nāradāham idaṁ manye tādṛśānāṁ yataḥ sthitiḥ |
bhavet sa eva vaikuṇṭho loko nātra vicāraṇā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.3.60)
“O Nārada, this I consider: wherever there is the presence of those who are such [i.e., who are bhaktas of Śrī Bhagavān as described earlier in BB 1.3.55–58], that itself shall be Vaikuṇṭha-loka. There is no [need of] deliberation in this regard [i.e., there is no doubt about it].”
tac chrūtvācintayaṁ brahman vaiśyatve syāt sukhaṁ mahat |
prabhor eṣāṁ ca viprāṇāṁ tad-bhaktānām upāsanāt ||
eṣāṁ yajñaika-niṣṭhānām aikyenāvaśyake nije jape ca |
sad-gurūddiṣṭe māndyaṁ syād dṛṣṭa-sat-phale |
tatas tān anumānyāham anaṅgīkṛtya vipratām |
tatrāvasaṁ svato jāta-prājāpatya-mahāsukhaiḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.2.56–58)
“Hearing that [i.e., the instruction of the great ṛṣis in Maharloka to become a brāhmaṇa and perform worship of the Lord of the universe by means of fire sacrifice (yajña) as is done by these ṛṣis in Maharloka], O brāhmaṇa, I thought, ‘Greater joy shall come about by being a vaiśya [rather than a brāhmaṇa] because of [the] worship [a vaiśya and not a brāhmaṇa can perform] of Prabhu and these brāhmaṇas [here in Maharloka] who are his bhaktas. Also, slacking in regard to my own japa, which is imperative, which was taught [to me] by a genuine guru, and which has had genuine observable results, shall arise as a result oneness with those of singular fixity upon yajña [i.e., if I were to become one of these brāhmaṇas who engage solely in yajña].’ Therefore, honoring them [i.e., the brāhmaṇas of Maharloka] but not accepting brāhmaṇahood (vipratā), I dwelled there in the great joy manifested of its own accord among the Prajāpatis [i.e., among Bhṛgu and the other sages of Maharloka].”
na me priyaś caturvedī mad-bhaktaḥ śvapacaḥ priyaḥ |
tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ sa ca pūjyo yathā hy aham ||
(Itihāsa-samuccaya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.127; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.19.50, 2.20.58)
“[Śrī Bhagavān:] A caturvedī [i.e., a brāhmaṇa versed in the four Vedas] is not dear to me [if they are not my bhakta]. [Even] A dog-cooker who is my bhakta [however] is dear [to me]. Give [charity, etc.] to him [i.e., such a bhakta] and accept [prasāda, etc.] from him since he is also worshipable as I am.”
śvapākam iva nekṣeta loke vipram avaiṣṇavam |
vaiṣṇavo varṇa-bāhyo’pi punāti bhuvana-trayam ||
na śūdrā bhagavad-bhaktās te tu bhāgavatā matāḥ |
sarva-varṇeṣu te śūdrā ye na bhaktā janārdane ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.164–165; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455; Bhakti Sandarbha: 247)
“Like a dog-cooker [is not to be looked at], one should not look at a non-Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa in this world. Even a Vaiṣṇava outside the varṇas [i.e., who does not belong to any of the four varṇas] purifies the three worlds. Bhaktas of Bhagavān are not śūdras. Rather, they are accepted as Bhāgavatas [i.e., to belong to Śrī Bhagavān and not to any caste]. Among all the varṇas, they are śūdras who are not bhaktas of Janārdana.”
śūdraṁ vā bhagavad-bhaktaṁ niṣādaṁ śvapacaṁ tathā |
vīkṣate jāti-sāmānyāt sa yāti narakaṁ dhruvam ||
(Itihāsa-samuccaya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.119; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455)
“One who sees a bhakta of Bhagavān to be a śūdra, tribesman (niṣāda), or dog-cooker [i.e., outcaste] because of commonality in caste (jāti) certainly goes to Naraka.”
yan-nāmadheya-śravaṇānukīrtanād
yat-prahvaṇād yat-smaraṇād api kvacit |
śvādo’pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate
kutaḥ punas te bhagavan nu darśanāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.33.6)
“O Bhagavān by hearing and repeating whose name, by bowing down to whom, and by even occasionally remembering whom, even a dog-eater immediately becomes eligible for savana, what more occurs by [having] the sight of you?”
taj janma tāni karmāṇi tad āyus tan mano vacaḥ |
nṝṇāṁ yena hi viśvātmā sevyate harir īśvaraḥ ||
kiṁ janmabhis tribhir veha śaukra-sāvitra-yājñikaiḥ |
karmabhir vā trayī-proktaiḥ puṁso’pi vibudhāyuṣā ||
śrutena tapasā vā kiṁ vacobhiś citta-vṛttibhiḥ |
buddhyā vā kiṁ nipuṇayā balenendriya-rādhasā ||
kiṁ vā yogena sāṅkhyena nyāsa-svādhyāyayor api |
kiṁ vā śreyobhir anyaiś ca na yatrātma-prado hariḥ ||
śreyasām api sarveṣām ātmā hy avadhir arthataḥ |
sarveṣām api bhūtānāṁ harir ātmātmadaḥ priyaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.31.9–13; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 51, 101)
“That is a birth, those are actions, that is a life, that is mind and [that is] is speech on the part of human beings whereby Hari, Īśvara, the Self of the universe, is worshiped. Here [in this world], what [is the use] of the three births—the seminal (śaukra), the sāvitra [i.e., the second birth brought about by dīkṣā into the sāvitra-mantra and investiture with the sacred thread, viz., the upanayana-saṁskāra], and the sacrificial (yājñika) [i.e., the third birth brought about by dīkṣā into the performance of a particular Vedic sacrifice (yajña)], what [is the use] of the rites prescribed in the three [Vedas], what [is the use] of even the lifespan of a deva for a human being, what [is the use] of hearing, austerity, words, and states of mind, what [is the use] of sharp intellect, [physical] strength, and acuity of the senses, what [is the use] of yoga [i.e., aṣṭāṅga-yoga], sāṅkhya [i.e., discrimination between the body and self], sannyāsa, and even study, and what [is the use] of any other means of benefit (śreyas) [e.g., vows (vratas), non-attachment (vairāgya), etc.] whereby Hari does not become a bestower of the Self [alt., himself]? In reality, the Self specifically is the culmination even of all means of benefit, and Hari is the Self, the Bestower of the Self, and the Beloved even of all beings.”
viṣṇu-bhakti-vihīnā ye caṇḍālāḥ parikīrtitāḥ |
caṇḍālā api vai śreṣṭhā hari-bhakti-parāyaṇāḥ ||
(Bṛhan Nāradīya Purāṇa: 1.37.12; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.153; Bhakti Sandarbha: 100)
“Those who are devoid of Viṣṇu-bhakti are declared outcastes (caṇḍālas). Even outcastes (caṇḍālas) who are devoted to Hari-bhakti are exalted.”
saṅkīrṇa-yonayaḥ pūtā ye bhaktā madhusūdane |
mleccha-tulyāḥ kulīnās te ye na bhaktā janārdane ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.129)
“Those of mixed caste who are bhaktas of Madhusūdana are pure. Those who are of noble family but not bhaktas of Janārdana are equal to mlecchas [i.e., those of the very lowest caste].”
brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyaḥ vaiśyaḥ śūdro vā yadi vetaraḥ |
viṣṇu-bhakti-samāyukto jñeyaḥ sarvottamottamaḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.106; Bhakti Sandarbha: 100)
“If a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or anyone otherwise is fully endowed with Viṣṇu-bhakti, they are to be known as the best of the best of all.”
