tāre kahe—kene kara kutarkānumāna? |
śāstra-viruddhārtha kabhu nā haya pramāṇa ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.2.73)
“To that, it is said, ‘Why do you make an inference based on fallacious reasoning? A meaning that is contrary to śāstra is never authentic [i.e., a valid means of knowing the object of knowledge].”
alaukika kṛṣṇa-līlā—divya-śakti tāra |
tarkera gocara nahe caritra yā̐hāra ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.19.103)
“Kṛṣṇa-līlā is otherworldly, and it possess divine śakti the acts of which are not within the scope of tarka.”
kṛṣṇa-caritaṁ kali-kalmaṣa-ghnaṁ … |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.1.14)
“The acts of Kṛṣṇa are dispellers of the defilement of [the Age of] Kali.”
purāṇaṁ pañcarātraṁ ca vedāḥ pāśupatās tathā |
atipramāṇāny etāni na hantavyāni hetubhiḥ ||
(Yājñavalkya Ṛṣi; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.421)
“Purāṇas, Pañcarātras, Vedas, and Pāśupatas—these are highly authoritative and should not be controverted with arguments.”
tarko’pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā
nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam |
dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ
mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: Vana-parva, 313.117; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.17.186, 2.25.57)
“Reasoning is inconclusive, the Śrutis are variegated, and one whose opinion is not distinctive is not a ṛṣi. The nature of dharma is [thus] hidden in secret. [Therefore,] That by which a mahājana has gone is the path.”
tat tu laukika-sad-bandhu-buddhyā prema bhayādi-jam |
vighnaṁ nirasya tad-gopa-gopī-dāsyepsayārjayet ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.217)
“With desire for servitude to the gopas and gopīs and the mentality of a real, worldly friend [i.e., relating to Śrī Kṛṣṇa as one’s true and dear friend just as husbands, sons, and others are related to in worldly life], one should overcome the obstacles produced by fear and so forth [e.g., reverence, lack of faith, and shyness] and obtain that prema.”
mahāśakti-vilāsātmā bhāvo’cintya-svarūpa-bhāk |
raty-ākhyā ity ayaṁ yukto na hi tarkeṇa bādhitum |
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.5.92)
“This bhāva, known as rati, by constitution an expression of the supreme potency [i.e., the hlādinī-śakti], and [thus] possessed of an inconceivable nature, is not fit to be assailed with argument.”
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.”
