saṅkīrṇa-yonayaḥ pūtā ye bhaktā madhusūdane |
mleccha-tulyāḥ kulīnās te ye na bhaktā janārdane ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.129)
“Those of mixed caste who are bhaktas of Madhusūdana are pure. Those who are of noble family but not bhaktas of Janārdana are equal to mlecchas [i.e., those of the very lowest caste].”
brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyaḥ vaiśyaḥ śūdro vā yadi vetaraḥ |
viṣṇu-bhakti-samāyukto jñeyaḥ sarvottamottamaḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.106; Bhakti Sandarbha: 100)
“If a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or anyone otherwise is fully endowed with Viṣṇu-bhakti, they are to be known as the best of the best of all.”
aṣṭaitāny avrata-ghnāni āpo mūlaṁ phalaṁ payaḥ |
havir brāhmaṇa-kāmyā ca guror vacanemauṣadham ||
(Mahābhārata; Udyama-parva; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.100)
“These eight are non-breakers of a rite (vrata): (1) water, (2) roots, (3) fruits, (4) milk, (5) ghee, (6) that which is a request of a brāhmaṇa [i.e., something one is requested by a brāhmaṇa to take], (7) that which is an instruction of the guru [i.e., something the guru has instructed one to take], and (8) medicine.”
śvapaco’pi mahī-pāla viṣṇu-bhakto dvijādhikaḥ |
viṣṇu-bhakti-vihīnas tu dvijo’pi śvapacādhikaḥ ||
(Nāradīya Purāṇa: 2.10.37; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.87; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455; Bhakti Sandarbha: 100)
“O King, even a dog-cooker who is a Viṣṇu-bhakta is more [exalted] than a twice-born, whereas even a twice-born devoid of Viṣṇu-bhakti is more [inferior] than a dog-cooker.”
viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-
pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham |
manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-
prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūri-mānaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.9.10; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.192; Bhakti Sandarbha: 100; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.59)
“[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] I consider a dog-cooker whose mind, words, actions, wealth, and life are dedicated to him [viz., Śrī Bhagavān] superior to a brāhmaṇa possessed of [all] twelve [brahminical] qualities who is averse to the lotus feet of he of lotus navel. He [i.e., a dog-cooker who is a bhakta of Śrī Bhagavān] purifies his family, whereas one of great pride does not.”
yāvat te māyayā spṛṣṭā bhramāma iha karmabhiḥ |
tāvad bhavat-prasaṅgānāṁ saṅgaḥ syān no bhave bhave ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.30.33)
“As long as we who are affected by your māyā shall wander here [in this world] in accord with our karmas, let us have the association of those endowed with deep attachment to you in birth after birth.”
bhaktiṁ muhuḥ pravahatāṁ tvayi me prasaṅgo
bhūyād ananta mahatām amalāśayānām |
yenāñjasolbaṇam uru-vyasanaṁ bhavābdhim
neṣye bhavad-guṇa-kathāmṛta-pāna-mattaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.9.11; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.290, Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.14)
“O Unending One! May I have the full association of mahats who are always fully sustaining bhakti to you and [thus] of taintless heart by which I, inebriated by drinking the nectar of narrations of your qualities, shall easily cross beyond the immense ocean of material existence beset with waves of afflictions.”
yuvatīnāṁ yathā yūni yūnāṁ ca yuvatau yathā |
mano’bhiramate tadvan mano’bhiramatāṁ tvayi ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 6.128.258; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.437; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.153; Bhakti Sandarbha: 217)
“As the minds of young ladies delight in a young man, and the minds of young men delight in a young lady, so may my mind delight in you.”
mat-sevayā pratītaṁ te sālokyādi-catuṣṭayam |
necchanti sevayā pūrṇāḥ kuto’nyat kāla-viplutam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 9.4.67)
“Being fulfilled by service [to me], they do not desire the four [types of mukti] beginning with sālokya [that can be] attained by service to me, much less anything else that is dissipated in time.”
devānāṁ śuddha-sattvānām ṛṣīṇāṁ cāmalātmanām |
bhaktir mukunda-caraṇe na prāyeṇopajāyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.14.2; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.545; Bhakti Sandarbha: 134)
“[Even] In devas of pure mind or ṛṣis of taintless mind, bhakti to Mukunda’s feet generally does not manifest.”
