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.”
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.”
sṛṣṭy-ādikaṁ harir naiva prayojanam apekṣya tu |
kurute kevalānandād yathā mattasya nartanam ||
pūrṇānandasya tasyeha prayojana-matiḥ kutaḥ |
muktā apy āpta-kāmāḥ syuḥ kim utāsyākhilātmanaḥ ||
(Nārāyaṇa-saṁhitā; cited in Bhagavat Sandarbha: 47; Paramātma Sandarbha: 93; Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 2.1.33)
“Hari does not require any motive for emanation and so forth [of the material universes]. He acts purely out of bliss, like the dancing of an intoxicated person. Since he is full of bliss, how can he have any thought of a motive? Even liberated beings are of satisfied desire, so how much more so must be the Ātmā of all?”
ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati |
nāyaṁ loko’sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 4.40)
“One who is ignorant [i.e., devoid of knowledge of śāstra], devoid of śraddhā [as a result of observing differences of opinion about the meaning of śāstra], and doubtful [regarding whether something will actually lead to success] is ruined. Neither this world [i.e., any future prospect of well-being in this world], nor the next [i.e., any prospect of attaining a desirable afterlife], nor happiness [i.e., any present sense of satisfaction] exist for one who is doubtful.”
yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ mato niḥśreyasāya me |
atyantoparatir yatra duḥkhasya ca sukhasya ca ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.25.13)
[Bhagavān Kapila to Devahūti:] “O Mother, I consider yoga related to the higher ātmā [i.e., Paramātmā, or the jīvātmā], wherein complete cessation of [sāṁsārika] suffering and happiness occur, to be [the means] for a living being’s ultimate well-being [i.e., mokṣa].”
anartham arthataḥ paśyann arthaṁ caivāpy anarthataḥ |
indriyaiḥ prasṛto bālaḥ suduḥkhaṁ manyate sukham ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.34.59; Vidura-nīti: 213; cited in Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“Seeing anartha within artha and artha within anartha [i.e., seeing nonsense within sense and even sense within nonsense, misfortune within fortune and even fortune within misfortune, evil within good and even good within evil, etc.], the fool, pulled by the senses, considers great suffering to be happiness.”
tat te’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam |
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.14.8)
“One who can perceive your grace fully and properly, endure the reactions to one’s own past actions, and live on offering obeisance unto you with mind, body, and words is an heir to the plane of mukti [i.e., freedom from ignorance and engagement in your eternal service].”
vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam |
brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.11)
“Knowers of the Tattva say that which is non-dual consciousness and is called Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān is the Tattva.”
