śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ |
hṛdy antaḥstho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.17; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 12)
“Situated internally, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Well-Wisher of the sat, he of whom hearing and praising are purifying, completely washes away vices in the hearts of those who hear narrations of himself.”
so’yam upadeśo buddhy-arthaḥ | sarvatra tadīyatva-jñānārthaḥ pādavat | pādo’sya viśvā bhūtāni ity atra yathā viśvasya bhagavat-pādatvopadeśas tadvat | evaṁ hi dveṣa-nihīnaṁ manas tat-pravaṇaṁ bhavati | na caivaṁ rāga-prāptir nihīnatva-buddher bādhakatvāt |
(Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 3.2.34)
“This teaching [i.e., the teaching Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1, ‘All of this is verily Brahman’ (sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ Brahma)] is for the sake of understanding, that is, for the sake of awareness of belongingness to him (tadīyatva) in everything, like [his] foot, that is, as there is a teaching of the universe’s being the foot of Bhagavān here [in Ṛg-veda 10.90.3], ‘The existent universes are his foot.’ In this way completely free from enmity, the mind becomes intent upon him [i.e., on Bhagavān]. Also in this way [i.e., also by means of the aforementioned teaching that everything belongs to him] an occurrence of attachment (rāga) [to the universe in which one is situated, or anything within it] does not occur because of the annulling of that by understanding of the utter inferiority [of sāṁsārika existence and everything within it in comparison to Śrī Bhagavān himself].”
ātma-nindā kari laila prabhura śaraṇa |
kṛpā karibāre tabe prabhura haila mana ||
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.6.201)
“He [i.e., Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭāchārya] rebuked himself and took shelter of Prabhu. Prabhu then decided to bestow grace [upon him].”
janayitvā vairāgyaṁ guṇair nibadhnāti modayan bhaktān |
yas tair baddho’pi guṇair anurajyati so’stu me hariḥ preyān ||
(Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 3.4.52)
“May Hari—
He who produces non-attachment (vairāgya) in,
Delights in,
And binds [his] bhaktas with [his] qualities,
And [who] also becomes bound
And delighted by their qualities—
Be my beloved.”
na vinā sādhanair devo jñāna-vairāgya-bhaktibhiḥ |
dadāti sva-padaṁ śrīmān atas tāni budhaḥ śrayet ||
(Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 3.1.1)
“Without the means (sādhanas) of knowledge (jñāna), non-attachment (vairāgya), and devotion (bhakti), blessed Deva does not grant his own abode [alt., his feet, to anyone]. Therefore, the wise shall take shelter in those [i.e., in the sādhanas of jñāna, vairāgya, and bhakti].”
vyāmohāya carācarasya jagatas te te purāṇāgamās
tāṁ tām eva hi devatāṁ paramikāṁ jalpantu kalpāvadhi |
siddhānte punar eka eva bhagavān viṣṇuḥ samastāgama-
vyāpāreṣu vivecana-vyatikaraṁ nīteṣu niścīyate ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 5.97.27; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.107; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.4.142; Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.2.53; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.142)
“Let the various Purāṇas and Āgamas chatter about the [supposed] supremacy of various devatās for the sake of deluding the world of moving and stationary beings to the end of the kalpa. When, however, the expressions of all the Āgamas are brought into conjoint examination, then, in accord with their siddhānta, one alone, Bhagavān Viṣṇu, is ascertained [to be supreme].”
anādy-avidyā-yuktasya puruṣasyātma-vedanam |
svato na sambhavād anyas tattvajño jñānado bhavet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.22.10)
“Knowledge of self shall not come about on its own for a living being beset with beginningless ignorance. [Therefore,] Another, a Knower of the reality and Bestower of [that] knowledge, shall be [i.e., must exist and also bestow that knowledge upon the jīva].”
bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām |
bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā śvapākān api sambhavāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.14.21; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.602; Bhakti Sandarbha: 147, 241; Prīti Sandarbha: 1; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.135)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] I, the Self—the Beloved—of the sat, am attainable by means of one-pointed bhakti with śraddhā. Bhakti fixed upon me purifies even dog-cookers of their birth.”
na sādhayati māṁ yogo na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava |
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo yathā bhaktir mamorjitā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.14.20; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.601; Bhakti Sandarbha: 78, 103, 147, 327; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.134)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] O Uddhava, neither yoga, nor sāṅkhya, nor dharma, nor study, nor austerity, nor renunciation cause attainment of me like powerful bhakti to me [does].”
na hy aṅgopakrame dhvaṁso mad-dharmasyoddhavāṇv api |
mayā vyavasitaḥ samyaṅ nirguṇatvād anāśiṣaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.20; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.527; Rāga-vartma-candrikā: 1.12)
“Indeed, O Uddhava, there is certainly no loss even slightly in an undertaking of dharma related to me that is without interest in benedictions since it is determined to be proper by me on account of [its] being beyond the guṇas.”
