anyonyaṁ vaiṣṇavā na spardhante kintu namanti
anyonyaṁ vaiṣṇavā na spardhante kintu namanti |
(Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 2026)
“Vaiṣṇavas don’t compete with, and rather, offer obeisance to, one another.”
Pridelessness
tṛṇād api sunīcena
tṛṇād api sunīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā |
amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ ||
(Padyāvalī: 32; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 269; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.17.31, 3.6.239, 3.20.21)
“Hari is to be praised always
By one who is far lower than even grass,
Tolerant like a tree,
Undesirous of respect,
And respectful [to all as appropriate].”
uttama hañā vaiṣṇava habe nirabhimāna
uttama hañā vaiṣṇava habe nirabhimāna |
jīve sammāna dibe jāni’ kṛṣṇa-adhiṣṭhāna ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.20.25)
“Although exalted, a Vaiṣṇava should be prideless and give respect to all jīvas, knowing them to be dwelling places of Kṛṣṇa.”
akartuḥ mad-bhaktāv api bhagavān eva me bhaktiṁ kārayatīti buddhyā svātantryeṇa kartṛtvābhimāna-śūnyāt
akartuḥ mad-bhaktāv api bhagavān eva me bhaktiṁ kārayatīti buddhyā svātantryeṇa kartṛtvābhimāna-śūnyāt |
(Excerpt from the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.29.33)
“‘Non-doer’ means one who is such [i.e., a non-doer] on account of being free from the pride of being a doer independently by virtue of the mentality, ’Even in my bhakti [i.e., the bhakti I perform], Bhagavān causes my bhakti to be performed [i.e., I myself perform no action independently without being enabled to perform that action by him].’”
akartur arpitātmatvena sva-bharaṇādi-karmānapekṣamāṇāt
akartur arpitātmatvena sva-bharaṇādi-karmānapekṣamāṇāt | yad bhagavati bhaktiḥ kriyate, tatrāpi svasya bhagavad-adhīnatvaṁ jñātvā tad-abhimāna-śūnyāc ca |
(Excerpt from the Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.29.33 and Bhakti Sandarbha: 106)
“‘Non-doer’ means one who is such [i.e., a non-doer] on account of being unconcerned about activities beginning with maintaining oneself because of having offered oneself [to me, Bhagavān], and on account of being free from pride in the bhakti to Bhagavān one performs by understanding one’s own dependence upon Bhagavān therein as well.”
harau ratiṁ vahann eṣa narendrāṇāṃ śikhāmaṇiḥ
harau ratiṁ vahann eṣa narendrāṇāṃ śikhāmaṇiḥ |
bhikṣām aṭann ari-pure śvapākam api vandate ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.3.33)
“Holding rati for Hari [in his heart], this crest jewel among kings [i.e., Bhagīratha Mahārāja] went to beg alms at the homes of enemies and bowed down even to outcastes [lit., dog-cookers].”