yadaivam etena viveka-hetinā
māyāmayāhaṅkaraṇātma-bandhanam |
chittvācyutātmānubhavo’vatiṣṭhate
tam āhur ātyantikam aṅga samplavam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.4.34; cited in Paramātma Sandarbha: 84)
“O King! When in this way the ātma’s [i.e., the self’s] bondage—the notion of ‘I’ constituted of māyā—is cut away with the sword of discernment and one is situated in unwavering experience of the Ātmā, then that is called absolute dissolution [i.e., mukti].”
vyarthayārthehayā vittaṁ pramattasya vayo balam |
kuśalā yena sidhyanti jaraṭhaḥ kiṁ nu sādhaye ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.23.25)
“Wealth, youth, and strength, by which the wise attain perfection—my bewildered self has lost these because of meaningless endeavors for wealth. Now, in old age, what can I attain?”
tvaṁ tu sarvaṁ parityajya snehaṁ svajana-bandhuṣu |
mayy āveśya manaḥ samyak sama-dṛg vicarasva gām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.7.6; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 66)
[Kṛṣṇa:] “But you [i.e., O Uddhava] should completely forsake all affection for relatives and friends, fully absorb your mind in me, and, being of equal vision, wander the earth.”
atha viśveśa viśvātman viśva-mūrte svakeṣu me |
sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi dṛḍhaṁ pāṇḍuṣu vṛṣṇiṣu ||
tvayi me’nanya-viṣayā matir madhu-pate’sakṛt |
ratim udvahatād addhā gaṅgevaugham udanvati ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.8.41–42)
[Kuntī Devī to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “Now, O Lord of the universe, O Giver of consciousness to the universe, O Form of the universe, please cut these strong bonds of affection of mine for my relatives, the Pāṇḍavas and Vṛṣṇis [i.e., not my affection for them based on their endearment to you, but that affection which is based on bodily relationships and causes bondage; you are always attentive to their welfare, so why should I unnecessarily spend my life worrying about them?] O Madhupati, may my mind, having no other object [i.e., no thought of anything except you and your bhaktas], continuously [i.e., without cessation, or, without regard for obstacles] carry forth rati for you, just as the Gaṅgā carries forth its stream [i.e., its water, towards the ocean, disregarding all obstacles in its path].”
vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra jagad-guro |
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād apunar bhava-darśanam ||
janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān |
naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai tvām akiñcana-gocaram ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.8.25–26)
“[Kuntī Devī to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] O Guru of the universe, let those dangers occur constantly everywhere in the midst of which shall occur the sight of you, by virtue of which the sight of material existence again does not! A person swelling with conceit as a result of birth, capability, learning, or beauty is never fit to speak of you, who are attainable [only] by the disinterested [i.e., those who foster no attachment to anything of the world].”
tat te’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam |
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.14.8)
“One who can perceive your grace fully and properly, endure the reactions to one’s own past actions, and live on offering obeisance unto you with mind, body, and words is an heir to the plane of mukti [i.e., freedom from ignorance and engagement in your eternal service].”
vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam |
brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.11)
“Knowers of the Tattva say that which is non-dual consciousness and is called Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān is the Tattva.”
yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam
adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatāṁ tamo’ndham |
saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyaṁ
taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.3)
“I take shelter in him, Vyāsa’s son, the guru of the sages [i.e., he who spoke instructions even in the presence of his gurus Nārada and Vyāsa], who compassionately spoke for saṁsārīs [i.e., people of all times] desiring to completely cross over the blinding darkness [i.e., avidyā] this confidential Purāṇa [i.e., Śrīmad Bhāgavatam], which is self-endowed with magnificence [i.e., which conveys the supremacy of rasa and is the cause of Śukadeva being most exalted among all the sages], the essence of all the Śrutis [alt., the essence of all that can be heard], unparalleled, and the illuminator of the higher self.”
sei kṛṣṇa sei gopī—parama virodha |
acintya-caritra prabhura—ati sudurbodha ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.17.304)
“He is Kṛṣṇa, and he is a gopī [i.e., Rādhā]—this is completely contradictory. Prabhu’s character is inconceivable—it is extremely difficult to understand.”
jñānaṁ viśuddhaṁ paramārtham ekam
anantaraṁ tv abahir brahma satyam |
pratyak praśāntaṁ bhagavac-chabda-saṁjñaṁ
yad vāsudevaṁ kavayo vadanti ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.12.11)
“The wise say that satya [i.e., reality] is completely pure consciousness [i.e., consciousness beyond the guṇas]—the supreme object [i.e., that from which mokṣa and so forth are attained]—singular [i.e., non-dual] and without interior and without exterior [i.e. all-pervading]; [it is known as] Brahman [i.e., the complete and undifferentiated object sought by jñānīs]; [it is known as] that which is [situated] in the interior [of all living beings] and tranquil [i.e., the Paramātmā, sought by yogīs]; [that which is] identified by the term Bhagavān [by bhaktas], and [known to be] Vāsudeva [i.e., is ultimately Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vāsudeva.”
