bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ prabho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥsthena gadā-bhṛtā
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.13.10; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.63)
[Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to Vidura:] “O master, devotees like you are themselves manifest tīrthas. They make the tīrthas tīrthas by the presence of the Club-bearer [i.e., Bhagavān] within their hearts.”
sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁ sādhūnāṁ hṛdayaṁ tv aham |
mad-anyat te na jānanti nāhaṁ tebhyo manāg api ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 9.4.68; cited in Paramātma Sandarbha: 93, Prīti Sandarbha: 65; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.62)
[Viṣṇu to Durvāsā:] “Sādhus are my heart, and I am the sādhus’ heart. They do not know anyone other than me, and I do not know anyone other than them at all.”
bhavān hi kāraṇaṁ tatra sarva-jño jagad-īśvaraḥ |
anugrahaṁ nigrahaṁ vā manyase tad vidhehi naḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.16.59)
“Because you, the all-knowing Īśvara of the universe, are the cause in this regard [i.e., of one giving up your māyā], please give us mercy or punishment, as you think [fit].”
dṛṣṭaṁ śrutaṁ bhūta-bhavad-bhaviṣyat
sthāsnuś cariṣṇur mahad alpakaṁ ca |
vinācyutād vastu tarāṁ na vācyaṁ
sa eva sarvaṁ paramātma-bhūtaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.46.43)
“By no means can any object—seen or heard, of the past, present, or future, great or small, mobile or immobile—be named apart from Acyuta. He, the [internally] present Paramātma [i.e., fundamental existence within all objects], is indeed everything.”
kiṁ citram acyuta tavaitad aśeṣa-bandho
dāseṣv ananya-śaraṇeṣu yad ātmasāttvam |
yo’rocayat saha mṛgaiḥ svayam īśvarāṇāṁ
śrīmat-kirīṭa-taṭa-pīḍita-pāda-pīṭhaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.4)
“O infallible One (Acyuta)! O Friend of all! Is this subjection of yours to servants of unalloyed shelter [i.e., your servants who are averse to all practices of karma, jñāna, yoga, and so forth—everything apart from bhakti to you] astonishing for you, who yourself can delight [even] with animals, [even though you are also he] whose foot pedestal is shaken by the tips of the majestic crowns of īśvaras [i.e., Śiva, Brahmā, and others, when they bow down to you]?”
baḍa kīrti haile caitanya nāhi pāi |
‘bhakti-vaśa sabe prabhu’—cāri-vede gāi ||
(Caitanya-bhāgavata: 2.10.279)
“[Even] If one acquires great renown, one does not attain Caitanya. The four Vedas sing, ‘Prabhu is completely captivated [only] by bhakti.’”
ahaṁ bhakta-parādhīno hy asvatantra iva dvija |
sādhubhir grasta-hṛdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 9.4.63; cited in Paramātma Sandarbha: 93, Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 177, Bhakti Sandarbha: 181, Prīti Sandarbha: 62, 122, 146)
[Viṣṇu to Durvāsā:] “O brāhmaṇa, I am completely controlled by my bhaktas. Indeed, it is as though I am not independent. My heart is captured by the sādhus, my bhaktas, as I hold my bhaktas dear [and so also those who belong to my bhaktas].”
atra pariśramam iti kṛpayety ābhyāṁ dvy-aṅgula-nyūnatā-samāhitā bhakta-niṣṭhā bhajanotthā śrāntis tad-darśanotthā sva-niṣṭhā kṛpā ceti dvābhyām eva bhagavān baddho bhavet | te dve yāvan nābhūtāṁ tāvad dvy-aṅgula-nyūnatā āsīt | tayor udbhūtayos tu baddho’bhūd iti premnā sva-baddhena prakāra sva-mātari svayam udāhṛto bhagavateti jñeyam ||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.18)
“Here exertion (pariśrama) and grace (kṛpā)—by these the [cause of the] shortness of two fingers is inferred; the fatigue arising from bhajana present in the bhakta and the grace arising from seeing this present in him—specifically by these two Bhagavān became bound. As long as these two did not manifest, the shortness of two fingers was present. When these two manifested, however, he became bound. Thus, it is to be understood that the way to bind him with prema has been demonstrated by Bhagavān Himself through his own mother.”
cic-chakti-sāra-bhūtena premṇaiva tasyānandātiśayārtham eva bhakta-vaśyatvaṁ niṣpadyata … |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.19)
“[Bhagavān’s] Being captivated by bhaktas is effected only by prema, the essence of the cit-śakti, for the purpose of [producing] profuse bliss for him.”
na kaścin mat-paraṁ loke tejasā yaśasā śriyā |
vibhūtibhir vābhibhaved devo’pi kim u pārthivaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.72.11)
[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “No one in this world, [not] even a deva, much less a king, with power, fame, beauty, or resources, can subjugate one who is given over to me [i.e., one who has nothing in the world except me, so there is certainly no way anyone can subjugate you, Yudhiṣṭhira].”
