śokārāti-bhaya-trāṇaṁ prīti-viśrambha-bhājanam |
kena ratnam idaṁ sṛṣṭaṁ mitram ity akṣara-dvayam ||
(Hitopadeśa: 1.223)
“Who has created this gem composed of the two syllables “mi-tra” (“friend”)? A friend protects one from grief, enemies, and fear, and is a reservoir of affection and trust.”
ṛṣibhir bahvo loke panthānaḥ prakaṭī kṛtaḥ |
śrama-sādhyāś ca te sarve prāyaḥ svarga-phala-pradāḥ ||
vaikuṇṭha-sādhakaḥ panthāḥ sa tu gopyo hi vartate |
tasyopadeṣṭā puruṣaḥ prāyo bhāgyena labhyate ||
(Padma Purāṇa: Bhāgavata-māhātmya: 2.56–57)
“Many paths have been established in this world by ṛṣis, and they are all generally laborious and givers of the result known as Svarga. The path that leads to Vaikuṇṭha, however, is confidential, and a person who is a teacher of it is generally attained [only] by good fortune.”
haraty aghaṁ samprati hetur eṣyataḥ
śubhasya pūrvācaritaiḥ kṛtaṁ śubhaiḥ |
śarīra-bhājāṁ bhavadīya-darśanaṁ
vyanakti kāla-tritaye’pi yogyatām ||
(Śiśupāla-vadha: 1.26)
[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa addresses Nārada Muni upon his arrival in Dvārakā:] “Sight of you demonstrates indeed the virtue of embodied beings in the three phases of time: it removes impurity in the present, it is the cause of good fortune in the future, and it is attained by good works performed in the past.”
tāmra-pātre payaḥ-pānam ucchiṣṭa-ghṛta-bhojanam |
dugdhaṁ lavaṇa-sārdhaṁ ca sadyo go-māṁsa-bhakṣaṇam ||
nārikelodakaṁ kāṁsye tāmra-pātre sthitaṁ madhu |
aikṣavaṁ tāmra-pātrasthaṁ surā-tulyaṁ na saṁśayaḥ ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa: Brahma-khaṇḍa, 27.22–23)
“Drinking milk in a copper vessel, eating remnant ghee, and milk with salt [all] immediately become [equivalent to] eating cow meat. Coconut water in a white copper [i.e., bell metal or brass] vessel, honey situated in copper vessel, and sugarcane products situated in a copper vessel are equivalent to wine. There is no doubt.”
āhārārthaṁ samīheta yuktaṁ tat-prāṇa-dhāraṇam |
tattvaṁ vimṛśyate tena tad-vijñāya vimucyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.18.34)
“One should endeavor for the sake of food. Sustaining one’s life is rightful. Thereby, reality is deliberated upon, and by realizing it, one can become completely liberated.”
prāṇināṁ punar mūlam āhāro bala-varṇaujasāṁ ca |
(Suśruta-saṁhitā: Sūtra-sthāna, 1.28)
“Food, moreover, is the cause of the strength, complexion, and vitality of all living beings.”
guṇāś ca ṣaṇ mita-bhuktaṁ bhajante
ārogyam āyuś ca sukhaṁ balaṁ ca |
anāvilaṁ cāsya bhaved apatyaṁ
na cainam ādyūna iti kṣipanti ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.37.30; Vidura-nīti)
“Six qualities adorn one who eats moderately: (1) [good] health, (2) [long] life, (3) comfort, (4) strength, (5) one’s children becoming wholesome, and (6) others not reviling one for being gluttonous.”
vṛtty-arthaṁ bhojanaṁ yeṣāṁ santānārthaṁ ca maithunam |
vāk satya-vacanārthāya durgāṇy api taranti te ||
(Hitopadeśa: Sandhi, 92)
“Those who eat for the sake of upkeep, engage in intercourse for the sake of children, and speak for the sake of truthful speech certainly overcome adversities.”
santuṣṭaḥ kena vā rājan na vartetāpi vāriṇā |
aupasthya-jaihvya-kārpaṇyād gṛha-pālāyate janaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.15.18)
“O King! Can a person not become satisfied with anything, even water? [Certainly. Yet] A person acts like a house pet [i.e., a dog] because of avarice for the sensation of the genitals and sensation of the tongue.”
āhāra-śuddhau sattva-śuddhiḥ, sattva-śuddhau dhruvā smṛtiḥ, smṛti-lambhe sarva-granthīnāṁ vipramokṣaḥ |
(Chāndogya Upaniṣad: 7.26.2)
“When there is purity of food, there is purity of mind. When there is purity of mind, there is steadfast remembrance. When there is retention of remembrance, there is definitive and complete release from all entanglements.”
