tat karma yan na bandhāya sā vidyā yā vimuktaye |
āyāsāyāparaṁ karma vidyānyā śilpa-naipuṇam ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 1.19.41)
“[Prahlāda Mahārāja to Hiraṇyakaśipu:] Action is that which does not lead to bondage. Knowledge is that which leads to liberation [from bondage]. Action otherwise leads to hardship, and knowledge otherwise is [mere] proficiency in a craft.”
jñātibhir vibhajyate naiva coreṇāpi na nīyate |
dāne naiva kṣayaṁ yāti vidyā-ratnaṁ mahādhanam ||
(Unknown source)
“It is not dividable by relatives, it cannot be taken away even by a thief, and it is not depleted even by giving [it away]. The jewel of knowledge is the greatest wealth.”
jñāna-pūrvā bhavel lipsā lipsā-pūrvābhisandhitā |
abhisandhi-pūrvakaṁ karma karma-mūlaṁ tataḥ phalam ||
(Mahābhārata: Śānti-parva, 206.6)
“Desire [for an object] shall be preceded by knowledge [of the object], aim [for an object] preceded by desire [for it], and action [to attain it] preceded by the aim [for it]. Then the result, the basis of which is the action, occurs.”
arthendriyārthābhidhyānaṁ sarvārthāpahnavo nṛṇām |
bhraṁśito jñāna-vijñānād yenāviśati mukhyatām ||
na kuryāt karhicit saṅgaṁ tamas tīvraṁ titīriṣuḥ |
dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣāṇāṁ yad atyanta-vighātakam ||
tatrāpi mokṣa evārtha ātyantikatayeṣyate |
vijñāyātmatayā dhīraḥ saṁsārāt parimucyate |
traivargyo’rtho yato nityaṁ kṛtānta-bhaya-saṁyutaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgatavatam: 4.22.33–35; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 1)
“For human beings, continuous thought [alt., coveting] of wealth and objects of the senses, because of which one becomes diverted from [one’s] knowledge [of śāstra] and realization [of śāstra’s object] and enters primitivity [i.e., inanimate life forms], is destructive of all arthas [i.e., detrimental to the attainment of all the puruṣārthas]. One who desires to cross over the fearsome darkness [i.e., saṁsāra] should never foster attachment (saṅga) to that which is perpetually [alt., exceedingly] destructive of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. Even therein [i.e., among the four puruṣārthas], mokṣa alone is regarded as being the ultimate artha, since an artha belonging to the tri-varga [i.e., the three puruṣārthas of dharma, artha, and kāma] is forever fraught with fear of death [alt., time, i.e., is perpetually subject to inevitable loss and thus incapable of ever producing true fulfillment].”
alpa-mātraṁ kṛto dharmo bhavej jñānavatāṁ mahān |
mahān api kṛto dharmo hy ajñānān niṣphalo bhavet ||
(Mahābhārata: 13.227.28)
“Dharma performed even slightly shall be great for one possessed of knowledge. Dharma performed even greatly shall be fruitless as a result of ignorance.”
veda-gamyaḥ paraḥ śuddha iti me dhīyate matiḥ ||
adhyātma-dhyāna-saṁbhūta-bhūtaṁ dīpavat sphuṭam |
jñānaṁ viddhi śubhācāre tena yānti parāṁ gatim ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.220.100)
“[Bhīṣmadeva:] The pure Supreme is knowable through the Veda. This is my firmly held view. O you of fine conduct, know knowledge (jñāna) to be that which is born of meditation related to the higher self and [self-] evident like a lamp. Thereby, one attains the supreme destination.”
sarva-dravyeṣu vidyaiva dravyam āhur anuttamam |
ahāryatvād anarghatvād akṣayatvāc ca sarvadā ||
(Hitopadeśa: Maṅgalācaraṇa, 4)
“Among all objects, knowledge alone is said to be the superlative object because of [its] always being inexhaustible, invaluable, and non-stealable.”
hutāśane hāṭaka-saṁparīkṣā vipatti-kāle gṛhiṇī-parīkṣā |
raṇa-sthale śastra-bhṛtāṁ parīkṣā vidyāvatāṁ bhāgavate parīkṣā ||
(Unknown source)
“The test of gold is in fire.
The test of a wife is at the time of adversity.
The test of warriors [lit., ‘weapon-bearers’] is at the battle ground.
And the test of the knowledgable is in the Bhāgavatam.”
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].”
