vastreṇa vapuṣā vācā vidyayā vinayena ca |
va-kāraiḥ pañcabhir hīnaḥ naro nāyāti gauravam ||
(Unknown Source)
“Cloth, figure, speech, knowledge, and good conduct—a person without these five v’s does not attain respect.”
jyeṣṭhatvaṁ janmanā naiva guṇair jyeṣṭhatvam ucyate |
guṇāt gurutvam āyāti dugdhaṁ dadhi ghṛtaṁ kramāt ||
(Unknown Source)
“Seniority [alt., superiority, excellence] is not because of birth. Seniority is recognized because of qualities. Greatness comes from qualities, just as milk, yoghurt, and ghee come in order.”
akṛtvā para-santāpam agatvā khala-namratām |
anutsṛjya satāṁ mārgaṁ yat svalpam api tad bahu ||
(Śārṅgadhara-paddhati)
“Without causing pain to others, without bowing to the wicked, and without giving up the path of the sādhus—even whatever little [that can be done or attained] is [actually] a lot.”
yā sādhūṁś ca khalān karoti viduṣo mūrkhān hitān dveṣiṇaḥ
pratyakṣaṁ kurute parekṣam amṛtaṁ hālāhalaṁ tat-kṣaṇāt |
tām ārādhaya sat-kriyāṁ bhagavatīṁ bhoktuṁ phalaṁ vāñchitaṁ
he sādho vyasanair guṇeṣu vipuleṣv āsthāṁ vṛthā mā kṛthāḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 98)
“O sādhu! To attain your desired goal, worship the goddess of virtuous conduct, which makes the wicked good, the foolish wise, the inimical well-wishers, the invisible visible, and poison nectar in an instant. Do not in vain passionately put faith in numerous [other] qualities.”
tṛṇāni bhūmir udakaṁ vāk caturthī ca sūnṛtā |
etāny api satāṁ gehe nocchidyante kadācana ||
(Manu Smṛti: 3.101)
“[For a guest] Grasses [i.e., bedding], a place [to rest], water, and, fourth [thing], kind words—even these never fail to be found in the house of the virtuous.”
samprāptāya tv atithaye pradadyād āsanodake |
annaṁ caiva yathāśakti satkṛtya vidhi-pūrvakam ||
(Manu Smṛti: 3.99)
“To a guest who has appeared [of their own accord without an invitation or notice], one should respectfully offer according to rule water [for the person to wash their feet], a seat, and food as per one’s ability.”
atithir yasya tuṣṭo hi tasya tuṣṭo hariḥ svayam |
harau tuṣṭe gurus tuṣṭo gurau tuṣṭe jagat-trayam ||
(Nārada Pañcarātra 1.6.40)
“Hari himself is satisfied with one with whom a guest is satisfied. When Hari is satisfied, then guru is satisfied, and when guru is satisfied, then the three worlds are satisfied.”
śrīr āsāṁ na tulāṁ bibharti nitarām ity uddhavaḥ kīrtayan
yāsām aṅghri-rajo nanāma hariṇā yaḥ svena tulyo mataḥ |
tāsāṁ tat-priyatā-sudhākara-tanuṁ viṣvak cakorāyite
nānenānugatāṁ samasta-mahitāṁ vandāvahe rādhikām ||
(Gopāla-campū: 15.9)
“Uddhava, who is considered by Hari to be equal to himself, glorified them [i.e., the gopīs, saying], “Śrī [i.e., Lakṣmī] is not at all equal to them,” and bowed down to the dust of their feet. Among them, we offer obeisance unto she who is honored by them all, Rādhikā, whose figure is a [nectar-rayed] moon of love for him [i.e., Hari] that is followed by him in all directions like a cakora [out of desire to drink its nectarean light].”
sarveṣāṁ mārgāṇāṁ tāratamya-jñānena sva-mārgotkarṣa-jñānaṁ bhavati |
(Krama-sandarbha-tīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.14.31)
“Knowledge of the superiority of one’s own path arises through knowledge of the gradation between all paths.”
prajñā-prasādam āruhya aśocyāḥ śocato janān |
jagatīsthān ivādristho manda-buddhīn avekṣate ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.17.19)
“Having risen to the clarity of wisdom, one who need not be grieved for observes grieving persons, those of feeble intellect, as someone situated atop a mountain [observes] those situated on the ground.”
