Simplicity

gaura-prabhoḥ prema-vilāsa-bhūmau

gaura-prabhoḥ prema-vilāsa-bhūmau
niṣkiñcano bhaktivinoda-nāma |
ko’pi sthito bhakti-kuṭīra-koṣṭhe
smṛtvāniśaṁ nāma-guṇaṁ murāreḥ ||
(Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura; a verse of his own engraved in the wall of his “Bhakti-kuṭī” in Śrī Purī Dhāma)

“In the land of the prema-līlā of Gaura Prabhu,
Some possessionless person (niṣkiñcana) named Bhaktivinoda
Is situated in the inner room of this ‘Bhakti-cottage’ (kuṭī),
Continuously remembering
The names and qualities of Murarī.”

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yāvatā syāt sva-nirvāhaḥ svīkuryāt tāvad artha-vit

yāvatā syāt sva-nirvāhaḥ svīkuryāt tāvad artha-vit |
ādhikye nyūnatāyāṁ ca cyavate paramārthataḥ ||
(Nāradīya Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.108)

“As much as shall be necessary for one’s accomplishing [of one’s goal], that much a knower of utility [i.e., a person who knows how to attain one’s goal] should accept. One becomes deviated from the ultimate goal (paramārtha) as a result of excess and deficiency.”

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nṛpo na hari-sevitā vyaya-kṛtī na hary-arpakaḥ

nṛpo na hari-sevitā vyaya-kṛtī na hary-arpakaḥ
kavir na hari-varṇakaḥ śrita-gurur na hary-āśritaḥ |
guṇī na hari-tatparaḥ sarala-dhīr na kṛṣṇāśrayaḥ
sa na vraja-ramānugaḥ sva-hṛdi sapta-śalyāni me ||
(Gopāla-campū: 1.33.178)

“A king who is not a servant of Hari,

A spender who is not an offerer to Hari,

A poet who is not a narrator of Hari,

A disciple of a guru who is not sheltered in Hari,

A virtuous person who is not devoted to Hari,

A simple [alt., sincere, unpretentious] person who is not sheltered in Hari,

And he [i.e., one who is sheltered in Hari] who is not a follower of the beautiful ladies of Vraja—

[These seven types of persons] Are seven spears in my own heart.”

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ataḥ kavir nāmasu yāvadarthaḥ

ataḥ kavir nāmasu yāvadarthaḥ
syād apramatto vyavasāya-buddhiḥ |
siddhe’nyathārthe na yateta tatra
pariśramaṁ tatra samīkṣamāṇaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.2.3)

“Therefore, a wise person should accept articles [only] as necessary, being non-neglectful and of resolute mind. Should one’s object be attained otherwise [i.e., should what is necessary for one’s sustenance come of its own accord], then one should not endeavor for it, seeing clearly the labor therein [i.e., seeing the unfavorable consequences of unnecessarily endeavoring for what one already has attained].”

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