santoṣo vai svarga-tamaḥ santoṣaḥ paraṁ sukham |
tuṣṭer na kiñcit parataḥ sā samyak pratitiṣṭhati ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.21.2)
“Satisfaction is verily the highest Svarga. Satisfaction is the highest happiness. When that is fully established [in the mind], there is nothing more fulfilling.”
daridro yas tv asantuṣṭaḥ |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.19.44)
“One who is unsatisfied, however, is poor.”
yadṛcchā-lābha-tuṣṭasya tejo viprasya vardhate |
tat praśāmyaty asantoṣād ambhasevāśuśukṣaṇiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.19.26)
“[Vāmanadeva to Bali Mahārāja:] The potency of a brāhmaṇa who is satisfied with that which is attained of its own accord increases, and that [i.e., that potency] is extinguished because of dissatisfaction like fire by water.”
puṁso’yaṁ saṁsṛter hetur asantoṣo’rtha-kāmayoḥ |
yadṛcchayopapannena santoṣo muktaye smṛtaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.19.25)
“[Vāmanadeva to Bali Mahārāja:] This dissatisfaction with objects and enjoyment [of them] is the cause of a living being’s saṁsāra, and satisfaction with that which is attained of its own accord is known to lead to mukti.”
santoṣo’laṁ-buddhiḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.16.27)
“Satisfaction is the sense of enough [i.e., of there being sufficiency].”
ei se vaiṣṇava-dharma sabāre praṇati |
sei dharma-dhvajī yāra ithe nāhi rati ||
(Caitanya-bhāgavata: 3.3.29)
“Offering obeisances to everyone—this is Vaiṣṇava-dharma. One who has no affinity for this is [just] a dharma–flag-bearer [i.e., a pseudo follower of dharma who merely makes a show of following it but actually does not follow it at all].”
uttama hañā vaiṣṇava habe nirabhimāna |
jīve sammāna dibe jāni’ kṛṣṇa-adhiṣṭhāna ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.20.25)
“Although exalted, a Vaiṣṇava should be prideless and give respect to all jīvas, knowing them to be dwelling places of Kṛṣṇa.”
santuṣṭyā manaḥ |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.5.4)
“The mind is purified by contentment.”
harau ratiṁ vahann eṣa narendrāṇāṃ śikhāmaṇiḥ |
bhikṣām aṭann ari-pure śvapākam api vandate ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.3.33)
“Holding rati for Hari [in his heart], this crest jewel among kings [i.e., Bhagīratha Mahārāja] went to beg alms at the homes of enemies and bowed down even to outcastes [lit., dog-cookers].”
dharmārtham api neheta yātrārthaṁ vādhano dhanam |
anīhānīhamānasya mahāher iva vṛttidā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.15.15)
“A person devoid of wealth should not desire [alt., endeavor for] wealth even for the sake of dharma or one’s sustenance. Desirelessness [alt., non-endeavoring] [itself] provides the livelihood of one who is desireless [alt., non-endeavoring], as it does for a large snake [i.e., python].”
