alpākṣaram asandigdhaṁ sāra-vat viśvato-mukham |
astobham anavadyaṁ ca sūtraṁ sūtra-vido viduḥ ||
(Vāyu Purāṇa; Skanda Purāṇa; Viṣṇu-dharmottara)
“Knowers of sūtras know a sūtra (aphorism) to be concise [i.e., of a minimum of letters], unambiguous, substantial [i.e., expressive of the essence of its subject-matter], comprehensive, without any pause [i.e., stoppages or insertions], and irreproachable [i.e., faultless].”
ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlya-vivarjanam |
rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tathā ||
ātma-nikṣepa-kārpaṇye ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ ||
(Vaiṣṇava Tantra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.676; Bhakti Sandarbha: 173, 236; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.100; Gītā-bhūṣaṇa-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 18.66)
“A resolve of favorability, rejection of unfavorability, conviction that he [i.e., Bhagavān] will protect, accepting [his] guardianship, pledging oneself [to him], and humility [alt., wretchedness, neediness, heartache] are the six aspects of śaraṇāgati.”
ācinoti yaḥ śāstrārtham ācāre sthāpayaty api |
svayam ācarate yasmād ācāryas tena kīrtitaḥ ||
(Vāyu Purāṇa)
“One who grasps the meaning of the śāstra, establishes it in practice [i.e., teaches and engages others in practicing it], and personally practices it [in one’s own life] is renowned as an ācārya.”
muṇḍe muṇḍe matir bhinnā kuṇḍe kuṇḍe navaṁ jalam |
deśe deśe navācāro mukhe mukhe navā vāṇī ||
(Vāyu Purāṇa)
“From shaved head to shaved head, the understanding is different; from pond to pond, the water is new; from country to country, the conduct is new; and from mouth to mouth, the speech is new.”
