ननु भगवन्नामात्मका एव मन्त्राः । तत्र विशेषेण नमःशब्दाद्यलङ्कृताः श्रीभगवता श्रीमदृषिभिश्चाहितशक्तिविशेषाः, श्रीभगवता सममात्मसम्बन्धविशेषप्रतिपादकाश्च । तत्र केवलानि श्रीभगवन्नामान्यपि निरपेक्षाण्येव परमपुरुषार्थफलपर्यन्तदानसमर्थानि । ततो मन्त्रेषु नामतोऽप्यधिकसामर्थ्ये लब्धे कथं दीक्षाद्यपेक्षा? उच्यते—यद्यपि स्वरूपतो नास्ति, तथापि प्रायः स्वभावतो देहादिसम्बन्धेन कदर्थशीलानां विक्षिप्तचित्तानां जनानां तत्तत्संकोचीकरणाय श्रीमदृषिप्रभृतिभिरत्रार्चनमार्गे क्वचित्क्वचित्काचित्काचिन्मर्यादा स्थापितास्ति । ततस्तदुल्लङ्घने शास्त्रं प्रायश्चित्तमुद्भावयति । तत उभयमपि नासमञ्जसम् इति तत्र तत्तदपेक्षा नास्ति ।
nanu bhagavan-nāmātmakā eva mantrāḥ | tatra viśeṣeṇa namaḥ-śabdādy-alaṅkṛtāḥ śrī-bhagavatā śrīmad-ṛṣibhiś cāhita-śakti-viśeṣāḥ, śrī-bhagavatā samam ātma-sambandha-viśeṣa-pratipādakāś ca | tatra kevalāni śrī-bhagavan-nāmāny api nirapekṣāṇy eva parama-puruṣārtha-phala-paryanta-dāna-samarthāni | tato mantreṣu nāmato’py adhika-sāmarthye labdhe kathaṁ dīkṣādy-apekṣā? ucyate—yadyapi svarūpato nāsti, tathāpi prāyaḥ svabhāvato dehādi-sambandhena kadartha-śīlānāṁ vikṣipta-cittānāṁ janānāṁ tat-tat-saṁkocīkaraṇāya śrīmad-ṛṣi-prabhṛtibhir atrārcana-mārge kvacit kvacit kācit kācin maryādā sthāpitāsti | tatas tad-ullaṅghane śāstraṁ prāyaścittam udbhāvayati | tata ubhayam api nāsamañjasam iti tatra tat-tad-apekṣā nāsti |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 284)
“[A question is raised:] ‘Well, mantras are certainly comprised of Bhagavān’s names, with the distinction therein [i.e., between mantras and Bhagavān’s names being] that they [i.e., mantras] are ornamented with the word “obeisance” (namaḥ) and so forth, are imbued with special potency (śakti) by Śrī Bhagavān and blessed seers (ṛṣis), and are establishers of a special relationship of the self with Śrī Bhagavān. In this regard, even Śrī Bhagavān’s names alone [i.e., his names not in conjunction with the ornamental words, special potency, and so forth found in mantras] are verily independent and capable of bestowing results including [even] the supreme puruṣārtha. So, why is there a dependence upon dīkṣā and so forth in regard to mantras, which are possessed of greater capability than even the name?’ It is said [in response to this question] that although there is none [i.e., no such dependence of mantras upon dīkṣā and so forth] in relation to [the] essential nature [of mantras], still here on the path of arcana there is in certain respects some type of protocol established by the blessed seers (ṛṣis) and others for persons naturally possessed of aimless [alt., troublesome] behavior and a distracted mind on account of relation with the body and so forth for the sake of curbing these [i.e., such unfavorable physical and mental behavior]. Thus, śāstra prescribes atonement in the case of transgression of this [i.e., of the established protocol in relation to arcana]. Thus, neither is unreasonable [i.e., thus mantras being non-dependent upon dīkṣā by virtue of their essential nature is reasonable, and their requiring dīkṣā for the purpose of efficiently curbing the unfavorable physical and mental behavior of human beings is also reasonable], and in this way therein [i.e., in regard to names of Bhagavān and mantras comprised of names of Bhagavān] there is no dependence [fundamentally] of either of them [upon dīkṣā].”