yeṣāṁ gurau na japye vā viṣṇau ca paramātmani |
nāsti bhaktiḥ sadā teṣāṁ vacanaṁ parivarjayet ||
(Vaiṣṇava Tantra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.418)
“Always completely reject the statements of those who do not have bhakti to guru, a mantra [lit., “that which is to be chanted”], or the Paramātmā Viṣṇu.”
yeṣāṁ na kāraṇaṁ vedā na viprā na janārdanaḥ |
tantrāṇi dharma-śāstrāṇi teṣāṁ vākyaṁ vivarjayet ||
(Viṣṇu Rahasya; Kūrma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.417)
“Reject the statements of the tantras and dharma-śāstra which do not have the authority of the Vedas, brāhmaṇas, and Janārdana.”
itihāsa-purāṇa-jñāḥ smṛti-siddhānta-vedinaḥ |
vāsudeva-priyā ye ca tad-uktaṁ vaidikaṁ bhavet ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.416)
“The directive of one who is learned in the Itihāsas and Purāṇas, knowledgable in the siddhānta of the Smṛti, and dear to Vāsudeva shall be Vedic.”
saṁspṛṣṭvā vaiṣṇavān viprān viṣṇu-śāstra-viśāradān |
cīrṇa-vratān sadācārāṁs tad-uktaṁ yatnataś caret ||
(Kūrma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.415)
“After inquiring from Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas who are well-verses in Viṣṇu-śāstra, who have performed vratas [themselves], and who are of proper conduct (sadācāra), carefully follow their statements.”
arcayanti sadā viṣṇuṁ mano-vāk-kāya-karmabhiḥ |
teṣāṁ hi vacanaṁ kāryaṁ te hi viṣṇu-samā matāḥ ||
(Viṣṇu Rahasya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 12.414)
“The directives of those who constantly worship Viṣṇu with their minds, words, bodies, and actions should be followed, since they are indeed considered equal to Viṣṇu.”
yo vai vāṅ-manasī samyag asaṁyacchan dhiyā yatiḥ |
tasya vrataṁ tapo dānaṁ sravaty āma-ghaṭāmbu-vat ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.16.43)
“The rites, austerities, and charity of an ascetic who does not completely control the speech and mind with the intellect seep away like water in a raw [i.e., unfired] clay pot.”
vidyā-tapaḥ-prāṇa-nirodha-maitrī-
tīrthābhiṣeka-vrata-dāna-japyaiḥ |
nātyanta-śuddhiṁ labhate’ntar-ātmā
yathā hṛdi-sthe bhagavaty anante ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.3.48)
“The inner self does not attain such great purification by learning [i.e., worship of the devatās], austerity, prāṇāyāma, good will, bathing at tīrthas, rites, charity, or japa as [its does] when Bhagavān Ananta is situated in the heart.”
