abhīpsāṁ svātmano rakṣāvirataṁ susthiraṁ tathā |
yatnam ātiṣṭha dhairyeṇa tataḥ siddhir bhaved dhruvam ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2353)
“Remain firmly fixed in your own aspiration, continuous [self-] protection, complete steadiness, and endeavor. Then success is certain.”
atha ayauthikyaḥ—
tad-bhāva-baddha-rāgā ye janās te sādhane ratāḥ |
tad-yogyam anurāgaughaṁ prāpyotkaṇṭhānusārataḥ ||
tā ekaśo’thavā dvi-trāḥ kāle kāle vraje’bhavan |
prācīnāś ca navāś ca syur ayauthikyas tato dvidhā |
nitya-priyābhiḥ sālokyaṁ prācīnāś ciram āgatāḥ |
vraje jātā navās tv etā martyāmartyādi-yonitaḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlāmaṇī: 3.49; cited in Rāga-vartma-candrikā: 2.7)
“Those persons possessed of rāga [i.e., strong affinity] for that bhāva [i.e., the gopīs’ paroḍhā-bhāva] who engaged in sādhana and upon attaining in accord with their [level of] eagerness an abundance of anurāga [i.e., ardor] befitting that [i.e., that gopī-bhāva] took birth one by one or in twos and threes from time to time in Vraja are [known as] ayauthikyas [i.e., those who engaged in a sādhana and attained siddhi outside of a fixed group]. Ayauthikyas can be of two types: ancient and new. The ancient attained co-residence with the eternal beloveds [of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in his eternal dhāma] long ago [i.e., during previous kalpas], while the new have taken birth in Vraja after being born as mortals, immortals, and so on [i.e., as human beings, devas, animals, and so forth during the present kalpa].”
udyoginaṁ puruṣa-siṁham upaiti lakṣmīr
daivena deyam iti kāpuruṣā vadanti |
daivaṁ nihatya kuru pauruṣamātma-śaktyā
yatne kṛte yadi na sidhyati ko’tra doṣaḥ ||
(Hitopadeśa: 1.33)
“An endeavoring, lion-like person attains good fortune (lakṣmī). Wretches say, ‘Fortune must be given by destiny.’ Set aside destiny and exert yourself with your full energy. If you make an effort but are not successful, what fault is there in that?”
apriyaṁ na hi bhāṣet na virūdhyeta kenacit |
kārya-siddhiṁ samīheta kārya-bhraṁśo hi mūrkhatā ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2189)
“Do not speak unpleasantly and do not act hostilely with anyone. [Rather, simply] Strive to accomplish your goal. Straying from the goal is foolishness.”
atha dāsyam | tac ca śrī-viṣṇor dāsaṁ manyatvam—janmāntara-sahasreṣu yasya syān matir īdṛśī | dāso’haṁ vāsudevasya sarvān lokān samuddharet || ity ukta-lakṣaṇam | astu tāvat tad-bhajana-prayāsaḥ kevala-tādṛśatvābhimānenāpi siddhir bhavatīty abhipretyaivottaratra nirdeśaś ca tasya | yathoktaṁ ‘janmāntara’ ity etat-padyasyaivānte ‘kiṁ punas tad-gata-prāṇāḥ puruṣāḥ saṁyatendriyāḥ’ iti | … tad etad-dāsya-sambandhenaiva sarvam api bhajanaṁ mahattaraṁ bhavati … | … dāso’smīty abhimānena samyag eva bhajatāṁ sarvatra sādhane sādhye ca kim avaśiṣyate? tad-adhikam anyat kim api nāsti … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 304–305)
“That [i.e., dāsya], furthermore, is the state of considering [oneself] a servant of Śrī Viṣṇu as per the characteristic stated here [in Itihāsa-samuccaya, 31.121]: ‘One who after thousands of births shall have such attitude [i.e., sense of identity], ‘I am a servant of Vāsudeva’ can deliver all planes [throughout the universe].’ Let alone the exertion of service to him [i.e., actually performing service to Bhagavān], perfection (siddhi) is attained even through just [having] the attitude of being such [i.e., just by fostering the attitude of being a servant of Bhagavān]. With this intention specifically, its [i.e,, dāsya’s] description is later on [i.e., after the limbs of bhakti that involve specific forms of exertion, e.g., hearing, praising, and so forth]. At the end of this aforementioned verse [beginning] janmāntara …, [the following is stated,] ‘What’s more of persons whose prāṇas are given over to him and whose senses are controlled [i.e., they most certainly can deliver all planes throughout the universe, since even those who are not such but simply foster the attitude of being Bhagavān’s servant do so].’ … Therefore, just by a relationship with this dāsya [i.e., this attitude of being a servant of Bhagavān], even all [other forms of] bhajana becomes greater [i.e., more pleasing to Bhagavān]. … [Furthermore,] For those who engage fully in worship [of Bhagavān] with the attitude, ‘I am a servant [of Bhagavān],’ what remains [unaccomplished] in regard to the practice (sādhana) and the goal (sādhya) in any respect? [Nothing, meaning, fostering the attitude of being a servant of Bhāgavān and putting it into action accordingly is itself accomplishment of the practice and the goal.] There is nothing else greater than that [i.e., than the attitude of identifying oneself as a servant of Bhagavān and accordingly engaging in Bhagavān’s service for his satisfaction].”
daive puruṣakāre ca karma-siddhir vyavasthitā |
(Yājñavalkya-saṁhitā: 1.349)
“Accomplishment of actions is determined by destiny and virility.”
yāra yemana bhāva tāra temana lābha |
(Bengali saying)
“As is one’s bhāva, so is one’s attainment.”
yathāveśas tathā praveśaḥ |
(Sanskrit saying)
“As is [one’s] absorption, so is [one’s] entrance.”
kāṣṭha-pāṣāṇa-dhātūnāṁ kṛtvā bhāvena sevanam |
śraddhayā ca tathā siddhis tasya viṣṇu-prasādataḥ ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 8.12)
“If one serves that which is made of wood, stone, or metal [i.e., a deity] with bhāva and śraddhā, then siddhi [i.e., success in one’s worship] occurs by Viṣṇu’s grace.”
