advaitaṁ hariṇādvaitād ācāryaṁ bhakti-śaṁsanāt |
bhaktāvatāram īśaṁ tam advaitācāryam āśraye ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.13)
“I take shelter in him, the bhaktāvatāra Lord Advaita Ācārya, who is [known as] ‘Advaita’ because he is non-different (“advaita”) from Hari and [known as] ‘Ācārya’ because he teaches bhakti.”
mahāviṣṇur jagat-kartā māyayā yaḥ sṛjaty adaḥ |
tasyāvatāra evāyam advaitācārya īśvaraḥ ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.12)
“Mahāviṣṇu, the maker of the universe, who produces this [i.e., the universe] with māyā—this Īśvara, Advaita Ācārya, is indeed his avatāra.”
yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam
adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatāṁ tamo’ndham |
saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyaṁ
taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.3)
“I take shelter in him, Vyāsa’s son, the guru of the sages [i.e., he who spoke instructions even in the presence of his gurus Nārada and Vyāsa], who compassionately spoke for saṁsārīs [i.e., people of all times] desiring to completely cross over the blinding darkness [i.e., avidyā] this confidential Purāṇa [i.e., Śrīmad Bhāgavatam], which is self-endowed with magnificence [i.e., which conveys the supremacy of rasa and is the cause of Śukadeva being most exalted among all the sages], the essence of all the Śrutis [alt., the essence of all that can be heard], unparalleled, and the illuminator of the higher self.”
apātraṁ pātratā yāti yatra pātraṁ na vidyate |
asmin deśe drumo nāsti eraṇḍo’pi drumāyate ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1985)
“An unfit person attains fitness when a fit person is not present. In a land where there are no trees, even a castor-oil plant is considered a tree.”
svādhikāraṁ nirīkṣyaiva karma kuryād atandritaḥ |
(Padma Purāṇa: 6.283.38)
“One free from laziness should engage in action only after having considered one‘s eligibility (adhikāra).”
antaḥsāra-vihīnānām upadeśo na jāyate |
malayācala-saṁsargān na veṇuś candanāyate ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1604; Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 10.8)
“Instruction should not be given to those who lack inner substance. Bamboo does not become sandalwood [just] by proximity to the Malaya Mountains.”
antaḥsāra-vihīnānāṁ sahāyaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati |
malaye’pi sthito veṇur veṇur eva na candanaḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1603)
“What can a companion [alt., assistant] do for those who lack inner substance? Even bamboo situated in the Malayas is just bamboo and not sandalwood.”
jñānaṁ viśuddhaṁ paramārtham ekam
anantaraṁ tv abahir brahma satyam |
pratyak praśāntaṁ bhagavac-chabda-saṁjñaṁ
yad vāsudevaṁ kavayo vadanti ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.12.11)
“The wise say that satya [i.e., reality] is completely pure consciousness [i.e., consciousness beyond the guṇas]—the supreme object [i.e., that from which mokṣa and so forth are attained]—singular [i.e., non-dual] and without interior and without exterior [i.e. all-pervading]; [it is known as] Brahman [i.e., the complete and undifferentiated object sought by jñānīs]; [it is known as] that which is [situated] in the interior [of all living beings] and tranquil [i.e., the Paramātmā, sought by yogīs]; [that which is] identified by the term Bhagavān [by bhaktas], and [known to be] Vāsudeva [i.e., is ultimately Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vāsudeva.”
ithe tarka kari keho nā kara saṁśaya |
kṛṣṇera acintya-śakti ei-mata haya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.17.305)
“No one should engage in argument and foster doubt in this regard. Kṛṣṇa’s inconceivable śakti is like this.”
acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet |
prakṛtibhyaḥ paraṁ yac ca tad acintyasya lakṣaṇam ||
(Mahābhārata: 6.5.12, 12.5.22; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.5.93; Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.5.111; Tattva Sandarbha: 11, and Caitanya-caritāmṛta 1.17.308)
“Do not assess inconceivable states of being (bhāvas) with argumentation; that which is beyond the [material] elements is the characteristic of the inconceivable.”
