cittaṁ cittād upāgamya munir āsīta saṁyataḥ |
yac cittas tanmayo’vaśyaṁ guhyam etat sanātanam ||
(Mahābhārata: 14.51.27)
“Returning from the mind (citta) to the mind [i.e., focusing one’s awareness], a sage should sit restrained. As is the mind, so one inevitably becomes. This is the eternal secret.”
cittam eva hi saṁsāras tat prayatnena śodhayet |
yac cittas tanmayo bhāti guhyam etat sanātanam ||
(Maitrāyaṇīya Upaniṣad: 6.34.3; Śāṭyāyanīya Upaniṣad: 3)
“The citta (mind) itself is saṁsāra [i.e., the condition of one’s citta is the cause of the perpetuation of one’s bondage in saṁsāra]. Purify it with exertion. As is the citta, so one becomes [i.e., one becomes absorbed in, constituted of, and/or identical to the content in one’s citta]. This is the eternal secret.”
viṣayīra anna khāile malina haya mana |
malina mana haile nahe kṛṣṇera smaraṇa ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.6.278)
“When you eat the food of viṣayīs, the mind becomes contaminated, and when the mind is contaminated, there is no remembrance of Kṛṣṇa.”
grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe |
bhāla nā khāibe, āra bhāla nā paribe ||
amānī mānada kṛṣṇa-nāma sadā labe |
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā mānase karibe ||
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Antya-līlā, 6.236–7)
“Do not listen to village talk, and do not speak of village matters. Do not eat fancy food, and do not wear fancy clothes. [Remaining] Undesirous of honor and respectful [to others], always take Kṛṣṇa’s name and within your heart engage in service to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in Vraja.”
vairāgī karibe sadā nāma-saṅkīrtana |
māgiyā khāñā kare jīvana-rakṣaṇa ||
vairāgī ha-iyā yebā kare parāpekṣā |
kārya-siddhi nahe, kṛṣṇa karena upekṣā ||
vairāgī ha-iyā kare jihvāra lālasa |
paramārtha yāya tāra, haya rasera vaśa ||
vairāgīra kṛtya—sadā nāma-saṅkīrtana |
śāka-patra-phala-mūle udara-bharaṇa ||
jihvāra lālase yei iti-uti dhāya |
śiśnodara-parāyaṇa kṛṣṇa nāhi pāya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Antya-līlā, 6.223–7)
“A vairāgyī should always engage in nāma-saṅkīrtana and maintain his life begging and eating. One who as a vairāgī depends on others has no success in his endeavor, and Kṛṣṇa neglects him. One who becomes a vairāgī but indulges in the greed of the tongue—his supreme aim [i.e., his pursuit of his ultimate goal] goes [i.e., is lost], and he becomes subjugated by tastes. The duty of a vairāgī is constant nāma-saṅkīrtana and filling the belly with greens, leaves, fruits, and roots. One who runs here and there because of the tongue’s greed becomes engrossed in the genitals and stomach, and does not attain Kṛṣṇa.”
ekā bhūr ubhayor aikyam ubhayor dala-kāṇḍayoḥ |
śāliśyāmākayor bhedaḥ phalena paricīyate ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha; Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra)
“Both have the same soil, and both have identical shoots and stalks. The difference between rice and millet is known by the result.”
phalena phala-kāraṇam anumīyate |
(Gopāla-campū: Uttara-campū, 6.21; Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 149; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.1.91)
“The cause of an effect is inferred from the effect.”
sthira hañā ghare yāha, nā hao vātula |
krame krame pāya loka bhava-sindhu-kūla ||
markaṭa-vairāgya nā kara loka dekhāiyā |
yathā-yogya viṣaya bhuñja anāsakta haiyā ||
antara-niṣṭhā kara, bāhye loka-vyavahāra |
acirāte kṛṣṇa tomāya karibe uddhāra ||
vṛndāvana dekhi yabe āsi nīlācale |
tabe tumi āmā-pāśa āsiha kona-chale ||
se-kāle se chala kṛṣṇa sphurābe tomāre |
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā yāre, tāre ke rākhite pāre ? ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.16.238–242)
“Be steady and go home. Do not be crazy. Gradually a person reaches the shore of the ocean of material existence. Do not engage in monkey renunciation and make a show to the public. [Rather,] Make use of material things as appropriate, remaining detached. Internally be fixed but externally observe social conduct. Soon Kṛṣṇa will deliver you. When I return to Nīlācala after visiting Vṛndāvana, then on some pretext come to my side. Kṛṣṇa will reveal this pretext to you at that time. Who can detain one who has received Kṛṣṇa’s grace?”
na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye |
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi ||
(Śikṣāṣṭakam: 4; cited in Padyāvalī 94; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.20.29)
“O Master of the universe,
I desire neither wealth,
Nor men [i.e., assistants, followers, relatives, etc.],
Nor beautiful women [i.e., an excellent wife],
Nor erudition [i.e., intellectual prowess or recognition thereof],
Or otherwise [i.e., mukti].
In birth after birth, O Īśvara,
Let me have unconditional bhakti to you.”
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam |
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam ||
(Padyāvalī: 22; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.20.12)
“Cleansing the mirror of the mind,
Extinguishing the raging forest fire of material existence,
Shining moonlight on the evening lotus of good fortune,
The life of the wife of knowledge,
Expanding the ocean of bliss,
The taste of full nectar at every moment,
Bathing the entire self—
Śrī Kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana is supremely triumphant!”
