yathā-śāstram upāsyasya arthasya viṣayīkaraṇena sāmīpyam upagamya taila-dhārāvat samāna-pratyaya-pravāheṇa dīrgha-kālaṁ yat āsanaṁ tat upāsanam ācakṣate |
(Śaṅkarācārya’s ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 12.3)
“Approaching the proximity of the entity to be worshipped as per the śāstra by making it an object and dwelling [upon it] for a long time with a flow of singular thought like a stream of oil—this is called upāsana.”
ekasminn apy atikrānte muhūrte dhyāna-varjito |
dasyubhir mūṣitenaiva yuktam ākrandituṁ bhṛśam ||
(Garuḍa Purāṇa, cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 277)
“It is befitting to weep intensely like someone who has been robbed by bandits for even one moment that has passed devoid of meditation [on Śrī Hari].”
īkṣeta cintāmayam enam īśvaraṁ
yāvan mano dhāraṇayāvatiṣṭhate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.2.12)
“Behold [i.e., meditate on] this Īśvara consisting of thought [i.e., manifest through meditation] as long as the mind remains steady with concentration.”
janma-trayānuguṇita-vaira-saṁrabdhayā dhiyā |
dhyāyaṁs tan-mayatāṁ yāto bhāvo hi bhava-kāraṇam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.74.46)
“Meditating [on Bhagavān] with a mind enflamed with enmity over the course of three births, he [i.e., Śiśupāla] reached [after giving up his body] a state of absorption [in him, i.e., he again became his pārṣada, personal associate], as bhāva [i.e., one’s continuous meditation, contemplation, and focus] is the cause of [one’s future] birth [be it within saṁsāra or beyond].”
vairānubandha-tīvreṇa dhyānenācyuta-sātmatām |
nītau punar hareḥ pārśvaṁ jagmatur viṣṇu-pārṣadau ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.1.47)
“By meditation [on Bhagavān] with an intense sense of enmity, these two associates of Viṣṇu [i.e., Jaya and Vijaya] attained a state of being of the same form as Acyuta [i.e., they merged into him, and later, they attained forms like his], and returned to the side of Hari [i.e., resumed their roles as his gatekeepers in Vaikuṇṭha].”
ratnākaras tava gṛhaṁ gṛhinī ca padmā
kiṁ deyam asti bhavate jagadīśvarāya |
ābhīra-vāma-nayanāhṛta-mānasāya
dattaṁ mano yadupate tad idaṁ gṛhāna ||
(Rahīma-ratnāvalī)
“Your home is the ocean [lit., the source of jewels], and your wife is Padmā [i.e., Lakṣmī Devī, the goddess of wealth]. What can be given to you, the Lord of the universe [i.e., you who possess everything]? Therefore, to you whose mind has been stolen by the charming eyes of the gopīs, I have given my mind. O King of the Yadus, please accept it.”
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].”
na tatra mūḍhā gacchanti puruṣā viṣayātmakāḥ |
dambha-lobha-bhaya-droha-krodha-mohair abhidrutāḥ ||
nirmamā nirahaṅkārā nirdvandvāḥ saṁyatendriyāḥ |
dhyāna-yoga-ratāś caiva tatra gacchanti sādhavaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 2.95.16–18; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 10)
“Foolish persons absorbed in objects of the senses and overpowered by deceit [alt., arrogance], greed, fear, enmity, anger, and delusion, do not reach there [i.e., the supreme abode of Viṣṇu]. Only sādhus free from possessiveness, free from egotism, free from duality, of controlled senses, and engaged in the practice of meditation (dhyāna-yoga) reach there.”
ihāsane śuṣyatu me śarīraṁ
tvag-asthi-māṁsaṁ pralayaṁ ca yātu |
aprāpya bodhiṁ bahu-kalpa-durlabhāṁ
naivāsanāt kāyam ataś caliṣyate ||
(Lalita-vistara: 19.57)
“Let my body dry up on this seat.
And let its skin, bones, and flesh disintegrate.
Without attaining enlightenment (bodhi),
Which is difficult to attain [even] in many kalpas,
Never shall this body move forth from this seat.”
