Sadācāra

nāvirato duścaritān nāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ

nāvirato duścaritān nāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ |
nāśānta-mānaso vāpi prajñānenainam āpnuyāt ||
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 1.2.24; cited in the Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 3.3.54; Gītā-bhūṣaṇa-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 9.31)

“Neither one who has not desisted from misbehavior, nor one who is devoid of peace [i.e., devoid of control of the senses], nor one who is not steadfast [alt., concentrated], nor one whose mind is devoid of peace, can attain this [i.e., the Ātmā] through knowledge.”

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aprekṣya klamam ātmano vidadhati prītyā pareṣāṁ priyaṁ

aprekṣya klamam ātmano vidadhati prītyā pareṣāṁ priyaṁ
lajjante dūritodyamād iva nija-stotrānubandhād api |
vidyā-vitta-kulādibhiś ca yad amī yānti kramān namratāṁ
ramyā kāpi satām iyaṁ vijayate naisargikī prakriyā ||
(Vidagdha-mādhava-nāṭaka: 1.11)

“Not considering their own fatigue, they lovingly please others. They feel ashamed as a result of [hearing] their own praise just as others do so as a result of commiting a sin. As far as they become endowed with knowledge, wealth, nobility, and so forth, so also they become humble. This extraordinary, delightful, and natural conduct of the sat [i.e., of sādhus] triumphs.”

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vṛttaṁ yatnena saṁrakṣed vittam eti ca yāti ca

vṛttaṁ yatnena saṁrakṣed vittam eti ca yāti ca |
akṣīṇo vittataḥ kṣīṇo vṛttatas tu hato hataḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.36.30)

“Carefully safeguard your conduct (vṛtta). Wealth (vitta) comes and goes. A loss of wealth is no loss, but ruination of [one’s] conduct is [utter] ruination.”

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ācāra eva dharmasya mūlaṁ rājan kulasya ca

ācāra eva dharmasya mūlaṁ rājan kulasya ca |
ācārād vicyuto jantur na kulīno na dhārmikaḥ ||
(Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 3.17)

“O King, ācāra (conduct) is the source of dharma and of nobility. A person devoid of ācāra is neither noble nor dharmic.”

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tasmāt sadaiva viduṣāvahitena rājan

tasmāt sadaiva viduṣāvahitena rājan
śāstrodito hy anudinaṁ paripālanīyaḥ ||
(Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 3.19)

“Therefore, O King, ācāra (conduct) as described in śāstra should always be fully observed daily with attention by the wise.”

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anasūyā kṣamā śāntiḥ santoṣaḥ priya-vāditā

anasūyā kṣamā śāntiḥ santoṣaḥ priya-vāditā |
kāma-krodha-parityāgaḥ śiṣṭācāra-nidarśanam ||
(Mahābhārata: 3.211.25; Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)

“Non-enviousness, forgiveness, peacefulness, contentment, pleasing [alt., kind] speech, and abandonment of passion and anger are illustrations of cultured conduct (śiṣṭācāra).”

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ācāra-prabhavo dharmaḥ santaś cācāra-lakṣaṇāḥ

ācāra-prabhavo dharmaḥ santaś cācāra-lakṣaṇāḥ |
sādhūnāṁ ca yathā vṛttaṁ sa sad-ācāra iṣyate ||
tasmāt kuryāt sad-ācāraṁ ya icched gatim ātmanaḥ |
sarva-lakṣaṇa-hīno’pi samudācāravān nṛpa |
śraddadhāno’nasūyaś ca sarvān kāmān avāpnuyāt ||
(Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 3.15–16)

“The source of dharma is ācāra (conduct), and sādhus are characterized by ācāra. The behavior of sādhus is called sadācāra. Therefore, one who desires one’s own good fortune should engage in sadācāra. O King, even if devoid of all [other] characteristics, one who has excellent ācāra (sadācāra), is endowed with śraddhā, and is free from envy can fulfill all one’s desires.”

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