vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ |
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.33.39)
“One endowed with śraddhā who shall hear about or describe this extraordinary play and so forth of Viṣṇu with the ladies of Vraja attains superlative bhakti to Bhagavān, quickly casts off the heart disease of kāma, and without delay becomes steadfast.”
yaṁ yam antam abhikāmo bhavati yaṁ kāmaṁ kāmayate so’sya saṅkalpād eva samuttiṣṭhati tena sampanno mahīyate ||
(Chāndogya Upaniṣad: 8.2.10)
“Whatever final wish one has, and whatever object of desire one engenders desire for, that, just because of one’s resolve, manifests in full, and endowed with that, one becomes gladdened.”
yo ha vai kāmena kāmān kāmayate sa kāmī bhavati |
yo ha vai tv akāmena kāmān kāmayate so’kāmī bhavati ||
(Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad: 2.25–26)
“One who engenders desire for objects of desire with desire [to enjoy those objects of desire] is a desirer [of those objects], but one who engenders desire for objects of desire without desire [to enjoy those objects of desire] is a non-desirer [i.e., may appear like a desirer or enjoyer of those objects but actually is not].”
bhogā na bhuktā vayam eva bhuktāḥ
tapo na taptaṁ vayam eva taptāḥ |
kālo na yāto vayam eva yātās
tṛṣṇā na jīrṇā vayam eva jīrṇāḥ ||
(Vairāgya-śatakam of Bhartṛhari: 7)
“Pleasures [alt., foods] have not been consumed. We ourselves have been consumed [by them].
Austerities have not been practiced [lit., ‘inflamed‘]. We ourselves have been inflamed.
Time has not passed by. We ourselves have passed by.
Desires have not wasted away. We ourselves have wasted away.”
santuṣṭasya nirīhasya svātmārāmasya yat sukham |
kutas tat kāma-lobhena dhāvato’rthehayā diśaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.15.16)
“Where is the happiness of one who is satisfied, desireless, and fulfilled within the ātmā for one who runs in all directions out of desire for wealth on account of lust and greed?”
ātmānaṁ ced vijānīyāt paraṁ jñāna-dhutāśayaḥ |
kim icchan kasya vā hetor dehaṁ puṣṇāti lampaṭaḥ |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.15.40; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.6.314)
“If one whose inclinations [i.e., vāsanās] have been cast away by knowledge can understand the ātmā [i.e., self] to be distinct [from the body], then desiring what, or, for what reason, does one [then] covetously nourish the body? [i.e., the only reason could be that a person’s vāsanās have not actually be cast away, and under their influence the person hankers to satisfy the tongue, genitals, and so on.]”
aprāpye’pi yathā kāme dharme cintā na kiṁ tathā |
alābhe’pi dvayor ekā bhayadā śivadāparā ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2184)
“Why does one not think of dharma as much as even an unattainable desire? Even if neither are attained, one [i.e., thought of unattainable desires] causes stress and the other [i.e., thought of dharma] causes auspiciousness.”
apūrvo’yaṁ dhanur-vedo manmathasya mahātmanaḥ |
śarīram akṣataṁ kṛtvā bhinatty antargataṁ manaḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2116)
“This archery of mighty Manmatha [lit., ‘the mind-churner,’ i.e., Kāmadeva] is extraordinary: leaving the body uninjured, he pierces the heart within.”
dina-yāminyau sāyam prātaḥ
śiśira-vasantau punar āyātaḥ |
kālaḥ krīḍati gacchaty āyus
tad api na muñcaty āśā-vāyuḥ ||
(Moha-mudgāra-stotram: 12)
“Day and night, dusk and dawn,
winter and spring revolve.
Time plays on, and life passes away.
Still, the wind of desire does not let up.”
na ca paśyati janmāndhaḥ kāmāndho naiva paśyati |
na paśyati madonmatto hy arthī doṣān na paśyati ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 6.8)
“Neither can one who is blind from birth see, nor can one who is blinded by lust see, nor one can one who is intoxicated by pride see, nor can one who seeks wealth see faults [in one’s actions and their consequences].”
