śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ |
hṛdy antaḥstho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.17; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 12)
“Situated internally, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Well-Wisher of the sat, he of whom hearing and praising are purifying, completely washes away vices in the hearts of those who hear narrations of himself.”
nāsac-chāstreṣu sajjeta nopajīveta jīvikām |
vādavādāṁs tyajet tarkān pakṣaṁ kañca na saṁśrayet ||
na śiṣyān anubadhnīta granthān naivābhyased bahūn |
na vyākhyām upayuñjīta nārambhān ārabhet kvacit ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.13.7–8; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.113)
“[Śrī Nārada to Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira regarding rules for a sannyāsī:] One should not foster attachment to texts related to the unreal (asat-śāstra), one should not subsist on a vocation, one should avoid arguments based on assertions regarding propositions, and one should not take any particular side [in such arguments]. One should not be followed by [many] disciples, one should not study many texts, one should not engage in teaching [many texts], and one should never start undertakings.”
anādy-avidyā-yuktasya puruṣasyātma-vedanam |
svato na sambhavād anyas tattvajño jñānado bhavet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.22.10)
“Knowledge of self shall not come about on its own for a living being beset with beginningless ignorance. [Therefore,] Another, a Knower of the reality and Bestower of [that] knowledge, shall be [i.e., must exist and also bestow that knowledge upon the jīva].”
bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām |
bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā śvapākān api sambhavāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.14.21; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.602; Bhakti Sandarbha: 147, 241; Prīti Sandarbha: 1; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.135)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] I, the Self—the Beloved—of the sat, am attainable by means of one-pointed bhakti with śraddhā. Bhakti fixed upon me purifies even dog-cookers of their birth.”
na sādhayati māṁ yogo na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava |
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo yathā bhaktir mamorjitā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.14.20; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.601; Bhakti Sandarbha: 78, 103, 147, 327; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.20.134)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] O Uddhava, neither yoga, nor sāṅkhya, nor dharma, nor study, nor austerity, nor renunciation cause attainment of me like powerful bhakti to me [does].”
yaś ca mūḍhatamo loke yaś ca buddheḥ paraṁ gataḥ |
tāv ubhau sukham edhete kliśyaty antarito janaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.7.17)
“One who is most foolish in this world, and one who has attained that which is beyond the intellect—these two both live happily. A person in between suffers.”
yathāgnim edhasy amṛtaṁ ca goṣu
bhuvy annam ambūdyamane ca vṛttim |
yogair manuṣyā adhiyanti hi tvāṁ
guṇeṣu buddhyā kavayo vadanti ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.6.12; cited in Rāga-vartma-candrikā: 1.7)
“As human beings by [various] means attain fire from wood, milk from cows, food and water from the land, and a livelihood from exertion, so the wise [attain and] speak of you [even] amid the guṇas with the intellect.”
yasya svarūpaṁ kavayo vipaścito
guṇeṣu dāruṣv iva jāta-vedasam |
mathnanti mathnā manasā didṛkṣavo
gūḍhaṁ kriyārthair nama īritātmane ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.18.36)
“Obeisance unto he of manifested self whose true nature, hidden by activities and objects, the wise and learned, desirous of seeing, kindle amid the guṇas with the kindling rod of the mind like fire amid pieces of wood.”
na hy aṅgopakrame dhvaṁso mad-dharmasyoddhavāṇv api |
mayā vyavasitaḥ samyaṅ nirguṇatvād anāśiṣaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.20; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.527; Rāga-vartma-candrikā: 1.12)
“Indeed, O Uddhava, there is certainly no loss even slightly in an undertaking of dharma related to me that is without interest in benedictions since it is determined to be proper by me on account of [its] being beyond the guṇas.”
jñāna-niṣṭho virakto vā mad-bhakto vānapekṣakaḥ |
sa-liṅgān āśramāṁs tyaktvā cared avidhi-gocaraḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.18.28)
“One who is detached and fixed in jñāna, or, one who is disinterested and my bhakta, shall relinquish the āśramas along with their paraphernalia and proceed outside the scope of injunctions.”
