mayy āveśya manaḥ kṛtsnaṁ vimuktāśeṣa-vṛtti yat |
anusmarantyo māṁ nityam acirān mām upaiṣyatha ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.36; cited in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 163)
“By absorbing your minds free from all [other] operations in me, and [thus] remembering me continuously, you will soon reach me.”
yathā dūracare preṣṭhe mana āviśya vartate |
strīṇāṁ ca na tathā cetaḥ sannikṛṣṭe’kṣi-gocare ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.35; cited in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 162)
“The minds of women do not remain as absorbed in their beloved when he is nearby in the range of the eyes as they do when he is far away.”
yat tv ahaṁ bhavatīnāṁ vai dūre varte priyo dṛśām |
manasaḥ sannikarṣārthaṁ mad-anudhyāna-kāmyayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.34; cited in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 161)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa to the gopīs:] I, your beloved, however, remain afar from your eyes for the sake of nearness of mind [i.e., for the sake of drawing your minds near to me] out of desire for [you all to engage in] continuous meditation upon me.”
yathā kharaś candana-bhāra-vāhī bhārasya vettā na tu candandasya |
evaṁ hi śāstrāṇi bahūny adhītya cārtheṣu mūḍhāḥ kharavad vahanti ||
(Suśruta-saṁhitā: Sūtra-sthāna, 4)
“As a donkey carrying a load of sandalwood knows its weight but not the [fragrance of the] sandalwood, so even after studying numerous śāstras, those ignorant of their meaning simply carry them [in their minds] like donkeys [i.e., they never experience the substance that makes the labor of their study and memorization meaningful—the wisdom the śāstras convey].”
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.”
adhītya caturo vedān sarva-śāstrāṇy anekaśaḥ |
brahma-tattvaṁ na jānāti darvī pāka-rasaṁ yathā ||
(Muktikā Upaniṣad: 2.65)
“[Even] After repeatedly studying the four Vedas and all the śāstras, one does not understand the nature of Brahman, just as a spoon does not know the taste of cooked food [i.e., to realize Brahman one has to not only acquire knowledge of Brahman but also purify the mind of saṁsārika vāsanās].”
aiśvaraṁ śāstram utsṛjya bandha-mokṣānudarśanam |
vivikta-padam ajñāya kim asat-karmabhir bhavet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.5.18)
“What can be the use of the meaningless acts here [i.e., in this world] of one who rejects śāstra, which is expressive of Īśvara and portrays bondage and liberation, and [who thus] remains unaware of the distinguished subject therein [i.e., the reality constituted of spirit and matter]?”
śamārthaṁ sarva-śāstrāṇi vihitāni manīṣibhiḥ |
sa eva sarva-śāstra-jñaḥ yasya śāntaṁ manaḥ sadā ||
(Mahābhārata)
“All the śāstras have been compiled by the wise for the purpose of equanimity. One whose mind is always peaceful is truly learned in all the śāstras.”
aneka-saṁśayocchedi parokṣārthasya darśakam |
sarvasya locanaṁ śāstraṁ yasya nāsty andha eva saḥ ||
(Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra, Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha, Hitopadeśa: 1.10)
“The remover of numerous doubts and revealer of the invisible, śāstra is the eye of everyone. One without it is certainly blind.”
śāstraṁ hi śāsanātmakam | śāsanaṁ copadeśaḥ | sa ca dvidhā sākṣād arthāntara-dvārā ca | sākṣād-upadeśas tu śrutir iti paribhāṣyate | sākṣāttvaṁ cātra nirapekṣatvam ucyate | tad uktaṁ nirapekṣa-ravā śrutir iti |
(Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 29)
“Śāstra is educational. Education is instruction. This is of two types: direct and by way of another meaning [i.e., indirect]. Direct instruction is termed śruti. Its being direct means it is independent [i.e., it does not require anything else to produce its effect]. Thus, it is said [in Artha-saṅgraha: 16], ‘An independent statement is called śruti.’”
