Bābāra Kathā

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.”

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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.”

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tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ |
tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ
kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.5.18)

“A wise person should endeavor for the sake of that which is not attained by those [jīvas] wandering above [up to Brahmaloka] and below [down into inanimate lifeforms], as [sensual] happiness is otherwise attained [as a result of one’s previous karma] everywhere [throughout saṁsāra, even in Naraka], just like suffering, as a result of the deep force of time.”

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jano janasyādiśate’satīṁ gatiṁ

jano janasyādiśate’satīṁ gatiṁ
yayā prapadyeta duratyayaṁ tamaḥ |
tvaṁ tv avyayaṁ jñānam amogham añjasā
prapadyate yena jano nijaṁ padam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.24.51)

[Satyavrata Rāja to Matsya Avatāra:] “A person [i.e., a worldly guru] teaches the unrighteous path [i.e., the pursuit of artha, kāma, and so on] whereby a person shall attain to unsurmountable darkness [i.e., saṁsāra], but you [appear in the form of the guru and] teach imperishable and unerring knowledge whereby a person quickly attains your own abode [alt., your own feet].”

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yo vakti nyāya-rahitam anyāyena śṛṇoti yaḥ

yo vakti nyāya-rahitam anyāyena śṛṇoti yaḥ |
tāv ubhau narakaṁ ghoraṁ vrajataḥ kālam akṣayam ||
(Nārada Pañcarātra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.101; Bhakti Sandarbha: 238)

“Both one who speaks devoid of rule [i.e., instructs things that are contrary to the intent of the śāstra] and one who listens devoid of rule [i.e., follows things that are contrary to the intent of the śāstra] proceed to a dark hell for unlimited time.”

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yāvat pāpais tu malinaṁ hṛdayaṁ tāvad eva hi

yāvat pāpais tu malinaṁ hṛdayaṁ tāvad eva hi |
na śāstre satya-buddhiḥ syāt sad-buddhiḥ sad-gurau tathā ||
aneka-janma-janita-puṇya-rāśi-phalaṁ mahat |
sat-saṅga-śāstra-śravaṇād eva premādi jāyate ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 1)

“As long as the heart is polluted by sins, conviction in the truthfulness of the śāstra and conviction in the truthfulness of a true guru does not come about. Prema and so forth, which are the ultimate result of the accumulation of merit [i.e., engagement in practices of bhakti] created over the course of many births, manifest only by hearing śāstra in the association of sādhus.”

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e saba-prasāde likhi caitanya-līlā-guṇa |

e saba-prasāde likhi caitanya-līlā-guṇa |

yaiche taiche likhi, kari āpana pāvana ||

(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.11.10)

“By the grace of them all [i.e., by the grace of Śrī Caitanya, Śrī Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, their bhaktas, and the six gosvāmīs in particular], I write about Caitanya’s līlā and qualities. Howsoever I write [i.e., as I write to the best of my ability, as meager and faulty as that may be], I [at least] purify myself.”

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prathamaṁ tu guruḥ pūjyaḥ tataś caiva mamārcanam

prathamaṁ tu guruḥ pūjyaḥ tataś caiva mamārcanam |
kurvan siddhim avāpnoti hy anyathā niṣphalaṁ bhavet ||
(Unknown source; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 4.344; Bhakti Sandarbha: 238)

[Bhagavān:] “By first worshipping guru and then worshipping me, one attains perfection, and otherwise, one’s worship becomes fruitless.”

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nāhi kā̐hāso virodha

nāhi kā̐hāso virodha, nāhi kā̐hā anurodha,
sahaja vastu kari vivecana |

yadi haya rāga-dveśa, tāhā̐ haya āveśa,
sahaja vastu nā yāya likhana ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.2.86)

“Neither out of opposition to anyone, nor in compliance to anyone, I discuss the fundamental subject-matter. If partiality or enmity arise and absorption in them occurs, then description of the fundamental subject is not possible.”

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ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā

ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā |
cakṣur unmilitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ ||
(Cited in Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.1.1; Prema-bhakti-candrikā: 1)

“Obeisance unto śrī-guru, he by whom my eyes, which were blinded by the cataract of ignorance, have been opened with the collyrium-wand of knowledge.”

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