svapan bhuñjan vrajaṁs tiṣṭhaṁś ca vadaṁs tathā |
ye vadanti harer nāma tebhyo nityaṁ namo namaḥ ||
(Bṛhan Nāradīya Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.404)
“Obeisance and obeisance forever unto they who speak Hari’s name while sleeping, eating, moving, standing, and speaking.”
sarvārtha-śakti-yuktasya deva-devasya cakriṇaḥ |
yac cābhirucitaṁ nāma tat sarvārtheṣu yojayet ||
(Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.401)
“One should meditate on that name of the Wielder of the cakra, the Deva of devas endowed with the śakti of all objects, which is also liked [by oneself, i.e., for which one feels a specific taste] for the sake of [attaining] all objects.”
dāna-vrata-tapas-tīrtha-yātrādīnāṁ ca yāḥ sthitāḥ |
śaktayo deva-mahatāṁ sarva-pāpa-harāḥ śubhāḥ ||
rājasūyāśvamedhānāṁ jñānasyādhyātma-vastunaḥ |
ākṛṣya hariṇā sarvāḥ sthāpitāḥ sveṣu nāmasu ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.398–399)
“All the auspicious śaktis dispelling of all sin which are present in charity, rites, austerity, pilgrimages to tīrthas, and so forth, as well as in devas and mahats, and in coronations, horse sacrifices, knowledge, and spiritual objects, have been extracted by Hari and established in his own names.”
na śrī-mukhenopaniṣan-mukhaiḥ kṛtaṁ
yad veda-vākyair aparair vaco’mṛtaiḥ |
tat tasya bimbādhara-yoga-mātrataḥ
sā dāravī mohana-vaṁśikākarot ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.142)
“That which was not accomplished with his [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān’s] blessed mouth by means of the statements of the Vedas led by the Upaniṣads and other nectars of his speech [such as the Purāṇas] the enchanting little wooden flute has accomplished just by contact with his bimba lips.”
yadyapi śaraṇāpattyaiva sarvaṁ sidhyati, ‘śaraṇaṁ taṁ prapannā ye dhyāna-yoga-vivarjitāḥ | te vai mṛtyum atikramya yānti tad vaiṣṇavaṁ padam ||’ iti gāruḍāt, tathāpi vaiśiṣṭya-lipsuḥ śaktaś cet tato bhagavac-chāstropadeṣṭṝṇāṁ bhagavan-mantropadeṣṭṝṇāṁ vā śrī-guru-caraṇānāṁ nityam eva viśeṣataḥ sevāṁ kuryāt | tat-prasādo hi sva-sva-nānā-pratīkāra-dustyajānartha-hānau parama-bhagavat-prasāda-siddhau ca mūlam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 237)
“Although everything is accomplished just by śaraṇāgati, as per [this statement in] Garuḍa Purāṇa, ‘Those who have forsaken meditation and yoga and taken shelter in him [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān] certainly overcome death and reach that abode of Viṣṇu,’ still if one is desirous of specificity [i.e., a specific form of prema and relationship with a specific form of Śrī Bhagavān] and able [to pursue such], then one should perform service fixedly and specifically of the feet of a blessed guru who is a teacher of śāstras related to Bhagavān or a teacher of a mantra related to Bhagavān, since his grace is the root cause of the removal of defilements (anarthas) that are difficult to give up by various counter-measures of one’s own and of the attainment of the supreme grace of Bhagavān.”
śraddhayā helayā nāma raṭanti mama jantavaḥ |
teṣāṁ nāma sadā pārtha vartate hṛdaye mama ||
na nāma sadṛśaṁ jñānaṁ na nāma sadṛśaṁ vratam |
na nāma sadṛśaṁ dhyānaṁ na nāma sadṛśaṁ phalam ||
na nāma sadṛśas tyāgo na nāma sadṛśaḥ śamaḥ |
na nāma sadṛśaṁ puṇyaṁ na nāma sadṛśī gatiḥ || …
nāmaiva paramā muktir nāmaiva paramā gatiḥ |
nāmaiva paramā śāntir nāmaiva paramā sthitiḥ ||
nāmaiva paramā bhaktir nāmaiva paramā matiḥ |
nāmaiva paramā prītir nāmaiva paramā smṛtiḥ ||
nāmaiva kāraṇaṁ jantor nāmaiva prabhur eva ca |
nāmaiva paramārādhyo nāmaiva paramo guruḥ ||
(Ādi Purāṇa: cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.464–469)
“[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] O Pārtha, the names of those living beings who call out my name, respectfully or easily, always remain in my heart. There is no knowledge like my name. There is no rite like my name. There is no meditation like my name. There is no attainment like my name. There is no renunciation like my name. There is no equanimity like my name. There is no purity like my name. There is no shelter like my name. … My name alone is the greatest mukti. My name alone is the greatest shelter. My name alone is the greatest equanimity. My name alone is the greatest fixity. My name alone is the greatest bhakti. My name alone is the greatest awareness. My name alone is the greatest love. My name alone is the greatest remembrance. My name alone is the cause, and my name alone is the master, of the living being. My name alone is the greatest object of worship. My name alone is the greatest guru.”
īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā |
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate ||
(Nāradīya Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.187)
“One who has the desire for servitude to Hari in deed, mind, and speech even in all circumstances is called a jīvan-mukta [i.e., one who is liberated while living].”
bhuktiṁ muktiṁ harir dadyād arcito’nyatra sevinām |
bhaktiṁ tu na dadāty eva yato vaśyakarī hareḥ ||
sā tv añjasā harer bhaktir labhyate kārttike naraiḥ |
mathurāyāṁ sakṛd api śrī-dāmodara-sevanāt ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.222–223)
“Hari shall bestow enjoyment (bhukti) or liberation (mukti) upon his servants when worshipped elsewhere [i.e., outside of Mathurā], but he does not bestow bhakti [upon them] because it is captivating of Hari. That bhakti to Hari, however, is easily attained by people as a result of service to Śrī Dāmodara even once in Mathurā during Kārtika.”
atha sva-prayatno balavān śrī-guru-prasādo veti sandehe’kṛte prayatne tat-prasādasyākiñcitkaratvāt sva-prayatno balavān iti prāpte—
liṅga-bhūyastvāt tad dhi balīyas tad api |
ṛṣabhādibhyo brahma-śrutavatā satya-kāmena ‘bhagavāṁs tv eva me kāmaṁ brūyāt’ iti śrī-guruḥ prārthyate | tathāgnibhyaḥ śruta-vidyenopakośalena cety ādi-chāndogyādi-dṛṣṭa-guru-prasādana-liṅga-bāhulyāt tat-prasādanam eva baliṣṭham | tarhi tāvatālam ity api na mantavyam | kiṁ tarhi tad api śravaṇādi ca kartavyam ‘yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ,’ ‘śrotavyo mantavyaḥ’ ity ādi śruteḥ, ‘guru-prasādo balavān na tasmād balavattaram, tathāpi śravaṇādiś ca kartavyo mokṣa-siddhaye ||’ iti smṛteś ca |
(Vedānta-sūtra: 3.3.45)
“Now, in the case of the doubt, ‘Is one’s own effort more powerful, or [is] the grace of the guru [more powerful]?’ [A prima facie view is posited] ‘Because of his [i.e., the guru’s] grace’s being ineffective when [one’s own] effort is not made, one’s own effort is more powerful’ When this [prima facie view] is encountered, [then the following sūtra is stated], ‘Because of a profusion of indications [throughout the śāstra], that [i.e., the grace of the guru] is certainly more powerful [than one’s own effort], [though] that [i.e., one’s own effort] too [is necessary]’ (liṅga-bhūyastvāt tad dhi balīyas tad api). [In Chāndogya Upaniṣad 4.9.2 it is described that] A blessed guru was prayed to by Satyakāma, who had [already] heard about Brahman from the bull and so forth [i.e., from devas who had assumed the forms of a bull and so forth], ‘O venerable one, still certainly please speak of my desired object [i.e., Brahman].’ [Although Satyakāma has already been blessed with knowledge of Brahman directly by the devatās, he still inquired from his guru about Brahman, and this shows that realization of Brahman always requires the grace of the guru]. It was similar with Upakośala, who heard knowledge [of Brahman] from the fires [he tended in accord with the direction of his guru, Satyakāma, but later still inquired from Satyakāma about Brahman]. Thus, because of the profusion of indications of the grace of the guru [being necessary to realize Brahman] seen in Chāndogya Upaniṣad and elsewhere [i.e., and in other śāstras], his [i.e., the guru’s] grace is certainly more powerful [than one’s own effort].
“[A further question is raised:] ‘Then just that is sufficient? [i.e., then one need not make the effort of engaging in the practices of sādhana taught by the guru, such as hearing, contemplating, and meditating, if somehow or other one can simply get his grace?]’ This [notion] too is not to be thought. [A follow-up question is raised:] ‘Then what [should be thought and done]?’ That too, meaning, hearing and so forth, is also to be done, in accord with the [statements in the] Śruti [that describe this], [e.g., Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23,] ‘These discussed subjects are certainly revealed to the great soul who has pure bhakti to Deva, and as to Deva, so also to the guru,’ [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.5,] ‘The Ātmā is to be heard about, to be contemplated, and to be deeply meditated upon,’ and so on, and in accord with the [statements in the] Smṛti [that describe this], [e.g., Varāha Purāṇa], ‘The grace of the guru is powerful. There is nothing more powerful than it. Still, to attain liberation, hearing and so forth [i.e., contemplation and meditation] are to be done.’”
tat sasarja tadā brahmā bhagavān ādi-kṛt prabhuḥ |
teṣāṃ ye yāni karmāṇi prāk-sṛṣṭyāṁ pratipedire |
tāny eva te prapadyante sṛjyamānāḥ punaḥ punaḥ ||
hiṁsrāhiṁsre mṛdu-krūre dharmadharmāv ṛtānṛte |
tad-bhāvitāḥ prapadyante tasmāt tat tasya rocate ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 1.5.60–61)
“Then Lord Bramā, the original maker and master, emanated them [i.e., all the living beings throughout the universe]. Being emanated again and again [in this way in each cyclic emanation of the universe], they acquired [in this present cyclic emanation] only those karmas of theirs which were acquired [by them] in the previous emanation [of the universe]. They acquired [dispositions and actions constituted of combinations of] violence and non-violence, gentleness and cruelty, dharma and adharma, truthfulness and untruthfulness, being steeped in [various combinations of] these [in accord with their previous karmas]. Thus, they liked them [i.e., thus they felt affinity for the dispositions and actions they adopted because they naturally gravitated to them as a result of their previous karmas, meaning, as a result of the vāsanās they were beset with in accord with their previous karmas].”
