Purāṇas

asthūlaś cānaṇuś caiva sthūlo’ṇuś caiva sarvataḥ

asthūlaś cānaṇuś caiva sthūlo’ṇuś caiva sarvataḥ |
avarṇaḥ sarvataḥ proktaḥ śyāmo raktānta-locanaḥ |
aiśvarya-yogād bhagavān viruddhārtho’bhidhīyate ||
tathāpi doṣāḥ parame naivāhāryāḥ kathañcana |
guṇā viruddhā apy ete samāhāryāḥ samantataḥ ||
(Kūrma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.242–243)

“Said to be in all respects non-gross and non-subtle as well as gross and subtle, in all respects colorless as well as swarthy and of eyes with reddish corners—by virtue of possessing mastery (aiśvarya), Bhagavān is known as Viruddhārtha [i.e., ‘he who is an object of contradiction’]. Still, faults are never to be attributed to the Supreme [i.e., Bhagavān] by any means, whereas even contradictory qualities are always to be attributed in full [to him, i.e., understood to coexist and function cooperatively within him].”

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nātha yoni-sahasreṣu yeṣu yeṣu vrajāmy aham

nātha yoni-sahasreṣu yeṣu yeṣu vrajāmy aham |
teṣu teṣv acyutā bhaktir acyute’stu sadā tvayi ||
yā prītir avivekānāṁ viṣayeṣv anapāyinī |
tvām anusmarataḥ sā me hṛdayān nāpasarpatu ||

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 1.20.18–19; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.434–435; Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 142; Bhakti Sandarbha: 217; Prīti Sandarbha: 50, 61)

“O Nātha, wherever I go in the course of thousands of births, may I always have unwavering (acyutā) bhakti to you, the unwavering Lord (Acyuta)! As I continuously remember you, may that everlasting prīti which [is possessed of a characteristic like the prīti which] the undiscerning have for objects of the senses, never slip away from my heart.”

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tad evaṁ tat-kratu-nyāyena ca śuddha-bhaktānām anyā gatir nāsty eva

tad evaṁ tat-kratu-nyāyena ca śuddha-bhaktānām anyā gatir nāsty eva | śrutiś ca—‘yathā kratur asmin loke puruṣo bhavati, tathetaḥ pretya bhavati’ iti, kratur atra saṅkalpa iti bhāṣyakārāḥ | śruty-antaraṁ ca—‘sa yathā-kāmo bhavati, tat kratur bhavati | yat-kratur bhavati, tat karma kurute | yat karma kurute, tad abhisampadyate’ iti | anyac ca ‘yad yathā yathopāsate tad eva bhavanti’ iti | śrī-bhagavat-pratijñā ca—‘ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham’ iti | tathaiva brahma-vaivarte—‘yadi māṁ prāptum icchanti prāpnuvanty eva nānyathā’ iti | … tāḥ prati svayam abhyupagacchati—‘saṅkalpo viditaḥ sādhvyo …’ |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 51)

“Thus, in this way, by the ‘principle of like intention’ (tat-kratu-nyāya) [i.e., the principle that the result of a sacrifice will manifest in accord with the performer’s intention], pure bhaktas verily have no other attainment (gati) [i.e., they verily attain the prīti for Bhagavān that they aspire for along with a form, paraphernalia, service, and entrance into an abode of Bhagavān that are suited to that particular type of prīti]. The Śruti also [states this in Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1], ‘As is a living being’s intention (kratu) in this world, so the living being becomes upon departing from here.’ Here, [the word] ‘intention’ (kratu) means ‘resolve’ (saṅkalpa) according to the commentator [i.e., Śrī Śaṅkarācāryapāda]. Another Śruti [i.e., Bṛhadārayaṇka Upaniṣad 4.4.5] also [states this], ‘As is one’s desire, so is one’s intention. As is one’s intention, so is the action one performs, and as is the action one performs, so is that which one attains [i.e., the result].’ Elsewhere also [in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 10.5.2.20], ‘As one worships [him], so indeed one becomes.’ Śrī Bhagavān’s vow as well [is stated in BG 4.11], ‘‘As they approach me, so exactly I reciprocate with them.’ Similarly in Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa [it is also stated by Śrī Bhagavān], ‘If they desire to attain me, they certain attain [me] and not otherwise.‘ … Śrī Bhagavān himself affirms [this principle] before them [i.e., before the gopīs] in saṅkalpo viditaḥ sādhvyo … [i.e., SB 10.22.25–26].”

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kuraṅga-mātaṅga-pataṅga-bhṛṅga

kuraṅga-mātaṅga-pataṅga-bhṛṅga-
mīnāḥ hatāḥ pañcabhir eva pañca |
ekaṁ pramādī sa kathaṁ na hanyate
yaḥ sevate pañcabhir eva pañca ||
(Garuḍa Purāṇa: 1.115.21)

“The deer, elephant, moth, bee, and fish—these five are destroyed by the five [respective objects of the senses]. One is bewildering [i.e., just one sense object is greatly bewildering]. [Thus,] how is someone who partakes of all five not [sure to be] ruined by these five?”

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sasarjāgre’ndha-tāmisram atha tāmisram ādi-kṛt

sasarjāgre’ndha-tāmisram atha tāmisram ādi-kṛt |
mahāmohaṁ ca mohaṁ ca tamaś cājñāna-vṛttayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.12.2)

“At the beginning [of the emanation of the universe], the original creator [i.e., Lord Brahmā] emanated the functions of ajñāna (ignorance): andha-tāmisra (blinding darkness), tāmisra (darkness), mahāmoha (severe delusion), moha (delusion), and tamas (dimness).”

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yad yat prītikaraṁ puṁsāṁ vastu maitreya jāyate

yad yat prītikaraṁ puṁsāṁ vastu maitreya jāyate |
tad eva duḥkha-vṛkṣasya bījatvam upagacchati ||
kalatra-putra-mitrārtha-gṛha-kṣetra-dhanādikaiḥ |
kriyeta na tathā bhūri sukhaṁ puṁsāṁ yathāsukham ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 6.5.55–56)

“O Maitreya, indeed every object pleasing to a person that comes about [in the course of saṁsāra] becomes [later] a seed of the tree of suffering. Not so much happiness is produced by one’s wife, children, friends, possessions, houses, lands, wealth, and so forth as is unhappiness [i.e., these aforementioned aspects of saṁsāras produce more unhappiness than happiness].”

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nirastātiśayāhlāda-sukha-bhāvaika-lakṣaṇā

nirastātiśayāhlāda-sukha-bhāvaika-lakṣaṇā |
bheṣajaṁ bhagavat-prāptir ekāntātyantikī matā ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 6.5.59; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 1)

“Attainment of Bhagavān, which is characterized purely by a state of happiness filled with superlative delight [i.e., a delight that surpasses all other forms of happiness and neither contains nor causes any form of suffering], is the medicine [to cure the disease of suffering in saṁsāra] and is accepted as exclusive [i.e., free from any admixture of suffering] and absolute [i.e., everlasting].”

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na karma-bandhanaṁ janma vaiṣṇavānāṁ ca vidyate

na karma-bandhanaṁ janma vaiṣṇavānāṁ ca vidyate |
viṣṇor anucaratvaṁ hi mokṣam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||
na dāsyam amareśasya bandhanaṁ parikīrtitam |
sarva-bandhana-nirmuktā hari-dāsā nirāmayāḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 6.229.58-59; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.169–170; Prīti Sandarbha: 16, 45; Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā and Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.9.29)

“The birth of Vaiṣṇavas is not [produced by] bondage in karma, since the wise call being an attendant of Viṣṇu mokṣa. Servitude to the immortal Lord is not described as bondage, since Hari’s servants are completely free from all bondage [i.e., that which causes entanglement in saṁsāra] and unmarred [i.e., faultless, alt., free from disease].”

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prāpyāpi durlabhataraṁ mānuṣyaṁ vibudhepsitam

prāpyāpi durlabhataraṁ mānuṣyaṁ vibudhepsitam |
yair āśrito na govindas tair ātmā vañcitaś ciram ||
aśīti-caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tān jīva-jātiṣu |
bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ prāpya mānuṣyaṁ janma-paryayāt ||
tad apy aphalatāṁ jātaṁ teṣām ātmābhimāninām |
varākānām anāśritya govinda-caraṇa-dvayam ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa: cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.650–652; Bhakti Sandarbha: 108)

“The ātmā (self) is prolongedly cheated by those who do not take shelter in Govinda even after receiving a most rare to attain human life [which is] desired [even] by the devas. A human life is attainable by living beings wandering amid the eight million, four hundred thousand species of life on account of the revolution of births [i.e., it is finally attained as a result of gradually transmigrating through the vast myriad of life-forms found throughout the universe in accord with the unfolding of living beings’ individual and collective karma]. Even that [attainment of a human life, however, sadly,] becomes fruitless for those of self-conceit [i.e., those who identify with the body and lack awareness of their actual self], the wretched [i.e., the low-minded absorbed in the pursuit of external pleasures], by not taking shelter in the two feet of Govinda.”

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