na hy acyutaṁ prīṇayato bahv-āyāso’surātmajāḥ |
ātmatvāt sarva-bhūtānāṁ siddhatvād iha sarvataḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.6.19)
“[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] O sons of asuras! On account of [his] being the Self of all beings and [his] being present everywhere here [in this world], there is certainly no huge endeavor [required] for the sake of pleasing Acyuta.”
mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ puruṣasyāśramaiḥ saha |
catvāro jajñire varṇā guṇair viprādayaḥ pṛthak ||
ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād ātma-prabhavam īśvaram |
na bhajanty avajānanti sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.5.2; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 64, 97, 111, 115, 148)
“The four separate varṇas, brāhmaṇa and so forth, are born from the face, arms, thighs, and feet of the Puruṣa by means of the guṇas along with the [four] āśramas. Those [persons] among these [varṇas and āśramas] who do not worship and [thus] disrespect the Puruṣa himself, the Source of the self, Īśvara, become deviated from their position and fall down.”
tapasvino dāna-parā yaśasvino
manasvino mantra-vidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ |
kṣemaṁ na vindanti vinā yad-arpaṇaṁ
tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.4.17; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 115; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.20)
“‘Obeisance and obeisance unto he of most auspicious glory without offering to whom the ascetics, the charitable, the renowned, the meditators, the knowers of mantras, and the well-conducted attain no weal.’
atra pūrvaṁ sandarbha-catuṣṭayena sambandho vyākhyātaḥ | tatra pūrṇa-sanātana-paramānanda-lakṣaṇa-para-tattva-rūpaṁ sambandhi ca brahma paramātmā bhagavān iti tridhāvirbhāvatayā śabditam iti nirūpitam | tatra ca bhagavattvenaivāvirbhāvasya paramotkarṣaḥ pratipāditaḥ | prasaṅgena viṣṇv-ādyāś catuḥ-sanādyāś ca tad-avatārā darśitāḥ | sa ca bhagavān svayaṁ śrī-kṛṣṇa eveti nirdhāritam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 1)
“Here [i.e., in this Bhāgavata Sandarbha], previously, the sambandha [i.e., the relation of the referrer, viz., the text, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, with its referent, the subject of the text] has been explained in [the first] four sandarbhas. Therein, the sambandhin [i.e., the sambandhi-tattva, the bearer of a relation with the text] in form the Para-tattva, who is classified as complete, eternal, paramount bliss, was referred to as per his threefold manifestations of Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān, and thus ascertained. Further therein, the supreme excellence of his manifestation as Bhagavān was established and concomitantly his avatāras beginning with Viṣṇu and the four Kumāras were shown. Also, that he, Bhagavān himself (svayam), is Śrī Kṛṣṇa was determined.”
iha sambandhi-tattvaṁ brahmānandād api prakṛṣṭo rucira-līlā-vaśiṣṭaḥ śrīmān ajita eva | sa ca pūrṇatvena mukhyatayā śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṁjña eveti śrī-bādarāyaṇa-samādhau vyaktībhaviṣyati | tathā prayojanākhyaḥ puruṣārthaś ca tādṛśa-tad-āsakti-janakaṁ tal-līlā-śravaṇādi-lakṣaṇaṁ tad-bhajanam evety āyātam |
(Tattva Sandarbha: 29)
“Here [i.e., in this text], the sambandhi-tattva [i.e., the subject, lit., ‘the entity bearing a relation (sambandha) [with the text],’ meaning, the entity related to through the text] is Śrīman Ajita [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān], who is possessed of relishable līlā and superior even to the bliss of Brahman. That he, furthermore, is known primarily as Śrī Kṛṣṇa by virtue of completeness [i.e., by virtue of the completeness he manifests only in his aspect known as Śrī Kṛṣṇa] will be clarified in [the forthcoming discussion of] Śrī Bādarāyaṇa’s samādhi. So also, the puruṣārtha [i.e., ‘object of a human being’], known as the prayojana [i.e., aim], and worship of him [i.e., the abhidheya], the characteristic of which is hearing and so forth of his līlā that produces such attachment (āsakti) to him [i.e., that leads to attainment of the prayojana, namely, prema for him] are understood.”
athaivaṁ sūcitānāṁ śrī-kṛṣṇa-tad-vācya-vācakatā-lakṣaṇa-sambandha-tad-bhajana-lakṣaṇa-vidheya-saparyāyābhidheya-tat-prema-lakṣaṇa-prayojanākhyānām arthānāṁ nirṇayāya tāvat pramāṇaṁ nirṇīyate |
(Tattva Sandarbha: 9)
“Now, to ascertain the [four] topics thus indicated [in the preceding verse, i.e., yasya Brahmeti …], namely, (1) Śrī Kṛṣṇa [i.e., the subject], (2) the sambandha [i.e., the ‘relation’ of the text] with him the characteristic of which is [that of] referrer (vācakatā) and referent (vācya), (3) the abhidheya [i.e., ‘directive,’ lit., ‘that which is to be stated’], synonymous the with vidheya [i.e., ‘practice,’ lit., ‘that which is to be done’], the characteristic of which is worship (bhajana) of him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa], and (4) the prayojana [i.e., aim, lit., ‘that motivated by which one acts’] the characteristic of which is prema for him, first pramāṇa [i.e., the means of knowing] is ascertained.”
tvaṁ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-saroja
āsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nātha puṁsām |
yad yad dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti
tat tad vapuḥ praṇayase sad-anugrahāya ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.9.11; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 7.383; Bhagavat Sandarbha: 6, 40; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.3.111)
“[Brahmā to Śrī Bhagavān:] O Nātha! You, he the path to whom is seen by hearing, dwell in the lotus-hearts of living beings that have been purified by bhakti-yoga [alt., that have been made fit (for you) by virtue of prema]. O you of highest praise! [Alt., O you who are sung of in many ways!] Out of favor upon the sat, you bring forth that very form of yours which they distinctively meditate on [alt., visualize] with the mind.”
dvitīye tv abhidheyā śrī-bhaktiḥ premā prayojanam |
viṣayo bhagavān atrety artha-traya-nirūpaṇam ||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.1)
“(1) The abhidheya, beautiful bhakti, (2) the prayojana, prema, and (3) the subject, Bhagavān—here in this second chapter [of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam] there is a delineation of these three objects.”
yo mantraḥ sa guruḥ sākṣād yo guruḥ sa hariḥ svayam |
gurur yasya bhavet tuṣṭas tasya tuṣṭo hariḥ svayam ||
(Vāmana-kalpa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 4.353; Bhakti Sandarbha: 237)
“The mantra is directly the guru, and the guru is Hari himself. Hari himself is pleased with one with whom the guru shall be pleased.”
yasya deve ca mantre ca gurau triṣv api niścalā |
na vyavacchidyate buddhis tasya siddhir adūrataḥ ||
mantrātmā devatā jñeyā devatā guru-rūpiṇī |
teṣāṁ bhedo na kartavyo yadīcched iṣṭam ātmanaḥ ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 17.65–66)
“Success (siddhi) is not far off for one whose unwavering intention upon Deva, the mantra, and the guru is non-deterred. The Devatā is to be known as he who has a form as the mantra [used to worship him], and the Devatā is [to be known as] he who has a form as the guru [who teaches worship of himself]. A division between them is not to be made should one desire [to attain] one’s own desired object [i.e., should one desire to attain one’s cherished Devatā].”
