Saṁsāra

atha jīvaś ca tadīyo’pi taj-jñāna-saṁsargābhāva-yuktatvena

atha jīvaś ca tadīyo’pi taj-jñāna-saṁsargābhāva-yuktatvena tan-māyā-parābhūtaḥ sann ātma-svarūpa-jñāna-lopān māyā-kalpitopādhy-āveśāc cānādi-saṁsāra-duḥkhena sambadhyata iti paramātma-sandarbhādāv eva nirūpitam asti |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 1)

“Now, although the jīva is also his own (tadīya) [i.e., although the jīva belongs to Bhagavān], the jīva becomes overcome by his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] māyā because of being [beginninglessly] possessed of an absence of the existence of awareness of him and [thus is] bound within the beginningless suffering of saṁsāra because of a lack of awareness of the nature of its own self [i.e., because of being subjected by māyā to suppression of awareness of its own nature as an ātmā] and absorption in the adjuncts (upādhis) fabricated by māyā [i.e., because the jīva becomes consequently absorbed in identification with the material psyche, body, and so forth, as well as the subsequent attractions, aversions, desires, pursuits, deprivations, and so forth concomitant therewith]. This [i.e., the point made in the previous sentence] is ascertained in Paramātma Sandarbha and elsewhere.”

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sva-kṛta-pureṣv amīṣv abahir-antara-saṁvaraṇaṁ

sva-kṛta-pureṣv amīṣv abahir-antara-saṁvaraṇaṁ
tava puruṣaṁ vadanty akhila-śakti-dhṛto’ṁśa-kṛtam |
iti nṛ-gatiṁ vivicya kavayo nigamāvapanaṁ
bhavata upāsate’ṅghrim abhavam bhuvi viśvasitāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.20)

“They [i.e., other Śrutis] say that the puruṣa without external or internal coverings [i.e., the jīva whose nature is not covered by anything except adjuncts (upādhis) manifest by māyā] in these abodes [i.e., bodies] of your own making is an [eternally] established part of you who are the bearer of all potencies. Having in this way understood the state of a person [i.e., of the puruṣa—the jīva], the wise on the earth—the faithful—worship your feet, which are the field of the Nigamas [i.e., the source of all the śāstras, alt., the object described by all the śāstras] and the negation of material existence [i.e., the cause of the cessation of saṁsāra].”

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ajānan dāhārtiṁ viśati śalabho dīpa-dahanaṁ

ajānan dāhārtiṁ viśati śalabho dīpa-dahanaṁ
na mīno’pi jñātvā vṛta-baḍiśam aśnāti piśitam |
vijānanto’py etān vayam iha vipaj-jāla-jaṭilān
na muñcāmaḥ kāmān ahaha gahano moha-mahimā ||
(Attributed to a Śānti-śataka of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura)

“Not knowing the pain of being burnt, a moth enters the flame of a lamp. A fish too eats a piece of meat not knowing it is a covered hook. Although we [however] know objects of enjoyment here [i.e., in saṁsāra] are embedded in a net of afflictions, we do not give them up. Ahaha! How impenetrable is the power of delusion!”

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yad yat prītikaraṁ puṁsāṁ vastu maitreya jāyate

yad yat prītikaraṁ puṁsāṁ vastu maitreya jāyate |
tad eva duḥkha-vṛkṣasya bījatvam upagacchati ||
kalatra-putra-mitrārtha-gṛha-kṣetra-dhanādikaiḥ |
kriyeta na tathā bhūri sukhaṁ puṁsāṁ yathāsukham ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 6.5.55–56)

“O Maitreya, indeed every object pleasing to a person that comes about [in the course of saṁsāra] becomes [later] a seed of the tree of suffering. Not so much happiness is produced by one’s wife, children, friends, possessions, houses, lands, wealth, and so forth as is unhappiness [i.e., these aforementioned aspects of saṁsāras produce more unhappiness than happiness].”

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siktāpy aśru-jalotkareṇa bhagavad-vārttā-nadī-janmanā

siktāpy aśru-jalotkareṇa bhagavad-vārttā-nadī-janmanā
tiṣṭhaty eva bhavāgni-hetir iti te dhīmann alaṁ cintayā |
hṛd-vyomany amṛta-spṛhā-hara-kṛpā-vṛṣṭeḥ sphuṭaṁ lakṣyate
nediṣṭhaḥ pṛthu-roma-tāṇḍava-bharāt kṛṣṇāmbudhasyodgamaḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.278)

“O wise one, enough with your worry that the flame of the fire of saṁsāra still remains even after you have been drenched by a profusion of tears produced by the river of discussion of Bhagavān, since the rising in the sky of your heart of the cloud Kṛṣṇa, filled with the rain of grace that removes desire [even] for amṛta, is clearly recognized to be very near on account of the abundance of the plentiful dancing of your bodily hairs [alt., as the rising in the sky of a dark cloud filled with gracious rain that removes desire for water is known to be very near on account of the abundance of dancing fish (that can be seen in nearby bodies of water)].”

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yāvat pṛthaktvam idam ātmana indriyārtha

yāvat pṛthaktvam idam ātmana indriyārtha-
māyā-balaṁ bhagavato jana īśa paśyet |
tāvan na saṁsṛtir asau pratisaṅkrameta
vyarthāpi duḥkha-nivahaṁ vahatī kriyārthā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.9.9; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 236)

[Rendered as per Śrī Jīva Gosvāmīpāda’s ṭikā:] “O Īśa, as long as a person shall see this [supposed] separateness [i.e., independence] of the self (ātmā) from Bhagavān, [which is in effect] the power of the illusion (māyā) manifested by the objects of the senses, saṁsṛti [i.e., recurrent transmigration throughout material existence], [which is] possessed of the results of actions and productive of a myriad of sufferings, shall not cease even though it is vain [i.e., devoid of any real substance, meaning, or value].”

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tāvad bhayaṁ draviṇa-deha-suhṛn-nimittaṁ

tāvad bhayaṁ draviṇa-deha-suhṛn-nimittaṁ
śokaḥ spṛhā paribhavo vipulaś ca lobhaḥ |
tāvan mamety asad-avagraha ārti-mūlaṁ
yāvan na te’ṅghrim abhayaṁ pravṛṇīta lokaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.9.6)

“So fear, grief, longing, humiliation, and immense greed on account of wealth, the body, and companions, and so the false [alt., wicked] temperament of ‘mine’—the root of distress—remain as long as a person does not embrace your fearless feet.”

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