svargeṣu-paśu-vāg-vajra-diṅ-netra-dhṛṣṇi-bhū-jale |
(Amara-kośa)
“[The word go is used] In the sense of (1) Svarga, (2) arrow (iṣu), (3) cow [alt., animal, or, living being] (paśu), (4) speech [alt., Sarasvatī Devī] (vāc), (5) thunderbolt (vajra), (6) direction (diś), (7) eye [alt., sense] (netra), (8) ray of light (dhṛṣṇi), (9), earth [alt., place of being, i.e., space, the world, or the universe] (bhū), and (10) water (jala).”
dig-dṛṣṭi-dīdhiti-svarga-vajra-vāg-bāṇa-vāriṣu |
bhūmau paśau ca go-śabdo vidvadbhir daśasu smṛtaḥ ||
(Halāyudha; cited in the Amṛta-tīkā on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 1581)
“The word go is considered by the wise in ten senses: (1) direction (diś), (2) eye [alt., sense] (dṛṣṭi), (3) ray of light (dīdhiti), (4) Svarga, (5) thunderbolt (vajra), (6) speech [alt., Sarasvatī Devī] (vāc), (7) arrow (bāṇa), (8) water (vāri), (9) earth [alt., place] (bhūmi), and (10) cow [alt., animal, or, living being] (paśu).”
A poem of ten verses in praise of shelter in Śrī Govardhana
By Śrīmad Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī
pureha bhūman bahavo’pi yoginas
tvad-arpitehā nija-karma-labdhayā |
vibudhya bhaktyaiva kathopanītayā
prapedire’ñjo’cyuta te gatiṁ parām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.14.5; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.588, Bhakti Sandarbha: 96)
“O Infinite One! O Acyuta! In the past here, even many yogīs whose activities were offered to you understood the Ātmā and reached your supreme abode solely by bhakti [which was] attained through their own actions [that were offered to you] and acquired through discussion [of you].”
upamīyate yena tad upamānam, yat tūpamīyate tad upameyam |
(Amṛta-ṭīkā on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 1314)
“That with which comparing occurs [i.e., to which something is compared] is [called] the upamāna [i.e., the object of comparison], and that which is compared [to the upamāna] is [called] the upameya [i.e., the subject of comparison, e.g., in the phrase ‘lotus feet,’ the lotus is the upamāna and feet are the upameya].”
alpa-mātraṁ kṛto dharmo bhavej jñānavatāṁ mahān |
mahān api kṛto dharmo hy ajñānān niṣphalo bhavet ||
(Mahābhārata: 13.227.28)
“Dharma performed even slightly shall be great for one possessed of knowledge. Dharma performed even greatly shall be fruitless as a result of ignorance.”
mama śāstraṁ bahiṣkṛtya asmākaṁ yaḥ prapadyate |
muktvā ca mama śāstrāṇi śāstram anyat prabhāṣase ||
(Varāha Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.460)
“One who excludes śāstra related to me and takes shelter in me [alt., approaches me, that is, performs upāsanā (worship)], and one who rejects śāstras related to me and teaches other śāstra … [commits offense to me].”
śraddhayopāhṛtaṁ preṣṭhaṁ bhaktena mama vāry api |
bhūry apy abhaktopahṛtaṁ na me toṣāya kalpate ||
gandho dhūpaḥ sumanaso dīpo’nnādyaṁ ca kiṁ punaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.27.17–18; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 300)
“Even water [i.e., the simplest thing] offered [to me] with śraddhā by my bhakta is most dear. Even a lavish offering from a non-bhakta [however] brings me no satisfaction. And what’s more of fragrances, incense, flowers, lamps, food, and so on?”
mahad-aparādhas tu cāṭukārādinā vā tat-prīty-artha-kṛtena nirantara-dīrgha-kālīna-bhagavan-nāma-kīrtanena vā taṁ prasādya kṣamāpanīya … | tat-prasādaṁ vinā tad-asiddheḥ |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 303)
“Offense to a great person (mahad-aparādha) is to be begged pardon for by propitiating him [i.e., the mahat] with endearing words and so forth, or, by chanting of Bhagavān’s name continuously for a long time performed for the sake of pleasing him … because of non-accomplishment of this [i.e., of forgiveness of one’s offense to a great person] without propitiation of him.”
avaiṣṇavopadiṣṭena mantreṇa nirayaṁ vrajet |
punaś ca vidhinā samyag grāhayed vaiṣṇavād guroḥ ||
(Nārada Pañcarātra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 4.366 and the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.54; Bhakti Sandarbha: 207)
“One shall go to hell as a result of [receiving] a mantra imparted by a non-Vaiṣṇava. [If one has received a mantra from a non-Vaiṣṇava] Again and properly according to rule, one should occasion reception [of a mantra] from a Vaiṣṇava guru.”
