Intellect

yaś ca mūḍhatamo loke yaś ca buddheḥ paraṁ gataḥ

yaś ca mūḍhatamo loke yaś ca buddheḥ paraṁ gataḥ |
tāv ubhau sukham edhete kliśyaty antarito janaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.7.17)

“One who is most foolish in this world, and one who has attained that which is beyond the intellect—these two both live happily. A person in between suffers.”

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dhī-dhṛti-smṛti-vibhraṁśaḥ samprāptiḥ kāla-karmaṇām

dhī-dhṛti-smṛti-vibhraṁśaḥ samprāptiḥ kāla-karmaṇām |
asātmyārthāgamaś ceti jñātavyā duḥkha-hetavaḥ ||
(Caraka-saṁhita: 4.1.98)

“Divergence of the intellect, will, or memory [i.e., prajñāparādhas], the onset of a time period [e.g., a season], karma [i.e., the results of one‘s past actions], and contact with unwholesome objects of the senses are to be known as causes of suffering.”

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śrī-kṛṣṇātivaśīkāra-cuñcor jiṣṇu-śiromaṇeḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇātivaśīkāra-cuñcor jiṣṇu-śiromaṇeḥ |
premṇā hāsa ivāyaṁ śrī-rāsaḥ śrīr api nāpa yam ||
śāstra-buddhi-vivekādyair api durgamam īkṣyate |
gopīnāṁ rasa-vartmedaṁ tāsām anugatīr vinā ||
(Excerpt from the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.33.39)

“This Śrī Rāsa [i.e., this beautiful Rāsa-līlā], which even Śrī [i.e., Lakṣmī] did not attain, is like a smile with prema of the crest-jewel of conquerors renowned for greatly captivating Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This path of the gopīs’ rasa is seen to be difficult to comprehend even with [knowledge of] śāstra, intelligence, discernment, and so forth without anugati of [i.e., following] them [i.e., the gopīs].”

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rājā paśyati karṇābhyāṁ dhiyā paśyanti paṇḍitāḥ

rājā paśyati karṇābhyāṁ dhiyā paśyanti paṇḍitāḥ |
paśuḥ paśyati gandhena bhūte paśyanti barbarāḥ ||
(Unknown source)

“A king sees through his ears [by hearing from his ministers, spies, subjects, and so forth]. The wise see through their intellect. An animal sees through scent [i.e., their sense of smell]. Fools [however] see [only] the past [i.e., they have no foresight at all].”

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ātmānaṁ rathitaṁ viddhi śarīraṁ ratham eva tu

ātmānaṁ rathitaṁ viddhi śarīraṁ ratham eva tu |
buddhiṁ tu sārathiṁ viddhi manaḥ pragraham eva ca ||
indriyāṇi hayān āhur viṣayāṁs teṣu gocarān |
ātmendriya-manoyuktaṁ bhoktety āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 1.3.3–4)

“Know the self (ātmā) to be [like] the rider of a chariot and the body [to be like] a chariot. Know the intellect (buddhi) to be [like] a charioteer and the mind [to be like] reins. The wise say the senses are [like] horses and the objects of the senses (viṣayas) [are like] ranges, and [they] say the experiencer is the self united with the senses and mind [along with the body and intellect].”

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sarva-laukikātīte’pi tasmin laukikārtha-viśeṣopamā-dvārā

sarva-laukikātīte’pi tasmin laukikārtha-viśeṣopamā-dvārā lokānāṁ buddhi-praveśaḥsyād iti kenāpy aṁśenopameyam |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.1)

“People’s intellect can have [some limited] entrance into that [i.e., the subject matter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, bhakti-rasa, and so forth], even though it is beyond everything of the world, through comparisons [made] with particular worldly objects. Thus, it is comparable in some respect [i.e., things of the world can be compared to particular aspects of it as required to convey general knowledge of those aspects of its nature].”

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pāpaṁ kurvan pāpakīrtiḥ pāpam evāśnute phalam

pāpaṁ kurvan pāpakīrtiḥ pāpam evāśnute phalam |
puṇyaṁ kurvan puṇyakīrtiḥ puṇyam evāśnute phalam ||
pāpaṁ prajñāṁ nāśayati kriyamāṇaṁ punaḥ punaḥ |
naṣṭa-prajñaḥ pāpam eva nityam ārabhate naraḥ ||
puṇyaṁ prajñāṁ vardhayati kriyamāṇaṁ punaḥ punaḥ |
vṛddha-prajñaḥ puṇyam eva nityam ārabhate naraḥ ||
asūyako dandaśūko niṣṭhuro vairakṛn naraḥ |
sa kṛcchraṁ mahad āpnoto nacirāt pāpam ācaran ||
anasūyaḥ kṛta-prajñaḥ śobhanāny ācaran sadā |
akṛcchrāt sukham āpnoti sarvatra ca virājate ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.35.51−6)

“By committing sin, a sinful person certainly receives the results of sin. By practicing piety, a pious person certainly receives the results of piety. Sin committed again and again destroys one’s intellect, and a person whose intellect is destroyed begins to commit sin continuously. Piety practiced again and again enhances one’s intellect, and a person of enhanced intellect starts to practice piety continuously. A persons who is envious, mordacious, cruel, and inimical, by committing sins, soon undergoes great difficulty. One who is non-envious and endowed with intellect, by always performing auspicious acts, attains happiness without difficulty and shines everywhere.”

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vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana |
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo’vyavasāyinām ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.41)

“O son of the Kurus, the resolute intellect (buddhi) is one [i.e., one-pointed] in this regard [i.e., in regard to practicing bhakti-yoga]. The intellects of the irresolute, however, are many-branched and endless [i.e., divided between numerous different pursuits and driven by an endless number of worldly desires].”

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