haṁsāḥ sārāsāra-viveka-caturāḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.3; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 326)
“Haṁsas [lit., “swans”] are those who are expert in discriminating between the essential and non-essential.”
paraṁ padaṁ vaiṣṇavam āmananti tad
yan neti netīty atad-utsisṛkṣavaḥ |
visṛjya daurātmyam ananya-sauhṛdā
hṛdopaguhyāvasitaṁ samāhitaiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.6.32)
“‘Not this,’ ‘not this, …’ those who are in this way desirous of giving up the unreal [i.e., the non-self] and [so also] of undivided affinity [i.e., of one-pointed affinity for Viṣṇu], having given up ill-naturedness [i.e., the notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’], speak of the supreme nature of Viṣṇu, which is embraced with the heart and understood by the resolute [i.e., those absorbed in samādhi].”
vidvān apītthaṁ danujāḥ kuṭumbaṁ
puṣṇan sva-lokāya na kalpate vai
yaḥ svīya-pārakya-vibhinna-bhāvas
tamaḥ prapadyeta yathā vimūḍhaḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.6.16)
[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] “O sons of Danu, although learned [in śāstra], one who bears the disposition of distinction between one’s own and others’, by maintaining his family in this way, is not at all able to look at himself [i.e., to deliberate upon the ātmā] and like a complete fool proceeds into darkness.”
dehas tu sarva-saṅghāto jagat tasthur iti dvidhā |
atraiva mṛgyaḥ puruṣo neti netīty atat tyajan ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.7.23)
“The body, the combination of all these [i.e., prakṛti, the guṇas, the mahat-tattva, ahaṅkāra, the five tanmātrās, the five mahābhūtas, and the eleven senses], however, is of two types: moving and stationary. Here itself [i.e., while embodied], the Puruṣa [i.e., the Paramātmā] is to be sought out by rejecting that which is not that [i.e., not the Puruṣa, considering], ‘Not this, not this …’ [i.e., ‘This is not the ātmā, this too is not the ātmā, etc.].”
sukhasya mūlaṁ dharmaḥ |
dharmasya mūlam arthaḥ |
arthasya mūlaṁ rājyam |
rājyasya mūlam indriya-jayaḥ |
indriya-jayasya mūlaṁ vinayaḥ |
vinayasya mūlaṁ vṛddhopasevaḥ |
vṛddhopasevayā vijñānam |
vijñānena ātmānaṁ saṁpādayet |
saṁpāditātmā jitātmā bhavati |
jitātmā sarvārthaiḥ saṁyujyeta |
(Cāṇakya-sūtras: 1–10)
“The basis of happiness is dharma [i.e., right conduct, ethics]. The basis of dharma is artha [i.e., resources, wealth, economy]. The basis of artha is kingship [i.e., state, government]. The basis of kingship is control over the senses. The basis of control over the senses is discipline. The basis of discipline is subservience to elders. Through subservience to elders comes proficiency [i.e., discernment]. Equip yourself with proficiency. Those who have equipped themselves become self-controlled. Those who are self-controlled will become endowed with all attainments.”
yadaivam etena viveka-hetinā
māyāmayāhaṅkaraṇātma-bandhanam |
chittvācyutātmānubhavo’vatiṣṭhate
tam āhur ātyantikam aṅga samplavam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.4.34; cited in Paramātma Sandarbha: 84)
“O King! When in this way the ātma’s [i.e., the self’s] bondage—the notion of ‘I’ constituted of māyā—is cut away with the sword of discernment and one is situated in unwavering experience of the Ātmā, then that is called absolute dissolution [i.e., mukti].”
