antas-timira-nāśāya śābda-bodho nirarthakaḥ |
na naśyati tamo nāma kṛtayā dīpa-vārtayā ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1661)
“Knowledge of words [i.e., grammar, śāstra] is useless for dispelling inner darkness, as darkness is not dispelled just by engaging in discussion of a lamp.”
upāsanīyaṁ yatnena śāstraṁ vyākaraṇaṁ mahat |
pradīpa-bhūtaṁ sarvāsāṁ vidyānāṁ yad avasthitam ||
(Unknown Source)
“The great śāstra of vyākaraṇa, which remains fixed as the lamp of all [other] vidyās, is to be studied with exertion.”
kāṇādaṁ pāṇinīyaṁ ca sarva-śāstropakārakam |
(Unknown source)
“The work of Kaṇāda [i.e., Vaiśeṣika-darśana, or, loosely, logic] and the work of Pāṇini [i.e., vyākaraṇa, or, loosely, grammar] are helpful in all śāstras [i.e., all fields of knowledge].”
kevalaṁ śāstram āśritya na kartavyo vinirṇayaḥ |
yukti-hīna-vicāre tu dharma-hāniḥ prajāyate ||
(Bṛhaspati; quoted in the Smṛti-candrikā)
“Do not ascertain what is to be done on the basis of śāstra alone. Diminution of dharma certainly occurs as a result of deliberation devoid of reasoning.”
pratyakṣeṇānumityā vā yas tūpāyo na budhyate |
enaṁ vidanti vedena tasmād vedasya vedatā ||
(Sāyaṇācārya)
“People know through the Veda the means [to higher attainments] which cannot be understood through pratyakṣa and anumāna. Therefore, the Veda has the quality of being veda [i.e., ‘knowledge’].”
śraddhā hi śāstrārtha-viśvāsaḥ |
(Krama Sandarbha-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.20.9; Bhakti Sandarbha: 173)
“Śraddhā, indeed, is conviction in the meaning of śāstra.”
śraddhā śāstrābhidheyāvadhāraṇasya evāṅgaṁ, tad-viśvāsa-rūpatvāt | tato nānuṣṭhānāṅgatve praviśati |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 172)
“Śraddhā is only part of ascertaining the object to be signified (abhidheya) in śāstra because of its being a form of conviction in that. Therefore, it does not enter into being part of the practice [thereof, i.e. it is not a part of bhakti itself].”
sādhu-saṅga-śāstra-śravaṇa-dvārā śraddhā tad-artha-viśvāsaḥ |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.15)
“Śraddhā is conviction in the meaning of śāstra [brought about] through hearing śāstra in the association of sādhus.”
śāstrīyārtha-niścayaḥ siddhāntaḥ |
(Unknown source)
“Determination of the meaning of śāstra is siddhānta.”
adhigatam apy adhyayanam aprabhāṣitam arthataḥ |
kharasya candana-bhāra iva kevalaṁ pariśrama-karaṁ bhavati |
(Suśruta-saṁhitā: Sūtra-sthāna, 3)
“Even mastered recitation [of a text] without explanation of the meaning [of the text] becomes merely a cause of [fruitless] fatigue like a donkey’s load of sandalwood.”
