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- Read on →: gaṅgādi-tīrtheṣu vasanti matsyā devālaye pakṣi-gaṇāś ca santi
gaṅgādi-tīrtheṣu vasanti matsyā devālaye pakṣi-gaṇāś ca santi |
bhāvojjhitās te na phalaṁ labhante tīrthāc ca devāyatanāc ca mukhyāt |
bhāvaṁ tato hṛt-kamale nidhāya tīrthāni seveta samāhitātmā |
(Attributed to Brahma Purāṇa and Nārada Purāṇa)“Fish live in the Gaṅgā and other sacred water, and birds dwell at temples. [Because they are] Devoid of bhāva [however], they do not attain the result from the foremost sacred waters and temples. Therefore, holding bhāva in the lotus of the heart and keeping the mind absorbed, one should honor the holy places.”
- Read on →: tais tāny aghāni pūyante tapo-dāna-vratādibhiḥ
tais tāny aghāni pūyante tapo-dāna-vratādibhiḥ |
nādharmajaṁ tad-dhṛdayaṁ tad apīśāṅghri-sevayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.2.17)“Those sins [i.e., sins both mild and severe] are destroyed by those austerities, charities, rites, and so forth [i.e., conventional forms of austerities, etc.]. The heart thereof, produced by adharma, is not. That too [i.e., the heart of those sins, however,] is [destroyed] by service to the feet of Īśa.”
- Read on →: sa-i kebā śunāile śyāma-nāma
sa-i kebā śunāile śyāma-nāma
By Caṇḍī Dāsa - Read on →: na hy acyutaṁ prīṇayato bahv-āyāso’surātmajāḥ
na hy acyutaṁ prīṇayato bahv-āyāso’surātmajāḥ |
ātmatvāt sarva-bhūtānāṁ siddhatvād iha sarvataḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.6.19)“[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] O sons of asuras! On account of [his] being the Self of all beings and [his] being present everywhere here [in this world], there is certainly no huge endeavor [required] for the sake of pleasing Acyuta.”
- Read on →: bhagavad-bhakti-rasikā namasyā mādṛśāṁ sadā
bhagavad-bhakti-rasikā namasyā mādṛśāṁ sadā ||
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇāmbhojārpitātmāno hi ye kila |
tad-eka-prema-lābhāśā tyaktārtha-jana-jīvanāḥ ||
aihikāmuṣmikāśeṣa-sādhya-sādhana-nispṛhāḥ |
jāti-varṇāśramācāra-dharmādhīnatva-pāragāḥ ||
ṛṇa-trayād anirmuktā veda-mārgātigā api |
hari-bhakti-balāvegād akutaścid-bhayāḥ sadā ||
nānyat kim api vāñchanti tad-bhakti-rasa-lampaṭāḥ |
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ ||
bhagavān iva satyaṁ me ta eva parama-priyāḥ |
parama-prārthanīyaś ca mama taiḥ saṅgamaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.3.54–59)“[Parīkṣit Mahārāja to Nārada Ṛṣi:] Bhagavad-bhakti-rasikas are always to be offered obeisance to for those such as myself. Of self offered to the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa; of desire for excellent prema thereto; having relinquished wealth, people [i.e., relatives and others], and livelihood; desireless of all objects to be attained and [all] means of attainment [of those objects] existent in this life and the next; having crossed beyond subjection to the conduct (ācāra) and duties (dhama) of class, varṇa, and āśrama; being ever free from fear from anywhere by virtue of the driving force of the power of bhakti to Hari even though [they are] not fully liberated from the three debts [to the devas, sages, and ancestors] and transgressors of the path of the Vedas, they, who are filled with hankering for bhakti-rasa, desire nothing else whatsoever, and are seers of the same object amid Svarga, liberation, and even Naraka, truly are supremely dear to me just as Bhagavān is, and association with them is the supreme object to be prayed for by me.”
- Read on →: bhuktiṁ muktiṁ harir dadyād arcito’nyatra sevinām
bhuktiṁ muktiṁ harir dadyād arcito’nyatra sevinām |
bhaktiṁ tu na dadāty eva yato vaśyakarī hareḥ ||
sā tv añjasā harer bhaktir labhyate kārttike naraiḥ |
mathurāyāṁ sakṛd api śrī-dāmodara-sevanāt ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.222–223)“Hari shall bestow enjoyment (bhukti) or liberation (mukti) upon his servants when worshipped elsewhere [i.e., outside of Mathurā], but he does not bestow bhakti [upon them] because it is captivating of Hari. That bhakti to Hari, however, is easily attained by people as a result of service to Śrī Dāmodara even once in Mathurā during Kārtika.”