jala-sthalaukasaḥ sarve nava-vāri-niṣevayā |
abibhran ruciraṁ rūpaṁ yathā hari-niṣevayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.20.13)
“All [living beings] dwelling on land and in water bore a bright appearance by partaking of the fresh water [of the monsoon rains] just as [all living beings do] by serving Hari.”
vaiṣṇave prītir āstāṁ me prītir āstāṁ prabhor guṇe |
sevāyāṁ prītir āstāṁ prītir ārtiś ca kīrtane ||
āśrite prītir āstāṁ me prītiś ca bhajanonmukhe |
ātmani prītir āstāṁ me kṛṣṇe bhaktir yathā bhavet ||
(Śrī Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛta: 1.35–36)
“May I have love (prīti) for the Vaiṣṇavas;
May I have love for Prabhu’s qualities;
May I have love for service [to Bhagavān, Vaiṣṇavas, and so on];
May I have love and heart-ache for kīrtana;
May I have love for those who have taken shelter [in Bhagavān];
May I have love for those intent upon
bhajana [of Bhagavān];
And may I have love for my self,
So that I may have bhakti to Kṛṣṇa.”
vighnākulatve’pi mano-rati-paratā | …
yasya kṛcchra-gatasyāpi keśave ramate manaḥ |
na vicyutā ca bhaktir vai sa vai bhāgavato naraḥ ||
āpad-gatasya yasyeha bhakir avyabhicāriṇī |
nānyatra ramate cittaṁ sa vai bhāgavato naraḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.67–68)
“[A third degree of one-pointedness (ekāntitā) upon Śrī Bhagavān is described:] Being devoted with rati in the mind even while being disturbed by obstructions [is described in Skanda Purāṇa]: ‘A person whose mind rejoices in Keśava and whose bhakti does not digress even when one is beset with hardship is verily a Bhāgavata. A person beset with adversity here [in this world] whose bhakti is unwavering and whose mind does not rejoice elsewhere [i.e., apart from in Śrī Bhagavān] is verily a Bhāgavata.”
sva-pāda-mūlaṁ bhajataḥ priyasya
tyaktānya-bhāvasya hariḥ pareśaḥ |
vikarma yac cotpatitaṁ kathañcid
dhunoti sarvaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.5.42; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.550; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.71; Bhakti Sandarbha: 173; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.144)
“Situated in the heart of a dear worshiper of the soles of his own feet by whom regard for any other has been relinquished, Hari, the Supreme Lord, washes away all wrongful action [on the part of his worshiper] which may somehow come about.”
martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā
niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me |
tadāmṛtatvaṁ pratipadyamāno
mayātma-bhūyāya ca kalpate vai ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.34; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.421; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.194; Bhakti Sandarbha: 309; Prīti Sandarbha: 13; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.103; Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.12.11)
“When a mortal becomes one who has forsaken all karmas and offered the self to me, then he becomes distinctly desirous to act, attains immortality, and verily becomes fit for becoming of selfsame nature with me.”
kṛpālur akṛta-drohas titikṣuḥ sarva-dehinām |
satya-sāro’navadyātmā samaḥ sarvopakārakaḥ ||
kāmair ahata-dhīr dānto mṛduḥ śucir akiñcanaḥ |
anīho mita-bhuk śāntaḥ sthiro mac-charaṇo muniḥ ||
apramatto gabhīrātmā dhṛtimāñ jita-ṣaḍ-guṇaḥ |
amānī māna-daḥ kalyo maitraḥ kāruṇikaḥ kaviḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.11.29-31; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.18–20; Bhakti Sandarbha: 199)
“[One who is] Sympathetic, non-malicious, forbearing towards all embodied beings, steadfast in truth, irreproachable in character, equipoised, supportive of all, of mind unimpaired by objects of desire, controlled, gentle, virtuous, possessionless, non-active [in worldly pursuits], a measured eater, peaceful, steady, of shelter in me, sage, non-negligent, deep in character, resolute, victorious over the six properties [of worldly existence], undesirous of respect, respectful, adept, friendly, compassionate, and wise [is the best of the sat].”
nṛṣu tava māyayā bhramam amīṣv avagatya bhṛśaṁ
tvayi sudhiyo’bhave dadhati bhāvam anuprabhavam |
katham anuvartatāṁ bhava-bhayaṁ tava yad bhrū-kuṭiḥ
sṛjati muhus trinemir abhavac-charaṇeṣu bhayam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.32)
[Translated according to Śrī Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda’s commentary:] “Understanding the ignorance as a consequence of your māyā among these human beings wherefrom repeated birth ensues, the wise foster bhāva [i.e., render service] profusely for you, Non-existence [i.e., you who are the cause of liberation from material existence]. How could your followers have any distress on account of [material] existence, since the furrowing of your brows—time (trinemi)—creates distress perpetually for those who are not in your shelter?”
arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ ya śraddhayehate |
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.47; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.26, 10.76; Bhakti Sandarbha: 190; Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.74)
“One who for Hari performs pūjā with śraddhā only of the Deity and not of his bhaktas or others is considered a beginning bhakta.”
arcye viṣṇau śilā‑dhīr guruṣu nara‑matir vaiṣṇave jāti‑buddhir
viṣṇor vā vaiṣṇavānāṁ kali‑mala‑mathane pāda‑tīrthe’mbu‑buddhiḥ |
śrī-viṣṇor nāmni mantre sakala‑kaluṣa‑he śabda‑sāmānya‑buddhir
viṣṇau sarveśvareśe tad‑itara‑sama‑dhīr yasya vā nārakī saḥ ||
(Unknown source; attributed to a southerner in Padyāvalī: 114; cited in Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.26)
“One who has the notion of a stone in relation to a Deity of Viṣṇu [e.g., a Śālagrāma-śilā], the idea of a man in relation to gurus, the notion of a caste in relation to a Vaiṣṇava, the notion of water in relation to the sacred foot-wash of Viṣṇu or the Vaiṣṇavas, which is a destroyer of the contamination of Kali, the notion of an ordinary word in relation to the name of Śrī Viṣṇu, which is a vanquisher of all sin, or the notion of equality with those other than himself in relation to Viṣṇu, the Īśvara of all Īśvaras, is destined for Nāraka.”
anyonyaṁ vaiṣṇavā na spardhante kintu namanti |
(Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 2026)
“Vaiṣṇavas don’t compete with, and rather, offer obeisance to, one another.”
