na rarājoḍupaś channaḥ sva-jyotsnā-rājitair ghanaiḥ |
ahaṁ-matyā bhāsitayā sva-bhāsā puruṣo yathā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.20.19)
“The moon covered by clouds illuminated by its own light does not shine, just as the puruṣa [i.e., the jīva, or, the Supreme Īśvara] covered by egotism [i.e., avidyā, ignorance] illuminated by its own light [i.e., consciousness] does not [shine either].”
ātma-māyām ṛte rājan parasyānubhavātmanaḥ |
na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ svapna-draṣṭur ivāñjasā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.9.1)
[Śukadeva to Parīkṣit:] “Without the māyā of the Self, O King, a relationship of that which is distinct [from material objects] and constituted of consciousness with [material] objects does not actually occur, as [no relationship] of the seer of a dream [with objects in a dream actually occurs].”
ativādāṁs titikṣeta nāvamanyeta kañcana |
na cemaṁ deham āśritya vairaṁ kurvīta kenacit ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.6.34)
“One should tolerate harsh speech and should not disrespect anyone [i.e., even those who disrespect oneself]. One should not take shelter of this [sāṁsārika] body and create enmity with anyone.”
ta etad adhigacchanti viṣṇor yat paramaṁ padam |
ahaṁ mameti daurjanyaṁ na yeṣāṁ deha-geha-jam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.6.33)
“They who do not have the ill-naturedness of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ based on the body and the home proceed to [alt., realize] this supreme abode of Viṣṇu.”
vidvān apītthaṁ danujāḥ kuṭumbaṁ
puṣṇan sva-lokāya na kalpate vai
yaḥ svīya-pārakya-vibhinna-bhāvas
tamaḥ prapadyeta yathā vimūḍhaḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.6.16)
[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] “O sons of Danu, although learned [in śāstra], one who bears the disposition of distinction between one’s own and others’, by maintaining his family in this way, is not at all able to look at himself [i.e., to deliberate upon the ātmā] and like a complete fool proceeds into darkness.”
mūrkho dehādy-ahaṁ-buddhiḥ |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.19.42)
[Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava:] “A fool is one whose sense of ‘I’ is fixed in the body and so forth [and whose sense of “mine” is so also fixed in the bodily].”
dehas tu sarva-saṅghāto jagat tasthur iti dvidhā |
atraiva mṛgyaḥ puruṣo neti netīty atat tyajan ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.7.23)
“The body, the combination of all these [i.e., prakṛti, the guṇas, the mahat-tattva, ahaṅkāra, the five tanmātrās, the five mahābhūtas, and the eleven senses], however, is of two types: moving and stationary. Here itself [i.e., while embodied], the Puruṣa [i.e., the Paramātmā] is to be sought out by rejecting that which is not that [i.e., not the Puruṣa, considering], ‘Not this, not this …’ [i.e., ‘This is not the ātmā, this too is not the ātmā, etc.].”
yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ mato niḥśreyasāya me |
atyantoparatir yatra duḥkhasya ca sukhasya ca ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.25.13)
[Bhagavān Kapila to Devahūti:] “O Mother, I consider yoga related to the higher ātmā [i.e., Paramātmā, or the jīvātmā], wherein complete cessation of [sāṁsārika] suffering and happiness occur, to be [the means] for a living being’s ultimate well-being [i.e., mokṣa].”
labdhveha mānuṣīṁ yoniṁ jñāna-vijñāna-sambhavām |
ātmānaṁ yo na buddhyeta na kvacit kṣemam āpnuyāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.16.58)
“Having attained a human form, which has the potential for jñāna [i.e., knowledge based on śāstra] and vijñāna [i.e., direct perception of reality], one who is not able to understand the ātmā [i.e., the jīva and the Parameśvara] cannot [alt., can never] attain weal anywhere [i.e., in any condition of human life, no matter how well endowed with wealth, power, etc.].”
