nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo
na medhayā na bahunā śrutena |
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyaḥ
tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṁ svām ||
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 1.2.23; cited in Bhagavat Sandarbha: 121)
“The Ātmā is attainable neither by exposition, nor by intellect, nor by extensive hearing [of śāstra]. The Ātmā is attainable by one whom he chooses. To him [who is so chosen] the Ātmā reveals his own form.”
yathā hi bhagavān ekaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇo bahu-mūrtibhiḥ |
bahu-sthāneṣu varteta tathā tat-sevakā vayam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.52)
“Just as Bhagavān, the one Śrī Kṛṣṇa, exists with many forms in many places [i.e., just as he exists simultaneously in multiple places in different forms], so do we, [since we are] his servants.”
yasya śrī-bhagavat-prāptāv utkaṭecchā yato bhavet |
sa tatraiva labhetāmuṁ na tu vāso’sya lābha-kṛt ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.4.34)
[Prahlāda to Nārada:] “Where one may develop intense desire to attain Śrī Bhagavān, there itself [i.e., only there] one can attain him, and his residence, on the contrary, does not cause attainment [of him].”
sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyed bhagavad-bhāvam ātmanaḥ |
bhūtāni bhagavaty ātmany eṣa bhāgavatottamaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.45)
“One who can see the presence of one’s own Bhagavān [i.e., one’s Iṣṭadevatā] within all entities and [all] entities within the Bhagavān within oneself [i.e., within one’s Iṣṭadevatā] is a topmost bhāgavata.”
jānanta eva jānantu kiṁ bahūktyā na me prabho |
manaso vapuṣo vāco vaibhavaṁ tava gocaraḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.14.38)
“O Prabhu! Let those who ‘know’ you know you [i.e., let them think they know you even though they really do not]. What need I say more? Your greatness is not within the reach of my mind, body, or words.”
māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam |
na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.8.19)
[Kuntī Devī to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “Covered by the curtain of māyā, imperceptible to the ignorant, and immutable, you are not perceived by one of untrained eye just like an actor engaged in performance arts [is not really perceived properly by those untrained in appreciation of the arts].”
śanakair bhagaval-lokān nṛ-lokaṁ punar āgataḥ |
vimṛjya netre viduraṁ prītyāhoddhava utsmayan ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.2.6; cited in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 106)
“Slowly Uddhava returned from Bhagavān’s abode to the human world. After rubbing his eyes, he lovingly spoke to Vidura with amazement.”
jñāna-śakti-balaiśvarya-vīrya-tejāṁsy aśeṣataḥ |
bhagavac-chabda-vācyāni vinā heyair guṇādibhiḥ |
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.79; cited in Bhagavat Sandarbha: 1, 35; Sarva Saṁvādinī)
“The substantives of the word ‘Bhagavat’ are unlimited knowledge, capability, strength, mastery, potency, and effulgence free from the objectionable [material] guṇas and so forth.”
bhagavān iti śabdo’yaṁ tathā puruṣa ity api |
vartate nirupādhiś ca vāsudeve’khilātmani ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Tattva Sandarbha 30)
“The words ‘Bhagavān‘ and ‘Puruṣa’ free from upādhis (limiting modifiers) refer to Vāsudeva, the Self of all.”
bhagavāṁs tāvad asādhāraṇa-svarūpaiśvarya-mādhuryas tattva-viśeṣaḥ | tatra svarūpaṁ paramānandaḥ, aiśvaryam asamordhvānanta-svābhāvika-prabhutā, mādhuryam asamordhvatayā sarva-manoharaṁ svābhāvika-rūpa-guṇa-līlādi-sauṣṭhavaṁ … |
(Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.12.11)
“Bhagavān specifically is that particular entity (tattva) who possesses extraordinary nature (svarūpa), capability (aiśvarya), and mellifluousness (mādhurya). In this regard, his nature (svarūpa) is supreme blissfulness, his capability (aiśvarya) is unparalleled and unending natural mastery, and his mellifluousness (mādhurya) is the excellence of his natural figure, qualities, līlās, and so forth, which are captivating to all on account of being unparalleled.”
