tasmād vaco manaḥ prāṇān niyacchen mat-parāyaṇaḥ |
mad-bhakti-yuktayā buddhyā tataḥ parisamāpyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.16.44)
“Therefore, with the intellect fixed with bhakti [i.e., śraddhā] upon me, one whose ultimate shelter is me should control the speech, mind, and prāṇas. Then, he reaches success.”
sad-guroḥ sakāśād vedāntādy-akhila-śāstrārtha-vicāra-śravaṇa-dvārā yadi sā āvaśyaka-parama-kartavyatvena jñāyate, punaś ca … yadi viparīta-bhāvanā-tyājakau manana-yogyatā-mananābhiniveśau syātāṁ, tataḥ śraddadhānaiś ca sā bhaktir upāsana-dvārā labhyate |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 7)
“If, through hearing deliberation upon the meaning of all the śāstras beginning with Vedānta from a sad-guru, that [i.e., bhakti] is understood to be the supreme necessary duty, and furthermore … if they [i.e., listeners] develop capability for contemplation, and absorption in contemplation, which dispel contradictory notions, then that, bhakti, is attainable through upāsana by those endowed with śraddhā.”
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.”
jāta-śraddho mat-kathāsu nirviṇṇaḥ sarva-karmasu |
veda duḥkhātmakān kāmān parityāge’py anīśvaraḥ ||
tato bhajeta māṁ prītaḥ śraddhālur dṛḍha-niścayaḥ |
juṣamāṇaś ca tān kāmān duḥkhodarkāṁś ca garhayan ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.20.27–28)
“One who has śraddhā in discussions of me, is disinterested in all karmas [i.e., in all activities that are unrelated to me], and knows that desires are full of suffering [i.e., are invariable causes of suffering] yet is still unable to relinquish them, should thereafter worship me, being affectionate, full of śraddhā, and of firm resolve while both acceding to and condemning those objects of desire, the consequences of which are [only ultimately] suffering.”
ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo’tha bhajana-kriyā |
tato’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ |
athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati |
sādhakānām ayaṁ premnaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.15–16)
“First śraddhā, then sādhu-saṅga, then bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛtti, then niṣṭhā, then ruci, then āsakti, then bhāva, and then prema appear. These are the stages in the appearance of prema in a sādhaka.”
viśvopaplava-śamanaika-baddha-dīkṣaṁ
viśvāsa-stavakita-cetasaṁ janānām |
praśyāma-prati-nava-kānti-kandalārdraṁ
paśyāmaḥ pathi pathi śaiśavaṁ murāreḥ ||
(Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta: 56)
“On every path we see the youthfulness of Murāri, which is tender with the fresh shoots of his ever-new, deep swarthy radiance, and which has taken dīkṣa [i.e., is resolved] solely to subdue the distress of all persons whose hearts have blossomed with faith [in him].”
athāpy upāyo mama devi cintyaḥ
santoṣitasya vrata-caryayā te |
mamārcanaṁ nārhati gantum anyathā
śraddhānurūpaṁ phala-hetukatvāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.17.17)
“[Bhagavān to Aditi:] O Devi, satisfied by your observance of the vrata [i.e., the payo-vrata I prescribed for you], I should now think of a means [to fulfill your desire]. Because it is a cause of results in accord with one’s śraddhā, worship of me should not go otherwise [i.e., should never go in vain or lead to any unbefitting result].”
sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata |
śraddhāmayo’yaṁ puruṣo yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 17.3)
“The śraddhā of all beings corresponds to their disposition (sattva), O descendant of Bhārata. A person is made of śraddhā. One verily is the śraddhā one has.”
ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati |
nāyaṁ loko’sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 4.40)
“One who is ignorant [i.e., devoid of knowledge of śāstra], devoid of śraddhā [as a result of observing differences of opinion about the meaning of śāstra], and doubtful [regarding whether something will actually lead to success] is ruined. Neither this world [i.e., any future prospect of well-being in this world], nor the next [i.e., any prospect of attaining a desirable afterlife], nor happiness [i.e., any present sense of satisfaction] exist for one who is doubtful.”
durūhādbhuta-vīrye’smin śraddhā dūre’stu pañcake |
yatra svalpo’pi sambandhaḥ sad-dhiyāṁ bhāva-janmane ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.238; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.133)
“Let alone having śraddhā in them [i.e., performing them with śraddhā], even slight connection with these five [limbs of bhakti of difficult to comprehend and wonderful power [i.e., even slight performance without śraddhā of sādhu-saṅga, nāma-kīrtana, Bhāgavata-śravaṇa, Mathurā-vāsa, or śrī-mūrti-sevā] gives rise to bhāva in those of pure mind [i.e., those whose minds are free from aparādha].”
