kāmamaya evāyaṁ puruṣa iti | sa yathā-kāmo bhavati tat-kratur bhavati | yat-kratur bhavati tat karma kurute | yat karma kurute tad abhisampadyate |
(Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: 4.4.5)
“The living being is indeed made of desire. As is his desire, so is his intention. As is his intention, so is the action he performs, and as is the action he performs, so is that which he attains.”
sā ca bhaktiḥ śāstra-jñāna-pūrvikaivānuṣṭheyā tam eva dhīro vijñāya prajñāṁ kurvīta brāhmaṇaḥ iti śravaṇāt |
(Vedānta-syamantaka: 3.13)
“That bhakti [i.e., the bhakti learned from śrī-guru by which one attains the fulfillment of life (puruṣārtha)] is to be performed preceded by [i.e., after having properly acquired] knowledge of śāstra, since it is heard [in Bṛhadārayaṇka Upaniṣad: 4.4.21], ‘After verily understanding that [i.e., the Ātmā], a sagacious seeker of Brahman should engage in contemplation [of the Ātmā].”
yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye’sya hrdi sthitāḥ |
atha martyo’mṛto bhavaty atra brahma samaśnute ||
(Bṛhad-ārayaṇka Upaniṣad: 4.4.7; Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 2.3.14; cited in Bhāvārtha-dīpikā and Sārātha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.2.32, Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.10.9, the Sārārtha-varṣiṇī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.55; Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 4.2.7)
“When all the desires present in one’s heart are dispelled, then a mortal becomes immortal and here experiences Brahman.”
ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavyo maitreyy ātmano vā are darśanena śravaṇena matyā vijñānenedaṁ sarvaṁ viditam |
(Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: 2.4.5, 4.5.6; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 7)
“Truly, the Ātmā [alt., the ātmā] is to be seen, [that is,] to be heard about, to be contemplated, and to be deeply meditated upon. O Maitreyī, truly, by seeing, [that is,] by hearing, reflecting upon, and realizing the Ātmā, everything becomes known.”
na vā are patyuḥ kāmāya patiḥ priyo bhavaty ātmanas tu kāmāya patiḥ priyo bhavati | na vā are jāyāyai kāmāya jāyā priyā bhavaty ātmanas tu kāmāya jāyā priyā bhavati | na vā are putrāṇāṁ kāmāya putrāḥ priyā bhavanty ātmanas tu kāmāya putrāḥ priyā bhavanti | na vā are vittasya kāmāya vittaṁ priyaṁ bhavaty ātmanas tu kāmāya vittaṁ priyaṁ bhavati | na vā are brahmaṇaḥ kāmāya brahma priyaṁ bhavati, ātmanas tu kāmāya brahma priyaṁ bhavati | na vā are kṣatrasya kāmāya kṣatraṁ priyaṁ bhavaty ātmanas tu kāmāya kṣatraṁ priyaṁ bhavati | na vā are lokānāṁ kāmāya lokāḥ priyā bhavanty ātmanas tu kāmāya lokāḥ priyā bhavanti | na vā are devānāṁ kāmāya devāḥ priyā bhavanty ātmanas tu kāmāya devāḥ priyā bhavanti | na vā are bhūtānāṁ kāmāya bhūtāni priyāṇi bhavanty ātmanas tu kāmāya bhūtāni priyāṇi bhavanti | na vā are sarvasya kāmāya sarvaṁ priyaṁ bhavaty ātmanas tu kāmāya sarvaṁ priyaṁ bhavati | ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavyo maitreyy ātmano vā are darśanena śravaṇena matyā vijñānenedaṁ sarvaṁ viditam |
(Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: 2.4.5; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 7)
“Truly, not for the sake of love for the husband is the husband dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā [alt., ātmā] the husband is dear. Truly, not for the sake of love for the wife is the wife dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā the wife is dear. Truly, not for the sake of love for sons are sons dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā sons are dear. Truly, not for the sake of love for wealth is wealth dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā wealth is dear. Truly, not for the sake of love for the brāhmaṇa is the brāhmaṇa dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā the brāhmaṇa is dear. Truly, not for the sake of love for the kṣatriya is the kṣatriya dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā the kṣatriya is dear. Truly, not for the sake of love for the worlds are the worlds dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā the worlds are dear. Truly, not for the sake of love for the devas are the devas dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā the devas are dear. Truly, not for the sake of love for living beings are living beings dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā living beings are dear. Truly, not for the sake of love for all are all dear. Rather, for the sake of love for the Ātmā all are dear. Truly, the Ātmā is to be seen, [that is,] to be heard about, to be contemplated, and to be deeply meditated upon. O Maitreyī, truly, by seeing, [that is,] by hearing, reflecting upon, and realizing the Ātmā, everything becomes known.”
tad etat preyaḥ putrāt, preyo vittāt, preyo’nyasmāt sarvasmād antarataraṁ yad ayam ātmā | sa yo’nyam ātmanaḥ priyaṁ bruvāṇaṁ brūyāt priya rotsyatītīśvaro ha tathaiva syāt, ātmānam eva priyam upāsīta | sa ya ātmānam eva priyam upāste, na hāsya priyaṁ pramāyukaṁ bhavati ||
(Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: 1.4.8)
“This which is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than others, and all else—this is the ātmā deeper within. One who says of someone who says something else is dearer than the ātmā, “He will lose that which he holds dear” is capable [i.e., fit to say so], and indeed that will come to be. One should regard only the ātmā as dear. Indeed that which is dear to one who regards only the ātmā as dear is never subject to destruction.”
sā hovāca maitreyī—yan nu ma iyaṁ bhagoḥ sarvā pṛthivī vittena pūrṇā syāt kathaṁ tenāmṛtā syām? iti | neti hovāca yājñavalkyo—yathaivopakaraṇavatāṁ jīvitaṁ, tathaiva te jīvita syāt | amṛtatvasya tu nāśāsti vitteneti | sā hovāca maitreyī—yenāhaṁ nāmṛtā syāṁ, kim ahaṁ tena kuryāṁ ? yad eva bhagavān veda tad eva me brūhīti |
(Bṛhadāranyaka Upaniṣad: 2.4.2–3; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 1)
“Maitreyī said, ‘O fortunate one, if indeed this entire earth, full of wealth, were to belong to me, would I become immortal by that?’
“‘No,’ replied Yājñavalkya, ‘Your life would become just like the life of those who possess [all] means of subsistence. There is no hope, however, of immortality through wealth.‘
“Maitreyī said, ‘What shall I do with that by which I cannot become immortal? O fortunate one, please tell me that alone which you know [to me the means to become immortal].’”
