siddhasya lakṣaṇaṁ yat syāt sādhanaṁ sādhakasya tat |
(Unknown source; cited in Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta-ṭīkā 2.3.167)
“The characteristics [i.e., conduct, etc.] of a siddha [i.e., a prema-bhakta] should be the sādhana [i.e., means of attainment] of a sādhaka.”
tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan hariḥ sarvatra sarvadā |
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyo bhagavān nṛṇām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.2.36)
“Therefore, O King, Bhagavān Hari is to be heard about, to be praised, and to be remembered by human beings always and everywhere with the full self [i.e., with full attention].”
tac ca śrī-ballavī-prāṇanātha-pāda-sarojayoḥ |
premaiva tad-vraja-prema-sājātīyaṁ na cetarat ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.214)
“That [i.e., your sādhana to attain your Iṣṭadeva], moreover, is simply prema for the lotus feet of the beautiful ballavī’s Beloved [lit., the Lord of the gopīs’ prāṇas, that is, hearts, lives, or vital airs] which resembles the [highly celebrated] prema for him [found] in Vraja, and is not otherwise.”
smartavyaṁ satataṁ viṣṇor vismartavyo na jātucit |
sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.8; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.113)
“Viṣṇu is to be remembered always and is never to be forgotten. All injunctions and prohibitions should be servants of these two [principles].”
vṛttaṁ yatnena saṁrakṣed vittam eti ca yāti ca |
akṣīṇo vittataḥ kṣīṇo vṛttatas tu hato hataḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.36.30)
“Carefully safeguard your conduct (vṛtta). Wealth (vitta) comes and goes. A loss of wealth is no loss, but ruination of [one’s] conduct is [utter] ruination.”
ācāra eva dharmasya mūlaṁ rājan kulasya ca |
ācārād vicyuto jantur na kulīno na dhārmikaḥ ||
(Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 3.17)
“O King, ācāra (conduct) is the source of dharma and of nobility. A person devoid of ācāra is neither noble nor dharmic.”
tasmāt sadaiva viduṣāvahitena rājan
śāstrodito hy anudinaṁ paripālanīyaḥ ||
(Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 3.19)
“Therefore, O King, ācāra (conduct) as described in śāstra should always be fully observed daily with attention by the wise.”
anasūyā kṣamā śāntiḥ santoṣaḥ priya-vāditā |
kāma-krodha-parityāgaḥ śiṣṭācāra-nidarśanam ||
(Mahābhārata: 3.211.25; Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“Non-enviousness, forgiveness, peacefulness, contentment, pleasing [alt., kind] speech, and abandonment of passion and anger are illustrations of cultured conduct (śiṣṭācāra).”
sadācāraṁ vinā pāpena citte maline sati bhaktau pravṛttir api na syād |
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta-ṭīkā: 2.3.171)
“Without sadācāra, when the mind is contaminated by pāpa, then even inclination for bhakti cannot come about.”
ācāra-prabhavo dharmaḥ santaś cācāra-lakṣaṇāḥ |
sādhūnāṁ ca yathā vṛttaṁ sa sad-ācāra iṣyate ||
tasmāt kuryāt sad-ācāraṁ ya icched gatim ātmanaḥ |
sarva-lakṣaṇa-hīno’pi samudācāravān nṛpa |
śraddadhāno’nasūyaś ca sarvān kāmān avāpnuyāt ||
(Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 3.15–16)
“The source of dharma is ācāra (conduct), and sādhus are characterized by ācāra. The behavior of sādhus is called sadācāra. Therefore, one who desires one’s own good fortune should engage in sadācāra. O King, even if devoid of all [other] characteristics, one who has excellent ācāra (sadācāra), is endowed with śraddhā, and is free from envy can fulfill all one’s desires.”
