brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyaḥ vaiśyaḥ śūdro vā yadi vetaraḥ |
viṣṇu-bhakti-samāyukto jñeyaḥ sarvottamottamaḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.106; Bhakti Sandarbha: 100)
“If a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or anyone otherwise is fully endowed with Viṣṇu-bhakti, they are to be known as the best of the best of all.”
viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-
pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham |
manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-
prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūri-mānaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.9.10; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.192; Bhakti Sandarbha: 100; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.59)
“[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] I consider a dog-cooker whose mind, words, actions, wealth, and life are dedicated to him [viz., Śrī Bhagavān] superior to a brāhmaṇa possessed of [all] twelve [brahminical] qualities who is averse to the lotus feet of he of lotus navel. He [i.e., a dog-cooker who is a bhakta of Śrī Bhagavān] purifies his family, whereas one of great pride does not.”
brāhmaṇā jātitaḥ pūjyā vedābhyāsāt tataḥ param ||
(Skanda Purāṇa: 7.106.16)
“Brāhmaṇas are worthy of honor by birth (jāti), and more so by study of the Veda.”
na cyavante hi yad-bhaktāḥ mahatyāṁ pralayāpadi |
ato’cyuto’khile loke sa ekaḥ sarvago’vyayaḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.33)
“He the all-pervading, immutable Supreme Entity throughout all planes whose bhaktas are not certainly vanquished [even] during the severe tribulation of universal dissolution (pralaya) is thus [known as] Acyuta [i.e., ‘the Imperishable One’].”
na deśa-kālāvasthāsu śuddhy-ādikam apekṣate |
kintu svatantram evaitan nāma kāmita-kāmadam ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.410)
“Purity and so forth in regard to place, time, and circumstance is not replied upon [by one who chants the name of Śrī Bhagavān]. Rather, this name is verily an independent bestower of all desired objects of desire.”
cakrāyudhasya nāmāni sadā sarvatra kīrtayet |
nāśaucaṁ kīrtane tasya sa pavitra-karo yataḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa; Skanda Purāṇa; Viṣṇu-dharmottama; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.409)
“One should always and everywhere chant the names of the Wielder of the cakra since he is purifying and there is no [consideration of] impurity in chanting about him.”
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.”
vighnākulatve’pi mano-rati-paratā | …
yasya kṛcchra-gatasyāpi keśave ramate manaḥ |
na vicyutā ca bhaktir vai sa vai bhāgavato naraḥ ||
āpad-gatasya yasyeha bhakir avyabhicāriṇī |
nānyatra ramate cittaṁ sa vai bhāgavato naraḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.67–68)
“[A third degree of one-pointedness (ekāntitā) upon Śrī Bhagavān is described:] Being devoted with rati in the mind even while being disturbed by obstructions [is described in Skanda Purāṇa]: ‘A person whose mind rejoices in Keśava and whose bhakti does not digress even when one is beset with hardship is verily a Bhāgavata. A person beset with adversity here [in this world] whose bhakti is unwavering and whose mind does not rejoice elsewhere [i.e., apart from in Śrī Bhagavān] is verily a Bhāgavata.”
ekadā kṛṣṇa-patnyas tu śrī-kṛṣṇa-virahāturāḥ |
kālindīṁ muditā vīkṣya papracchur gata-matsarāḥ ||
śrī-kṛṣṇa-patnya ūcuḥ |
yathā vayaṁ kṛṣṇa-patnyas tathā tvam api śobhane |
vayaṁ viraha-duḥkhārtās tvaṁ na kālindi tad vada ||
tac chrutvā smayamānā sā kālindī vākyam abravīt |
sāpatnyaṁ vīkṣya tat tāsāṁ karuṇāpara-mānasā ||
śrī-kālindy uvāca |
ātmārāmasya kṛṣṇasya dhruvam ātmāsti rādhikā |
tasyā dāsya-prabhāveṇa viraho’smān na saṁspṛśet ||
tasyā evāṁśa-vistārāḥ sarvāḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāyikāḥ |
nitya-sambhoga evāsti tasyāḥ sāmmukhya-yogataḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa: Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa, Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 2.8–12)
“Once, wives of Kṛṣṇa who were distressed in separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa [and had come to Śrī Vṛndāvana] saw Kālindī [i.e., Yamunā Devī] delighted, and been covetous, inquired [from her]. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s wives said, ‘As we are wives of Kṛṣṇa, so too are you, O splendid one. We are stricken with sorrow in separation, but you are not, O Kālindī. Please explain this.’ Hearing this [inquiry], observing their rivalry [towards her as a co-wife], and being of compassionate mind towards them, she, Kālindī, smiling, spoke this statement [to them]. Śrī Kālindī said, ‘Rādhikā is the eternal self (ātmā) of Kṛṣṇa, he whose joy is in the self [i.e., he who is known to be ātmārāma]. By the influence of service to her, separation [from Kṛṣṇa] cannot touch us. All of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mistresses (nāyikās) are extensions of a part of her alone. There is certainly perpetual union [with Kṛṣṇa] (nitya-sambhoga) as a result of being present before her [alt., as a result of her favor, or, as a result of attentive service to her].”
ye śrī-kṛṣṇa-vihāraika-bhajanāsvāda-lolupāḥ ||
muktāv api nirākāṁkṣās teṣāṁ bhāgavataṁ dhanam ||
(Skanda Purāṇa: Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa, Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 4.31)
“The Bhāgavata is the wealth of those who are disinterested even in mukti and deeply desirous of one-pointedly worshiping and relishing the play of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.”
