sadācāraṁ vinā pāpena citte maline sati bhaktau pravṛttir api na syād |
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta-ṭīkā: 2.3.171)
“Without sadācāra, when the mind is contaminated by pāpa, then even inclination for bhakti cannot come about.”
rucim udvahatas tatra janasya bhajane hareḥ |
viṣayeṣu gariṣṭho’pi rāgaḥ prāyo vilīyate ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.254)
“For a person endowed with ruci there in bhajana of Hari, even the heaviest attachment to the sense objects largely dissolves.”
bhakti-nirdhūta-doṣāṇāṁ prasannojjvala-cetasām |
śrī-bhāgavata-raktānāṁ rasikāsaṅga-raṅgiṇām ||
jīvanī-bhūta-govinda-pāda-bhakti-sukha-śriyām |
premāntaraṅga-bhūtāni kṛtyāny evānutiṣṭhatām ||
bhaktānāṁ hṛdi rājantī saṁskāra-yugalojjvalā |
ratir ānanda-rūpaiva nīyamānā tu rasyatām ||
kṛṣṇādibhir vibhāvādyair gatair anubhavādhvani |
prauḍhānanda-camatkāra-kāṣṭhām āpadyate parām ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.7–10)
“In the hearts of bhaktas who have been purified by bhakti of all faults [e.g., attachment, aversion, delusion, etc.], whose hearts are clear [i.e., fit for the manifestation of higher pure existence (śuddha-sattva-viśeṣa)] and bright [i.e., all knowing by virtue of this manifestation], who cherish [tasting] Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, who rejoice in the company relishers of rasa, whose life is the wealth of the bliss of bhakti to the feet of Govinda, and who engage in all of prema’s natural activities—rati, which is bliss itself, appears bright as a result of the two types of saṁskāras [i.e., impressions in the citta made by pure bhakti in one’s previous births and one’s present birth], reaches the state of being relishable [i.e., of being rasa] on the pathway of perception on account of present vibhāvas and so forth [i.e., anubhāvas, sāttvika-bhāvas, vyabhichārī-bhāvas], beginning with Kṛṣṇa, and reaches the highest pinnacle of intense bliss and wonder [i.e., transforms into sneha, māna, praṇaya, anurāga, bhāva, and mahābhāva].”
nāmaikaṁ yasya vāci smaraṇa-patha-gataṁ śrotra-mūlaṁ gataṁ vā
śuddhaṁ vāśuddha-varṇaṁ vyavahita-rahitaṁ tārayaty eva satyam |
tac ced deha-draviṇa-janatā-lobha-pāṣaṇḍa-madhye
nikṣiptaṁ syān na phala-janakaṁ śīghram evātra vipra ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 3.48.24 or 4.25.24; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.527; Bhakti Sandarbha: 153, 265; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.3.60)
“Be it with proper or improper [pronunciation of] syllables, one name [of Bhagavān] without separation [alt., or even with separation of its syllables] which has entered one’s speech, path of remembrance, or the base of the ears certainly delivers [a living being]. This is certainly true. If that [i.e., the name of Bhagavān] should be cast down among those who are heretical out of greed related to the body, wealth, or people, [however,] O brāhmaṇa, it certainly does not become fruitful quickly here.”
ākṛṣṭiḥ kṛta-cetasāṁ sumahatām uccāṭanaṁ cāṁhasām
ācaṇḍālam amūka-loka-sulabho vaśyaś ca mukti-śriyaḥ |
no dīkṣāṁ na ca dakṣiṇāṁ na ca puraścaryāṁ manāg īkṣate
mantro’yaṁ rasanā-spṛg eva phalati śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmātmakaḥ ||
(Lakṣmīdhara; cited in Padyāvalī: 29; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.15.112)
“This mantra consisting of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name attracts [even] the highly exalted of purified mind, dispels [even] extremely severe sins, is easily available to [all] people who are not mute, including [even] caṇḍālas, controls the fortune of mukti, does not consider dīkṣā, donations, or prepartory rites (puraścaryā) in the least, and bears fruit just by touching the tongue.”
viṣṇor nāmaiva puṁsāḥ śamalam apaharat puṇyam utpādayac ca
brahmādi-sthāna-bhogād viratim atha guroḥ śrī-pada-dvandva-bhaktim |
tattva-jñānaṁ ca viṣṇor iha mṛti-janana-bhrānti-bījaṁ ca dagdhvā
saṁpūrṇānanda-bodhe mahati ca puruṣaṁ sthāpayitvā nivṛttam ||
(Vyāsapāda; cited in Padyāvalī: 24)
“Only Viṣṇu’s name removes impurity and produces meritorious action, detachment from enjoyment of the positions of Brahmā and so forth, bhakti to the two beautiful feet of guru, and knowledge of the nature of Viṣṇu; [only Viṣṇu’s name] burns away the seed [i.e., cause] of revolving in birth and death here [in this world], establishes a person in deep awareness of complete bliss [in the service of Śrī Viṣṇu], and [finally, seeing its work complete,] retires [i.e., manifests in the form of its bearer, Viṣṇu].”
yatraikāgrato tatrāviśeṣāt |
(Vedānta-sūtra: 4.1.11)
“[Where should one perform upāsana?] Where one-pointedness [of mind] occurs, because of [there being] no particulars in that regard [i.e., because śāstra gives no injunctions regarding where upāsana should be performed other than where the mind can become one-pointed].”
mana ekatra saṁyuñjyāj jita-śvāso jitāsanaḥ |
vairāgyābhyāsa-yogena dhriyamāṇam atandritaḥ ||
yasmin mano labdha-padaṁ yad etac
chanaiḥ śanair muñcati karma-reṇūn |
sattvena vṛddhena rajas tamaś ca
vidhūya nirvāṇam upaity anindhanam ||
tadaivam ātmany avaruddha-citto
na veda kiñcid bahir antaraṁ vā |
yatheṣu-kāro nṛpatiṁ vrajantam
iṣau gatātmā na viveda pārśve ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.9.11–13)
“Mastering one’s posture and [then] mastering one’s breath, fix the steadied mind in one place alertly through non-attachment and regulated practice. The mind in which a position is attained [i.e., a mind which has become fixed on its object] gradually gives up the dust of karma [i.e., the vāsanās produced by karma], by an increase of sattva shakes off rajas and tamas, and attains perfect repose (nirvāṇa) free from any kindling [i.e., any effects of the guṇas]. Then, in this way, the mind shut in upon the ātmā does not perceive anything external [e.g., sights] or internal [e.g., memories], just as an arrow-maker, his mind absorbed in [crafting] arrows, did not notice in the least a king passing beside him [with a large entourage playing kettle-drums].”
atho mahābhāga bhavān amogha-dṛk
śuci-śravāḥ satya-rato dhṛta-vrataḥ |
urukramasyākhila-bandha-muktaye
samādhinānusmara tad-viceṣṭitam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.5.13)
[Nārada to Vyāsa:] “Therefore, O most fortunate one, you who are of unerring vision, of pure glory, dedicated to truth, and of resolute vows, with full absorption (samādhi) should remember and describe the [illustrious] variegated acts of Urukrama for the liberation of all [beings] from bondage.”
śuddhiṁ śuddha-bhakti-vāsanā-rūpām |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 36)
“‘Purity’ (śuddhim) [as spoken of in SB 7.13.22] refers to inclination (vāsanā) for pure bhakti [to Bhagavān].”
