sukhaṁ me sarvadā bhūyāt dukhaṁ mā bhūt kadācana |
itīcchā sarva-sāmānyā jñānād eva tat siddhyate ||
(Unknown source)
“May I always be happy. May I never suffer. This desire is common to all, and it is fulfilled only through knowledge.”
sukham eva sadā me syāt duḥkhaṁ mā bhūt kadācana |
(Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa: 1.10)
“May I always be happy. May I never suffer.”
santuṣṭaḥ kena vā rājan na vartetāpi vāriṇā |
aupasthya-jaihvya-kārpaṇyād gṛha-pālāyate janaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.15.18)
“O King! Can a person not become satisfied with anything, even water? [Certainly. Yet] A person acts like a house pet [i.e., a dog] because of avarice for the sensation of the genitals and sensation of the tongue.”
kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās
teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ |
utsṛjyaitān atha yadu-pate sāmprataṁ labdha-buddhis
tvām āyātaḥ śaraṇam abhayaṁ māṁ niyuṅkṣvātma-dāsye ||
(Aparādha-bhañjana; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 3.2.35; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.16)
“I have obeyed the wicked dictates of kāma and so forth for so long and in so many ways! Yet they have never taken pity upon me, and I have never felt any shame or satisfaction! O Lord of the Yadus, at last I have abandoned them and attained proper understanding: I have taken shelter in you, the Abode of fearlessness. Please engage me in your service.”
ghṛta-kumbha-samā nārī taptāṅgāra-samaḥ pumān |
tasmād ghṛtaṁ ca vahniṁ ca naikatra sthāpayed budhaḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“A woman is like a pot of ghee, and a man like a burning coal. Therefore, the wise should not place ghee and fire together.”
āśā hi paramaṁ duḥkhaṁ nairāśyaṁ paramaṁ sukham |
yathā sañchidya kāntāśāṁ sukhaṁ suṣvāpa piṅgalā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.8.44)
“Hope [i.e., material desire] is the greatest unhappiness, and hopelessness [i.e., freedom from material desire] is the greatest happiness, as after completely cutting away any hope for a lover, Piṅgalā slept happily.”
dharmārthaṁ yasya vittehā varaṁ tasya nirīhatā |
prakṣālanād dhi paṅkasya dūrād asparśanaṁ varam ||
(Mahābhārata: 3.2.49; cited in Hitopadeśa: 1.174)
“For one who desires [alt., pursues] wealth for the sake of dharma, desirelessness [alt., non-pursuit] is better, just as remaining untouched by mud from afar is better than washing [it off after touching it].”
icchopaśamanaṁ kartuṁ yadi kṛtsnaṁ na śakyate |
svalpam apy anugantavyaṁ mārgastho nāvasīdati ||
(Yoga Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki: 7.36.30)
“If one is not able to calm one’s desire completely, then doing so should be pursued at least a little. One [who remains] situated on the path will not come to ruin [whereas those who gives up will never be successful].”
asaṅkalpāj jayet kāmaṁ krodhaṁ kāma-vivarjanāt |
arthānarthekṣayā lobhaṁ bhayaṁ tattvāvamarśanāt ||
ānvīkṣikyā śoka-mohau dambhaṁ mahad-upāsayā |
yogāntarāyān maunena hiṁsāṁ kāmādy-anīhayā ||
kṛpayā bhūtajaṁ duḥkhaṁ daivaṁ jahyāt samādhinā |
ātmajaṁ yoga-vīryeṇa nidrāṁ sattva-niṣevayā ||
rajas tamaś ca sattvena sattvaṁ copaśamena ca |
etat sarvaṁ gurau bhaktyā puruṣo hy añjasā jayet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavata: 7.15.22–25)
“One can conquer desire (kāma) with negative resolve [e.g., resolutions such as ‘this is not for my enjoyment’ in regard to objects of desire], anger with rejection of desire [for violence], greed with vision of the detriment (anartha) [i.e., the meaninglessness, vice, etc.] within desired ends (arthas), fear with consideration of truth, lamentation and delusion with rational examination [i.e., discrimination between the self and non-self], pride with service to great persons, obstacles in yoga with silence, violence with indifference to desire and so forth. One can overcome suffering caused by other beings with compassion [i.e., actions performed for their benefit], suffering caused by destiny [i.e., foreboding] with meditation [on Bhagavān], suffering caused by the self [i.e., the body] with the strength of yoga [e.g., prāṇayāma, etc.], sleep with a sattvic diet, rajas [i.e., passion] and tamas [i.e., ignorance] with sattva [i.e., goodness], and sattva with composure [i.e., indifference towards even sattvic action]. A person can quickly conquer all of these [however] by means of bhakti to the guru.”
abhyāsaś chandasāṁ daṇḍo |
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2386)
“Practice is the stick [i.e., means of discipline] for fancy.”
