deva-drohād guru-drohaḥ koṭi-koṭi-guṇādhikaḥ |
jñānāpavādo nāstikyaṁ tasmād koṭi-guṇādhikam ||
(Kūrma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.751; Bhakti Sandarbha: 265)
“Offence to guru is tens of millions of times worse than offence to the Deity. But denial of knowledge and disbelief are ten millions times worse than that [i.e., than offence to guru].”
yāvat pāpais tu malinaṁ hṛdayaṁ tāvad eva hi |
na śāstre satya-buddhiḥ syāt sad-buddhiḥ sad-gurau tathā ||
aneka-janma-janita-puṇya-rāśi-phalaṁ mahat |
sat-saṅga-śāstra-śravaṇād eva premādi jāyate ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 1)
“As long as the heart is polluted by sins, conviction in the truthfulness of the śāstra and conviction in the truthfulness of a true guru does not come about. Prema and so forth, which are the ultimate result of the accumulation of merit [i.e., engagement in practices of bhakti] created over the course of many births, manifest only by hearing śāstra in the association of sādhus.”
sā ca bhaktiḥ śāstra-jñāna-pūrvikaivānuṣṭheyā tam eva dhīro vijñāya prajñāṁ kurvīta brāhmaṇaḥ iti śravaṇāt |
(Vedānta-syamantaka: 3.13)
“That bhakti [i.e., the bhakti learned from śrī-guru by which one attains the fulfillment of life (puruṣārtha)] is to be performed preceded by [i.e., after having properly acquired] knowledge of śāstra, since it is heard [in Bṛhadārayaṇka Upaniṣad: 4.4.21], ‘After verily understanding that [i.e., the Ātmā], a sagacious seeker of Brahman should engage in contemplation [of the Ātmā].”
naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādān mayācyuta |
sthito’smi gata-sandehaḥ kariṣye vacanaṁ tava ||
(Bhagavad-gītā: 18.73)
“[Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa:] O Acyuta, by your grace, my misunderstanding is dispelled, and remembrance has been attained by me. I am steady, free from doubt. I shall follow your instruction.”
evaṁ vimṛśya guṇato manasas try-avasthā
man-māyayā mayi kṛtā iti niścitārthāḥ |
sañchidya hārdam anumāna-sad-ukti-tīkṣṇa-
jñānāsinā bhajata mākhila-saṁśayādhim ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.13.33)
“Deliberating in this way and becoming certain, ‘The three states of the mind [i.e., wakefulness, dreaming, and deep sleep] are manifest in me because of my illusion,’ completely cut away the foundation of all doubts [i.e., the ahaṅkāra] with the sharp sword of knowledge in the form of inference and the statements of the sat [i.e., the teachings of sādhus and the śāstra], and worship me situated in the heart.”
purāṇaṁ pañcarātraṁ ca vedāḥ pāśupatās tathā |
atipramāṇāny etāni na hantavyāni hetubhiḥ ||
(Yājñavalkya Ṛṣi; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.421)
“Purāṇas, Pañcarātras, Vedas, and Pāśupatas—these are highly authoritative and should not be controverted with arguments.”
pañcarātra-purāṇāni setihāsāni mānavāḥ |
ye vinindanti teṣāṁ vai vacanaṁ parivarjayet ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.420)
“Reject the statements of people who denigrate the Pañcarātras, Purāṇas, and Itihāsas.”
yeṣāṁ viśveśvare viṣṇau śive bhaktir na vidyate |
na teṣāṁ vacanaṁ grāhyaṁ dharma-nirṇaya-siddhaye ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.419)
“The statements of those who do not have bhakti to auspicious Viṣṇu, the Lord of Universe, [alt., to the Lord of the Universe, Viṣṇu, and Śiva] are not acceptable for the purpose of ascertaining dharma.”
yeṣāṁ gurau na japye vā viṣṇau ca paramātmani |
nāsti bhaktiḥ sadā teṣāṁ vacanaṁ parivarjayet ||
(Vaiṣṇava Tantra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.418)
“Always completely reject the statements of those who do not have bhakti to guru, a mantra [lit., “that which is to be chanted”], or the Paramātmā Viṣṇu.”
yeṣāṁ na kāraṇaṁ vedā na viprā na janārdanaḥ |
tantrāṇi dharma-śāstrāṇi teṣāṁ vākyaṁ vivarjayet ||
(Viṣṇu Rahasya; Kūrma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.417)
“Reject the statements of the tantras and dharma-śāstra which do not have the authority of the Vedas, brāhmaṇas, and Janārdana.”
