bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ
govindaṁ bhaja mūḍha-mate |
samprāpte sannihite kāle
na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṇe ||
(Moha-mudgara-stotram: 1)
“Serve Govinda, serve Govinda,
Serve Govinda, O fool!
When the time of death arrives,
Rules of grammar do not save you.”
vedānta-vākya-kusuma-grathanārthatvāt sūtrāṇām |
(Śārīraka-bhāṣya of Śaṅkarācārya on Vedānta-sūtra: 1.1.2)
“The purpose of the sūtras is tying together the flowers of the statements of the Vedānta [i.e., the Upaniṣads].”
upāsanaṁ tu yathā-śāstra-samarthitaṁ kiñcid ālambanam upādāya tasmin samāna-citta-vṛtti-santāna-karaṇaṁ tad-vilakṣaṇa-pratyayāntaritam … |
(Śaṅkarācārya’s bhāṣya on Chāndogya Upaniṣād: 1.1.1)
“Upāsanā means taking up some basis [i.e., object of meditation] as established by śāstra and maintaining a continuous flow of a singular course of thought (citta-vṛtti) [in regard to it] that is protected from thought distinct from it.”
yathā-śāstram upāsyasya arthasya viṣayīkaraṇena sāmīpyam upagamya taila-dhārāvat samāna-pratyaya-pravāheṇa dīrgha-kālaṁ yat āsanaṁ tat upāsanam ācakṣate |
(Śaṅkarācārya’s ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 12.3)
“Approaching the proximity of the entity to be worshipped as per the śāstra by making it an object and dwelling [upon it] for a long time with a flow of singular thought like a stream of oil—this is called upāsana.”
śāstrasya guru-vākyasya satya-buddhy-avadhāraṇam |
sā śraddhā kathitā sadbhir yayā vastūpalabhyate ||
(Viveka-cūḍāmaṇi: 25)
“Affirmation [alt., determination, or acceptance] through discernment of the truthfulness of the statements of the guru and śāstra—this is said by the wise to be śraddhā, and by it Reality is perceived.”
bālas tāvat krīḍā-saktaḥ
taruṇas tāvat taruṇī-saktaḥ |
vṛddhas tāvac cintā-saktaḥ
pare brahmaṇi ko’pi na saktaḥ ||
(Moha-mudgara-stotram: 7)
“As a child, one is absorbed in play. As a youth, one is absorbed in young women. As an elder, one is absorbed in worry. No one is absorbed in Parabrahman.”
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.”
dina-yāminyau sāyam prātaḥ
śiśira-vasantau punar āyātaḥ |
kālaḥ krīḍati gacchaty āyus
tad api na muñcaty āśā-vāyuḥ ||
(Moha-mudgāra-stotram: 12)
“Day and night, dusk and dawn,
winter and spring revolve.
Time plays on, and life passes away.
Still, the wind of desire does not let up.”
kālena pādaṁ labhate tathārthaṁ
tataś ca pādaṁ guru-yogataś ca |
utsāha-yogena ca pādam ṛcchec
chāstreṇa ca pādaṁ ca tato’bhiyāti ||
(Mahābhārata: Udyoga-parva, 44.16)
“A student acquires one-fourth in time, one-fourth by association with the guru, one-fourth by his own enthusiasm and endeavor, and one-fourth by discussion.”
tasmai sa vidvān upasannāya samyak
praśānta-cittāya śamānvitāya |
yenākṣaraṁ puruṣaṁ veda satyaṁ
provāca tāṁ tattvato brahma-vidyām ||
(Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: 1.2.13)
“To him of tranquil mind endowed with repose who has approached properly, that knower [of Brahman, i.e., the guru] should teach exactly that knowledge of Brahman by which the true imperishable Puruṣa is known.”
