Doṣas

prathamaṁ varjayed doṣān yugapat pṛthag eva vā

prathamaṁ varjayed doṣān yugapat pṛthag eva vā |
tathā dharmam avāpnoti doṣa-tyāgo hi duṣkaraḥ |
doṣa-sākalya-santyāgān munir bhavati mānavaḥ ||
duṣkṛta-tyāga-mātreṇa padam ūrdhvaṁ hi labhyate |
(Mahābhārata: 13.232.5, 8)

“First, one should give up faults, all at once or just one by one. Then, one achieves dharma. Giving up faults [however] is certainly difficult to do. [Yet] By completely giving up faults in totality, a human being becomes a sage. … Just by giving up misconduct, a higher standing is attained.”

Read on →

prabhu bole—bhakta-vākya kṛṣṇera varṇana

prabhu bole—bhakta-vākya kṛṣṇera varṇana |
ihāte ye doṣa dekhe, se-i ’pāpī’ jana ||
ihāte ye doṣa dekhe, tāhāra se doṣa |
bhaktera varṇana-mātra kṛṣṇera santoṣa ||
(Chaitanya-bhāgavata: 1.11.105, 109)

“Prabhu said, ‘A bhakta’s statements are descriptions of Kṛṣṇa. One who finds fault in these is a sinful person. … The fault [in this case] is [actually] that of the one who finds fault in these [descriptions of Kṛṣṇa made by a bhakta]. Any description of [i.e., made by] a bhakta is satisfying to Kṛṣṇa [regardless of whether it has faults in it].”

Read on →

ye matsarā hata-dhiyaḥ khalu te ca doṣaṁ

ye matsarā hata-dhiyaḥ khalu te ca doṣaṁ
paśyantu nāgamanyantu guṇaṁ guṇajñāḥ |
ālokayanti kila ye ca guṇaṁ na doṣaṁ
te sādhavaḥ paramamī paritoṣayantu ||
(Attributed to Madhvācārya)

“Those who are envious and witless can only see faults, while those who are cognizant of qualities consider only qualities. Those who see only qualities and not faults are the greatest sādhus, and they can find complete satisfaction.”

Read on →

prāg bhakter udayād doṣāḥ

प्राग्भक्तेरुदयाद्दोषाः क्षयावशिष्ट एव च ।
दैवोत्पन्नश्च भक्तानां नैवालोच्यः कदाचन ॥
सदुद्देश्यमृत यस्तु मृषापवादमेव च ।
दोषानालोचयत्येव स साधुनिन्दकोऽधमः ॥
prāg bhakter udayād doṣāḥ kṣayāvaśiṣṭa eva ca |
daivotpannaś ca bhaktānāṁ naivālocyaḥ kadācana ||
sad-uddeśyam ṛta yas tu mṛṣāpavādam eva ca |
doṣān ālocayaty eva sa sādhu-nindako’dhamaḥ ||
(Unknown source)

“Faults on the part of bhaktas prior the appearance of bhakti [within them], residual faults, and faults arising by chance should never be discussed. One who discusses such faults without a good intention or does so as simply purposeless condemnation is a defamer of sādhus and very lowly.”

Read on →

Scroll to Top