ajñaḥ sukham ārādhyaḥ
sukhataram ārādhyate viśeṣajñaḥ |
jñāna-lava-durvidagdhaṁ
brahmāpi taṁ naraṁ na rañjayati
(Nīti-śatakam: 3)
“The ignorant are easily propitiable, The highly learned are propitiated even more easily, [But] A person misguided by a meager modicum of knowledge— Not even Brahmā can satisfy him.”
śreyasām iha sarveṣāṁ jñānaṁ niḥśreyasaṁ param |
sukhaṁ tarati duṣpāraṁ jñāna-naur vyasanārṇavam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.24.75)
“Of all beneficial means in this world, knowledge [i.e., knowledge of Bhagavān] is the supreme, ultimately beneficial means. One who boards the boat of knowledge easily crosses the difficult to traverse ocean of distress [i.e., saṁsāra].”
māteva rakṣati piteva hite niyuṅkte
kānteva cābhiramayaty apanīya duḥkham ।
kīrtiṁ ca dikṣu vitanoti tanoti lakṣmīṁ
kiṁ kiṁ na sādhayati kalpa-lateva vidyā ॥
(Samayoccita-padya-ratna-mālikā)
“Like a mother it protects you. Like a father, it guides you for your well-being. Like a love, it delights you and dispels your distress. It spreads your renown in all directions and increases your wealth. Indeed, what can it not accomplish? Knowledge is like a wish-fulfilling creeper.”
yasya kasya taror mūlaṁ yena kenāpi miśritam |
yasmai kasmai pradātavyaṁ yadvā tadvā bhaviṣyati ||
(Unknown source)
[An āyurveda guru told a new disciple:] “When a root from some tree or other mixed with something or other is prescribed for something or other, then something or other will happen.”
pustakasthā tu yā vidyā para-hasta-gataṁ dhanam |
kārya-kāle samutpanne na sā vidyā na tad-dhanam ||
(Cāṇakhya-nīti-darpaṇa: 16.20)
“Knowledge situated in a book is not knowledge, and wealth held in the hand of another is not wealth, when the time of need arises.”
etan mahākhyāna-varaṁ mahā-hareḥ
kāruṇya-sārālaya-niścayārthakam |
yaḥ śraddhayā saṁśrayate kathañcana
prāpnoti tat-prema tathaiva so’py aram ||
(Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.160)
“Anyone who somehow [i.e., by śravaṇa, kīrtana, or otherwise] takes full shelter [i.e., becomes fully absorbed] with śraddhā in this most excellent narration—the purpose of which is determining the recipient of the essence of the great Hari’s grace—quickly attains that very prema for him [i.e., and so all the more so does one who engages in the process bhajana it describes].”
tat karma hari-toṣaṁ yat sā vidyā tan-matir yayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.29.49)
“That which satisfies Hari is karma [i.e., only action that is a cause of Hari’s satisfaction is truly action that ought to be performed], and that by which one becomes endowed with understanding of him is vidyā [i.e., only knowledge based on śāstra by which one comes to perceive Hari is true knowledge].”
jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām |
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo’jita jito’py asi tais trilokyām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.14.3)
[Brahmā to Kṛṣṇa:] “O you who are generally unconquerable throughout the three worlds, you are certainly conquered by those who throw away endeavor for jñāna, live situated in their position, and simply honor with their body, speech, and mind the narrations about you they hear resounded by the sādhus.”
āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca
sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām |
dharmo hi teṣām adhiko viśeṣo
dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ ||
(Hitopadeśa: Maṅgalācaraṇam, 25)
“Eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating—these on the part of humans are common with animals. Dharma is their [i.e., humans’] greater, distinguishing quality. Those who are devoid of dharma are the same as animals.”
