acirād eva sarvārthaḥ sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ |
sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ ||
(Nāradīya Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.103 and Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.106)
“All desired goals are soon realized by those who are of determined mind to understand true dharma.”
ihāsane śuṣyatu me śarīraṁ
tvag-asthi-māṁsaṁ pralayaṁ ca yātu |
aprāpya bodhiṁ bahu-kalpa-durlabhāṁ
naivāsanāt kāyam ataś caliṣyate ||
(Lalita-vistara: 19.57)
“Let my body dry up on this seat.
And let its skin, bones, and flesh disintegrate.
Without attaining enlightenment (bodhi),
Which is difficult to attain [even] in many kalpas,
Never shall this body move forth from this seat.”
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.”
ātmanaś ca parasyāpi yaḥ karoty antarodaram |
tasya bhinna-dṛśo mṛtyur vidadhe bhayam ulbaṇam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.29.26; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha 106)
[Kapiladeva:] “I, Death, cause tremendous fear for [i.e., subject to saṁsāra] one of disunited vision who differentiates between one’s own belly and another’s.”
hṛdayaṁ sadayaṁ yasya bhāṣitaṁ satya-bhūṣitam |
kāyaḥ para-hitopāyaḥ kaliḥ kurvīta tasya kim ||
(Vairāgya-śataka of Padmanandana)
“What can Kali do to one whose heart is compassionate, whose speech is adorned with truth, and whose body is an instrument for the well-being of others?”
sajjanā eva sādhūnāṁ prathayanti guṇotkaram |
puṣpāṇāṁ saurabhaṁ prāyas tanvate dikṣu mārutaḥ ||
(Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍārāgāra)
“Only sādhus proclaim the qualities of [other] sādhus [i.e., the impious, on the contrary, typically engage in discussion of sādhus’ supposed faults instead]. Mostly [it is] the winds [that] spread the fragrance of flowers throughout the directions.”
na pāpaṁ prati pāpaḥ syāt sādhur eva sadā bhavet |
ātmanaiva hataḥ pāpo yaḥ pāpaṁ kartum icchati ||
(Mahābhārata: 3.210.33)
“Let no counter-sin arise in response to a sin. One should always and only be a sādhu [i.e., honest and virtuous, and not succumb to a lower standard of behavior just because others are acting in that manner towards oneself]. A sinner who desires to commit sin is destroyed by his own self.”
guṇāḥ kurvanti dūtatvaṁ dūre’pi vasatāṁ satām |
ketakī-gandham āghrāya svayaṁ gacchanti ṣaṭpadāḥ ||
(Subhāṣita-ratnākara)
“The qualities even of sādhus residing afar act as messengers. Bees go on their own to smell the fragrance of ketakī flowers.”
vastreṇa vapuṣā vācā vidyayā vinayena ca |
va-kāraiḥ pañcabhir hīnaḥ naro nāyāti gauravam ||
(Unknown Source)
“Cloth, figure, speech, knowledge, and good conduct—a person without these five v’s does not attain respect.”
jyeṣṭhatvaṁ janmanā naiva guṇair jyeṣṭhatvam ucyate |
guṇāt gurutvam āyāti dugdhaṁ dadhi ghṛtaṁ kramāt ||
(Unknown Source)
“Seniority [alt., superiority, excellence] is not because of birth. Seniority is recognized because of qualities. Greatness comes from qualities, just as milk, yoghurt, and ghee come in order.”
