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].”
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobho harṣo māno madas tathā |
ṣaḍ-vargam utsṛjed enaṁ tasmiṁs tyakte sukhī nṛpaḥ ||
(Hitopadeśa: Sandhi, 102)
“Give up the six enemies: lust, anger, greed, pleasure, egotism, and pride. O King, one who rejects them is happy in this world.”
mūrkhasya pañca-cihnāni garvo durvacanaṁ tathā |
krodhaś ca dṛḍha-vādaś ca para-vākyeṣv anādaraḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“Five characteristics of a fool: pride [alt., arrogance], harsh speech [alt., foul language], anger, stubbornness, and disregard of [alt., lack of respect for] others’ statements.”
para-vācyeṣu nipuṇaḥ sarvo bhavati sarvadā |
ātma-vācyaṁ na jānīte jānann api ca muhmati ||
(Unknown source)
“Everyone is always expert in regard to the faults of others [alt., in commenting on or criticizing others]. They are unaware [however] of their own faults, or, even if they are aware, they are mistaken [about them, as they don’t know how to analyze themselves properly].”
dambha-nyāsa-miṣeṇa vañcita-janaṁ bhogaika-cintāturaṁ
sammuhyantam ahar-niśaṁ viracitodyoga-klamair ākulam |
ājñā-laṅghinam ajñam ajña-janatā-sammānanāsan-madaṁ
dīnānātha dayā-nidhāna paramānanda prabho pāhi mām ||
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.39)
“This person cheated by the fraud of deceitful renunciation (sannyāsa) [i.e., who has cheated himself and others by making a hypocritical show of renunciation], afflicted by constant thought of enjoyment, completely agitated day and night, overwhelmed by exhaustion from [his own] contrived undertakings, a transgressor of your orders, ignorant, and maddened by honor from the ignorant masses—O Lord of the humble, O Reservoir of grace, O Supreme Bliss, O Prabhu! Please protect me.”
ṛṣer bhagavato bhūtvā śiṣyo’dhītya bahūni ca |
setihāsa-purāṇāni dharma-śāstrāṇi sarvaśaḥ ||
adāntasyāvinītasya vṛthā paṇḍita-māninaḥ |
na guṇāya bhavanti sma naṭasyevājitātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.78.25–26)
“He [i.e., Romaharṣaṇa] became a disciple of the illustrious ṛṣi [i.e., the ṛṣi who is an avatāra of Bhagavān himself, Vyāsadeva] and studied numerous dharma-śāstras along with the Itihāsas and Purāṇas in full, but these [studies], like those of an actor, do not lead to [the development of] virtue for one who is unregulated, immodest, of vain conceit that one is a paṇḍita, and of uncontrolled mind [and rather function only as a means of livelihood].”
analaḥ śīta-nāśāya viṣa-nāśāya gāruḍam |
viveko duḥkha-nāśāya sarva-nāśāya durmatiḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“Fire destroys cold, gāruḍa [i.e., a charm applied in the case of snake bites] destroys poison, discrimination destroys sorrow, and foolishness [alt., ignorance, delusion, misunderstanding, conceit, depression, enmity, etc.] destroy everything.”
abhimānaṁ surāpānaṁ gauravaṁ rauravaṁ samam |
pratiṣṭhā śūkarī-viṣṭhā trayaṁ tyaktvā hariṁ bhajet ||
(Viṣṇu-sūkti: 99)
“Pride is like drinking liquor. Reverence [i.e., being revered] is like Raurava [loosely, hell]. Pratiṣṭhā is like pig-stool. Avoid these three and worship Hari.”
vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra jagad-guro |
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād apunar bhava-darśanam ||
janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān |
naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai tvām akiñcana-gocaram ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.8.25–26)
“[Kuntī Devī to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] O Guru of the universe, let those dangers occur constantly everywhere in the midst of which shall occur the sight of you, by virtue of which the sight of material existence again does not! A person swelling with conceit as a result of birth, capability, learning, or beauty is never fit to speak of you, who are attainable [only] by the disinterested [i.e., those who foster no attachment to anything of the world].”
