naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādān mayācyuta |
sthito’smi gata-sandehaḥ kariṣye vacanaṁ tava ||
(Bhagavad-gītā: 18.73)
“[Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa:] O Acyuta, by your grace, my misunderstanding is dispelled, and remembrance has been attained by me. I am steady, free from doubt. I shall follow your instruction.”
yeṣāṁ viśveśvare viṣṇau śive bhaktir na vidyate |
na teṣāṁ vacanaṁ grāhyaṁ dharma-nirṇaya-siddhaye ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.419)
“The statements of those who do not have bhakti to auspicious Viṣṇu, the Lord of Universe, [alt., to the Lord of the Universe, Viṣṇu, and Śiva] are not acceptable for the purpose of ascertaining dharma.”
itthaṁ guror labdha-mantro guru-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ |
sevamāno guruṁ nityaṁ tat-kṛpāṁ bhāvayet sudhīḥ ||
satāṁ dharmāṁs tataḥ śikṣet prapannānāṁ viśeṣataḥ |
sveṣṭa-deva-dhiyā nityaṁ vaiṣṇavān paritoṣayet ||
(Sanat-kumāra-saṁhitā: 110–111)
“A wise person who has thus received a mantra from a guru, is engaged in bhakti to the guru, and is regularly serving the guru should meditate on his grace. He should learn the dharmas of the sādhus, in particular, those of the surrendered, and with awareness of his own Iṣṭa-deva [i.e., with awareness of the presence of, and with the intent to please, his Iṣṭa-devata], he should always satisfy the Vaiṣṇavas.”
dharma iṣṭaṁ dhanaṁ nṝṇāṁ |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.19.39; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa-ṭīkā: 16.270)
[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa answer’s Uddhava’s question, “What is wealth?”:] “Dharma is desirable wealth [i.e., not cows, horses, etc.].”
vidharmaḥ para-dharmaś ca ābhāsa upamā chalaḥ |
adharma-śākhāḥ pañcemā dharma-jño’dharmavat tyajet ||
dharma-bādho vidharmaḥ syāt para-dharmo’nya-coditaḥ |
upadharmas tu pākhaṇḍo dambho vā śabda-bhic chalaḥ ||
yas tv icchayā kṛtaḥ pumbhir ābhāso hy āśramāt pṛthak |
svabhāva-vihito dharmaḥ kasya neṣṭaḥ praśāntaye ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.15.12–14)
“Vidharma, para-dharma, ābhāsa, upamā (upadharma), and chala—a knower of dharma should avoid these five branches of adharma, which are indeed [also] adharma. That which [although performed with the idea that it is dharma in actuality] opposes dharma is vidharma [“contrary dharma”]. That which is enjoined for others is para-dharma [“another’s dharma”]. Heresy and pretension are upadharma [“apparent dharma”]. Distortion of [the intended meaning of] words [in śāstra] is chala [“deceit”]. That done by one’s own wish which is contrary to one’s āśrama is ābhāsa [“a semblance of dharma”]. For whom is the dharma enjoined by one’s svabhāva incapable of pacification [i.e., who will not find peace by adhering to their own dharma]?”
etad-artho hi loke’sminn avatāro mayā kṛtaḥ |
vadhyā me dharma-dhvajinas te hi pātakino’dhikāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.78.27)
[Balarāma speaking in reference to Romaharṣaṇa:] “The descent (avatāra) made by me into this world is indeed for this purpose: these dharma-flag-bearers [i.e., hypocrites, those who do not actually adhere to dharma but make a show as if they do for personal gain] are indeed the most sinful and fit to be killed by me.”
dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ
na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devāḥ |
na siddha-mukhyā asurā manuṣyāḥ
kuto nu vidyādhara-cāraṇādayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.3.19; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 110, 165)
“Indeed, neither the ṛṣis, nor even the devas, nor the principal siddhas understand the dharma directly enjoined by Bhagavān [alt., the dharma performed purely to attain Bhagavān], so how would asuras, human beings, vidyādharas, cāraṇas, and others [understand it]?”
anyāya-vittena kṛto’pi dharmaḥ
savyāja ity āhur aśeṣa-lokāḥ |
nyāyārjitārthena sa eva dharmo
nirvyāja ity ārya-janā vadanti ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1801; Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra)
“Everyone says even dharma performed with unlawful wealth is deceitful. Honorable persons say that same [act of] dharma performed with lawfully earned wealth is genuine [i.e., free from deceit].”
pranaṣṭaḥ śāśvato dharmaḥ sadācāreṇa mohitaḥ |
tena vaidyas tapasvī vā balavān vā vimohyate ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.254.21)
“The eternal dharma is completely lost when one is deluded by sadācāra. [Even] A learned person, or an ascetic, or a powerful person, may be deluded by this.”
na tat-parasya saṁdadhyāt pratikūlaṁ yadātmanaḥ |
saṁgraheṇaiṣa dharmaḥ syāt kāmād anyaḥ pravartate ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.39.57; 13.114.8)
“That which is objectionable to one’s self should not be done to others. This, in summary, is dharma. Behavior contrary to this arises from kāma [i.e., selfish desire].”
