harṣa-sthāna-sahasrāṇi bhaya-sthāna-śatāni ca |
divase divase mūḍham āviśanti na paṇḍitam ||
(Mahābhārata: Svargārohana Parva, 5.48)
“Thousands of occasions for joy, and hundreds of occasions for fear day by day affect the foolish but not the wise.”
śāstrāṇy adhītyāpi bhavanti mūrkhā
yas tu kriyāvān puruṣaḥ sa vidvān |
sucintitaṁ caiṣadham āturāṇāṁ
na nāma-mātreṇa karoty arogam ||
(Hitopadeśa: 1.164)
“Even after studying the śāstras, fools remain [fools], whereas a person who engages in practice [of the knowledge they have studied] becomes [truly] learned, just as a well-considered medicine for sick persons does not remove a disease with only its name [i.e., the medicine has to actually be taken properly, and so also knowledge has to actually be put into practice properly for it to be realized and one to attain the benefit such knowledge produces].”
anāhūtaḥ praviśati apṛṣṭo bahu bhāṣate |
aviśvaste viśvasiti mūḍha-cetā narādhamaḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.33.36; Vidura-nīti: 38; Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“One who enters uninvited, speaks at length without being asked, and trusts the untrustworthy is a fool and the lowest of men.”
apriyaṁ na hi bhāṣet na virūdhyeta kenacit |
kārya-siddhiṁ samīheta kārya-bhraṁśo hi mūrkhatā ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2189)
“Do not speak unpleasantly and do not act hostilely with anyone. [Rather, simply] Strive to accomplish your goal. Straying from the goal is foolishness.”
adhruveṇa śarīreṇa pratikṣaṇa-vināśinā |
dhruvaṁ yo nārjayed dharmaṁ sa śocyo mūḍha-cetanaḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“One who does not acquire imperishable dharma with the perishable body, which is subject to destruction at every moment, is pitiable and foolish.”
mūrkho hi jalpatāṁ puṁsāṁ śrutvā vācaḥ śubhāśubhāḥ |
aśubhaṁ vākyam ādatte purīṣam iva sūkaraḥ ||
prājñas tu jalpatāṁ puṁsāṁ śrutvā vācaḥ śubhāśubhāḥ |
guṇavad-vākyam ādatte haṁsaḥ kṣīram ivāṁbhasaḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 10.69.9–10)
“A fool, having heard a person’s beneficial and unbeneficial words, extracts the unbeneficial statements just as a hog extracts excrement [from mud]. One who is wise, however, having heard a person’s beneficial and unbeneficial words, extracts the valuable statements just as a swan extracts milk from water.”
mūrkhasya pañca-cihnāni garvo durvacanaṁ tathā |
krodhaś ca dṛḍha-vādaś ca para-vākyeṣv anādaraḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“Five characteristics of a fool: pride [alt., arrogance], harsh speech [alt., foul language], anger, stubbornness, and disregard of [alt., lack of respect for] others’ statements.”
śrīman-mauktika-dāma-baddha-cikuraṁ susmera-candrānanaṁ
śrīkhaṇḍāguru-cāru-citra-vasanaṁ srag-divya-bhūṣāñcitam |
nṛtyāveśa-rasānumoda-madhuraṁ kandarpa-veśojjvalaṁ
caitanyaṁ kanaka-dyutiṁ nija-janaiḥ saṁsevyamānaṁ bhaje ||
(Gaura-govindārcana-paddhati: 49; cited in Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 2.11)
“His hair bound with beautiful strings of pearls,
An excellent smile on his moon face,
Adorned with sandalwood paste, aguru, and charming, wondrous garments,
Bedecked with garlands and shining ornaments,
Mellifluous with delight
Ensuing from the rasa of absorption in dance,
And radiant in appearance more so than Kāmadeva—
I worship Śrī Caitanya of golden luster
As he is served by his personal associates.”
guṇāyanaṁ śīla-dhanaṁ kṛtajñaṁ
vṛddhāśrayaṁ saṁvṛṇate’nu sampadaḥ |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.21.44)
“Good fortune continuously worships in full one who is an abode of good qualities, possessed of the wealth of good conduct, grateful, and sheltered in elders [i.e., wise and well-experienced persons].”
he śrīvāsādaya iha kṛpā-mūrtayo gauracandra-
premāmbudheḥ sura-viṭapinaḥ śānta-saumya-svabhāvāḥ |
dīnoddhāre prabala-niyamāḥ premadā yūyam eva
tasmād ajñaṁ prapada-rajasā pāpinaṁ māṁ punīta ||
(Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 1.12)
“O Śrīvāsa and so forth! O Embodiments of grace! You are all desire-trees [manifest] from the ocean of prema for Gauracandra, of peaceful and tranquil nature, and givers of prema who are most firm in your vows to deliver the poor. Therefore, please purify me, an ignorant sinner, with the dust from the tips of our feet.”
