Saṅga

prabho! bhagavan! kṛpā-pārāvāra! ghora-saṁsāra-pravāha-prāpita

prabho! bhagavan! kṛpā-pārāvāra! ghora-saṁsāra-pravāha-prāpita-kleśa-cakra-nakra-vyūha-carvyamāṇaṁ māṁ vilokya, kāruṇyodyota-drava-ceto-navanīto’khila-lokātīto bhagavan śrī-guru-rūpa-dhārī mad-anādy-avidyā-vidāri-sva-darśanena sudarśanenaiva tan nirbhidya, tad-daṁṣṭrā-taṭād evonmocya, nija-caraṇa-kamala-yugala-dāsī-cikīrṣayā sva-mantra-varṇa-vīthīṁ mat-karṇa-vīthīṁ praveśya, nirvyathīkṛtya, muhur muhur api sva-guṇa-nāma-śravaṇa-kīrtana-smaraṇādibhir māṁ yad aśūśudhan nija-bhaktair api saṅgamitaiḥ sva-sevām apy abūbudhat, tad api durmedho’ham adhamatamo divasam ekam api prabhuṁ na paryacaraṁ, kadarya-caryas tad ayaṁ jano daṇḍayitum evārhaḥ, pratyutaitāvad darśana-mādhurīṁ pāyitaḥ |
(Mādhurya-kādambinī: 8.9)

“O Master! O Bhagavān! O Ocean of grace! Seeing me being chewed by the crocodile bask of the cycle of afflictions engendered by the frightful course of saṁsāra, [you,] Bhagavān, who are beyond all planes [in saṁsāra] and the butter of whose heart becomes melted by the radiance of [your] compassion, have assumed the form of śrī-guru, cut that [bask of crocodiles] asunder with the sudarśana [cakra] of your own darśana rending of my beginningless ignorance (avidyā), freed me from their jaws, caused the syllables of your mantra to enter the path of my ears out of desire to engage me [in service] as a maidservant of your two lotus feet, freed me from all pain, purified me by means of repeated hearing, chanting, remembering, and so forth of your names and qualities, and enlightened me about your own service by means of the association of your own bhaktas, yet still I of dull wit, the most fallen, have not served my Master [i.e., you, O Bhagavān] for even one day. Thus, this ill-behaved person [i.e., my most-fallen self] is certainly fit to be punished. Despite all this [however] I have been given the chance to drink the sweetness of your darśana.”

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devānāṁ śuddha-sattvānām ṛṣīṇāṁ cāmalātmanām

devānāṁ śuddha-sattvānām ṛṣīṇāṁ cāmalātmanām |
bhaktir mukunda-caraṇe na prāyeṇopajāyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.14.2; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.545; Bhakti Sandarbha: 134)

“[Even] In devas of pure mind or ṛṣis of taintless mind, bhakti to Mukunda’s feet generally does not manifest.”

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mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes

mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes
tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam |
mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā
vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye |
ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā
janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu ||
gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu
na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.5.2–3; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.17, 69; Bhakti Sandarbha: 186; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.82)

“Service to the mahats is said to be the door to ultimate mukti, and attachment to those who are attached to women [is said to be] the door to darkness. The mahāntas are they who are of equal mind, tranquil, free from anger, friendly, and virtuous, or, they who (1) have made affection [i.e., prema] for me, Īśa, their aim, (2) are unpossessed of affinity for persons fixated upon affairs related to bodily maintenance and houses accompanied by wives, children, and friends, and (3) are possessed of only so much wealth [as is necessary] in this world.”

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bhaume cāsmin sapadi mathurā-maṇḍale yāna-mātrāt

bhaume cāsmin sapadi mathurā-maṇḍale yāna-mātrāt
sidhyeyus tāḥ sakala-samaye yasya kasyāpi naiva |
kintv etasya priya-jana-kṛpā-pūrataḥ kasyacit syus
tad bho mātaś cinu pada-rajas tat-padaika-priyāṇām ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.76)

“Those [various delightful līlās of Madana Gopāla] certainly cannot be attained by anyone at all times just by suddenly going to the district of Mathurā on this earth [i.e., only during the time of the descent of the blessed Lord of Goloka to the district of Mathurā on earth can someone simply arrive there suddenly and perceive his delightful līlās by his grace]. [At all other times,] Rather, those can be had by someone [only] as a result of a flood of grace from a person dear to him [as in the case of Janaśarmā receiving the grace of Sarūpa (Gopa Kumāra)]. Therefore, O Mother, gather dust from the feet of those to whom only his feet are dear [i.e., gather dust from the feet of his bhaktas who hold Kṛṣṇa-bhakti alone and not mokṣa or anything else dear].”

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yaḥ kenāpy atibhāgyena jāta-śraddho’sya sevane

yaḥ kenāpy atibhāgyena jāta-śraddho’sya sevane |
nātisakto na vairāgya-bhāg asyām adhikāry asau ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.14)

“One who by some sort of great fortune is possessed of śraddhā in his [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s] service and is neither excessively attached nor possessed of non-attachment is a bearer of eligibility (adhikārī) for this [i.e., for vaidhī-bhakti].”

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yo gajendraṁ jhaṣa-grastaṁ dhyāyantaṁ caraṇāmbujam

yo gajendraṁ jhaṣa-grastaṁ dhyāyantaṁ caraṇāmbujam |
krośantīnāṁ kareṇūnāṁ kṛcchrato’mocayad drutam ||
taṁ sukhārādhyam ṛjubhir ananya-śaraṇair nṛbhiḥ |
kṛtajñaḥ ko na seveta durārādhyam asādhubhiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.19.35–36; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 153)

“What grateful person would not worship he who swiftly saved the crying lady elephants’ elephant-king [i.e., Gajendra] from danger while [the elephant-king was] meditating on his lotus feet after being seized by a crocodile, [he] who is easily propitiated by persons who are sincere and of undivided shelter yet difficult to propitiate for the unvirtuous?”

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duḥsaṅga kahi—kaitava ātma-vañcanā

duḥsaṅga kahi—kaitava ātma-vañcanā |
‘kṛṣṇa’-‘kṛṣṇa-bhakti’ vinu anya-kāmanā ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.2.24.100)

“We call deceit and self-deception, that is, desire for anything other than Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, wrong attachment (duḥsaṅga).”

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kṣaṇārdhenāpi tulaye na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam

kṣaṇārdhenāpi tulaye na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam |
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.24.57; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.285; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.14; Bhakti Sandarbha: 189, 247; Prīti Sandarbha: 30)

“[Bhagavān Śiva to the Pracetas:] I equate neither Svarga nor non-repetition of birth, much less the benedictions had by human beings, with even half a moment of association with those who are attached to Bhagavān.”

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rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti

rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā |
na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
vinā mahat-pāda-rajo’bhiṣekam ||
yatrottamaḥśloka-guṇānuvādaḥ
prastūyate grāmya-kathā-vighātaḥ |
niṣevyamāṇo’nudinaṁ mumukṣor
matiṁ satīṁ yacchati vāsudeve ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.12.12–13)

“[Jaḍa Bhārata:] O Rahūgaṇa, neither by austerity, nor by sacrifice, nor by giving, nor by household life, nor by the Vedas, nor by [worship of] water, fire, and the sun does one attain this without bathing in the foot-dust of the mahats, amongst whom is sung recounting of the qualities of he of highest praise [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān], on account of which termination of village talk occurs, and which upon being honored daily produces a seeker of mokṣa’s genuine inclination towards Vāsudeva.”

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so’haṁ tavāṅghry-upagato’smy asatāṁ durāpaṁ

so’haṁ tavāṅghry-upagato’smy asatāṁ durāpaṁ
tac cāpy ahaṁ bhavad-anugraha īśa manye |
puṁso bhaved yarhi saṁsaraṇāpavargas
tvayy abja-nābha sad-upāsanayā matiḥ syāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.40.28)

“Being such [i.e., although I am unable to restrict my mind from the pull of the senses upon it towards their various objects], I have approached your feet, which are difficult to attain for the asat. That too, furthermore, I consider your favor, O Īśa! When the cessation of saṁsāra shall come about for a person, O you of lotus navel, inclination towards you shall come about as a result of worship of the sat.”

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