Puṇya

indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau

indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau |
tayor na vaśam āgacchet tau hy asya paripanthinau ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 3.34)

“Attraction (rāga) and aversion (dveṣa) to an object of each sense is firmly established [i.e., bound to occur]. One should not come under the control of these since they are one’s obstructions.”

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aṣṭādaśa-purāṇeṣu vyāsasya vacana-dvayam

aṣṭādaśa-purāṇeṣu vyāsasya vacana-dvayam |
paropakāraḥ puṇyāya pāpāya para-pīḍanam ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 3587)

“Throughout the eighteen Purāṇas, Vyāsa has [just] two [fundamental] statements: benefiting others leads to merit (puṇya) and troubling others leads to sin (pāpa).”

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adharera ei rīti, āra śunaha kunīti

adharera ei rīti, āra śunaha kunīti,
se-adhara sane yāra melā |
sei bhakṣya bhojya pāna, haya amṛta-samāna,
nāma tāra haya ‘kṛṣṇa-phelā’ ||
se phelāra eka lava, nā pāya devatā-saba,
e dambhe kebā pātiyāya? |
bahu janma puṇya kare, tabe sukṛti nāma dhare,
se sukṛti tāra lava pāya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.16.130–131)

“This is the way of your lips. Please hear of further ill-conduct [on their part]. The food, drink, and pan that meet with your lips becomes like amṛta, and are then known as ‘Kṛṣṇa-phelā’ [i.e., Kṛṣṇa’s remnants]. All the devatās do not attain [even] one morsel of such phelā.’ Who can believe this pride [on the part of Kṛṣṇa’s phelā]? One who engages in puṇya for many births bears the name sukṛti [i.e., “a person of excellent action”], and [only] such a sukṛti attains a morsel of this [phelā].”

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‘sukṛti-labhya phelā-lava’ bole bāra-bāra

‘sukṛti-labhya phelā-lava’ bole bāra-bāra |
īśvara-sevaka puche—prabhu! ki artha ihāra ||
prabhu kahe—ei ye dilā kṛṣṇādharāmṛta |
brahmādi-durlabha ei—nindaye amṛta ||
kṛṣṇera ye bhukta-śeṣa, tāra ‘phelā’ nāma |
tāra eka lava pāya, se-i bhāgyavān ||
sāmānya bhāgya haite tāra prāpti nāhi haya |
kṛṣṇera yāte pūrṇa kṛpā, sei tāhā pāya ||
sukṛti-śabde kahe—kṛṣṇa-kṛpā-hetu puṇya |
sei yāra haya, phelā pāya sei dhanya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.16.96–100)

“Prabhu said again and again, ‘A morsel of phelā attainable by sukṛti.’ The servants of Īśvara asked, ‘Prabhu, what is the meaning of this?’ Prabhu replied, ‘This is that in which Kṛṣṇa has placed the nectar of his lips. This is rare for Brahmā and others to attain, and it belittles amṛta. The remainder of what Kṛṣṇa has eaten is called phelā (remnants). One who attains one morsel of this is fortunate. Attainment of this does not come about from ordinary fortune. One who receives Kṛṣṇa’s full grace attains this. The word ‘sukṛti’ refers to puṇya (purifying action) the cause of which is Kṛṣṇa’s grace [or, puṇya (purifying action) which is the cause of Kṛṣṇa’s grace]. One who has this [type of puṇya] attains [Kṛṣṇa’s] phelā and is fortunate.’”

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puṇyāraṇye nṛsiṁhaika-nāma-siṁho virājate

puṇyāraṇye nṛsiṁhaika-nāma-siṁho virājate |
yan-nādataḥ palāyante mahākalmaṣa-kuñjarāḥ ||
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.1.1)

“In the forest of good fortune resides a lion named Nṛsiṁha from whose roar the elephants of enormous sins flee.”

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pāpaṁ kurvan pāpakīrtiḥ pāpam evāśnute phalam

pāpaṁ kurvan pāpakīrtiḥ pāpam evāśnute phalam |
puṇyaṁ kurvan puṇyakīrtiḥ puṇyam evāśnute phalam ||
pāpaṁ prajñāṁ nāśayati kriyamāṇaṁ punaḥ punaḥ |
naṣṭa-prajñaḥ pāpam eva nityam ārabhate naraḥ ||
puṇyaṁ prajñāṁ vardhayati kriyamāṇaṁ punaḥ punaḥ |
vṛddha-prajñaḥ puṇyam eva nityam ārabhate naraḥ ||
asūyako dandaśūko niṣṭhuro vairakṛn naraḥ |
sa kṛcchraṁ mahad āpnoto nacirāt pāpam ācaran ||
anasūyaḥ kṛta-prajñaḥ śobhanāny ācaran sadā |
akṛcchrāt sukham āpnoti sarvatra ca virājate ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.35.51−6)

“By committing sin, a sinful person certainly receives the results of sin. By practicing piety, a pious person certainly receives the results of piety. Sin committed again and again destroys one’s intellect, and a person whose intellect is destroyed begins to commit sin continuously. Piety practiced again and again enhances one’s intellect, and a person of enhanced intellect starts to practice piety continuously. A persons who is envious, mordacious, cruel, and inimical, by committing sins, soon undergoes great difficulty. One who is non-envious and endowed with intellect, by always performing auspicious acts, attains happiness without difficulty and shines everywhere.”

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