yāvatā syāt sva-nirvāhaḥ svīkuryāt tāvad artha-vit |
ādhikye nyūnatāyāṁ ca cyavate paramārthataḥ ||
(Nāradīya Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.108)
“One who is sagacious [lit., ‘a knower of utility’] should accept as much as shall be supportive for oneself. One becomes deviated from the ultimate goal as a result of excess and deficiency.”
varān vibho tvad varadeśvarād budhaḥ
kathaṁ vṛṇīte guṇa-vikriyātmanām |
ye nārakāṇām api santi dehināṁ
tān īśa kaivalya-pate vṛṇe na ca ||
na kāmaye nātha tad apy ahaṁ kvacin
na yatra yuṣmac-caraṇāmbujāsavaḥ |
mahattamāntar-hṛdayān mukha-cyuto
vidhatsva karṇāyutam eṣa me varaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.20.23–24)
“[Pṛthu Mahārāja to Bhagavān:] O Vibhu! How can an intelligent person request from you, the Īśvara of [even] the granters of boons [i.e., of the devatās such as Brahmā], the boons of [i.e., sought by] those for whom a transformation of the guṇas [i.e., the ahaṅkāra] is [considered] the self? O Īśa! O Master of kaivalya! I too [i.e., although I am not intelligent] do not request those [boons, i.e., objects enjoyable to the senses] which even those possessed of hellish bodies [i.e., the bodies of hogs, dogs, and so on] have. O Nātha! I never desire even that wherein the nectar of your lotus feet is not streaming out through the mouth from the inner heart of the greatest mahats. Please grant me ten-thousand ears [to drink in the nectar of that discussion of your lotus feet]. This is my request.”
santo’napekṣā mac-cittāḥ praśāntāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
nirmamā nirahaṅkārā nirdvandvā niṣparigrahāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.26.27; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.65; Bhakti Sandarbha: 247)
“Those who are disinterested, of mind fixed on me, completely peaceful, equal seers, free from attachment, free from egotism, free from duality, and free from acquisition are the sat.”
teṣu nityaṁ mahābhāga mahābhāgeṣu mat-kathāḥ |
sambhavanti hi tā nṝṇāṁ juṣatāṁ prapunanty agham ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.26.27; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.277)
“O you of great fortune [i.e., O Uddhava], discussions of me continuously take place among they who are most fortunate [i.e., among the sat as described in the prior verses], and they [i.e., those discussions] completely wash away the sin of human beings who honor [alt., delight in, them].”
tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya satsu sajjeta buddhimān |
santa evāsya chhindanti mano-vyāsaṅgam uktibhiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.26.26; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.318; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.59)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava:] Thus, an intelligent person should leave bad association and associate with the sat. Only the sat cut away the undue attachment of one’s mind with their words.”
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam |
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā ||
(Bṛhan-Nāradīya-purāṇa; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 273; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.7.76, 1.17.21, 2.6.242)
“The name of Hari, the name of Hari—certainly the name of Hari alone—in the Age of Kali, there is certainly no, there is certainly no, there is certainly no way otherwise.”
ye sabhāya vaiṣṇavera nindā-mātra haya |
sarva-dharma thākileo tabhu haya kṣaya ||
sannyāsi-sabhāya yadi haya nindā-karma |
madyapero sabhā haite se sabhā adharmya ||
madyapera niṣkṛti āchaye kono kāle |
para-carcakera gati nahe kabhu bhāle ||
śāstra paḍhiyāo kāro kāro buddhi-nāśa |
(Caitanya-bhāgavata: 2.13.41–44)
“Even if the totality of dharma is [otherwise] present, still an assembly in which defamation (nindā) of a Vaiṣṇava occurs is ruined. If an act of defamation occurs [even] in an assembly of sannyāsīs, then that assembly is adharmic more so than an assembly of drunkards. There is deliverance for a drunkard some day. A gossiper [however] never has progress on their forehead [i.e., never has a bright future]. Even after studying śāstra, the intelligence of many is ruined [by engaging in defamation].”
ta eva niyamāḥ sākṣāt ta eva ca yamottamāḥ |
tapo dānaṁ vrataṁ yajño yena tuṣyaty adhokṣajaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.16.61)
“That by which Adhokṣaja [i.e., Bhagavān] is satisfied is indeed directly the regulation (niyama), and that is indeed the best rule (yama), austerity (tapas), charity (dāna), rite (vrata), and sacrifice (yajña).”
prathamaṁ varjayed doṣān yugapat pṛthag eva vā |
tathā dharmam avāpnoti doṣa-tyāgo hi duṣkaraḥ |
doṣa-sākalya-santyāgān munir bhavati mānavaḥ ||
duṣkṛta-tyāga-mātreṇa padam ūrdhvaṁ hi labhyate |
(Mahābhārata: 13.232.5, 8)
“First, one should give up faults, all at once or just one by one. Then, one achieves dharma. Giving up faults [however] is certainly difficult to do. [Yet] By completely giving up faults in totality, a human being becomes a sage. … Just by giving up misconduct, a higher standing is attained.”
tṛṇād api sunīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā |
amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ ||
(Padyāvalī: 32; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 269; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.17.31, 3.6.239, 3.20.21)
“Hari is to be praised always
By one who is far lower than even grass,
Tolerant like a tree,
Undesirous of respect,
And respectful [to all as appropriate].”
