ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā |
cakṣur unmilitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ ||
(Cited in Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.1.1; Prema-bhakti-candrikā: 1)
“Obeisance unto śrī-guru, he by whom my eyes, which were blinded by the cataract of ignorance, have been opened with the collyrium-wand of knowledge.”
aho he putrakā yūyam asmad-arthe’tiduḥkhitāḥ |
ātmā vai prāṇināṁ preṣṭhas tam anādṛtya mat-parāḥ ||
etad eva hi sac-chiṣyaiḥ kartavyaṁ guru-niṣkṛtam |
yad vai viśuddha-bhāvena sarvārthātmārpaṇaṁ gurau ||
tuṣṭo’haṁ bho dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ satyāḥ santu manorathāḥ |
chandāṁsy ayāta-yāmāni bhavantv iha paratra ca ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.80.40–42; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.112)
“[Sāndīpani Muni to Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā after finding that they have endured a night trapped in the forest by a storm after going out to collect firewood for his service]: Aho! O sons! The body is certainly most dear to living beings, but you two, being devoted to me, have disregarded it and been greatly troubled for my sake. Purely offering the entirety of one’s wealth and self to guru—this is indeed the requital of guru to be performed by sincere disciples. Bho! Best of the twice-born! I am satisfied [with you both because of your ideal attitude and conduct as disciples]. In this world and the next may your desires be fulfilled, and may the mantras [i.e., the mantras in the Vedas that I have taught you] be undiminished [i.e., remain ever-fresh and imbued with their essence—may they manifest themselves in your mind and bestow their wisdom and benefit upon you in this life and the next].”
tasmād anyad bhagavad-bhajanam api nāpekṣate |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 237)
“Therefore [i.e., because Hari can become pleased to reveal himself simply in response to guru-bhakti], even other service to Bhagavān is not required [for a sādhaka fully engaged in personal service to his guru].”
bhaktir yathā harau me’sti tadvan niṣṭhā gurau yadi |
mamāsti tena satyena svaṁ darśayatu hariḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa, cited in Bhakti Sandarbha 237)
[Devahūti prayed:] “If I have fixity upon my guru just as I have bhakti to Hari, then may Hari on account of such virtue reveal Himself to me.”
guru-mūlam idaṁ sarvaṁ tasmān nityaṁ guruṁ bhajet |
puraścaraṇa-hīno’pi mantrī siddhyen na saṁśayaḥ ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 17.242)
“The basis of all these [preliminary rites] is the guru. Therefore, always serve the guru. Thereby, even a mantra-sādhaka who has not performed any preliminary rites (puraścaraṇa) can attain perfection. Of this, there is no doubt.”
ācāryopāsanaṁ … |
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 13.7)
“Serving an ācārya [is an aspect of true knowledge].”
tatra bhāgavatān dharmān śikṣed gurv-ātma-daivataḥ |
amāyayānuvṛttyā yais tuṣyed ātmātmado hariḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.3.22; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.98; Bhakti Sandarbha: 206)
“One for whom the guru is the Self (ātmā) and the Devatā should, through unaffected adherence, learn from him [viz., the guru] Bhāgavata-dharmas by which Hari, he who is the Self and the Bestower of himself, can be pleased.”
vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana |
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo’vyavasāyinām ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.41)
“O son of the Kurus, the resolute intellect (buddhi) is one [i.e., one-pointed] in this regard [i.e., in regard to practicing bhakti-yoga]. The intellects of the irresolute, however, are many-branched and endless [i.e., divided between numerous different pursuits and driven by an endless number of worldly desires].”
sa śuśruvān mātari bhārgaveṇa
pitur niyogāt prahṛtaṁ dviṣadvat |
pratyagṛhīd agraja-śāsanaṁ tat
ājñā gurūṇāṁ hy avicāraṇīyā |
(Raghu-vaṁśa: 14.46; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.10.145)
“Hearing that at his father’s direction Paraśurāma struck his mother like an enemy, he [i.e., Lakṣmaṇa] accepted the command of his elder brother [i.e., Rāma], since the order of elders is not to be deliberated upon.”
gurur eva gatiḥ gurum eva bhaje
guruṇaiva sahāsmi namo gurave |
na guroḥ paramaṁ śiśur asmi guroḥ
matir asti gurau mama pāhi guro ||
(Śabda-mañjarī)
“The guru is always my refuge. I always worship the guru. I am always with the guru. Obeisance unto the guru. There is none higher than the guru. I am a child of the guru. My mind is on the guru. Please protect me, O guru!”
