aśeṣa-saṅkleśa-śamaṁ vidhatte
guṇānuvāda-śravaṇaṁ murāreḥ |
kiṁ vā punas tac-caraṇāravinda-
parāga-sevā-ratir ātma-labdhā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.7.14)
“Hearing and recounting the qualities of Murāri produces destruction of suffering completely, so how much more does attachment (rati), attained of its own accord, to service to the pollen of his lotus feet [produce]?”
duḥkha-sāre saṁsāre virajya harir evānandamayo dhyeyaḥ sudhiyā … |
(Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 3.1.28)
“Remaining disinterested in saṁsāra, the essence of which is suffering, Hari, the embodiment of bliss, is to be meditated upon by the wise.”
tata idaṁ labhyate—parama-tattva-sākṣātkāra-lakṣaṇaṁ taj-jñānam eva paramānanda-prāptiḥ | saiva parama-puruṣārtha iti | svātmājñāna-nivṛttiḥ duḥkhātyanta-nivṛttiś ca nidāne tad-ajñāne gate sati svata eva sampadyate | pūrvasyāḥ parama-tattva-svaprakāśatābhivyakti-lakṣaṇa-mātrātmakatvāt, uttarasyāś ca dhvaṁsābhāva-rūpatvād anaśvaratvam | uktaṁ ca pūrvasyāḥ parama-puruṣārthatvaṁ ‘dharmasya hy apavargasya’ ity-ādinā, ‘tac-chraddadhānā munayo’ … ity antena, svataḥ sarva-duḥkha-nivṛttiś ca tatraivoktā—‘bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiḥ’ ity ādinā |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 1)
“Therefore, this is gathered: awareness of him [i.e., Bhagavān] in the form of direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of the Supreme Entity [i.e., direct perception of the Supreme Entity as Brahman, or as Bhagavān, as is discussed ahead] is alone the attainment of paramount bliss. This alone is the supreme puruṣārtha. When the cause, the absence of awareness of him, ceases, then the cessation of the absence of awareness of one’s own self (ātmā) and the absolute cessation of suffering occur automatically. The former’s [i.e., the cessation of the absence of awareness of him] being permanent is because of its being constituted in form solely of a manifestation of the Supreme Entity’s self-luminosity (sva-prakāśatā) [i.e., because the cessation of the absence of awareness of him only occurs as a result of a self-manifestation of the Supreme Entity and thus is effectively synonymous with it], and the latter’s [i.e., the cessation of the absence of awareness of one’s own self (ātmā) and one’s suffering in saṁsāra being permanent] is because of its having a form of non-existence after [its] destruction [i.e., because it ceases to exist entirely after being destroyed]. The former’s being the supreme puruṣārtha is stated in dharmasya hy apavargasya … [i.e., SB 1.2.9–11], and tac-chraddadhānā munayo … [i.e., SB 1.2.12], and the automatic cessation of all suffering is stated there in bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiḥ [i.e., SB 1.2.13].”
yad yat prītikaraṁ puṁsāṁ vastu maitreya jāyate |
tad eva duḥkha-vṛkṣasya bījatvam upagacchati ||
kalatra-putra-mitrārtha-gṛha-kṣetra-dhanādikaiḥ |
kriyeta na tathā bhūri sukhaṁ puṁsāṁ yathāsukham ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 6.5.55–56)
“O Maitreya, indeed every object pleasing to a person that comes about [in the course of saṁsāra] becomes [later] a seed of the tree of suffering. Not so much happiness is produced by one’s wife, children, friends, possessions, houses, lands, wealth, and so forth as is unhappiness [i.e., these aforementioned aspects of saṁsāras produce more unhappiness than happiness].”
nirastātiśayāhlāda-sukha-bhāvaika-lakṣaṇā |
bheṣajaṁ bhagavat-prāptir ekāntātyantikī matā ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 6.5.59; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 1)
“Attainment of Bhagavān, which is characterized purely by a state of happiness filled with superlative delight [i.e., a delight that surpasses all other forms of happiness and neither contains nor causes any form of suffering], is the medicine [to cure the disease of suffering in saṁsāra] and is accepted as exclusive [i.e., free from any admixture of suffering] and absolute [i.e., everlasting].”
tāvad bhayaṁ draviṇa-deha-suhṛn-nimittaṁ
śokaḥ spṛhā paribhavo vipulaś ca lobhaḥ |
tāvan mamety asad-avagraha ārti-mūlaṁ
yāvan na te’ṅghrim abhayaṁ pravṛṇīta lokaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.9.6)
“So fear, grief, longing, humiliation, and immense greed on account of wealth, the body, and companions, and so the false [alt., wicked] temperament of ‘mine’—the root of distress—remain as long as a person does not embrace your fearless feet.”
ye hi saṁsparśajā bhogā duḥkha-yonaya eva te |
ādy-anta-vantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 5.22)
“The enjoyments produced by contact [of the senses with their respective objects] are verily causes of suffering and possess a beginning and end. O Kaunteya, an intelligent person [i.e., one who properly exercises one’s discernment] does not enjoy them.”
yatroparamate cittaṁ niruddhaṁ yoga-sevayā |
yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ paśyann ātmani tuṣyati ||
sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam |
vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś calati tattvataḥ ||
yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ |
yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate ||
taṁ vidyād duḥkha-saṁyoga-viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam |
sa niścayena yoktavyo yogo’nirviṇṇa-cetasā ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 6.20–23)
“Wherein the citta (mind) restrained by yoga practice desists [i.e., does not engage with any sense object]; wherein the ātmā [i.e., the mind] sees the ātmā [i.e., the Paramātmā] within the ātmā [i.e., the antaḥkaraṇa] and feels satisfaction; wherein he [i.e., the yogī] experiences absolute happiness which is beyond the senses [i.e., free from any contact with the senses and sense objects] and graspable [only] by the buddhi, and being so situated [wherein] he does not stray from the reality [i.e., from the ātmā’s nature]; upon gaining which he thinks there is no greater gain; and being situated in which he is never shaken even by the heaviest suffering—know that to be called yoga [i.e., the attainment of samādhi] and devoid of any connection with suffering. This yoga is to be practiced with determination and a non-despondent mind.”
bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha
nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ |
taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihāñjaseṣṭas
tāvad vibho tanu-bhṛtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.9.19)
[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] “O Nṛsiṁha, here [i.e, in this world] neither are parents protection for a child [i.e., children are still subject to suffering even when in the care of their parents], nor is medicine [protection] for a diseased person [i.e., even people who receive medicine are still subject to suffering and death], nor is a boat [protection] for a sinking person in the ocean [i.e., even boats are still known to sink], since an afflicted person’s quickly desired counter-measures thereof [i.e., of suffering] are [only] such for so long [i.e., counter-measures quickly taken up to alleviate suffering are invariably only temporary and of uncertain effectiveness], O Great One, in the case of embodied beings who are disregarded by you [i.e., there is no real counter-measure for suffering apart from service unto you].”
yasmāt priyāpriya-viyoga-sayoga-janma-
śokāgninā sakala-yoniṣu dahyamānaḥ |
duḥkhauṣadhaṁ tad api duḥkham atad-dhiyāhaṁ
bhūman bhramāmi vada me tava dāsya-yogam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.9.17)
“Because I am burning in every birth [i.e., even in that of a king] in the fire of grief produced by separation from and union with that which is pleasing and displeasing and [because] the remedies for suffering are also [causes of further varieties of] suffering [e.g., poverty produces one type of suffering and the various processes of acquiring wealth produce others], I am bewildered by [alt., I am wandering on account of] my unknowing mind [i.e., despite my undergoing perpetual and unavoidable suffering, I still have the tendency to identify with my present body, even if it is that of a hog, and think that I am actually happy even in the midst of my suffering]. [Therefore,] O Great One, please tell me about the means of [attaining] your service [i.e., your service is the only actual means of remedying my condition of suffering].”
