yat-prīṇanād barhiṣi deva-tiryaṅ-
manuṣya-vīrut-tṛṇam āviriñcāt |
prīyeta sadyaḥ sa ha viśva-jīvaḥ
prītaḥ svayaṁ prītim agād gayasya ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.15.13)
“He because of whose pleasure the devas, animals. human beings, and plants beginning with Brahmā immediately become pleased, [he who is] the very life of the universe, [and] pleasure himself [i.e., the very embodiment of pleasure], became pleased at the sacrifice of [King] Gaya.”
yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena
tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ |
prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ
tathaiva sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.31.14)
“As the trunks, branches, and sub-branches of a tree are all satiated by watering the root thereof, and as [satiation] of the sense organs comes about as a result of an offering [of food] to the vital air, so exactly honoring of all [beings] comes about by worship of Acyuta.”
bhakti-viśeṣa-mātreṇaivodaya-viśeṣa-niyamāt |
(Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 149)
“[Kṛṣṇa became the son of Droṇa and Dharā] Because of the rule that a particular manifestation [of him] is a result of a particular [corresponding] form of bhakti.”
evaṁ sva-citte svata eva siddha
ātmā priyo’rtho bhagavān anantaḥ |
taṁ nirvṛto niyatārtho bhajeta
saṁsāra-hetūparamaś ca yatra ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.2.6; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 2)
“As such [i.e., being detached from mundanity], resolute and fulfilled, one should engage in worship of him [Hari], [since he is] self-existent within one’s own consciousness, the Self, beloved, real, glorious, and without end, wherein [i.e., within such worship] there is cessation of the cause of saṁsāra and so forth [i.e., attainment of him.”
yathā hi bhagavān ekaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇo bahu-mūrtibhiḥ |
bahu-sthāneṣu varteta tathā tat-sevakā vayam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.52)
“Just as Bhagavān, the one Śrī Kṛṣṇa, exists with many forms in many places [i.e., just as he exists simultaneously in multiple places in different forms], so do we, [since we are] his servants.”
yasya śrī-bhagavat-prāptāv utkaṭecchā yato bhavet |
sa tatraiva labhetāmuṁ na tu vāso’sya lābha-kṛt ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.4.34)
[Prahlāda to Nārada:] “Where one may develop intense desire to attain Śrī Bhagavān, there itself [i.e., only there] one can attain him, and his residence, on the contrary, does not cause attainment [of him].”
sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyed bhagavad-bhāvam ātmanaḥ |
bhūtāni bhagavaty ātmany eṣa bhāgavatottamaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.45)
“One who can see the presence of one’s own Bhagavān [i.e., one’s Iṣṭadevatā] within all entities and [all] entities within the Bhagavān within oneself [i.e., within one’s Iṣṭadevatā] is a topmost bhāgavata.”
māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam |
na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.8.19)
[Kuntī Devī to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “Covered by the curtain of māyā, imperceptible to the ignorant, and immutable, you are not perceived by one of untrained eye just like an actor engaged in performance arts [is not really perceived properly by those untrained in appreciation of the arts].”
bhagavāṁs tāvad asādhāraṇa-svarūpaiśvarya-mādhuryas tattva-viśeṣaḥ | tatra svarūpaṁ paramānandaḥ, aiśvaryam asamordhvānanta-svābhāvika-prabhutā, mādhuryam asamordhvatayā sarva-manoharaṁ svābhāvika-rūpa-guṇa-līlādi-sauṣṭhavaṁ … |
(Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.12.11)
“Bhagavān specifically is that particular entity (tattva) who possesses extraordinary nature (svarūpa), capability (aiśvarya), and mellifluousness (mādhurya). In this regard, his nature (svarūpa) is supreme blissfulness, his capability (aiśvarya) is unparalleled and unending natural mastery, and his mellifluousness (mādhurya) is the excellence of his natural figure, qualities, līlās, and so forth, which are captivating to all on account of being unparalleled.”
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru |
mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyo’si me ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 18.65)
“Be of mind fixed on me, [be] my bhakta, [be] my worshipper. Offer obeisance to me. You will come to me alone. Truly, I promise you this, for you are dear to me.”
