atha śrī-bhagavan-nāma-japasya smaraṇasya ca |
śravaṇasyāpi māhātmyam īṣad bhedād vilikhyate ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.472)
“Now [i.e., now that the greatness of chanting (kīrtana) of Śrī Bhagavān’s names has been described], the greatness of japa, as well as remembrance and hearing, of Śrī Bhagavān’s names is delineated because of a slight distinction [between these and chanting (kīrtana) of Śrī Bhagavān’s names].”
atha japa-bhedāḥ tal-lakṣaṇādi ca—
trividho japa-yajñaḥ syāt tasya bhedān nibodhata |
vācikaś ca upāṁśuś ca mānasaś ca tridhā mataḥ |
trayāṇāṁ japa-yajñānāṁ śreyān syād uttarottaraḥ ||
yad ucca-nīca-svaritaiḥ spaṣṭa-śabdavad-akṣaraiḥ |
mantram uccārayed vyaktaṁ japa-yajñaḥ sa vācikaḥ ||
śanair uccārayen mantram īṣad auṣṭhau pracālayet |
kiñcic chabdaṁ svayaṁ vidyād upāṁśuḥ sa japaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
dhiyā yad akṣara-śreṇyā varṇād varṇaṁ padāt padam |
śabdārtha-cintanābhyāsaḥ sa ukto mānaso japaḥ ||
(Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 17.155–158)
“Now, the divisions of japa and their characteristics [are described]—‘Japa-sacrifice (yajña) shall be [known to be] of three types. Hear of the [three] divisions of this. The three types are known as verbal (vācika), sotto voce (upāṁśu) and mental (mānasa). There shall be successive superiority amid these three [types of] japa-sacrifices [i.e., they are listed in order from lesser to greater]. That which shall pronounce the mantra distinctly with clear, audible syllables and high and low pitches is [called] verbal (vācika) japa-sacrifice. That which shall pronounce the mantra [only] softly, move the lips [only] slightly, and make known [i.e., heard] some sound [only] to oneself is known as sotto voce (upāṁśu) japa. That which is a repetition of contemplation of the meaning of the words [in the mantra] with the mind [moving] from one phoneme to another phoneme in the series of syllables [within each word] and from one word to another word [throughout the mantra] is called mental (mānasa) japa.”
śrīmad-gopāla-mantro’yaṁ naiva kiñcid apekṣate |
hṛn-mātra-spṛk phalaty eva spṛṣṭo hi dahano yathā ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 17.260)
“This divine Gopāla-mantra does not depend on anything [i.e., any saṁskāra, such as the upanayana, or other means of purification, preparation, etc. (DDT: kiñcit saṁskārādikaṁ)]. Upon touching just the heart, it certainly produces results just as fire does upon being touched.”
dvijānām anupetānāṁ sva-karmādhyayanādiṣu |
yathādhikāro nāstīha syāc copanayanād anu ||
tathātrādīkṣitānāṁ tu mantra-devārcanādiṣu |
nādhikāro’sty ataḥ kuryād ātmānaṁ śiva-saṁstutam ||
(Āgama-śāstra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.3–4)
“As the twice-born [i.e., those of the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya varṇas] who have not been invested with the sacred thread do not have eligibility (adhikāra) for their own rites [e.g., chanting the gāyatrī-mantra and conducting yajñas], study [of the Veda], and so forth, and can [have eligibility] in that regard [only] after the upanayana [-saṁskāra, i.e., only after investiture with the sacred thread, meaning, only after receiving the sāvitra-birth and thus actually becoming twice-born], so those without dīkṣā here [i.e., on the path of bhakti] do not have eligibility for [chanting] mantras, [performing] ritual worship of Deva [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān], and so forth. Therefore, one should make oneself truly praised by Śiva!”
na me priyaś caturvedī mad-bhaktaḥ śvapacaḥ priyaḥ |
tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ sa ca pūjyo yathā hy aham ||
(Itihāsa-samuccaya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.127; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.19.50, 2.20.58)
“[Śrī Bhagavān:] A caturvedī [i.e., a brāhmaṇa versed in the four Vedas] is not dear to me [if they are not my bhakta]. [Even] A dog-cooker who is my bhakta [however] is dear [to me]. Give [charity, etc.] to him [i.e., such a bhakta] and accept [prasāda, etc.] from him since he is also worshipable as I am.”
śvapākam iva nekṣeta loke vipram avaiṣṇavam |
vaiṣṇavo varṇa-bāhyo’pi punāti bhuvana-trayam ||
na śūdrā bhagavad-bhaktās te tu bhāgavatā matāḥ |
sarva-varṇeṣu te śūdrā ye na bhaktā janārdane ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.164–165; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455; Bhakti Sandarbha: 247)
“Like a dog-cooker [is not to be looked at], one should not look at a non-Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa in this world. Even a Vaiṣṇava outside the varṇas [i.e., who does not belong to any of the four varṇas] purifies the three worlds. Bhaktas of Bhagavān are not śūdras. Rather, they are accepted as Bhāgavatas [i.e., to belong to Śrī Bhagavān and not to any caste]. Among all the varṇas, they are śūdras who are not bhaktas of Janārdana.”
śūdraṁ vā bhagavad-bhaktaṁ niṣādaṁ śvapacaṁ tathā |
vīkṣate jāti-sāmānyāt sa yāti narakaṁ dhruvam ||
(Itihāsa-samuccaya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.119; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455)
“One who sees a bhakta of Bhagavān to be a śūdra, tribesman (niṣāda), or dog-cooker [i.e., outcaste] because of commonality in caste (jāti) certainly goes to Naraka.”
aho bata śvapaco’to garīyān
yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam |
tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā
brahmānūcūr nāma gṛṇanti ye te ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.33.7)
“Aho bata [i.e., how astonishing]! A dog-cooker on the tip of whose tongue your name is present is thus highly honorable. Those who take your name have undergone austerity, conducted sacrifices, bathed [in all tīrthas], become noble, and studied the Veda.”
yan-nāmadheya-śravaṇānukīrtanād
yat-prahvaṇād yat-smaraṇād api kvacit |
śvādo’pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate
kutaḥ punas te bhagavan nu darśanāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.33.6)
“O Bhagavān by hearing and repeating whose name, by bowing down to whom, and by even occasionally remembering whom, even a dog-eater immediately becomes eligible for savana, what more occurs by [having] the sight of you?”
yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ |
tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṝṇām ||
(Tattva-sāgara; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.12; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455; Bhakti Sandarbha: 298)
“As by means of mercury bell metal acquires goldness [i.e., as an alchemical process involving mercury is believed to turn bell metal into gold], so by means of dīkṣā the twice-bornness of human beings arises.”
