ambhojinī-vana-vihāra-vilāsam eva
haṁsasya hanti nitarāṁ kupito vidhātā |
na tv asya dugdha-jala-bheda-vidhau prasiddhāṁ
vaidagdhī-kīrtim apahartum asau samarthaḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 18)
“Vidhātā [i.e., Brahmā, or, destiny], [even] when exceedingly angered,
may destroy a swan’s fun
of playing in a cluster of lotuses,
but he cannot destroy
the widely renowned fame
of its skill in separating milk from water.”
aneka-śāstraṁ bahu-veditavyam
alpaś ca kālo bahuvaś ca vighnāḥ |
yat sāra-bhūtaṁ tad upāsitavyaṁ
haṁso yathā kṣīram ivāmbhum adhyāt ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpanam: 15.10)
“There are various texts and so many things to be known. Time is short, and obstacles are numerous. Therefore, the essence is to be appreciated, as a swan can extract milk for the midst of water.”
ananta-pāraṁ kila śabda-śāstraṁ
svalpaṁ tathāyur bahavaś ca vighnāḥ |
sāraṁ tato grāhyam apāsya phalgu
haṁsair yathā kṣīram ivāmbum adhyāt ||
(Pañcatantra: Kathā-mukham, 6)
“Endless indeed are words and texts. Life is short, and obstacles are numerous. Therefore, the essence is to be grasped and the insubstantial set aside, just as milk can be extracted from water by swans.”
haṁsasya corddhva-gamane gatir bhavati niścalā |
tattvātattva-viveko’sti jala-dugdha-vibhāgavat |
ajñāna-jñānayos tattvaṁ vivecayati haṁsakaḥ ||
(Śiva Purāṇa: Rudra-saṁhitā, Sṛṣti-khaṇḍa, 15.10–11)
“A haṁsa’s [i.e., a swan-like sādhu’s] upward movement is unwavering [like a swan’s flight], and he has the ability to discriminate between the real and the unreal as though separating milk from water [like a swan]. A haṁsa ascertains the nature of ignorance and knowledge.”
haṁsāḥ sārāsāra-viveka-caturāḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.3; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 326)
“Haṁsas [lit., “swans”] are those who are expert in discriminating between the essential and non-essential.”
te’pi tan-mukhataḥ sarvaṁ śrutvā tat-tan-mahādbhutam |
sāra-saṅgrāhiṇo’śeṣam anyat sarvaṁ jahur dṛḍham ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.152)
“Grasping the essence [i.e., the tattva] after hearing from his [i.e., Nārada’s] mouth all of these profound wonders [i.e., the extraordinary things which were experienced by Nārada during his journey for the recipient of the essence of Kṛṣṇa’s grace], they too [i.e., the sages at Prayāga listening to Nārada’s account] resolutely and completely gave up everything else [i.e., jñāna, karma, and all other paths apart from Kṛṣṇa-bhakti].”
