Vaikuṇṭha
na tatra mūḍhā gacchanti puruṣā viṣayātmakāḥ
na tatra mūḍhā gacchanti puruṣā viṣayātmakāḥ |
dambha-lobha-bhaya-droha-krodha-mohair abhidrutāḥ ||
nirmamā nirahaṅkārā nirdvandvāḥ saṁyatendriyāḥ |
dhyāna-yoga-ratāś caiva tatra gacchanti sādhavaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 2.95.16–18; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 10)
“Foolish persons absorbed in objects of the senses and overpowered by deceit [alt., arrogance], greed, fear, enmity, anger, and delusion, do not reach there [i.e., the supreme abode of Viṣṇu]. Only sādhus free from possessiveness, free from egotism, free from duality, of controlled senses, and engaged in the practice of meditation (dhyāna-yoga) reach there.”
ṛṣibhir bahvo loke panthānaḥ prakaṭī kṛtaḥ
ṛṣibhir bahvo loke panthānaḥ prakaṭī kṛtaḥ |
śrama-sādhyāś ca te sarve prāyaḥ svarga-phala-pradāḥ ||
vaikuṇṭha-sādhakaḥ panthāḥ sa tu gopyo hi vartate |
tasyopadeṣṭā puruṣaḥ prāyo bhāgyena labhyate ||
(Padma Purāṇa: Bhāgavata-māhātmya: 2.56–57)
“Many paths have been established in this world by ṛṣis, and they are all generally laborious and givers of the result known as Svarga. The path that leads to Vaikuṇṭha, however, is confidential, and a person who is a teacher of it is generally attained [only] by good fortune.”
māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke
māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke
pūrṇaiśvarye śrī-caturvyūha-madhye |
rūpaṁ yasyodbhāti saṅkarṣaṇākhyaṁ
taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye ||
(Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.8)
“I take shelter in him, Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose form known as Saṅkarṣaṇa is manifest beyond māyā in all-pervading Vaikuṇṭhaloka of full aiśvarya amid the Caturvyūha [i.e., Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha].”
śanakair bhagaval-lokān
śanakair bhagaval-lokān nṛ-lokaṁ punar āgataḥ |
vimṛjya netre viduraṁ prītyāhoddhava utsmayan ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.2.6; cited in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 106)
“Slowly Uddhava returned from Bhagavān’s abode to the human world. After rubbing his eyes, he lovingly spoke to Vidura with amazement.”