Conduct

nāhaṁ kāmān na saṁrambhān na dveṣān nārtha-kāraṇāt

nāhaṁ kāmān na saṁrambhān na dveṣān nārtha-kāraṇāt |
na hetuvādāl lobhād vā dharmaṁ jahyāṁ kathañcana ||
saṁprīti-bhojyāny annāni āpad-bhojyāni vā punaḥ |
na ca saṁprīyase rājan na cāpy āpad-gatā vayam ||
akasmād dviṣase rājañ janma-prabhṛti pāṇḍavān |
priyānuvartino bhrātṝn sarvaiḥ samuditān guṇaiḥ ||
akasmāc caiva pārthānāṁ dveṣaṇaṁ nopapadyate |
dharme sthitāḥ pāṇḍaveyāḥ kas tān kiṁ vaktum arhati ||
yas tān dveṣṭi sa māṁ dveṣṭi yas tān anu sa mām anu |
aikātmyaṁ māṁ gataṁ viddhi pāṇḍavair dharma-cāribhiḥ ||
kāma-krodhānuvartī hi yo mohād virurutsati |
guṇavantaṁ ca yo dveṣṭi tam āhuḥ puruṣādhamam ||
yaḥ kalyāṇa-guṇāñ jñātīn mohāl lobhād didṛkṣate |
so’jitātmājita-krodho na ciraṁ tiṣṭhati śriyām ||
atha yo guṇa-sampannān hṛdayasyāpriyān api |
priyeṇa kurute vaśyāṁś ciraṁ yaśasi tiṣṭhati ||
sarvam etan na bhoktavyam annaṁ duṣṭābhisaṁhitam |
kṣattur ekasya bhoktavyam iti me dhīyate matiḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.89.24–32)

“Neither out of desire, nor out of anger, nor out of enmity, nor for the sake of wealth (artha), nor because of a dispute, nor out of greed shall I ever forsake dharma. Foods are to be eaten out of affection or to be eaten [when] in distress. Neither are you affectionate, O King, nor are we beset with distress [and thus we will not accept your offering of foods]. O King, without cause, you hate the Pāṇḍavas, your brothers, who, since birth, have been amiable, compliant, and endowed with all virtues. Furthermore, hatred of the Pāṇḍavas without cause is not right. Who can say what against them—the Pāṇḍavas—who are fixed in dharma? One who hates them hates me. One who is with them is with me. Know me to be possessed of oneness of heart with the Pāṇḍavas, who are adherent to dharma. They say one who, acquiescing to desire (kāma) and anger out of delusion, hates and contends with a person endowed with virtue is the lowest of human beings. One of uncontrolled mind and uncontrolled anger who out of delusion and greed wishes to see relatives endowed with auspicious qualities does not remain in prosperity for long. Alternately, one who with kindness captivates even those endowed with virtue who are not dear to one’s heart long remains in eminence. All this food beset with sin is not fit to be eaten. The lone kṣattṛ’s [food] is fit to be eaten—this my judgement determines [to be the right course of action].”

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vartitavyaṁ śam-icchadbhir bhaktavan na tu kṛṣṇavat

vartitavyaṁ śam-icchadbhir bhaktavan na tu kṛṣṇavat |
ity evaṁ bhakti-śāstrāṇāṁ tātparyasya vinirṇayaḥ ||
rāmādivad vartitavyaṁ na kvacid rāvaṇādivat |
ity eṣa mukti-dharmādi-parāṇāṁ naya īryate ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 3.24–5)

“The bhakti-śāstra is to be followed as a bhakta, and not rather as Kṛṣṇa, by those who desire auspiciousness. This is the proper determination of the intent of the bhakti-śāstras. ‘One should act like Rāma and others [i.e., those of high character], and never like Rāvaṇa and others [i.e., those of condemnable character].’ This is said to be the proper conduct of those who seek mukti, dharma, and so on [but it is not the guideline for those who follow bhakti-śāstra].”

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vastreṇa vapuṣā vācā vidyayā vinayena ca

vastreṇa vapuṣā vācā vidyayā vinayena ca |
va-kāraiḥ pañcabhir hīnaḥ naro nāyāti gauravam ||
(Unknown Source)

“Cloth, figure, speech, knowledge, and good conduct—a person without these five v’s does not attain respect.”

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yā sādhūṁś ca khalān karoti viduṣo mūrkhān hitān dveṣiṇaḥ

yā sādhūṁś ca khalān karoti viduṣo mūrkhān hitān dveṣiṇaḥ
pratyakṣaṁ kurute parekṣam amṛtaṁ hālāhalaṁ tat-kṣaṇāt |
tām ārādhaya sat-kriyāṁ bhagavatīṁ bhoktuṁ phalaṁ vāñchitaṁ
he sādho vyasanair guṇeṣu vipuleṣv āsthāṁ vṛthā mā kṛthāḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 98)

“O sādhu! To attain your desired goal, worship the goddess of virtuous conduct, which makes the wicked good, the foolish wise, the inimical well-wishers, the invisible visible, and poison nectar in an instant. Do not in vain passionately put faith in numerous [other] qualities.”

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hari-bhaktiḥ kevalato vedānta-grantha-vācanābhyāsāt

hari-bhaktiḥ kevalato vedānta-grantha-vācanābhyāsāt
na bhaved yat pañcāṅge kadā kadā kutra vṛṣṭir iti |
tat koṣṭakaṁ sulikhitaṁ teṣāṁ puñjān na caika jala-binduḥ
tadvad bhakti-prāptau tad-ukta-guṇa-bhāk svayaṁ bhūyāt ||
(Sūkti-muktāvalī)

“Hari-bhakti does not manifest just by studying statements in texts on Vedānta, just as not even a drop of water falls from the multitudes of cells in a finely composed pañcāṅga [i.e., almanac] which state when and where there will be rain. To attain bhakti, one must become personally endowed with the stated qualities thereof [i.e., attaining bhakti is not a matter of simply reading and accumulating knowledge of it but rather requires [in additon to acquring proper knowledge of it] that one’s heart, mind, and conduct all become completely pervaded by it and all that is contrary to it be purged therewith].”

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muhūrtam api jīveta naraḥ śuklena karmaṇā

muhūrtam api jīveta naraḥ śuklena karmaṇā |
na kalpam api kṛṣṇena loka-dvaya-virodhinā ||
(Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍārgāra)

“Let a person live for even a moment engaged in virtuous conduct and not for even a kalpa (epoch) in wickedness which is detrimental to both worlds [i.e., one’s present life and one’s afterlife].”

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apriyam uktāḥ purūṣāḥ prayatante dvi-guṇam apriyaṁ vaktum

apriyam uktāḥ purūṣāḥ prayatante dvi-guṇam apriyaṁ vaktum |
tasmād avācyam apriyam apriyam aśrotu-kāmena ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2192)

“People to whom something unpleasant is spoken [typically] try hard to speak something twice as unpleasant [in response]. Therefore, the unpleasant should not be spoken by one who does not wish to hear the unpleasant.”

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api mānuṣyakaṁ labdhvā bhavanti jñānino na ye

api mānuṣyakaṁ labdhvā bhavanti jñānino na ye |
paśutaiva varā teṣāṁ pratyavāyāpravartanāt ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2052)

“For those who even after attaining human birth do not become educated, being [born as] an animal would have been better as they would [in that case] not engage in degrading behavior.”

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