anubandhaṁ ca saṁprekṣya vipākāṁś caiva karmaṇām |
utthānam ātmanaś caiva dhīraḥ kurvīta vā na vā ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.34.9; Vidura-nīti; Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“A wise person should act, or not [act], only after carefully considering the cause and effects [i.e., benefits and harm] of actions, as well as one’s own capacity [i.e., to perform the action].”
kṛṣṇa-tad-bhakta-kāruṇya-mātra-lābhaika-hetukā |
puṣṭi-mārgatayā kaiścid iyaṁ rāgānugocyate ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.309)
“Because the only cause for attaining it is simply the grace of Kṛṣṇa and his bhaktas, this rāgānugā [-bhakti] is called puṣṭi-mārga by some.”
śrī-mūrter mādhurīṁ prekṣya tat-tal-līlāṁ niśamya vā |
tad-bhāvākāṅkṣiṇo ye syus teṣu sādhanatānayoḥ |
purāṇe śruyate pādme puṁsam api bhaved iyam ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.300)
“After seeing the beauty of the śrī-mūrti [i.e., the beauty of the śrī-mūrti of Śrī Kṛṣṇa along with the śrī-mūrtis of his beloveds engaged in their various līlās], or hearing of the beauty of their various līlās, those who shall become desirous of that bhāva [i.e., the bhāva of the Vraja-gopīs] possess the means [i.e., the adhikāra, eligibility] for these two [i.e., either of the two types of kāmānugā-bhakti]. This can occur even in men, as is heard of in Padma Purāṇa.”
sabe eka sakhī-gaṇera ihā̐ adhikāra |
sakhī haite haya ei līlāra vistāra ||
sakhī vinu ei līlā puṣṭi nāhi haya |
sakhī līlā vistāriyā, sakhī āsvādaya ||
sakhī vinu ei līlāya nāhi anyera gati |
sakhī-bhāve tā̐re yei kare anugati ||
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-kuñja-sevā-sādhya sei pāya |
sei sādhya pāite āra nāhika upāya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.8.201–204)
“Among all, only the sakhīs have eligibility here [i.e., within Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s līlā], and expansion of this līlā occurs [only] through the sakhīs. Without the sakhīs, this līlā is not nourished. The sakhīs expand this līlā, and the sakhīs taste it. Apart from the sakhīs, others have no entrance into this līlā. One who with the bhāva of a sakhī follows them attains the sādhya [i.e., goal] of service in the kuñja to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. There is no other way to attain this sādhya.”
rāgātmikāika-niṣṭhā ye vraja-vāsi-janādayaḥ |
teṣāṁ bhāvāptaye lubdho bhaved atrādhikāravān ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.291)
“One who is intensely desirous of attaining the bhāva of the residents of Vraja or elsewhere, who are fixed exclusively in rāgātmikā-bhakti, shall be possessed of eligibility (adhikāra) here [i.e., for rāgānugā-bhakti].”
bhaktir hi svataḥ prabalatvād anya-nirapekṣā | na tu jñānādivat samyag vairāgyādi-sāpekṣā |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.15)
“Bhakti, because of its own great power, is independent of others [i.e., is not dependent on the paths of jñāna or karma], and not, rather, dependent on complete vairāgya and so forth like jñāna and so forth [i.e., is not like jñāna and karma dependent, respectively, on vairāgya and eligibility for varṇāśrama-dharma].”
tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te kāryākārya-vyavasthitau |
jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ karma kartum ihārhasi ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 16.24)
“Therefore, śāstra is the pramāṇa [i.e., means of knowledge] in determining what is to be done and not to be done. By understanding the stated injunctions of the śāstra hereto [i.e., in regard to karma], you become fit to perform it.”
ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati |
nāyaṁ loko’sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 4.40)
“One who is ignorant [i.e., devoid of knowledge of śāstra], devoid of śraddhā [as a result of observing differences of opinion about the meaning of śāstra], and doubtful [regarding whether something will actually lead to success] is ruined. Neither this world [i.e., any future prospect of well-being in this world], nor the next [i.e., any prospect of attaining a desirable afterlife], nor happiness [i.e., any present sense of satisfaction] exist for one who is doubtful.”
karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana |
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo’stv akarmaṇi ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.47)
“Your eligibility is only for karma, and never for [partaking of] the results. May you not be a cause of results of your karma [i.e., may you not perform karma out of desire for the results], and may you have no attachment to non-karma [i.e., non-performance of your karma, or, committing sin].”
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.”
