, or, even if they are aware, they are mistaken [about them, as they don’t know how to analyze themselves properly].”