Bhāgavata Sandarbha – Page 28

yāvat pṛthaktvam idam ātmana indriyārtha

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].”

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yad yujyate’su-vasu-karma-mano-vacobhir

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].”

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sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo’kuto-bhayaḥ

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].”

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na karma-bandhanaṁ janma vaiṣṇavānāṁ ca vidyate

na karma-bandhanaṁ janma vaiṣṇavānāṁ ca vidyate |
viṣṇor anucaratvaṁ hi mokṣam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||
na dāsyam amareśasya bandhanaṁ parikīrtitam |
sarva-bandhana-nirmuktā hari-dāsā nirāmayāḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 6.229.58-59; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.169–170; Prīti Sandarbha: 16, 45; Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā and Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.9.29)

“The birth of Vaiṣṇavas is not [produced by] bondage in karma, since the wise call being an attendant of Viṣṇu mokṣa. Servitude to the immortal Lord is not described as bondage, since Hari’s servants are completely free from all bondage [i.e., that which causes entanglement in saṁsāra] and unmarred [i.e., faultless, alt., free from disease].”

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ahaṁ mamābhimānotthaiḥ kāma-lobhādibhir malaiḥ

ahaṁ mamābhimānotthaiḥ kāma-lobhādibhir malaiḥ |
vītaṁ yadā manaḥ śuddham aduḥkham asukhaṁ samam ||
tadā puruṣa ātmānaṁ kevalaṁ prakṛteḥ param |
nirantaraṁ svayaṁ-jyotir aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam ||
jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena bhakti-yuktena cātmanā |
paripaśyaty udāsīnaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.25.16-18; cited in Paramātma Sandarbha 45)

“When the mind is freed from the contamination of lust, greed, and so forth produced by the conceits of ‘I’ and ‘mine,’ and [thus] pure, being without unhappiness, without happiness, and equanimous, then the puruṣa [i.e., the jīva], with a mind (ātmā) endowed with jñāna [i.e., discernment] and vairāgya [i.e., the absence of the conceits of ‘I’ and ‘mine’], and [necessarily also] endowed with bhakti, sees himself to be distinct from prakṛti [i.e., from the transformations of prakṛti and avidyā], eternal [alt., free from coverings of the gross and subtle body], self-luminous [i.e., luminous to his own self], minute [i.e., subtle], and undivided [i.e., indivisible], and [sees] prakṛti [i.e., avidyā] to be devoid of ability [to affect him].”

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vādas tattva-bubhutsu-kathā

vādas tattva-bubhutsu-kathā |
(Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 115; Gītā-bhūṣaṇa-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 10.32)

“Discussion among those who are desirous of understanding tattva [is] called vāda.”

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yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

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?”

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kṛṣṇādharāmṛtāsvāda-siddhir atra na saṁśayaḥ

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.”

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prāpyāpi durlabhataraṁ mānuṣyaṁ vibudhepsitam

prāpyāpi durlabhataraṁ mānuṣyaṁ vibudhepsitam |
yair āśrito na govindas tair ātmā vañcitaś ciram ||
aśīti-caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tān jīva-jātiṣu |
bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ prāpya mānuṣyaṁ janma-paryayāt ||
tad apy aphalatāṁ jātaṁ teṣām ātmābhimāninām |
varākānām anāśritya govinda-caraṇa-dvayam ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa: cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.650–652; Bhakti Sandarbha: 108)

“The ātmā (self) is prolongedly cheated by those who do not take shelter in Govinda even after receiving a most rare to attain human life [which is] desired [even] by the devas. A human life is attainable by living beings wandering amid the eight million, four hundred thousand species of life on account of the revolution of births [i.e., it is finally attained as a result of gradually transmigrating through the vast myriad of life-forms found throughout the universe in accord with the unfolding of living beings’ individual and collective karma]. Even that [attainment of a human life, however, sadly,] becomes fruitless for those of self-conceit [i.e., those who identify with the body and lack awareness of their actual self], the wretched [i.e., the low-minded absorbed in the pursuit of external pleasures], by not taking shelter in the two feet of Govinda.”

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ye’bhyarthitām api ca no nṛ-gatiṁ prapannā

ye’bhyarthitām api ca no nṛ-gatiṁ prapannā
jñānaṁ ca tattva-viṣayaṁ saha-dharma yatra |
nārādhanaṁ bhagavato vitaranty amuṣya
sammohitā vitatayā bata māyayā te ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.15.24; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 108)

[Brahmā to Maitreya:] “Bata! (Alas!) Even those who have attained a human state [i.e., life] wherein jñāna (awareness) relating to Tattva along with dharma are present, which is sought by us [i.e., by Brahmā and the other devas], but do not offer worship to Bhagavān [i.e., he who is source of all dharma and all jñāna] are thoroughly bewildered by his all-pervading māyā.”

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