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.”
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?”
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.”
tat saṁrakṣya satām āgaḥ kuñjarāt sat-prasādajā |
dīnatā-mānadatvādi-śilākḷpta-mahāvṛtiḥ ||
bhakti-vallī nṛbhiḥ pālyā śravaṇādy-ambu-secanaiḥ |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.1.1)
“Therefore, the creeper of bhakti, born of the grace of the sādhus, and set within the great stone-built enclosure of humility, respectfulness, and so forth, is to be protected by human beings from the elephant of offenses against sādhus, and to be nurtured with sprinklings of the water of hearing and so forth.”
yathā hi puruṣasyeha viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam |
yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.6.2)
“[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] Here [i.e., in human life], a person’s approaching the feet of Viṣṇu is certainly appropriate, since he is the beloved, the Self, the Lord, and the well-wisher of all beings.”
aśeṣa-saṅkleśa-śamaṁ vidhatte
guṇānuvāda-śravaṇaṁ murāreḥ |
kiṁ vā punas tac-caraṇāravinda-
parāga-sevā-ratir ātma-labdhā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.7.14)
“Hearing and recounting the qualities of Murāri produces destruction of suffering completely, so how much more does attachment (rati), attained of its own accord, to service to the pollen of his lotus feet [produce]?”
