ekaḥ prajāyate jantur eka eva pralīyate |
eko’nubhuṅkte sukṛtam eka eva ca duṣkṛtam ||
(Manu Saṁhitā: 4.240)
“A living being is born alone, indeed dies alone, and experiences the results of good deeds alone and indeed the results of bad deeds alone.”
vāse bahūnāṁ kalaho bhaved vārtā dvayor api |
eka eva vaset tasmāt kumāryā iva kaṅkaṇaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.9.10)
“There will be quarrel in a residence of many, and chatter even among two [who reside together]. Therefore, reside alone, like the bracelet of the young girl.”
tad vai tasya priya-krīḍā-vana-bhūmau sadā rahaḥ |
nivasaṁs tanuyād evaṁ sampadyetācirād dhruvam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.220)
“Always residing in seclusion in the land of his dear play forests, one should develop that [i.e., prema]. In this way, it certainly and without delay becomes manifest.”
jālena sarasi mīnā hiṁsrair eṇā vane ca vāgurayā |
saṁsāre bhūtasṛjā snehena narāś ca badhyante ||
(Kāvyālaṅkāra: 8.104)
“Fish are caught by cruel persons in a lake with a net as are deer in a forest with traps; men [are caught] by the emanator of living beings in saṁsāra with affection.”
āruhya paramāṁ kāṣṭhāṁ premā cid-dīpa-dīpanaḥ |
hṛdayaṁ drāvayann eṣa sneha ity abhidhīyate |
atrodite bhavej jātu na tṛptir darśanādiṣu ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.79)
“Prema which reaches its ultimate limit, illuminates the lamp of perception [i.e., produces perception of the object of prema—Kṛṣṇa], and melts the heart is called sneha. When it arises, no satiation can ever come about by darśana and so forth [i.e., by hearing of Kṛṣṇa, remembering Him, etc.; when sneha manifests, desire for Kṛṣṇa becomes insatiable even by direct interaction with him, much less seeing him, thinking of him, and so on].”
sāndraś citta-dravaṁ kurvan premā sneha itīryate |
kṣaṇikasyāpi neha syād viśleṣasya sahiṣṇutā ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 3.3.84)
“Intense prema melting the heart (citta) is called sneha. Within it, tolerance for even a moment of separation [from Kṛṣṇa] is not possible.”
tri-bhuvana-vibhava-hetave’py akuṇṭha-
smṛtir ajitātma-surādibhir vimṛgyāt |
na calati bhagavat-padāravindāl
lava-nimiṣārdham api yaḥ sa vaiṣṇavāgryaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.53; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.53; Bhakti Sandarbha: 14, 196, 198, 278)
“One of unchecked remembrance who does not even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds diverge for even half a blink of an eye or half of a sixth of that from Bhagavān’s lotus feet, which are to be sought after [even] by the suras and others whose self is Ajita [i.e., the Unconquerable One, viz., Bhagavān], is the foremost Vaiṣṇava.”
ekasminn apy atikrānte muhūrte dhyāna-varjito |
dasyubhir mūṣitenaiva yuktam ākrandituṁ bhṛśam ||
(Garuḍa Purāṇa, cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 277)
“It is befitting to weep intensely like someone who has been robbed by bandits for even one moment that has passed devoid of meditation [on Śrī Hari].”
alabdhe vā vinaṣṭe vā bhakṣyācchādana-sādhane |
aviklava-matir bhūtvā harim eva dhiyā smaret ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.114)
“Whether food and clothing are attained, not attained, or lost, one should remain undisturbed in mind and with understanding remember Hari alone.”
īkṣeta cintāmayam enam īśvaraṁ
yāvan mano dhāraṇayāvatiṣṭhate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.2.12)
“Behold [i.e., meditate on] this Īśvara consisting of thought [i.e., manifest through meditation] as long as the mind remains steady with concentration.”
