aśakyānuṣṭhānakasya vidher aprāmāṇyād iti bhāvaḥ |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 9.6.51)
“‘Because of the non-authoritativeness of an injunction enjoining performance of that which is impossible [to actually be carried out]’ is the purport.”
sarvajña munira vākya śāstra—paramāṇa |
āmā-sabhā-jīvera haya śāstra-dvārā jñāna ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.350)
“The statements of the all-knowing sages—the śāstra—is the pramāṇa [i.e., the means of attaining valid knowledge]. All of us jīvas have knowledge by means of the śāstra.”
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.”
veda-gamyaṁ paraṁ śuddham iti satyā parā śrutiḥ |
(Mahābhārata: 12.220.97)
“‘The pure Supreme is knowable through the Veda.’ This śruti [i.e., statement] is supremely true.”
veda-gamyaḥ paro’cintya iti paurāṇikā viduḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.220.96)
“The ancients know, ‘The Supreme is inconceivable and knowable through the Veda.’”
śrī-kṛṣṇātivaśīkāra-cuñcor jiṣṇu-śiromaṇeḥ |
premṇā hāsa ivāyaṁ śrī-rāsaḥ śrīr api nāpa yam ||
śāstra-buddhi-vivekādyair api durgamam īkṣyate |
gopīnāṁ rasa-vartmedaṁ tāsām anugatīr vinā ||
(Excerpt from the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.33.39)
“This Śrī Rāsa [i.e., this beautiful Rāsa-līlā], which even Śrī [i.e., Lakṣmī] did not attain, is like a smile with prema of the crest-jewel of conquerors renowned for greatly captivating Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This path of the gopīs’ rasa is seen to be difficult to comprehend even with [knowledge of] śāstra, intelligence, discernment, and so forth without anugati of [i.e., following] them [i.e., the gopīs].”
svalpāpi rucir eva syād bhakti-tattvāvabodhikā |
yuktis tu kevalā naiva yad asyā apratiṣṭhatā ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.45)
“Even just a little ruci [i.e., ‘taste’] shall be an illuminator of the nature of bhakti. Pure reasoning, however, is certainly not, because of its inconclusiveness.”
sat-puṇḍarīka-nayanaṁ meghābhaṁ vaidyutāmbaram |
dvi-bhujaṁ jñāna-mudrāḍhyaṁ vana-mālinam īśvaram ||
gopa-gopī-gavāvītaṁ sura-druma-talāśritam |
divyālaṅkaraṇopetaṁ rakta-paṅkaja-madhyagam ||
kālindī-jala-kallola-saṅgi-māruta-sevitam |
cintayaṁś cetasā kṛṣṇaṁ mukto bhavati saṁsṛteḥ ||
(Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad: 1.9–11; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 3.107–109, Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 153, Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.2)
“Excellent lotus eyes,
The luster of a cloud,
Cloth like lightning,
Two-arms,
Endowed with the posture of wisdom,
Wearing a forest garland,
Capable,
Surrounded by gopas, gopīs, and cows,
Situated at the base of a sura-tree,
Endued with divine ornaments,
Centered on red lotus [seat],
Attended by breezes
Bearing [the mist from] the waves
Of the waters of the Kālindī—
Meditating with the heart on Kṛṣṇa [in this way],
One becomes liberated from saṁsāra.”
sadā pramāṇa-bhūtānām asmākaṁ mahatāṁ tathā |
vākyāni vyavahārāś ca pramāṇaṁ khalu sarvathā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.2.197)
“The statements and behaviors of ourselves and the great, being pramāṇa [i.e., authoritative], are always pramāṇa [i.e., authoritative means of knowing] verily in all respects.”
śāstrādīnāṁ vicārottham artha-nirdhāraṇaṁ matiḥ ||
atra kartavya-karaṇaṁ saṁśaya-bhramayoś chidā |
upadeśaś ca śiṣyāṇām ūhāpohādayo’pi ca ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.4.140)
“Ascertainment of an object based on deliberation upon śāstra and so forth is [called] understanding (mati). Herewith, performance of what is to be done, cutting away doubts and misunderstandings, instructing students, positive and negative reasoning, and so on occur.”
