sadā droha-paro yas tu saj-janānāṁ mahī-tale |
jāyate pāvano dhanyo harer nāmānukīrtanāt ||
(Laghu-bhāgavata; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.340)
“[Even] One who is constantly malicious towards virtuous people becomes purified [alt., purifying] and fortunate as a result of continuous chanting of Hari’s name.”
gokarṇa uvāca
atraiva bahavaḥ santi śrotāro mama nirmalāḥ |
ānītāni vimanāni na teṣāṁ yugapat kutaḥ ||
śravaṇaṁ sama-bhāgena sarveṣāṁ iha dṛśyate |
phala-bhedaḥ kuto jātaḥ prabruvantu hari-priyāḥ ||
hari-dāsā ūcuḥ
śravaṇasya vibhedena phala-bhedo’pi saṁsthitaḥ |
śravaṇaṁ tu kṛtaṁ sarvair na tathā mananaṁ kṛtam ||
phala-bhedas tato jāto bhajanād api mānada |
sapta-rātram upoṣyaiva pretena śravaṇaṁ kṛtam ||
mananādi tathā tena sthira-citte kṛtaṁ bhṛśam |
adṛḍhaṁ ca hataṁ jñānaṁ pramādena hataṁ śrutam ||
sandigdho hi hato mantro vyagra-citto hato japaḥ |
avaiṣṇavo hato deśo hataṁ śrāddham apātrakam ||
hatam aśrotriye dānam anācāraṁ hataṁ kulam |
viśvāso guru-vākyeṣu svasmin dīnatva-bhāvanā ||
mano-doṣa-jayaś caiva kathāyāṁ niścalā matiḥ |
evam ādi kṛtaṁ cet syāt tadā vai śravaṇe phalam ||
punaḥ-śravānte sarveṣāṁ vaikuṇṭhe vasatir dhruvam |
(Padma Purāṇa: Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 5.69–77)
“[After completing his week-long recitation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam,] Gokarṇa says [to the servants of Hari who have arrived to lead him in a chariot to Vaikuṇṭha]: ‘Here [i.e., at this weeklong recitation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam] everyone’s hearing [of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam] in equal measure is observable [i.e., everyone who was present this week heard the same content for the same amount of time]. [So,] May those who are dear to Hari explain why a difference in result arises [among such listeners, such that one has been taken to Vaikuṇṭha but the rest have not].’
“The servants of Hari say: ‘Even the present difference in result is because of a disparity in [manner of] listening. Hearing has certainly been done by all but contemplation (manana) has not been done likewise. O respectful one [i.e., O Gokarṇa], the difference in result arises because of that [i.e., because of the difference in the degree of contemplation, or lack thereof], and because of [a difference in the quality and intensity of] worship [than ensues from the relative depth of one’s hearing and contemplation, or lack thereof] as well. Listening was done by the preta [i.e., by Dhundhukārī, who was in the body of a preta] while entirely fasting for seven nights. Contemplation and so forth [i.e., and deep meditation (nididhyāsa), as described in BAU 2.4.5], likewise, was done by him in depth with a steady mind [whereas such was not done by the other listeners]. Infirm knowledge becomes useless [i.e., knowledge that is not clearly and firmly understood proves useless], and that which is heard becomes useless because of negligence (pramāda) [i.e., inattention, because one does not remember it]. A doubtful mantra [i.e., a dīkṣā-mantra or an advice received from a doubtful guru or sampradāya, or one not received from any guru or sampradāya] becomes useless, japa [performed] with a distracted mind becomes useless, a region devoid of Vaiṣṇavas becomes useless, and a śrāddha devoid of a worthy recipient [of honor] becomes useless. Charity to someone not versed in the śāstra becomes useless, and a noble family devoid of proper conduct becomes useless. Conviction in the words of the guru, an attitude of humility [i.e., an absence of crookedness, arrogance, and so forth] within oneself, victory over faults of the mind [i.e., lust, anger, and so forth], an unwavering mind [fixed] on the discourse [i.e., on the content being heard], and so forth—if done in this way, then certainly the result of listening comes about. After listening again [in this way], everyone‘s [attaining] residence in Vaikuṇṭha is certain.’”
gāyantaṁ trāyate yasmāt gāyatrī tu tataḥ smṛtaḥ |
(Agni Purāṇa; cited in Śabda-kalpa-druma)
“Because it liberates one who sings [it], it is known as gāyatrī [lit., ‘that which is a liberator by means of singing’].”
śrutaya ūcuḥ—
kandarpa-koṭi-lāvaṇye tvayi dṛṣṭe manāṁsi naḥ |
kāminī-bhāvam āsādya smara-kṣubdhāny asaṁśayam |
yathā tval-loka-vāsinyaḥ kāma-tattvena gopikāḥ |
bhajanti ramaṇaṁ matvā cikīrṣājani nas tathā ||
śrī-bhagavān uvāca—
durlabho durghaṭaś caiva yuṣmākaṁ sumanorathaḥ |
mayānumoditaḥ samyak so’pi bhavitum arhati ||
āgāmini viriñcau tu jāte sṛṣṭy-artham udyate |
kalpaṁ sārasvataṁ prāpya vraje gopyā bhaviṣyatha ||
pṛthivyāṁ bhārate kṣetre māthure mama maṇḍale |
vṛndāvane bhaviṣyāmi preyān vo rāsa-maṇḍale ||
jāra-dharmeṇa susnehaṁ sudṛḍhaṁ sarvato’dhikam |
mayi samprāpya sarve’pi kṛtakṛtyā bhaviṣyatha ||
(Bṛhad Vāmana Purāṇa; cited in the Locana-rocanī-ṭīkā and Ānanda-candrikā-ṭīkā on Ujjvala-nīlamāṇi: 3.47)
“The Śrutis say, ‘Upon seeing you possessed of the loveliness of a crore of Kandarpas, our minds take on the bhāva of a ladylove (kāminī) and are undoubtedly agitated by passion. As the gopikās residing in your abode worship you with the essence of kāma, having accepted you as their lover, so [too] our desire has arisen to do so.’ Śrī Bhagavān says, ‘This excellent desire of you all is difficult to attain and difficult to accomplish. [When] Approved by me in full [however], it too can come to be. When a future Brahmā is born and arises for the purpose of emanation [of the universe], you all will arrive in the Sārasvata-kalpa and become gopīs in Vraja. In the rāsa circle in Vṛndāvana within my district of Mathurā in the land of Bhārata on Earth, I will become the beloved of you all. Attaining in full profound affection for me that is profoundly firm and all-surpassing, you all too will become successful.”
yasmāt pramathase tattvaṁ jātosmākaṁ yathā vidheḥ |
tasmān manmatha-nāmā tvaṁ loke khyāto bhaviṣyasi ||
jagatsu kāma-rūpas tvaṁ tvat-samo na hi vidyate |
atas tvaṁ kāma-nāmāpi khyāto bhava manobhava ||
madanān madanākhyas tvaṁ jāto darpāt sadarpakaḥ |
tasmāt kandarpa-nāmāpi loke khyāto bhaviṣyasi ||
(Śiva Purāṇa: 2.2.3.4–6)
“Since you ever intensely churn [alt., agitate, or, harass] the psyche of ourselves as [you do so] of Brahmā [too], you will be known in the world by the name Manmatha [lit., ‘Mind-churner’]. There is no one in the universe equal to you, you who have a form of desire (kāma) [i.e., you who can assume any form you so desire]. Thus, you shall be known by the name Kāma [i.e., ‘Desire’] too, O you whose birth occurs in the mind. You are known as Madana [i.e., ‘Impassioning’] because of [your being] impassioning [of others], and, born of pride, you are possessed of pride. Thus, you will be known by the name Kandarpa too.”
tasmād avaidikānāṁ ca devānām arcanaṁ tyajet |
svatantra-pūjanaṁ yatra vaidikānām api tyajet ||
arcayitvā jagad-vandyaṁ devaṁ nārāyaṇaṁ harim |
tad-āvaraṇa-saṁsthānaṁ devasya parito’rcayet ||
harer bhuktāvaśeṣeṇa baliṁ tebhyo viniḥkṣipet |
homaṁ caiva prakurvīta tac-cheṣeṇaiva vaiṣṇavaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 6.253.104-7; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 285)
“Therefore, furthermore, one should reject worship of non-Vedic devas, and one should reject independent worship even of the Vedic [devas]. After worshiping the Deva honorable to the [entire] world [i.e., the Deva worthy of the worship even of all the other devas], that is, Nārāyaṇa, Hari, one should worship the multitude of entourages around the Deva. A Vaiṣṇava should present them [i.e., these aprākṛta devatās of Vaikuṇṭha present at the yogapīṭha] an offering with Hari’s food remnants and make an oblation [for them] only with his remnants.”
na vidyate yasya ca janma karma vā
na nāma-rūpe guṇa-doṣa eva vā |
tathāpi lokāpyaya-sambhavāya yaḥ
sva-māyayā tāny anukālam ṛcchati ||
tasmai namaḥ pareśāya brahmaṇe’nanta-śaktaye |
arūpāyoru-rūpāya nama āścarya-karmaṇe ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.3.8–9)
“Obeisance unto the Supreme Īśa, unto Brahman, unto he possessed of unending potency, unto he who has no birth or action, no name or form, and no faults in the form of [material] qualities whatsoever, and who by means of his own māyā still accepts these [i.e., births, actions, names, forms, and qualities] perpetually for the sake of the dissolution and the attainment of the people. Obeisance unto he who has no [material] form, unto he who has an excellent [spiritual] form, unto he of astonishing action.”
sarva-dharmopapatteś ca |
(Vedānta-sūtra: 2.1.37)
“And because of the establishment of all attributes [in Brahman, Brahman rightly both remains impartial to jīvas in general and favors his bhaktas specifically].
aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ |
jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīṅganā ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 6.5.74; cited in Bhagavat Sandarbha: 3)
“[The word] Bhaga [i.e., ‘excellence’] is an indication of six [attributes]: complete mastery, potency, fame, wealth, knowledge, and non-attachment.”
vastv ekam eva duḥkhāya sukhāyerṣyāgamāya ca |
kopāya ca yatas tasmād astu vastv-ātmakaṁ kutaḥ ||
tad eva prītaye bhūtvā punar duḥkhāya jāyate |
tad eva kopāya yataḥ prasādāya ca jāyate ||
tasmād duḥkhātmakaṁ nāsti na ca kiñcit sukhātmakam |
manasaḥ pariṇāmo’yaṁ sukha-duḥkhādi-lakṣaṇaḥ ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 2.6.47–49)
“Since one selfsame object leads to suffering and to happiness, to the appearance of malice and to anger [depending on the time, place, observer, and so forth of the object], how could it [i.e., any particular object, such as a garland] be constituted of an essential property [i.e., how could it be inherently possessed of a property that gives rise to suffering, or happiness, or anything else specifically otherwise]? Since that itself [i.e., any one particular selfsame object] leads to pleasure and then leads to suffering, and that itself [i.e., that particular object] leads to anger and then to tranquillity, it is not constituted of suffering, and it is not constituted of happiness at all. These characteristics of happiness, suffering, and so on are [only] transformations [i.e., various states] of the mind.”
