apātraṁ pātratā yāti yatra pātraṁ na vidyate |
asmin deśe drumo nāsti eraṇḍo’pi drumāyate ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1985)
“An unfit person attains fitness when a fit person is not present. In a land where there are no trees, even a castor-oil plant is considered a tree.”
svādhikāraṁ nirīkṣyaiva karma kuryād atandritaḥ |
(Padma Purāṇa: 6.283.38)
“One free from laziness should engage in action only after having considered one‘s eligibility (adhikāra).”
antaḥsāra-vihīnānām upadeśo na jāyate |
malayācala-saṁsargān na veṇuś candanāyate ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1604; Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 10.8)
“Instruction should not be given to those who lack inner substance. Bamboo does not become sandalwood [just] by proximity to the Malaya Mountains.”
antaḥsāra-vihīnānāṁ sahāyaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati |
malaye’pi sthito veṇur veṇur eva na candanaḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1603)
“What can a companion [alt., assistant] do for those who lack inner substance? Even bamboo situated in the Malayas is just bamboo and not sandalwood.”
sei kṛṣṇa sei gopī—parama virodha |
acintya-caritra prabhura—ati sudurbodha ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.17.304)
“He is Kṛṣṇa, and he is a gopī [i.e., Rādhā]—this is completely contradictory. Prabhu’s character is inconceivable—it is extremely difficult to understand.”
jñānaṁ viśuddhaṁ paramārtham ekam
anantaraṁ tv abahir brahma satyam |
pratyak praśāntaṁ bhagavac-chabda-saṁjñaṁ
yad vāsudevaṁ kavayo vadanti ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.12.11)
“The wise say that satya [i.e., reality] is completely pure consciousness [i.e., consciousness beyond the guṇas]—the supreme object [i.e., that from which mokṣa and so forth are attained]—singular [i.e., non-dual] and without interior and without exterior [i.e. all-pervading]; [it is known as] Brahman [i.e., the complete and undifferentiated object sought by jñānīs]; [it is known as] that which is [situated] in the interior [of all living beings] and tranquil [i.e., the Paramātmā, sought by yogīs]; [that which is] identified by the term Bhagavān [by bhaktas], and [known to be] Vāsudeva [i.e., is ultimately Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vāsudeva.”
ithe tarka kari keho nā kara saṁśaya |
kṛṣṇera acintya-śakti ei-mata haya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.17.305)
“No one should engage in argument and foster doubt in this regard. Kṛṣṇa’s inconceivable śakti is like this.”
acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet |
prakṛtibhyaḥ paraṁ yac ca tad acintyasya lakṣaṇam ||
(Mahābhārata: 6.5.12, 12.5.22; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.5.93; Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.5.111; Tattva Sandarbha: 11, and Caitanya-caritāmṛta 1.17.308)
“Do not assess inconceivable states of being (bhāvas) with argumentation; that which is beyond the [material] elements is the characteristic of the inconceivable.”
mātṛdevo bhava |
pitṛdevo bhava |
ācāryadevo bhava |
atithidevo bhava |
(Taittirīya Upaniṣad: 11.2)
“Be one for whom one’s mother is Deva.
Be one for whom one’s father is Deva.
Be one for whom one’s ācārya is Deva.
Be one for whom one’s guest is Deva.”
vaiṣṇavānāṁ parā-bhaktir ācāryāṇāṁ viśeṣataḥ |
pūjanaṁ ca yathā-śakti tān āpannāṁś ca pālayet ||
(Nārada Pañcarātra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.137)
“One should have great bhakti for the Vaiṣṇavas, and for the ācāryas in particular. One should worship them as one is able and protect them [when they are] in difficulty.”
