sukham eva sadā me syāt duḥkhaṁ mā bhūt kadācana
sukham eva sadā me syāt duḥkhaṁ mā bhūt kadācana |
(Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa: 1.10)
“May I always be happy. May I never suffer.”
Purāṇas
deva-drohād guru-drohaḥ koṭi-koṭi-guṇādhikaḥ
deva-drohād guru-drohaḥ koṭi-koṭi-guṇādhikaḥ |
jñānāpavādo nāstikyaṁ tasmād koṭi-guṇādhikam ||
(Kūrma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.751; Bhakti Sandarbha: 265)
“Offence to guru is tens of millions of times worse than offence to the Deity. But denial of knowledge and disbelief are ten millions times worse than that [i.e., than offence to guru].”
yāvat pāpais tu malinaṁ hṛdayaṁ tāvad eva hi
yāvat pāpais tu malinaṁ hṛdayaṁ tāvad eva hi |
na śāstre satya-buddhiḥ syāt sad-buddhiḥ sad-gurau tathā ||
aneka-janma-janita-puṇya-rāśi-phalaṁ mahat |
sat-saṅga-śāstra-śravaṇād eva premādi jāyate ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 1)
“As long as the heart is polluted by sins, conviction in the truthfulness of the śāstra and conviction in the truthfulness of a true guru does not come about. Prema and so forth, which are the ultimate result of the accumulation of merit [i.e., engagement in practices of bhakti] created over the course of many births, manifest only by hearing śāstra in the association of sādhus.”
gu-śabdas tv andhakārasya ru-śabdas tan-nivārakaḥ
gu-śabdas tv andhakārasya ru-śabdas tan-nivārakaḥ |
andhakāra-nirodhitvād gurur ity abhidhīyate ||
(Skanda Purāṇa)
“The syllable gu means darkness, and the syllable ru means its remover. A guru is so called because of his being a dispeller of darkness.”
bhaktir yathā harau me’sti tadvan niṣṭhā gurau yadi
bhaktir yathā harau me’sti tadvan niṣṭhā gurau yadi |
mamāsti tena satyena svaṁ darśayatu hariḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa, cited in Bhakti Sandarbha 237)
[Devahūti prayed:] “If I have fixity upon my guru just as I have bhakti to Hari, then may Hari on account of such virtue reveal Himself to me.”
vaktā sarāgo nīrāgo dvividhaḥ parikīrtitaḥ
vaktā sarāgo nīrāgo dvividhaḥ parikīrtitaḥ |
sarāgo lolupaḥ kāmī tad uktaṁ hṛn na saṁspṛśet ||
upadeśaṁ karoty eva na parīkṣāṁ karoti ca |
aparīkṣyopadiṣṭaṁ yal loka-nāśāya tad bhavet ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 203)
“A teacher is said to be of two types: [one] with attachment (rāga) and [one] without attachment. One with attachment is greedy and covetous. His words cannot touch the heart. He only gives teachings and does not conduct any examination. That which is taught without conducting any examination certainly leads to ruination of society.”
harau ratiṁ vahann eṣa narendrāṇāṃ śikhāmaṇiḥ
harau ratiṁ vahann eṣa narendrāṇāṃ śikhāmaṇiḥ |
bhikṣām aṭann ari-pure śvapākam api vandate ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.3.33)
“Holding rati for Hari [in his heart], this crest jewel among kings [i.e., Bhagīratha Mahārāja] went to beg alms at the homes of enemies and bowed down even to outcastes [lit., dog-cookers].”
acirād eva sarvārthaḥ sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ
acirād eva sarvārthaḥ sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ |
sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ ||
(Nāradīya Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.103 and Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.106)
“All desired goals are soon realized by those who are of determined mind to understand true dharma.”
te santaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ nirupādhika-bāndhavāḥ
te santaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ nirupādhika-bāndhavāḥ |
ye nṛsiṁha bhavan nāma gāyanty uccair mudānvitāḥ ||
(Nārasiṁha Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 11.352)
“[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] O Nṛsiṁha, those who, filled with joy, loudly sing your name are the sincere friends of all living beings.”
ṛṣibhir bahvo loke panthānaḥ prakaṭī kṛtaḥ
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.”