nara-tanu bhajanera mūla
nara-tanu bhajanera mūla |
(Prema-bhakti-candrikā: 106)
“The human body is the basis of bhajana.”
Authors
puruṣa-prayojanaṁ tāvat sukha-prāptir duḥkha-nivṛttiś ca
puruṣa-prayojanaṁ tāvat sukha-prāptir duḥkha-nivṛttiś ca |
puruṣa-prayojanaṁ tāvat sukha-prāptir duḥkha-nivṛttiś ca | śrī-bhagavat-prītau tu sukhatvaṁ duḥkha-nivartakatvaṁ cātyantikam iti | etad uktaṁ bhavati—yat khalu parama-tattvaṁ śāstra-pratipādyatvena pūrvaṁ nirṇītaṁ, tad eva sad-ananta-paramānandatvena siddham | … nānā-svarūpa-dharmato’pi tasya kevalānanda-svarūpatvam eva ca darśitam | tathā-bhūta-mārtaṇḍādi-maṇḍalasya kevala-jyotiṣṭvavat |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 1)
“The aim (prayojana) of an embodied being (puruṣa), fundamentally, is the attainment of happiness and elimination of suffering, and only in prīti for Śrī Bhagavān are happiness and elimination of suffering absolute. Thus, this is said: only that Supreme Entity (Parama-tattva), who was ascertained previously [i.e., in the first four sandarbhas] as being the object to be taught by the śāstra, is established [by the śāstra] as being eternal, infinite, paramount bliss. … Although possessed of various inherent characteristics, his [i.e., that Supreme Entity’s] verily being of the nature of bliss alone is also shown [in śāstra, i.e., his fundamental nature, upon which all of his other attributes are based, is bliss (ānanda) alone], just as the sun, which has [within it] the there existent Mārtaṇḍa [i.e., the devatā Sūrya] and so forth [i.e., as well as Sūryadeva’s chariot, horses, etc.], is [fundamentally] of the nature of light alone.”
vayam iha parituṣṭā valkalais tvaṁ dukūlaiḥ
vayam iha parituṣṭā valkalais tvaṁ dukūlaiḥ
sama iha paritoṣo nirviśeṣo viṣeśaḥ |
sa tu bhavatu daridro yasya tṛṣṇā viśālā
manasi ca parituṣṭe ko’rthavān ko daridraḥ ||
(Vairāgya-śatakam: 53)
“Here [i.e., in the forest], we [i.e., ascetics] are fully satisfied with bark garments, and you [O King, are fully satisfied in your palace] with fine raiments. In this regard, the full satisfaction [we both feel] is the same. The distinction [between the means of our satisfaction] is insignificant. He, rather, should be [considered] poor whose desires are vast. When the mind is fully satisfied, who is rich? Who is poor?”
mṛga-tṛṣṇāṁ yathā bālā manyanta udakāśayam
mṛga-tṛṣṇāṁ yathā bālā manyanta udakāśayam |
evaṁ vaikārikīṁ māyām ayuktā vastu cakṣate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.73.11)
“As the childish [i.e, the unintelligent] consider a mirage to be a reservoir of water, so the inattentive [i.e., the undiscerning] see transformed māyā [i.e., māyā in its state of being transformed into the manifest elements of sound, touch, sight, and so on] to be a reality.”
viśeṣaṇaṁ tulyādhikaraṇena
viśeṣaṇaṁ tulyādhikaraṇena | … ayaṁ śyāmarāma-saṁjñaḥ | tad-eka-dharmatve tu na samāsaḥ |
(Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 1686, 1688–1689)
“[When] A modifier (viśeṣaṇa) [is compounded] with that which has a common locus (adhikaraṇa) … this is known as a śyāmarāma [compound, i.e., a karma-dhāraya compound]. But when it has the same essential quality (dharma) as that [i.e., as the viśeṣya with which it has a common locus (adhikaraṇa)], there is no [formation of a] compound.”
bāhulyāt kvacin nitya-samāsaḥ
bāhulyāt kvacin nitya-samāsaḥ | kvacin na samāsaḥ | kvacid viśeṣaṇena ca viśeṣaṇaṁ samasyate | kiñcittvena vibhāge gamye’pi |
(Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 1691–1694)
“Because of [compounds’] being bahula [i.e., of a variable applicability], sometimes there is a compulsory compound (nitya-samāsa), sometimes no compound, and sometimes a modifier (viśeṣaṇa) compounded with a modifier (viśeṣaṇa), and this [i.e., that a viśeṣaṇa is sometimes compounded with a viśeṣaṇa] is so even when a division is understood because of being somewhat [i.e., being partial in extent].”
paramātmatvādi-lakṣaṇa-nānāvastha-bhagavat-sākṣātkāra eva tatrāpi paramaḥ
paramātmatvādi-lakṣaṇa-nānāvastha-bhagavat-sākṣātkāra eva tatrāpi paramaḥ | (1) tatra saty api nirupadhi-prīty-āspadatva-svabhāvasya tasya svarūpa-dharmāntara-vṛnda-sākṣātkṛtau paramatve prīti-bhakty-ādi-saṁjñaṁ priyatva-lakṣaṇa-dharma-viśeṣa-sākṣātkāram eva paramatamatvena manyante | (2) tayā prītyaivātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiś ca | (3) yāṁ prītiṁ vinā tat-svarūpasya tad-dharmāntara-vṛndasya ca sāksātkāro na sampadyate | (4) yatra sā tatrāvaśyam eva sampadyate | (5) yāvaty eva prīti-sampattiḥ, tāvaty eva tat-sampattiḥ | (6) sampadyamāne sampanne ca tasmin sādhikam āvirbhavati |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 1)
“Direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of Bhagavān in various states, such as that the character of which is [his] being Paramātmā and so on, is supreme in this regard as well [i.e., in regard to the aforementioned conclusion that direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of the Supreme Entity (Parama-tattva) manifest with clear specificity as Bhagavān is superior to direct perception of the Supreme Entity manifest without clear specificity as Brahman]. (1) Although this is so and direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of other inherent qualities of his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] is [accepted to be] supreme [since direct perception of him is in general accepted to be supreme], direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of the particular quality of priyatva [i.e., ‘dearness’] of he [i.e., Bhagavān] who by nature is the object of unconditional prīti, is considered the supreme-most [i.e., although direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of the Supreme Entity (Parama-tattva) with clear specificity as Bhagavān is considered to be supreme, this is a general understanding, and more specifically, direct perception of Bhagavān’s inherent quality of priyatva, that is, the direct perception of him known by terms such as prīti, prema, bhakti, rati, and bhāva, wherein he is directly perceived specifically on the basis of his inherent nature of being the ultimate object of unconditional prīti, is the supreme-most direct perception of him]. (2) By that prīti [i.e., by such direct perception of him] alone the absolute cessation of suffering also occurs [i.e., even direct perception of him does not lead to the absolute cessation of suffering if it is devoid of the nature of prīti]. (3) Without this prītī, direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of his nature (svarūpa) [i.e., his nature in general] and his other qualities does not occur [i.e., Bhagavān’s true nature and qualities are not perceived without prīti]. (4) In whomever this [prīti] is present, that [i.e., direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of his nature (svarūpa) and other qualities] certainly occurs. (5) As far as there is attainment of prīti [alt., as far as the wealth of prīti is present], so far exactly there is attainment of that [i.e., of direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of his nature (svarūpa) and other qualities]. (6) In one in whom attainment [of prīti] is [in the process of] occurring, and in one in whom it has been attained, that [i.e., direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of his nature (svarūpa) and other qualities] manifests to a [comparatively] greater extent [respectively, i.e., that direct perception manifests somewhat in one in whom the attainment of prīti is still in the process of occurring, and it manifests more so in one in whom the attainment of prīti has already occurred].”
tad etat sarvam api yuktam eva
tad etat sarvam api yuktam eva | parama-sukhaṁ khalu bhagavatas tad-guṇa-vṛndasya ca svarūpam | sukhaṁ ca nirupādhi-prīty-āspadam | tatas tad-anubhave prīter eva mukhyatvam iti | tasmāt puruṣeṇa saiva sarvadānveṣitavyeti puruṣa-prayojanatvaṁ tatraiva paramatamam iti sthitam |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 1)
“Therefore [i.e., because of the six aforementioned characteristics of prīti], all of this too is certainly appropriate [i.e., it is certainly true that direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of the Supreme Entity (Parama-tattva) manifest with clear specificity as Bhagavān is the supreme puruṣārtha]. [Moreover,] The nature (svarūpa) of Bhagavān and his qualities is verily supreme happiness, and happiness is the object of unconditional prīti. Therefore, in experience of him [i.e., Bhagavān], prīti alone has primacy [i.e., prīti is the primary cause, means, and feature of experiencing him]. Therefore, it [i.e., prīti] alone is always to be sought out by a living being, and thus it alone is established as being the supreme-most aim of a living being [i.e., although mokṣa is generally accepted as the supreme puruṣārtha and it is mokṣa in the form of direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of the Supreme Entity (Parama-tattva) manifest with clear specificity as Bhagavān that is the actual supreme puruṣārtha, prīti for Bhagavān is the primary cause, means, and feature of such direct perception of Bhagavān and thus prīti for Bhagavān is the supreme-most puruṣārtha].”
kasyaikāntaṁ sukham upanataṁ duḥkham ekāntato vā
kasyaikāntaṁ sukham upanataṁ duḥkham ekāntato vā |
nīcair gacchati upari ca daśā cakranemi-krameṇa ||
(Kālidāsa’s Megha-dūta: 106)
“Who has experienced constant happiness or constant suffering? [No one.] One’s condition goes up and down like the movement of the rim of a wheel.”
yo vai bhūmā tat sukhaṁ, nālpe sukham asti
yo vai bhūmā tat sukhaṁ, nālpe sukham asti |
bhūmaiva sukhaṁ, bhūmā tv eva vijijñāsitavya iti bhūmānaṁ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti ||
(Chāndogya Upaniṣad: 7.23.1)
[Sanat Kumāra]: “That which is infinite is happiness. There is no happiness in the finite [i.e., the minute, alt., the trifling]. Only the infinite is happiness. Indeed the infinite should be desired to be known in detail.” [Nārada:] “O venerable one, I desire to know the infinite in detail.”