īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā |
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate ||
(Nāradīya Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.187)
“One who has the desire for servitude to Hari in deed, mind, and speech even in all circumstances is called a jīvan-mukta [i.e., one who is liberated while living].”
jīvan-muktiḥ śarīra-dvayānāveśena sthitiḥ |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 3.1.25)
“Jīvan-mukti [i.e., ‘liberation while living’] is existence without absorption in the two bodies [i.e., the gross and subtle bodies in which a jīvātma in saṁsāra is situated].”
dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate |
saṅgāt saṁjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho’bhijāyate ||
krodhād bhavati saṁmohaḥ saṁmohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ |
smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.62–63)
“For a person dwelling upon objects of the senses, attachment to them is engendered. Because of attachment, desire (kāma) is generated, and because of desire, anger is produced. Because of anger, delusion occurs, and because of delusion, failure of memory occurs. Because of failure of memory, loss of the intellect occurs, and because of loss of the intellect, one becomes ruined.”
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ |
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 18.55)
“By bhakti, one knows me truly, as far as, and as to who, I am. Then, having known me truly, thereafter one enters [me].”
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati |
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 18.54; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 7; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.8.65)
“Situated in Brahman and being of clear mind, one neither laments nor hankers. Equal to all beings, one attains supreme bhakti to me.”
śrīmad-yaśodā-suta-keli-sindhuṁ
vigāhamānasya mamālpa-śakteḥ |
sanātana-śrīdhara-viśvanātha-
dayā-lavaḥ samprati śakti-rāśiḥ ||
(Vaiṣṇavānandinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.1.1)
“For I of meager strength who am bathing in the ocean of the play of the blessed Son of Yaśodā, [even] a particle of the grace of Sanātana, Śrīdhara, and Viśvanātha is rightly a great amount of strength.”
chalaṁ ca na labhe kiñcid yenādyaṁ paripālayan |
nibandhaṁ sva-kṛtaṁ bhrātar ānayāmy ātmanaḥ padam ||
tat te mayy akṛpāṁ vīkṣya vyagro’nugraha-kātaraḥ |
anādiṁ setum ullaṅghya tvaj-janmedam akārayam ||
śrīmad-govardhane tasmin nija-priyatamāspade |
svayam evābhavaṁ tāta jayantākhyaḥ sa te guruḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.84–86)
“[Śrī Vaikuṇṭhanātha Bhagavān to Gopa Kumāra:] Following in full the primordial rule established by myself, I did not find any pretext on which I could bring you to my own abode. Thus, seeing your ungraciousness towards me, feeling anxious, and being overcome with compassion, I transgressed my beginningless law and caused this birth of yours there in that dearmost abode of my own, blessed Govardhana. My dear boy, I myself specifically became your guru, he whose name is Jayanta.”
bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā bhagavan yadi syād
daivena naḥ phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ |
muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate’smān
dharmārtha-kāma-gatayaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ ||
(Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta: 107)
“O Bhagavān, if our bhakti to you would become more steadfast, [then] your divine adolescent figure will manifest [before us], mukti herself will serve us with joined palms, and the attainments of dharma, artha, and kāma will await their chance [to serve].”
tad aśma-sāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedaṁ
yad gṛhyamāṇair hari-nāma-dheyaiḥ |
na vikriyetātha yadā vikāro
netre jalaṁ gātra-ruheṣu harṣaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.3.24)
“That heart which cannot become transformed [i.e., melted] by Hari’s names being chanted, oh! That is iron! When transformation [i.e., melting of the heart] occurs, [however,] water in the eyes and horripilation in the pores appear.”
gaṅgādi-tīrtheṣu vasanti matsyā devālaye pakṣi-gaṇāś ca santi |
bhāvojjhitās te na phalaṁ labhante tīrthāc ca devāyatanāc ca mukhyāt |
bhāvaṁ tato hṛt-kamale nidhāya tīrthāni seveta samāhitātmā |
(Attributed to Brahma Purāṇa and Nārada Purāṇa)
“Fish live in the Gaṅgā and other sacred water, and birds dwell at temples. [Because they are] Devoid of bhāva [however], they do not attain the result from the foremost sacred waters and temples. Therefore, holding bhāva in the lotus of the heart and keeping the mind absorbed, one should honor the holy places.”
