ūrdhva-bāhur viraumy eṣa na ca kaścic chṛṇoti me |
dharmād arthaś ca kāmaś ca sa kim arthaṁ na sevyate ||
(Mahābhārata: Svargārohana Parva, 5.49)
“With arms upraised, I shout this, but no one listens to me. From dharma come artha and kāma. [So,] Why is it [i.e., dharma] not followed?”
sā vidyā yā madaṁ hanti sā śrīr yārthiṣu varṣati |
dharmānusāriṇī yā sā buddhir abhidhiyate ||
(Darpa-dalanam)
“That which removes bewilderment is known as knowledge. That which bestows abundantly upon the desirous is [known as] wealth, and that which follows dharma is [known as] intellect.”
īdṛśān aśivān ghorān ācārān iha jājale |
kevalācaritatvāt tu nipuṇo nāvabudhyase ||
kāraṇād dharmam anvicchen na loka-caritaṁ caret |
(Mahābhārata: 12.262.51–2)
[Tulādhāra:] “O Jājali, such inauspicious and dreadful activities exist here [i.e., in this world] only because of their being customary, and not because you consider them proper. One should follow dharma because of reason. One should not [simply] do what is done by people in general.”
nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro
nāhaṁ varṇī na ca gṛha-patir no vanastho yatir vā |
kintu prodyan nikhila-paramānanda-pūrnāmṛtābdher
gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ ||
(Padyāvalī: 74; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.13.80)
“I am neither a brāhmaṇa, nor a kṣatriya, nor a vaiśya, nor a śūdra. I am neither a brahmacārī, nor a gṛhastha, nor a vānaprastha, nor a sannyāsī. Rather, I am an assisting servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of the gopīs’ Lord—the brimming ocean of nectar filled with complete, paramount bliss.”
yān āsthāya naro rājan na pramādyeta karhicit |
dhāvan nimīlya vā netre na skhalen na pated iha ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.35; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.524; Bhakti Sandarbha: 125, 218; Mādhura-kādambinī: 3.3)
“O King, a person who follows these [practices of Bhāgavata-dharma] is never impeded. Even if he runs with his eyes closed, one will not trip or fall here [i.e., he will not fail to attain the result of the practice].”
ye vai bhagavatā proktā upāyā hy ātma-labdhaye |
añjaḥ puṁsām aviduṣāṁ viddhi bhāgavatān hi tān ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.34; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.497; Bhakti Sandarbha: 216)
“Know Bhāgavatas [i.e., the practices of Bhāgavata-dharma] to be the means explained by Bhagavān himself for even the ignorant to easily realize the Ātmā [i.e., Bhagavān, or, the self].”
bhaktir hi svataḥ prabalatvād anya-nirapekṣā | na tu jñānādivat samyag vairāgyādi-sāpekṣā |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.15)
“Bhakti, because of its own great power, is independent of others [i.e., is not dependent on the paths of jñāna or karma], and not, rather, dependent on complete vairāgya and so forth like jñāna and so forth [i.e., is not like jñāna and karma dependent, respectively, on vairāgya and eligibility for varṇāśrama-dharma].”
man-nimittaṁ kṛtaṁ pāpam api dharmāya kalpate |
mām anādṛtya dharmo’pi pāpaṁ syān mat-prabhāvataḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa; Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.110, 10.263)
[Bhagavān:] “By my power, even sin that is committed for me is considered dharma, and even dharma that disregards me can become sin.”
arir mitraṁ viṣaṁ pathyam adharmo dharmatāṁ vrajet |
suprasanne hṛṣīkeśe viparīte viparyayaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa; Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.109, 10.262)
“When Hṛṣīkeśa is highly pleased, then enemies become friends, poison becomes salutary, and adharma becomes dharma. When the opposite occurs [i.e., when Hṛṣīkeśa is displeased], the opposite ensues [i.e., friends become enemies, nutriments becomes poison, and dharma becomes adharma].”
sukhasya mūlaṁ dharmaḥ |
dharmasya mūlam arthaḥ |
arthasya mūlaṁ rājyam |
rājyasya mūlam indriya-jayaḥ |
indriya-jayasya mūlaṁ vinayaḥ |
vinayasya mūlaṁ vṛddhopasevaḥ |
vṛddhopasevayā vijñānam |
vijñānena ātmānaṁ saṁpādayet |
saṁpāditātmā jitātmā bhavati |
jitātmā sarvārthaiḥ saṁyujyeta |
(Cāṇakya-sūtras: 1–10)
“The basis of happiness is dharma [i.e., right conduct, ethics]. The basis of dharma is artha [i.e., resources, wealth, economy]. The basis of artha is kingship [i.e., state, government]. The basis of kingship is control over the senses. The basis of control over the senses is discipline. The basis of discipline is subservience to elders. Through subservience to elders comes proficiency [i.e., discernment]. Equip yourself with proficiency. Those who have equipped themselves become self-controlled. Those who are self-controlled will become endowed with all attainments.”
