upāsanīyaṁ yatnena śāstraṁ vyākaraṇaṁ mahat |
pradīpa-bhūtaṁ sarvāsāṁ vidyānāṁ yad avasthitam ||
(Unknown Source)
“The great śāstra of vyākaraṇa, which remains fixed as the lamp of all [other] vidyās, is to be studied with exertion.”
aṅgāni vedāś catvāro mīmāṁsā nyāya-vistaraḥ |
purāṇaṁ dharma-śāstraṁ ca vidyā hy etāś caturdaśa ||
āyurvedo dhanur-vedo gāndharvaś caiva te trayaḥ |
artha-śāstraṁ caturthaṁ tu vidyā hy aṣṭādaśaiva tāḥ ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 3.6.28–29)
“The [six] aṅgas [of the Veda, viz., Śikṣā (pronunciation), Kalpa (ritual), Jyotiśa (astrology), Chanda (meter), Nirukti (etymology), and Vyākaraṇa (grammar)], the four Vedas [viz., Ṛg-veda, Sāma-veda, Yajur-veda and Atharva-veda], Mīmāṁsā [i.e., exegesis of the Veda], the extensive Nyāya (logic), the Purāṇas, and the dharma-śāstras (law)—these are the fourteen vidyās (sciences). Āyurveda (medicine), Dhanurveda [i.e., weaponry, alliance, warfare, and so forth], Gāndharvaveda [i.e., arts such as music, dance, and performance]—these three, and a fourth, Artha-śāstra [i.e., polity, ethics, and so forth]—[in sum] these are the eighteen vidyās.”
naiṣā tarkeṇa matir āpaneyā
proktānyenaiva sujñānāya preṣṭha |
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 1.2.9)
“O dear one, this understanding [i.e., knowledge of Brahman] is not to be sought with tarka. Only when taught by another [i.e., one who already knows Brahman] does one acquire true knowledge.”
purā mayā proktam ajāya nābhye
padme niṣaṇṇāya mamādi-sarge |
jñānaṁ paraṁ man-mahimāvabhāsaṁ
yat sūrayo bhāgavataṁ vadanti ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.4.13)
[Bhagavān:] “The supreme knowledge, by which my greatness [i.e., my līlā] is illuminated, and which the wise call Bhāgavatam [i.e., the four verses (SB 2.9.32–35)] was previously spoken by me at the beginning of creation to Aja [i.e., Brahmā] seated on the lotus of my navel.”
ya etad ānanda-samudra-sambhṛtaṁ
jñānāmṛtaṁ bhāgavatāya bhāṣitam |
kṛṣṇena yogeśvara-sevitāṅghriṇā
sac-chraddhayāsevya jagad vimucyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.48)
“A person who [even] slightly honors with sincere śraddhā the nectar of knowledge filled with an ocean of bliss [i.e., the path of Bhagavad-bhakti] spoken to the bhāgavata [i.e., the foremost of bhaktas, Uddhava] by Kṛṣṇa, whose feet are served by the masters of yoga, is completely liberated.”
śamārthaṁ sarva-śāstrāṇi vihitāni manīṣibhiḥ |
sa eva sarva-śāstra-jñaḥ yasya śāntaṁ manaḥ sadā ||
(Mahābhārata)
“All the śāstras have been compiled by the wise for the purpose of equanimity. One whose mind is always peaceful is truly learned in all the śāstras.”
sarveṣāṁ mārgāṇāṁ tāratamya-jñānena sva-mārgotkarṣa-jñānaṁ bhavati |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.14.31)
“Knowledge of the excellence of one’s own path arises through knowledge of the gradation amidst all paths.”
abhyāso na hi tyaktavyo abhyāso hi paraṁ balam |
anabhyāse viṣaṁ vidyā ajīrṇe bhojanaṁ viṣam ||
(Subhāṣita-mañjarī)
“Practice (abhyāsa) is never to be abandoned. Practice is indeed the greatest strength. Without practice, knowledge is poison, just as food is poison during indigestion.”
sakṛn manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor
niveśitaṁ tad-guṇa-rāgi yair iha |
na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān
svapne’pi paśyanti hi cīrṇa-niṣkṛtāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.1.19; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 74)
“Those here [i.e., in this world] by whom the mind has once been placed upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and been colored by his qualities do not, even in dreams, see Yama or his chain-carrying soldiers since they have [effectively] observed atonement [for their sins by having placed the mind on Bhagavān and consequently are sinless].”
śanaiḥ panthāḥ śanaiḥ kanthā śanaiḥ parvata-laṅghanam |
śanaiḥ vidyā śanaiḥ vittaṁ pañcaitāni śanaiḥ śanaiḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“Gradually a path, gradually a quilt, gradually climbing a mountain, gradually knowledge, and gradually wealth—gradually, gradually these five [come about].”
