jñānaṁ tad etad amalaṁ duravāpam āha
nārāyaṇo nara-sakhaḥ kila nāradāya |
ekāntināṁ bhagavatas tad akiñcanānāṁ
pādāravinda-rajasāpluta-dehināṁ syāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.6.27)
“Thus, Nārāyaṇa, the Friend of Nara, formerly explained this taintless, difficult to grasp knowledge to Nārada. It can [also] be had by the bearers of bodies that have been bathed in the dust of the lotus feet of the disinterested (akiñcanas) who are one-pointed upon Bhagavān.”
te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā
ye sādhavaḥ sama-dṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ |
tān nopasīdata harer gadayābhiguptān
naiṣāṁ vayaṁ na ca vayaḥ prabhavāma daṇḍe ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.3.27; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.218)
“[Yamarāja to his attendants:] Do not approach those who have taken shelter in Bhagavān, [thus] are of equal vision, [thus] are of excellent character, [thus] are celebrated with pure glorifications by the devas and siddhas, and are fully protected by the club of Hari. We, as well as time, do not have the power to punish them.”
gṛhaṁ vanaṁ vopaviśet pravrajed vā dvijottamaḥ |
āśramād āśramaṁ gacchen nānyathāmat-paraś caret ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.38)
“One [i.e., a brahmacārī who has graduated from guru-kula] should enter household life or the forest. Alternately, one who is foremost among the twice born should roam. One should go from āśrama to āśrama. One who is not devoted to me should not proceed otherwise.”
mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes
tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam |
mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā
vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye |
ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā
janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu ||
gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu
na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.5.2–3; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.17, 69; Bhakti Sandarbha: 186; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.82)
“Service to the mahats is said to be the door to ultimate mukti, and attachment to those who are attached to women [is said to be] the door to darkness. The mahāntas are they who are of equal mind, tranquil, free from anger, friendly, and virtuous, or, they who (1) have made affection [i.e., prema] for me, Īśa, their aim, (2) are unpossessed of affinity for persons fixated upon affairs related to bodily maintenance and houses accompanied by wives, children, and friends, and (3) are possessed of only so much wealth [as is necessary] in this world.”
namo brāhmaṇa-rūpāya nija-bhakta-svarūpiṇe |
namaḥ pippala-rūpāya go-rūpāya namo’stu te ||
nānā-tīrtha-svarūpāya namo nanda-kiśora he |
sarvadā loka-rakṣārtha-rūpa-pañcaka-dhāriṇe ||
(Kṛṣṇa-līlā-stava: 407–408 (105))
“Obeisance unto you in the form of the brāhmaṇa,
And unto you in the form of your own bhakta.
Obeisance unto you in the form of the sacred fig tree.
May my obeisance be [offered] unto you in the form of the cow.
Obeisance unto you in the form of various holy places.
O Adolescent Son of Nanda!
[Obeisance] Unto you who always assume these five forms
For the sake of protecting the world.”
ye tu dharmāmṛtam idaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate |
śraddadhānā mat-paramā bhaktās te’tīva me priyāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 12.20)
“But those bhaktas who take shelter in this dharma—[this] nectar—as [thus] described [by me], being endowed with faith (śraddhā) and devoted to me, are exceedingly dear to me.”
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ |
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ ||
tulya-nindā-stutir maunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit |
aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 12.18–19)
“A person possessed of bhakti [who is] equal towards an enemy and a friend and honor and dishonor, equal towards cold and heat, happiness and suffering, free from attachment, equal towards defamation and praise, silent, satisfied with whatever comes, non-attached to house, and of steady mind is dear to me.”
yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati |
śubhāśubha-parityāgī bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 12.17)
“One who does not become elated, does not become hostile, does not lament, and does not hanker, and who is a relinquisher of the auspicious and inauspicious is dear to me.”
yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ |
harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 12.15)
“One because of whom any person is not disturbed, who is not disturbed because of any person, and who is free from elation, jealousy, fear, and anxiety is dear to me.”
adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca |
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī ||
santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ |
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 12.13–14)
“My bhakta—one who is non-inimical, friendly, and indeed compassionate towards all beings, free from possessiveness, free from egotism, equal towards suffering and happiness, forbearing, ever satisfied, a yogī, self-restrained, of firm conviction, and of mind and intellect offered to me—is dear to me.”
