niṣṭhā tatrāvikṣepeṇa sātatyam
niṣṭhā tatrāvikṣepeṇa sātatyam |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.15)
“Niṣṭhā is unwavering constancy therein [in bhajana].”
Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā
tataḥ prathamānantaraṁ dvitīyaḥ sādhu-saṅgo
tataḥ prathamānantaraṁ dvitīyaḥ sādhu-saṅgo bhajana-rīti-śikṣā-nibandhanaḥ |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.15)
“Then, following the first [stage, viz., śraddhā], a second [type of] association with a sādhu, that is, that the purpose of which is learning the practice of bhajana, occurs.”
ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo
ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo’tha bhajana-kriyā |
tato’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ |
athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati |
sādhakānām ayaṁ premnaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.15–16)
“First śraddhā, then sādhu-saṅga, then bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛtti, then niṣṭhā, then ruci, then āsakti, then bhāva, and then prema appear. These are the stages in the appearance of prema in a sādhaka.”
na hy anyatra spṛhā anyatra ratiḥ
na hy anyatra spṛhā anyatra ratiḥ |
(Durgama-saṅgaminī-ṭīkā to Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.3.41)
“It is not that there can be desire elsewhere and rati elsewhere.
tad-eka-spṛhatvam eva rater lakṣaṇaṁ
tad-eka-spṛhatvam eva rater lakṣaṇaṁ mukhyam ity uktam |
(Durgama-saṅgamī-ṭīkā to Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhi: 1.3.41)
“It is stated that desirousness only of him [i.e., Bhagavān] is truly the primary characteristic of rati [i.e., merely inner softness that manifests sāttvika-bhāvas, such as crying and trembling, is not the primary characteristic, since this can also be observed in persons engaged in impure forms of bhakti].”
śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā
śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā prema-sūryāṁśu-sāmya-bhāk |
rucibhiś citta-māsṛṇya-kṛd asau bhāva ucyate ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.3.1)
“That [i.e., that aspect of uttamā-bhakti] which is constituted of a special aspect of śuddha-sattva, is a bearer of resemblance to a ray of the sun of prema, and is a melter of the heart with hankerings, is called bhāva [-bhakti].”
yatra rāgānavāptatvāt
yatra rāgānavāptatvāt pravṛttir upajāyate |
śāsanenaiva śāstrasya sā vaidhī bhaktir ucyate ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.6)
“That bhakti in regard to which the inclination [to enact it] arises only from the śāstra’s ruling because of [that inclination’s] not being acquired from rāga is called vaidhī.”
kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya
kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya-bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā |
nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.2)
“[When it is] To be accomplished by activity and that by which bhāva is to be accomplished, that [viz., uttama-bhakti] shall be known as sādhana [-bhakti]. Eternally accomplished bhāva’s manifestation into the heart is [the intended sense of] its being to be accomplished.”
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam |
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.11)
“Continuous action for [alt., related to] Kṛṣṇa possessed of favorability that is free from desirousness of anything else and unobstructed by jñāna, karma, and so forth, is uttamā (exalted) bhakti.”
yad ubhe citta-kāṭhinya
yad ubhe citta-kāṭhinya-hetū prāyaḥ satāṁ mate |
sukumāra-svabhāveyaṁ bhaktis tad-dhetur īritā ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.249)
“Because in the view of sādhus both [i.e., jñāna and vairāgya] are generally causes of hardness of heart, this bhakti, which is of very tender nature, is said to be the cause of that [i.e., of entering into bhakti].”