viṣṇu-bhaktam athāyātaṁ yo dṛṣṭvā sumukhaḥ priyaḥ |
praṇāmādi karoty eva vāsudeve yathā tathā |
sa vai bhakta iti jñeyaḥ sa punāti jagat trayam ||
(Liṅga Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.34)
“One who upon seeing a Viṣṇu-bhakta coming pleasingly with a bright face offers obeisance and so forth, as is done for Vāsudeva, certainly should be considered a bhakta. He purifies the three worlds.”
bhojanācchādanaṁ sarvaṁ yathā-śaktyā karoti yaḥ |
viṣṇu-bhaktasya satataṁ sa vai bhāgavataḥ smṛtaḥ ||
(Liṅga Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.36)
“One who according to one’s ability continuously provides all of a Viṣṇu-bhakta’s food and clothing is known to be a Bhāgavata.”
ye me bhakta-janāḥ pārtha na me bhaktāś ca te janāḥ |
mad-bhaktānāñ ca ye bhaktās te me bhakta-tamā matāḥ
(Ādi Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.133; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.218; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.11.28)
“O Arjuna, those persons who are bhaktas of me [i.e., who are focused only on me and neglect my bhaktas]—those persons are not my bhaktas [i.e., they are not my bhaktas in the full and proper sense]. Those who are bhaktas of my bhaktas are considered my best bhaktas [i.e., I consider those who have bhakti both for me and for my bhaktas to truly be my bhaktas].“
rukṣākṣarā giraḥ śṛṇvan tathā bhāgavateritāḥ |
praṇāma-pūrvakaṁ kṣāntvā yo vaded vaiṣṇavo hi saḥ ||
(Liṅga Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.35)
“One who after hearing harsh words uttered by a Bhāgavata can tolerate that, offer obeisance, and speak [respectfully with that Bhāgavata] is certainly a Vaiṣṇava.”
yena sarvātmanā viṣṇu-bhaktyā bhāvo niveśitaḥ |
vaiṣṇaveṣu kṛtātmatvān mahābhāgavato hi saḥ ||
(Garuḍa Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.37)
“One by whom one’s being (bhāva) is completely absorbed in Viṣṇu-bhakti by virtue of being dedicated to the Vaiṣṇavas is certainly a Mahābhāgavata.”
upāvṛttasya pāpebhyo yas tu vāso guṇaiḥ saha |
upavāsaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ sarva-bhoga-vivarjitaḥ ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 13.35)
“The abiding (vāsa) with virtues and without all enjoyments of one who abstains (upāvṛttasya) from sins is to be known as upavāsa [i.e., ‘fasting’].”
yā dṛṣṭā nikhilāgha-saṅgha-śamanī spṛṣṭā vapuḥ-pāvanī
rogāṇām abhivanditā nirasinī siktā’ntaka-trāsinī |
pratyāsatti-vidhāyinī bhagavataḥ kṛṣṇasya saṁropitā
nyastā tac-caraṇe vimukti-phaladā tasyai tulasyai namaḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 9.104)
“Upon being seen, she destroys all sins. Upon being touched, she purifies the body. Upon being adored, she removes all diseases. Upon being sprinkled, she scares away death. Upon being cultivated, she bestows attachment to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and upon being placed at his feet, she bears the fruit of the highest liberation [i.e., prema-bhakti]. I offer obeisance unto her, Tulasī.”
tri-bhuvana-vibhava-hetave’py akuṇṭha-
smṛtir ajitātma-surādibhir vimṛgyāt |
na calati bhagavat-padāravindāl
lava-nimiṣārdham api yaḥ sa vaiṣṇavāgryaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.53; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.53; Bhakti Sandarbha: 14, 196, 198, 278)
“One of unchecked remembrance who does not even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds diverge for even half a blink of an eye or half of a sixth of that from Bhagavān’s lotus feet, which are to be sought after [even] by the suras and others whose self is Ajita [i.e., the Unconquerable One, viz., Bhagavān], is the foremost Vaiṣṇava.”
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ
na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan |
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ
gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.5.41)
“O King, one who has forsaken one’s duties and taken shelter completely in the ultimate shelterer, Mukunda, is neither a servant of, nor a debtor to, the devas, the ṛṣis, [other] living beings, relatives, humanity, or ancestors.”
sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja |
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ ||
(Bhagavad-gītā: 18.66)
“Completely relinquishing all dharmas, take shelter in me alone. I will free you from all sins. Do not grieve.”
