tāvad rāgādayaḥ stenāḥ tāvat kārāgṛhaṁ gṛham |
tāvan moho’ṅghri-nigaḍo yāvat kṛṣṇa na te janāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.14.36)
“For that long attachment (rāga) and so forth are thieves, for that long one’s house is a prison, and for that long affection is a foot-shackle—so long as people do not become yours, O Kṛṣṇa!”
sac-cid-ānanda-rūpānāṁ jīvānāṁ kṛṣṇa-māyayā |
anādy-avidyayā tattva-vismṛtyā saṁsṛtir bhramaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.2.187)
“The transmigration (saṁsṛti) [i.e., saṁsāra]—the delusion—of the jīvas, who are eternal being, consciousness, and bliss in constitution, occurs because of oblivion in regard to [their own] essential nature (tattva) because of beginningless ignorance (anādi-avidyā) by means of Kṛṣṇa’s māyā.”
sa vai nivṛtti-dharmeṇa vāsudevānukampayā |
bhagavad-bhakti-yogena tirodhatte śanair iha ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.7.12)
“By the favor of Vāsudeva—[that is, by] the practice of bhakti to Bhagavān accompanied by observance of desistance (nivṛtti-dharma)—that [i.e., the nature of the non-self, meaning, identification with the adjuncts of māyā, delusion, etc.] indeed gradually disappears here [i.e., in this world].”
lobha-moha-samāpannaṁ na daivaṁ trāyate naram ||
yathāgniḥ pavanoddhūtaḥ sūkṣmo’pi bhavate mahān |
tathā karma-samāyuktaṁ daivaṁ sādhu vivardhate ||
yathā taila-kṣayād dīpaḥ pramlānim upagacchati |
tathā karma-kṣayād daivaṁ pramlānim upagacchati ||
(Mahābhārata: 13.6.42–44)
“Destiny does not save a person afflicted with greed and delusion. As even a small fire stoked by the wind becomes large, so destiny supported by karma greatly increases. As a lamp becomes extinguished as a result of the diminution of oil, so destiny becomes extinguished as a result of the diminution of karma.”
so’pi saṅkalpajaṁ viṣṇoḥ pāda-sevopasāditam |
prāpya saṅkalpa-nirvāṇaṁ nātiprīto’bhyagāt puram ||
vidura uvāca—
sudurlabhaṁ yat paramaṁ padaṁ harer
māyāvinas tac-caraṇārcanārjitam |
labdhvāpy asiddhārtham ivaika-janmanā
kathaṁ svam ātmānam amanyatārtha-vit ||
maitreya uvāca—
mātuḥ sapatnyā vāg-bāṇair hṛdi viddhas tu tān smaran |
naicchan mukti-pater muktiṁ paścāt tāpam upeyivān ||
dhruva uvāca—
samādhinā naika-bhavena yat padaṁ
viduḥ sanandādaya ūrdhva-retasaḥ |
māsair ahaṁ ṣaḍbhir amuṣya pādayoś
chāyām upetyāpagataḥ pṛthaṅ-matiḥ ||
aho bata mamānātmyaṁ manda-bhāgyasya paśyata |
bhava-cchidaḥ pāda-mūlaṁ gatvāyāce yad antavat ||
matir vidūṣitā devaiḥ patadbhir asahiṣṇubhiḥ |
yo nārada-vacas tathyaṁ nāgrāhiṣam asattamaḥ ||
daivīṁ māyām upāśritya prasupta iva bhinna-dṛk |
tapye dvitīye’py asati bhrātṛ-bhrātṛvya-hṛd-rujā ||
mayaitat prārthitaṁ vyarthaṁ cikitseva gatāyuṣi |
prasādya jagad-ātmānaṁ tapasā duṣprasādanam |
bhava-cchidam ayāce’haṁ bhavaṁ bhāgya-vivarjitaḥ ||
svārājyaṁ yacchato mauḍhyān māno me bhikṣito bata |
īśvarāt kṣīṇa-puṇyena phalī-kārān ivādhanaḥ ||
maitreya uvāca—
na vai mukundasya padāravindayo
rajo-juṣas tāta bhavādṛśā janāḥ |
vāñchanti tad-dāsyam ṛte’rtham ātmano
yadṛcchayā labdha-manaḥ-samṛddhayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.9.27–36)
“[Maitreya:] Even after attaining his desire—that which led [him] to [attaining] the service of Viṣṇu’s feet and because of which his resolve [to propitiate Viṣṇu by means of performing austere worship] was extinguished—he returned home not greatly satisfied.
“Vidura said: ‘Even after having attained in one birth that supreme abode of gracious Hari [i.e., the “vault of heaven” in the upper most region of the material universe], acquired through worship of his feet and most difficult to attain, why did he who was sagacious [i.e., able to discern between essence and non-essence and cognizant of the ultimate puruṣārtha] consider himself as though unsuccessful [i.e., to have not attained a worthwhile goal]?’
“Maitreya said: ‘Having been struck at heart by the arrows of the words of his stepmother and remembering them [i.e., those arrow-like words, at the time of his meeting with Śrī Bhagavān], he did not desire mukti [i.e., bhakti, that is, servitude to Śrī Bhagavān and the position of being one of his associates] from the Lord of mukti [i.e., from Śrī Bhagavān] and [thereafter thus] felt remorse.’
“Dhruva said: ‘After attaining in six months the shade of the feet of he who Sananda and other celibates realized by means of samādhi [only] over the course of many births, I went away [because of] being of separate interest [i.e., because my interest was in an object other than Śrī Bhagavān and thus he did not take me with him to his abode right then]. Oh! Alas! See the mindlessness of I of meager fortune! After having reached the base of the feet of the Destroyer of material existence, I begged for what is perishable. My mind was polluted by the falling, intolerant devas [i.e., by the devas who are inevitably subject to falling from their positions and intolerant of those who attain something beyond them]. Being most wicked, I did not accept the truth of Nārada’s word [when he told me to ignore the harsh remarks of my stepmother that initially prompted me to propitiate Bhagavān for the sake of attaining a kingdom greater than my father’s]. Taking shelter in Bhagavān’s māyā and, as though asleep, being a seer of difference even in a second unreality [i.e., seeing a puruṣārtha other than Śrī Bhagavān as though perceiving unrealities in a dream], I suffered from heartache because of an enemy who was a brother [i.e., I perceived my own brother to be my enemy even though he wasn’t inimical to me at all]. That which was requested [from Śrī Bhagavān] by me is useless, like treatment for a dead person. After propitiating the Self of the universe, the Destroyer of material existence who is difficult to propitiate by means of austerity, I begged for material existence [i.e., something of the realm of material existence that binds one within it], being devoid of fortune. From he who was offering [me] sovereignty [i.e., servitude to himself], honor [i.e., a kingdom and other causes of attaining worldly honor] was begged for by me out of foolishness like unhusked grain is [begged for] from an emperor by a poor man because of being devoid of merit.’
“Maitreya said: ‘My dear [i.e., dear Vidura], persons like you who delight in the dust of the lotus feet of Mukunda and whose well-being of mind comes about [just] by means of that which is attained of its own accord [i.e., those who are satisfied with and able to draw benefit from whatever it is they encounter] certainly do not desire any object of the self [i.e., any puruṣārtha] other than servitude to him.”
dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate |
saṅgāt saṁjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho’bhijāyate ||
krodhād bhavati saṁmohaḥ saṁmohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ |
smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.62–63)
“For a person dwelling upon objects of the senses, attachment to them is engendered. Because of attachment, desire (kāma) is generated, and because of desire, anger is produced. Because of anger, delusion occurs, and because of delusion, failure of memory occurs. Because of failure of memory, loss of the intellect occurs, and because of loss of the intellect, one becomes ruined.”
rajo’dhikāḥ karma-parā duḥkhe ca sukha-māninaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.10.26)
“[Maitreya describes the nature of human beings:] ‘Filled with abundance of rajas and given to action, they consider themselves to feel happiness [even] while suffering.”
tasyā eva praticchāyā-rūpā māyā guṇātmikā ||
mithyā-prapañca-jananī mithyā-bhrānti-tamomayī |
ato’nirūpyānityādyā jīva-saṁsāra-kāriṇī ||
aṣṭamāvaraṇāsyādhiṣṭhātrī mūrtimatī hi yā |
kāryākāra-vikārasyāprāptyā prakṛtir ucyate ||
yasyās tv atikrameṇaiva muktir bhaktiś ca sidhyati |
utpāditaṁ yayā viśvam aindrajālikavan mṛṣā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.179–182)
“Her [i.e., Bhagavān’s superior potency’s (parā-śakti’s)] semblance is [his inferior (aparā) śakti known as] māyā constituted of the guṇas, who is the mother of the false phenomenal world (prapañca), constituted of the darkness of delusions based on falsity, thus unascertainable, impermanent, primordial, the cause of the jīvas’ saṁsāra, possessed of form as the superintendent of the eight coverings [of the brahmāṇḍa], and called prakṛti on account of [her] non-obtainment of transformations in the form of [the] effects [she produces]; only by crossing beyond whom [i.e., her] mukti, as well as bhakti, is attained, and by whom [i.e., her], like a magician, the universe is falsely produced.”
na yāvad etāṁ tanu-bhṛn narendra
vidhūya māyāṁ vayunodayena |
vimukta-saṅgo jita-ṣaṭ-sapatno
vedātma-tattvaṁ bhramatīha tāvat ||
na yāvad etan mana ātma-liṅgaṁ
saṁsāra-tāpāvapanaṁ janasya |
yac choka-mohāmaya-rāga-lobha-
vairānubandhaṁ mamatāṁ vidhatte ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.11.15–16)
“[Rendered according to the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā:] O King, as long as the bearer of a body does not cast away this māyā, and, having become completely freed from attachment and victorious over the six co-wives [i.e., the six senses], understand the nature of the self (ātma-tattva) by means of the appearance of wisdom, so long he wanders here [i.e., in saṁsāra], and as long as one does not understand the mind, a guise of the self, to be the field of a person’s suffering in saṁsāra which bears a continuance of lamentation, delusion, disease, attraction, greed, and enmity, and produces my-ness [so long one wanders in saṁsāra].”
athāpi nopasajjeta strīṣu straiṇeṣu cārtha-vit |
viṣayendriya-saṁyogān manaḥ kṣubhyati nānyathā ||
adṛṣṭād aśrutād bhāvān na bhāva upajāyate |
asamprayuñjataḥ prāṇān śāmyati stimitaṁ manaḥ ||
tasmāt saṅgo na kartavyaḥ strīṣu straiṇeṣu cendriyaiḥ |
viduṣāṁ cāpy avisrabdhaḥ ṣaḍ-vargaḥ kim u mādṛśām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.26.22–24)
“Even then [i.e., even though women are disgusting in so far as their bodies are made of flesh, blood, stool, urine, pus, and so forth], a sagacious person should not associate with women or those subjugated by women. The mind is disturbed by contact of the senses with [their] objects and not otherwise [i.e., the mind is not disturbed if such contact does not occur]. Feeling does not arise from unseen or unheard of objects. [Thus,] The mind of one who is non-engaged with the prāṇas [i.e., senses] is still and peaceful. Therefore, association is not to be done by means of the senses with women or those subjugated by women, since the ṣaḍ-varga [i.e., the six senses] even of the wise, much less of myself [i.e., of I who am undiscerning], are untrustworthy.”
