Śrīmad Bhāgavatam – Page 66

dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ

dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ
na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devāḥ |
na siddha-mukhyā asurā manuṣyāḥ
kuto nu vidyādhara-cāraṇādayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.3.19; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 110, 165)

“Indeed, neither the ṛṣis, nor even the devas, nor the principal siddhas understand the dharma directly enjoined by Bhagavān [alt., the dharma performed purely to attain Bhagavān], so how would asuras, human beings, vidyādharas, cāraṇas, and others [understand it]?”

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śruti-smṛti-sadācāraḥ svasya

śruti-smṛti-sadācāraḥ svasya ca priyam ātmanaḥ |
samyak saṅkalpajaḥ kāmo dharma-mūlam idaṁ smṛtam ||
(Yājñavalkya-smṛti: 1.7; cited in the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā, Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā, and Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.11.7 and Bhakti Sandarbha: 58)

“The Śruti, the Smṛti, proper conduct (sadācāra), the satisfaction of one’s own mind, and desire arising from proper resolve—these are known as the basis [i.e., the pramāṇa, the means of knowing] of dharma.”

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vedo’khilo dharma-mūlaṁ

vedo’khilo dharma-mūlaṁ smṛti-śīle ca tad-vidām |
ācāraś caiva sādhūnām ātmanas tuṣtir eva ca ||
(Manu-smṛti: 2.6; cited in the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā, Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā, and Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.11.7 and Bhakti Sandarbha: 58)

“The basis of dharma is the entire Veda, the Smṛti [i.e., the Smṛti-śāstras] and the sensibility of those who known it [i.e., of those who know the Veda], the conduct of the sādhus [i.e., sadācāra], and satisfaction of [one’s own] mind.”

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dharma-mūlaṁ hi bhagavān

dharma-mūlaṁ hi bhagavān sarva-vedamayo hariḥ |
smṛtaṁ ca tad-vidāṁ rājan yena cātmā prasīdati ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.11.7; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha 58)

“O King, the basis of dharma [i.e., the pramāṇa, the means of knowing dharma], by which the ātmā [i.e., the mind] is satisfied, definitively is Bhagavān, Hari, the embodiment [i.e., the source] of all the Vedas, and that which is remembered by those who know him [i.e., the Smṛti-śāstras].”

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tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan

tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan hṛdi-sthaṁ kuru keśavam |
mriyamāṇo hy avahitas tato yāsi parāṁ gatim ||
mriyamāṇair abhidhyeyo bhagavān puruṣottamaḥ |
ātma-bhāvaṁ nayaty aṅga sarvātmā sarva-saṁśrayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.3.49–50)

“Therefore, O King, with your whole being [i.e., with full endeavor], fix Keśava within the heart. By being [so] attentive while dying, you will attain the supreme destination. O King! Bhagavān, Puruṣottama, who is to be meditated upon by the dying, and is the Self of all and Shelter of all, leads [one] to bhāva of the ātmā [i.e., to the svarūpa (bhāva) of the jīva (ātmā), or, to prema (bhāva) for himself (Ātmā)].”

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kṛṣṇo vai dāma-bandhanāt

… kṛṣṇo vai dāma-bandhanāt |
goṣṭhe dāmodara iti gopībhiḥ parigīyate ||
(Hari-vaṁśa Purāṇa; cited in Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.10.17)

“Because of being bound by a rope [around the belly], Kṛṣṇa is sung of by the gopīs in Vraja as ‘Dāmodara’ [lit. “rope-belly”].”

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tasmād vaco manaḥ prāṇān

tasmād vaco manaḥ prāṇān niyacchen mat-parāyaṇaḥ |
mad-bhakti-yuktayā buddhyā tataḥ parisamāpyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.16.44)

“Therefore, with the intellect fixed with bhakti [i.e., śraddhā] upon me, one whose ultimate shelter is me should control the speech, mind, and prāṇas. Then, he reaches success.”

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yo vai vāṅ-manasī samyag

yo vai vāṅ-manasī samyag asaṁyacchan dhiyā yatiḥ |
tasya vrataṁ tapo dānaṁ sravaty āma-ghaṭāmbu-vat ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.16.43)

“The rites, austerities, and charity of an ascetic who does not completely control the speech and mind with the intellect seep away like water in a raw [i.e., unfired] clay pot.”

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vācaṁ yaccha mano yaccha

vācaṁ yaccha mano yaccha prāṇān yacchendriyāṇi ca |
ātmānam ātmanā yaccha na bhūyaḥ kalpase’dhvane ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.16.42)

“Control the speech. Control the mind. Control the prāṇas and senses. Control the self [i.e., the buddhi] with the self [i.e., the the sāttvika buddhi]. You will not take to the path [i.e., resume the course of saṁsāra] again.”

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śuddha-bhaktimatāṁ svata eva

śuddha-bhaktimatāṁ svata eva śuddhāntaḥ-karaṇatvāt prāṇi-mātrāvajñā prāyo na sambhavet | karma-miśra-bhaktimatāṁ tu sā sambhaved eva yāvad antaḥ-karaṇasyāśuddhiḥ, tasya śuddhau satyāṁ tu sā na tiṣṭhet … |
(Excerpt from the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.29.25)

“Because the antaḥkaraṇas of those engaged in pure bhakti are pure of their own accord, disrespecting any living being is generally not possible [for them]. For those engaged in karma-miśra-bhakti, however, this [i.e., disrespecting others] is certainly possible as long as impurity of the antaḥkaraṇa remains. When it becomes pure, however, this [i.e., disrespecting others] does not remain.”

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