namo gobhyaḥ śrīmatībhyaḥ saurabheyībhya eva ca |
namo brahma-sutābhyaś ca pavitrābhyo namo namaḥ ||
(Agni Purāṇa: 292.19)
“Obeisance unto [all] blessed cows,
Unto these descendants of Surabhi.
Obeisance unto these daughters of Brahmā.
Unto these sacred ones,
Obeisance and obeisance.”
tvaṁ mātā sarva-devānāṁ tvaṁ ca yajñasya kāraṇam |
tvaṁ tīrthaṁ sarva-tīrthānāṁ namas te’stu sadānaghe ||
(Skanda Purāṇa: 3.2.10.18)
“You are the mother of all the devas.
You are the means of sacrifice (yajña).
You are the object of worship of all objects of worship.
Always may my obeisance be unto you,
O taintless one.”
sarva-kāma-dudhe devi sarva-tīrthābhiṣecini |
pāvani surabhi śreṣṭhe devi tubhyaṁ namo namaḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“O you who yield all desires,
O Goddess,
O you who consecrate all sacred places,
O Purifier,
O Surabhi,
O Exalted one,
O Goddess,
Unto you,
Obeisance and obeisance.”
namo devyai mahādevyai surabhyai ca namo namaḥ |
gavāṁ bīja-svarūpāyai namas te jagad-ambike ||
namo rādhā-priyāyai ca padmāṁśāyai namo namaḥ |
namaḥ kṛṣṇa-priyāyai ca gavāṁ mātre namo namaḥ ||
kalpa-vṛkṣa-svarūpāyai sarveṣāṁ satataṁ pare |
kṣīradāyai dhanadāyai buddhidāyai namo namaḥ ||
śubhāyai ca subhadrāyai go-pradāyai namo namaḥ |
yaśodāyai kīrtidāyai dharmadāyai namo namaḥ ||
(Devī Bhāgavatam: 9.49.24–27)
“Obeisance unto the Goddess.
Unto the great Goddess,
Surabhi,
Obeisance and obeisance.
Obeisance unto you,
The seed-form of [all] cows,
O Mother of the universe.
Obeisance unto you who are dear to Rādhā.
Obeisance and obeisance
Unto you who are a part of Padmā [i.e., Lakṣmī].
Obeisance unto you who are dear to Kṛsṇa.
Unto the Mother of [all] cows,
Obeisance and obeisance.
O Great One,
Unto you who are of the nature of a desire-tree
For everyone always,
Unto you who bestow milk,
Unto you who bestow wealth,
Unto you who bestow intelligence,
Obeisance and obeisance.
Unto you who are auspicious,
Unto you who are blessed,
Unto you who bestow cows,
Obeisance and obeisance.
Unto you who bestow glory,
Unto you who bestow renown,
Unto you who bestow dharma,
Obeisance and obeisance.”
lakṣmī-svarūpāṁ paramāṁ rādhā-sahacarīṁ parām |
gavām adhiṣṭhātṛ-devīṁ gavām ādyāṁ gavāṁ prasūm ||
pavitra-rūpāṁ pūtāṁ ca bhaktānāṁ sarva-kāmadām |
yayā pūtaṁ sarva-viśvaṁ tāṁ devīṁ surabhiṁ bhaje ||
(Devī Bhāgavatam: 9.49.18–19)
“An excellent form of Lakṣmī,
An excellent companion of Rādhā,
The presiding goddess of [all] cows,
The foremost of [all] cows,
The mother of [all] cows,
Of sacred form,
Pure,
A fulfiller of all the desires of bhaktas,
[She] By whom the entire world is purified—
I worship her,
Goddess Surabhi.”
puruṣasya ca saṁsthānaṁ svarūpaṁ vā parasya ca |
jñānaṁ ca naigamaṁ yat tad guru-śiṣya-prayojanam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.7.38)
“[Please explain] The full existence of the puruṣa, the essential nature of the Supreme, and that knowledge related to the Nigamas which is the aim of the guru and disciple.”
purāṇa-saṁhitām etām ṛṣir nārāyaṇo’vyayaḥ |
nāradāya purā prāha kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanāya saḥ ||
sa vai mahyaṁ mahārāja bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ |
imāṁ bhāgavatīṁ prītaḥ saṁhitāṁ veda-sammitām ||
imāṁ vakṣyaty asau sūta ṛṣibhyo naimiṣālaye |
dīrgha-satre kuru-śreṣṭha sampṛṣṭaḥ śaunakādibhiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.4.41–43)
“[Śrī Śukadeva to Mahārāja Parīkṣit:] In the past, the Seer, Nārāyaṇa, spoke this compendium of the Purāṇas [viz., Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, to Brahmā], the unhindered one [viz., Brahmā, spoke it] to Nārada, and he [viz., Nārada, spoke it] to Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana [viz., Vyāsa]. O Great King, he, Bhagavān Bādarāyaṇa [viz., Vyāsa], being pleased, [spoke] this compendium related to Bhagavān [viz., Śrīmad Bhāgavatam], like the Veda, to me. He, Suta, spoke this to the seers at Naimiṣāraṇya during a long sacrifice, O best of the Kurus, upon being questioned by those led by Śaunaka.”
pratyakṣaṁ cānumānaṁ ca śāstraṁ ca vividhāgamam |
trayaṁ suviditaṁ kāryaṁ dharma-śuddhim abhīpsatā ||
ārṣaṁ dharmopadeśaṁ ca veda-śāstrāvirodhinā |
yas tarkeṇānusandhatte sa dharmaṁ veda naitaraḥ ||
(Manu-smṛti: 12.105–106)
“(1) Perception (pratayakṣa), (2) inference (anumāna), and (3) the śāstra—various sacred knowledges [i.e., those coming from the Śruti and Smṛti]—accurate understanding of these three is to be gathered by one desirous of veracity in dharma. One who inquires into the seers’ teaching of the dharma [i.e., Vedic dharma] with reasoning (tarka) that is not contrary to Vedic śāstras understands dharma, and not another [i.e., and not someone who fails to inquire or reason inappropriately while doing so].”
śatror api guṇā grāhyā doṣā vācyā guror api |
sarvathā sarva-yatnena putre śiṣye hitaṁ vadet ||
(Mahābhārata: 4.51.15)
“Qualities even of an enemy are to be accepted, and faults even of an elder (guru) are to be acknowledged. With all [due] care one should under all circumstances say that which is beneficial for a son and a disciple.”
ālasyāt mūrkha-saṁyogād bhayād roga-nipīḍanāt |
atyaśaktyāc ca mānāc ca ṣaḍbhir vidyā vinaśyati ||
(Māṇḍūkī-śikṣā: 180)
“Because of laziness, because of companionship with fools, because of fear, because of the pain of a disease, because of severe inability, and because of conceit—learning is ruined by these six.”
