apragalbhasya yā vidyā kṛpaṇasya ca yad dhanam |
yac ca bāhu-balaṁ bhīror vyartham etat trayaṁ bhuvi ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2153)
“The knowledge of the timid, the wealth of the miserly, and the arm-strength of the cowardly—these three are useless in the world [because they are never applied and thus never fulfill their potential].”
na jātu kāmān na bhayān na lobhād
dharmaṁ tyajej jīvitasyāpi hetoḥ |
nityo dharmaḥ sukha-duḥkhe tv anitye
jīvo nityo hetur asya tv anityaḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: Svargārohana Parva, 5.50)
“Never—neither because of desires, nor because of fears, nor because of greed—forsake dharma, even for the sake of [one’s] life. Dharma is eternal, whereas pleasure and displeasure are temporary. Life is eternal, whereas its means [i.e., the body] is temporary.”
tat tu laukika-sad-bandhu-buddhyā prema bhayādi-jam |
vighnaṁ nirasya tad-gopa-gopī-dāsyepsayārjayet ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.217)
“With desire for servitude to the gopas and gopīs and the mentality of a real, worldly friend [i.e., relating to Śrī Kṛṣṇa as one’s true and dear friend just as husbands, sons, and others are related to in worldly life], one should overcome the obstacles produced by fear and so forth [e.g., reverence, lack of faith, and shyness] and obtain that prema.”
sa vai priyatamaś cātmā yato na bhayam aṇv api |
iti veda sa vai vidvān yo vidvān sa gurur hariḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.29.51; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 202)
“He [i.e., Hari] is indeed the dearmost Self (ātmā), as from him [i.e., as from bhajana to him] not even a trace of fear arises [i.e., as it does from bhajana to other devatās]. One who knows this is actually knowledgeable, and one who is knowledgeable is guru and Hari [i.e., one who has proper knowledge of Hari is a guru who is worthy of being taken shelter of and is worthy of worship like that offered to Hari].”
yathaihikāmuṣmika-kāma-lampaṭaḥ
suteṣu dāreṣu dhaneṣu cintayan |
śaṅketa vidvān kukalevarātyayād
yas tasya yatnaḥ śrama eva kevalam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.19.14)
“The endeavor of a learned person [i.e., the study of śāstra and practice of yoga of one] who fears the passing of the repulsive body, just like someone covetous of objects of enjoyment in the present and the afterlife who worries about his sons, wives, and possessions, is just mere labor [i.e., one’s study of śāstra and practice of yoga are fruitless unless one successfully fixes the mind on Bhagavān and gives up sāṁsārka attachment and thereby fear of death].”
