durlabho mānuṣo deho dehināṁ kṣaṇa-bhaṅguraḥ |
tatrāpi durlabhaṁ manye vaikuṇṭha-priya-darśanam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.29; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.289)
“Precious is the human body, [although] perishable within a moment, for bearers of bodies [i.e., jīvas subject to saṁsāra], and I consider even more precious the darśana of those who are dear to Vaikuṇṭha [i.e., Bhagavān, alt., those to whom Vaikuṇṭha is dear].”
na kāma-karma-bījānāṁ yasya cetasi sambhavaḥ |
vāsudevaika-nilayaḥ sa vai bhāgavatottamaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.50; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.61; Bhakti Sandarbha: 193)
“One whose sole shelter is Vāsudeva—in whose mind there is no appearance of kāmas, karmas, or [their] causes—is verily the best of Bhāgavatas.”
Twelve pairs of verses sung by the gopīs in separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Excerpted from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.35.1–26.
satāṁ kṛpā mahat-sevā śraddhā guru-padāśrayaḥ |
bhajaneṣu spṛhā bhaktir anarthāpagamas tataḥ ||
niṣṭhā rucir athāsaktī ratiḥ premātha darśanam |
harer mādhuryānubhava ity arthāḥ syuś caturdaśe ||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.21)
“There are fourteen steps [mentioned in SB 1.2.16–21 to describe how a jīva in saṁsāra reaches the highest attainment]: (1) the grace of sādhus, (2) service to a great person, (3) śraddhā, (4) taking shelter at the feet of a guru, (5) desire for [engagement in] practices of bhakti (bhajana), (6) bhakti [i.e., engagement in sādhana-bhakti], (7) disappearance of anarthas, (8) niṣṭhā [i.e., fixity in the practice of bhakti], (9) ruci (taste), (10) āsakti (affinity), (11) rati [i.e., bhāva-bhakti], (12) prema (divine love), (13) darśana [i.e., direct perception of Bhagavān], and then (14) experience of his mādhurya (mellifluousness).”
sasarja cchāyayāvidyāṁ pañca-parvāṇam agrataḥ |
tāmisram andha-tāmisraṁ tamo moho mahā-tamaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.20.18; cited in Bhagavat Sandarbha: 18)
“First, he [i.e., Brahmā] emanated with his shadow fivefold avidyā (ignorance): tāmisra, andha-tāmisra, tamas, moha, and mahāmoha.”
sasarjāgre’ndha-tāmisram atha tāmisram ādi-kṛt |
mahāmohaṁ ca mohaṁ ca tamaś cājñāna-vṛttayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.12.2)
“At the beginning [of the emanation of the universe], the original creator [i.e., Lord Brahmā] emanated the functions of ajñāna (ignorance): andha-tāmisra (blinding darkness), tāmisra (darkness), mahāmoha (severe delusion), moha (delusion), and tamas (dimness).”
aho nṛ-janmākhila-janma-śobhanaṁ
kiṁ janmabhis tv aparair apy amuṣmin |
na yad dhṛṣīkeśa-yaśaḥ-kṛtātmanāṁ
mahātmanāṁ vaḥ pracuraḥ samāgamaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.13.21)
“[Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa to Jaḍa Bharata:] Aho! Human birth is the best of all births. What is the use of other births even in the hereafter [i.e., in Svarga] where there is no abundant association with great souls who have dedicated themselves to the glory of Hṛṣīkeśa?”
mantratas tantrataś chidraṁ deśa-kālārha-vastutaḥ |
sarvaṁ karoti niśchidram anusaṅkīrtanaṁ tava ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.23.16; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.376; Bhakti Sandarbha: 97)
“Continuous saṅkīrtana of you makes flawless all flaws [in yajñas] related to mantras, procedure, place, time, eligibility, and ingredients.”
sarvapārādha-bhañjanatvam
viṣṇu-yāmale śrī-bhagavad-uktau—
mama nāmāni loke’smin śraddhayā yas tu kīrtayet |
tasyāparādha-koṭīs tu kṣamāmy eva na saṁśayaḥ ||
(Viṣṇu-yāmala; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.375; Bhakti Sandarbha: 265; Krama-sandarbha-ṭikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.1.11)
“The name of Śrī Bhagavān’s being a destroyer of all offenses [is described as follows] in a statement of Śrī Bhagavān in Viṣṇu-yāmala: ‘I certainly forgive even crores of offenses (aparādhas) of someone in this world who can chant my names with śraddhā. There is no doubt [about this].’”
gopa-rāmā-jana-prāṇa-preyase’tiprabhuṣṇave |
tadīya-priya-dāsyāya māṁ madīyam ahaṁ dade ||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.1.1, 2.1.1, 3.1.1, 4.1.1, 5.1.1, 6.1.1, 7.1.1, 8.1.1, 9.1.1, 10.1.1, 11.1.1, 12.1.1)
“I offer myself and my own [i.e., all that belongs to me and my very sense of possessiveness] unto the Beloved of the hearts of beautiful gopīs, he of all-surpassing capability, and the service of his beloveds.”
