yadṛcchayā kenāpi parama-svatantra-bhagavad-bhakta-saṅga-tat-kṛpā-jāta-maṅgalodayena |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 171)
“‘Yadṛcchayā’ means by the appearance, somehow or other, of good fortune born of the association and grace of bhaktas of Bhagavān, who are supremely independent [of the constraints of karma and so forth, both in general, and specifically in regard to bestowing grace].”
taṁ durārādhyam ārādhya satām api durāpayā |
ekānta-bhaktyā ko vāñchet pāda-mūlaṁ vinā bahiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.24.55; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 165)
“Having propitiated you [i.e., Bhagavān], who are difficult to propitiate, through one-pointed bhakti, which is difficult to attain even for sādhus [i.e., jñānīs], who would desire an external [i.e., any form of happiness, such as that found in Svarga] in lieu of the soles of your feet?”
tad evaṁ tasyāḥ śravaṇādi-rūpāyāḥ sākṣād-bhakteḥ sarva-vighna-nivāraṇa-pūrvaka-sākṣād-bhagavat-prema-phaladatve sthite parama-durlabhatve ca saty anya-kāmanayā ca nābhidheyatvam | … tan-mātra-kāmanāyāṁ ca bhakter evākiñcanatvam akāmatvaṁ ca saṁjñāpitam | … tatheyam evaikāntitety ucyate … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 165)
“Thus, when, in this way, direct (sākṣāt) bhakti in the form of hearing and so forth is established as first a remover of all obstacles and [then] a bestower of the goal of prema for Bhagavān himself, and as being supremely difficult [alt., rare] to attain, its not being the abhidheya [i.e., the means to attain the highest good enjoined by the śāstra for all beings] with another desire [i.e., when it is performed with a desire for anything other than prema for Bhagavān] is also [established]. … When [performed] out of desire only for that [i.e., for bhakti itself], bhakti is known as being akiñcanā [lit., ‘without anything’] and akāmā [lit., ‘without desire’]. … Similarly, it is called ekāntitā [lit., ‘one-pointed’].”
atra maraṇe sarveṣāṁ dainyādayo’pi śrī-bhagavat-kṛpātiśaya-dvāram iti draṣṭavyam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 162)
“Here [i.e., in regard to Ajāmila chanting the name of Bhagavān at the time of death], it is to be observed that even the humility and so forth everyone has at the time of death is the foremost door to [receiving] Śrī Bhagavān’s grace.”
kiṁ varṇaye tava vibho yad-udīrito’suḥ
saṁspandate tam anu vāṅ-mana-indriyāṇi |
spandanti vai tanu-bhṛtām aja-śarvayoś ca
svasyāpy athāpi bhajatām asi bhāva-bandhuḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.8.40)
“O Pre-eminent One, how do I praise you indeed by whom the life air is impelled and functions, and following that, the speech, minds, and senses function for the embodied, for Aja and Śarva [i.e., Brahmā and Śiva], and for myself as well? Still, you are the Friend out of love (Bhāva-bandhu) of [your] worshipers.”
yāvat pṛthaktvam idam ātmana indriyārtha-
māyā-balaṁ bhagavato jana īśa paśyet |
tāvan na saṁsṛtir asau pratisaṅkrameta
vyarthāpi duḥkha-nivahaṁ vahatī kriyārthā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.9.9; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 236)
[Rendered as per Śrī Jīva Gosvāmīpāda’s ṭikā:] “O Īśa, as long as a person shall see this [supposed] separateness [i.e., independence] of the self (ātmā) from Bhagavān, [which is in effect] the power of the illusion (māyā) manifested by the objects of the senses, saṁsṛti [i.e., recurrent transmigration throughout material existence], [which is] possessed of the results of actions and productive of a myriad of sufferings, shall not cease even though it is vain [i.e., devoid of any real substance, meaning, or value].”
yad yujyate’su-vasu-karma-mano-vacobhir
dehātmajādiṣu nṛbhis tad asat pṛthaktvāt |
tair eva sad bhavati yat kriyate’pṛthaktvāt
sarvasya tad bhavati mūla-niṣecanaṁ yat ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.9.29; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 134)
“That which is done with the prāṇas, wealth, actions, mind, and speech by human beings for the sake of the body, children, and so forth is asat because of separateness. That which is done with those very same things [for the sake of Īśvara] is sat because of non-separateness, just as watering a root [of a tree] becomes that [i.e., nourishing] of the entirety [i.e., of the tree].”
sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo’kuto-bhayaḥ |
suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.1.17; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.565; Bhakti Sandarbha: 93, 121; Bṛhad and Laghu Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.3)
“In this world, this path [i.e., the path of bhakti to Śrī Nārāyaṇa], whereupon there are those of high character [i.e., gracious], virtue [i.e., non-desirousness], and devotion to Nārāyaṇa, is certainly well-directed [i.e., the most appropriate], since it is [supremely] beneficial and completely free from fear [i.e., any cause of obstruction or danger].”
yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ |
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.18.12; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.561; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.29; Bhakti Sandarbha: 109; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.8.58, 2.22.76)
“[Prahlāda Mahārāja to Bhagavān Nṛsiṁha:] The suras along with all qualities reside in full within one who has unconditional bhakti to Bhagavān. How could a non-bhakta of Hari running outwards after the asat as a result of desire have the qualities of the mahats?”
kṛṣṇādharāmṛtāsvāda-siddhir atra na saṁśayaḥ ||
(Viṭṭhalanātha Gosvāmī’s Sarvottama-stotra: 6; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 110)
“The complete fulfillment (siddhi) of tasting the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lips is present in this [i.e., here on the path of bhakti]. [Of this] There is no doubt.”
