jīvana anitya jānaha sāra, tāhe nānā-vidha vipada bhāra,
nāmāśraya kari’ yatane tumi, thākaha āpana kāje
(Gitavali: 1.1)
“Understand the essence: life is temporary and filled with all sorts of dangers. Carefully take shelter of the Name as you engage in your work.”
yadi āmā’ prati sneha thāke sabākāra
kṛṣṇa vinā keha kichhu nā balibe āra
(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata: Madhya-khanda, 28.27)
“If you all have affection for Me then you will not speak of anything other than Krishna.”
dainya, dayā, anye māna, pratisṭhā-varjana
chāri-guṇe guṇī ha‑i karaha kīrtana
(Gitavali: Shiksashtakam, 3.7)
“Humility, compassion, honoring others, and disregarding prestige—one should develop these four qualities and engage in Hari-nam-sankirtan.”
viṣayīra anna khāile malina haya mana
malina mana haile nahe kṛṣṇera smaraṇa
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: Antya-lila: 6.278)
[Sriman Mahaprabhu advises:] “If one eats food prepared by materialistic people, one’s mind becomes contaminated and if one’s mind becomes contaminated, one cannot remember Krishna (or engage in His service).”
vairāgīra kṛtya—sadā nāma-saṅkīrtana
śāka-patra-phala‑mūle udara-bharaṇa
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: Antya-lila, 6.226)
[Sriman Mahaprabhu advises:] “The duty of a renunciant is to always engage in Nam-sankirtan and fill their belly with vegetables, leaves, fruits, or roots (that are readily available).”
jihvāra lālase yei iti-uti dhāya
śiśnodara-parāyaṇa kṛṣṇa nāhi pāya
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: Antya-lila, 6.227)
[Sriman Mahaprabhu advises:] “One who runs here and there to satisfy the desires of the tongue and is preoccupied with the genitals and stomach cannot obtain Krishna.”
grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya‑vārtā nā kahibe
bhāla nā khāibe, āra bhāla nā paribe
amānī mānada hañā kṛṣṇa‑nāma sadā la’be
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa‑sevā mānase karibe
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: Antya-lila, 236–237)
[Sriman Mahaprabhu advises:] “Never listen to commonplace subject matters nor speak of commonplace news. Do not eat very nice food or dress very nicely. Do not expect honour from anyone and readily offer honor to everyone. With this mood, always chant the Name of Krishna and within your heart engage in the service of Radha-Krishna in Vraja.”
mālī haña kare sei bīja āropaṇa
śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye sechana
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: Madhya-lila, 19.152)
“Like a gardener, a fortunate soul plants the seed of the creeper of devotion (their faith) in the field of their heart and sprinkles it with the water of hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord and His devotees.”
yadi vaiṣṇava-aparādha uṭhe hātī mātā
upāḍe vā chhiṇḍe, tāra śukhi’ yāya pātā
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: Madhya-lila, 19.156)
“If the mad elephant of offenses against devotees (Vaishav-aparadha) enters the garden, it uproots or breaks their creeper of devotion and causes the leaves of the creeper to dry up.”
Yukta-Vairagya
śrī hari-sevāya, yāhā anukūla,
viṣaya baliyā tyāge haya bhula
‘āsakti-rahita,’ ‘sambandha-sahita,’
viṣaya-samūha sakali ‘mādhava’
(Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur)
“To consider anything which is useful in the service of the Lord to be mundane and reject it is a mistake. One must be detached from everything but also consider everything in relation to Madhav because He is the actual proprietor of everything.”
Engaging One’s Enemies in Devotional Service
‘kāma’ kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe, ‘krodha’ bhakta-dveṣi-jane,
‘lobha’ sādhu-saṅge hari-kathā
‘moha’ iṣṭa-lābha-vine, ‘mada’ kṛṣṇa-guṇa-gāne,
niyūkta kariba yathā tathā
(Prema-bhakti-chandrika: 2.10)
“I will engage my desires by offering my actions to Krishna; I will direct my anger towards those inimical to the devotees; I will engage my greed in hearing the glories of the Lord in the association of sadhus; I will become illusioned if I am unable to obtain my beloved master; and I will chant Krishna’s glories in an intoxicated mood. In this way I will befittingly engage all my enemies in devotional service.”
“Practice makes perfect.”
“An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”
H.G. Bohn’s Hand-Book of Proverbs
“If you think for Krishna, Krishna will think for you.”