vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana |
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo’vyavasāyinām ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.41)
“O son of the Kurus, the resolute intellect (buddhi) is one [i.e., one-pointed] in this regard [i.e., in regard to practicing bhakti-yoga]. The intellects of the irresolute, however, are many-branched and endless [i.e., divided between numerous different pursuits and driven by an endless number of worldly desires].”
yadā parānanda-guro bhavat-pade
padaṁ mano me bhagaval labheta |
tadā nirastākhila-sādhana-śramaḥ
śrayeya saukhyaṁ bhavataḥ kṛpātaḥ ||
(Excerpted from the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.33)
“O illustrious, supremely blissful guru, when my mind is able to attain a place at your feet, then all the labor of sādhana will be dispelled and I will be able to attain [complete] happiness by your grace.”
uttiṣṭha jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata |
kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā
durgaṁ pathas tat kavayo vadanti ||
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 1.3.14)
“Arise! Awake! Find the exalted ones and learn. The wise say the path is sharp as a razor’s edge, difficult to traverse, and arduous.”
na hi sādhana-sampattyā haris tuṣyati kasyacit |
bhaktānāṁ dainyam evaikaṁ hari-toṣana-sādhanam ||
(Subodhinī-ṭikā of Vallabhācārya on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10)
“Hari is not satisfied by anyone’s performance of [alt., abundance of, or excellence in,] sādhana. The humility of bhaktas is indeed the only means of satisfying Hari.”
anuṣṭhānaṁ hy upadeśāpekṣaṁ, prema tu tat-prasādāpekṣam iti |
(Tattva Sandarbha: 46)
“Practice [i.e., sādhana-bhakti] is dependent on instruction, but prema [i.e., prema-bhakti] is dependent on his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] grace.”
ajñāna-nivṛtteḥ prāk pauruṣa-tyāgo māndyam eva |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.19.13)
“Giving up exertion [alt., valor] before the cessation of ignorance is simply foolishness.”
avaśendriya-cittānāṁ hasti-snānam iva kriyā |
durbhagābharaṇa-prāyo jñānaṁ bhāraḥ kriyāṁ vinā ||
(Hitopadeśa: Mitra-lābha, 18)
“The practice of those who are of uncontrolled senses and mind is like the bathing of an elephant, and without practice knowledge is for the most part a burden like an ornament on an unfortunate woman [i.e., a widow].”
sādhanaughair anāsangair alabhyā sucirād api |
hariṇā cāśv adeyeti dvidhā sā syāt sudurlabhā ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.35)
“Its [i.e., bhakti’s] being very difficult to attain is twofold: (1) [even] through loads of sādhana [performed] devoid of attachment [i.e., āsakti], it is unattainable even after a very long time, and (2) [even when sādhana is performed with attachment] it is not to be given by Hari quickly.”
varaṁ varaya bhadraṁ te vareśaṁ mābhivāñchitam |
brahmañ chreyaḥ-pariśrāmaḥ puṁso mad-darśanāvadhiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.9.21)
[Bhagavān:] “O Brahmā! Auspiciousness to you. Request your desired benediction from me, the master [i.e., capable bestower] of [all] benedictions, as a person’s endeavor for well-being culminates in darśana of me.”
ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate |
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmyaham ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 9.22)
“I [personally] provide the acquisition and protection [of the bodily necessities] of those one-pointed, meditative, and ever-absorbed persons who worship me in full.”
