“ Surrendering Self to Me they wish for nothing else but Myself. Brahmâ, Śiva, Sankarshana, Lakshmî and My own form are not so dear to Me, O Uddhava, as thou art to Me. I always seek my Bhaktas. It is they only that know what bliss they enjoy, Bhakti consumes all impurities, even as fire consumes the fuel. Yoga, Sânkhya, Dharma, study of the scriptures, asceticism, or relinquishment nothing wins me so much as powerful Bhakti does. I am attained only by faithful Devotion. Bhakti purifies the Bhaktas, even though they be Chandâlas by birth. ”

“ Thus I have learned from my Gurus, My own body is also my Guru. I have learned from it dispassion and discrimination. The body is born only to die. Constant misery is its lot. I know the truths, by a discriminative study of the body. Still I regard it as not mine and so I feel no attachment for it (The body belongs to the dogs and jackals who devour it after death. Śridhara.)
What does not a man do for the enjoyment of the body — but it comes to an end after all, having created the germs of another body. ”

“ Your karma makes you worse than even Râkshasas. It is meet that I shall kill thee with this Trident and make over thy body as food for vultures. And if thou, O Indra, cuttest off my head, I shall be free from the bond of Karma, by offering my body as Bali (sacrificial food) to the animals. Here I stand before thee. Why dost thou not strike with the Vajra. Thou hast been favoured by Vishnu and by Dadhîchi. Victory and all the virtues always follow Vishnu. I will do as advised by my deity Sankarshana and attain after death the state of Yogins by sacrificing this body. ”

“ When the time came, however, for union with the Purusha of the Heart, when the signal music was heard, every Gopi threw aside all Karma, all actions, all attachments, all bonds and offered herself up completely to the Lord. Where is the glory of those that give up the world, that give up all duties in life, of those that force themselves out of all actions that they may be devoted to the Lord within and the Lord without? And when the Gopis approached the Lord, there was no trace of human passion in them, no love of human flesh, no idea of material gratification. ”

“ Bhagavân said: — "O Brahmâ, I take away all his riches from him whom I favor. For one proud of riches disregards both myself and others. When after many births the Jiva happens to become a man, and when in that birth he is found not to entertain any pride of birth, karma, age, beauty, wisdom, power, wealth and other things, you should know that to be my favor. One constantly devoted to me is not led away by anything apt to beget pride. ”

“ Agha, the youngest born of Putanâ and Baka, the Asura whom even the Devas, rendered immortal by Amrita, dreaded, burning with a spirit of revenge at the death of his brother and sister, thought of killing Krishna and all his attendants. He stretched himself forth as a huge serpent, spreading over one yojana, the extremities of his open mouth touching the clouds and the earth. The Gopa boys took the Asura to be the goddess of Vrindâvana. "Or if it really be a serpent opening its mouth to kill us, it will instantly be killed like the Asura Vaka." ”

“ Bali knew the Brâhmana in disguise to be Vishnu. He still made over the Trilokî to him, even against the protests of his Guru Sukra. This body of a Kshatriya, frail as it is, what purpose will it serve if wide fame is not acquired by means of it for the sake of a Brâhmana?" Turning to Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima, Jarâsandha said: — "O Brâhmanas, ask what you wish for. Even if it be my own head, I shall give it to you."
Krishna replied: "Give us a single combat, if you please, O King. We are Kshatriyas and have come for fight. We desire nothing else. This is Bhima. This is his brother Arjuna. ”

“ Brahmâ, Śiva, the Rishis, the Devas adored Vishnu in the womb of Devaki. "True in thy will, attainable by Truth, the one Truth before, after and in creation, the root of the Universe, and underlying the Universe as its only Reality, Thou from whom all true sayings and true perceptions do proceed, Truth Thyself, we take Thy shelter."
"The primal Jiva tree stands on the field of Prakriti. Joy and sorrow are its fruits. The three gunas (Satva, Rajas and Tamas) are its three roots. ”

“ Brahmâ became afraid of his creation, and, addressing himself to Rudra, said — "O Chief of Devas, desist from such creation. Thy progeny with their fiery eyes are consuming all and even consuming me. Take to Tapas for the joy of all beings. By Tapas thou shalt create the Universe as it was of yore. By Tapas thou shalt gain that Bhagavân who dwells in all hearts." "Amen," said Rudra, and he went into the forests to make Tapas.
Brahmâ then begot ten sons: — Marichi, Atri, Angirasa, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Vasishtha, Daksha and Nârada. ”

“ The Devas and Asuras combine and with their joint efforts, the ocean of Milk is churned, and the Goddess of Evolution, the Energy of Vishnu, makes Her divine appearance in our universe. The Devas become more than a match for the Asuras. The Vaivasvata Manvantara steps in, the Manvantara teeming with the fate of man and of the universe. Íshvara, the eternal friend of Puranjana, is most busy in the Vaivasvata Manvantara. Every effort is made to raise humanity to a higher level and to open out all the possibilities of man. ”

“ Siddhas, Châranas, Gandharvas, Apsarasas, Kinnaras and Nâgas worshiped her with profuse offerings.
"Fool that thou art" she thundered forth, "What if I am killed. He who shall make an end of thee, thy former enemy, is born somewhere else. Do not kill other children in vain."
The Goddess Mâyâ then became known by different names in different parts of the earth.
Kansa was wonder-struck. He removed the fetters of Vâsudeva and Devaki and begged their pardon, saying, "Like a Râkshasa, I have killed your sons. I do not know what fate awaits me after death. Not only men tell lies, but the Devas too." ”

“ If we can get an object of unselfish love, to whom we can give everything that we have, we may easily learn the lesson of self-surrender. By the bond of love, souls group together in Mahar Loka and they learn the first lessons of universal life. What better object of love can one have than one of the Avatâras himself? What union will be more glorious, more lasting, more spiritual? And Sri Krishna offered himself for such love to those that are devoted to him. ”

“ He could not make any distinction between those he placed under his own Mâyâ and those brought into existence by the Mâyâ of Krishna. The foggy darkness is overpowered by the darkness of the night. The light of the glowworm vanishes before the light of the day. To delude Krishna, Brahmâ became deluded himself. In another moment Brahmâ saw the calves and the boys each and all bearing four hands, the divine weapons and all the divine powers. ”

“ On their homeward journey, individuals again reach the plane of Mahat, when they rise above all differences, lose all sense of personality and carry their experiences to the plane of the Universe. Their thoughts then become thoughts of the Universe, guided by one feeling, that of compassion for those that remain behind. There is no thought of self, no distraction, no impurity, it is all calm and tranquil; such a mind is called Chitta by Kapila. This Chitta is the abode of peace, the abode of Bhagavat. ”

“ Knowing this definitely, cut asunder the source of all doubts (Ahankâra) by the sword of wisdom sharpened by reasoning, the teachings of Sâdhus, and the Srutis. And worship Me, that dwell in the heart.
"Look upon this Universe as a delusion, a play of the mind. Now seen, now destroyed. So rapid is the succession, that it is like a whirling fire brand that looks circular (on account of the rapid motion, though it is not circular) . One consciousness appears as many. The phenomenal existence (Vikalpa) caused by the threefold Guna transformations is but Mâyâ, a dream. ”

“ The fragrance and honey, the sweets of the garden, are the enjoyments brought on by the karma of another birth."
"The music of bhramaras is the pleasing conversation of women and others. The wolves are the days and nights. The huntsman who stealthily flings arrows at the deer is Death. The deer is thy own self."
"Consider Well the efforts of the deer. Concentrate chitta into the heart and all perceptions into chitta. Give up the company of woman. Turn a deaf ear to all idle talks. Be devoted to that one true Friend of Jivas — Îśvara. Retire, retire from all others." ”

“ Uddhava was the chief counsellor of the Vrishnis, the dear friend of Krishna and the direct disciple of Brihaspati. He was second to none in wisdom. His dress and decorations were those of Krishna.
Krishna called his friend aside and said: —
"Go, Uddhava, to Vraja. Bear my love to Nanda and Yasodâ, Give my message to the Gopis, which will be a relief to them in their distress. Their desires are all centred in me. I am their life. They have given up all worldly connections for my sake. I am their dearest and nearest friend. I protect those that give up worldly duties for my sake. ”

“ As a man seeing the performance of singers and dancers involuntarily imitates them (in the mind) even so Âtmâ follows the actions of Buddhi. The tree seems to move when the water is moving. The earth seems to roll when the eyes are rolling. Births and rebirths are as unreal to Âtmâ as are dreams but they have an existence even as objects in dream have an existence so long as the mind thinks of those objects.
"Whatever others may say or do unto you, do not care the least about that, but with single minded devotion restore self by self." ”

“ We know Thee to be the sole dispenser of the Law for the vicious. But just now the attendants of Vishnu came and wrested from our hands a transgressor against the Vedas."
"True my sons", replied Yâma, "there is some one above me and it is Vishnu. His ways are mysterious.
"The whole Universe is in Him. His attendants always save His votaries. Only twelve of us know his Dharma, which is Bhâgavata and no one else. These twelve are Brahmâ, Śiva, Sanat Kumâra, Nârada, Kapila, Manu, Prahlâda, Janaka, Bhishma, Bali, Suka and myself." ”

“ This was the perverse idea that guided the people of the Atlantean Continent. The intellectual giants, maddened by this material grandeur, did not look for any world beyond the one they lived in. They cared not for Svarga, nor for the sacrifices that led to Svarga. The flow of evolution, the breath of Íshvara seemed to stand still for a time as it were. The human will tried to override the divine will. There was chaos and disorder, which tended to cause dissolution in the universe. Hence Râvana was a Râkshasa. ”

“ Kansa saw an unusual glow round his sister such as he had never witnessed before. He exclaimed "Surely Hari is born in this womb, He who is to take away my life. What shall I do this day? He comes on a mission and His energy will be all directed towards that end. Am I then to kill my sister? But the killing of a pregnant female, my own sister, will ruin my fame, my wealth and my life. By the performance of such a heinous act, one becomes dead even when alive. Men curse him for his evil deeds and after death he enters the regions of absolute darkness." ”

“ The Devas cannot override karma.
But still men have to depend upon the gods in their everyday lives. They are the hands of the karmic dispenser. True they deal out things according to the karma of men. But they give to men the desired objects of life and in return they expect yajna-offerings to them. This is the old law of the existence of beings. The universe itself is the outcome of sacrifice and inter-dependence, the law of giving and taking. ”

“ But of all these Avatâras two stand out most prominently one the ideal and the other the apostle of unselfishness. The brightest luminary of the solar line held out in His life, an example of unselfishness, of purity of character and of scrupulous regard to duty, an example that is the admiration of all people in all ages, as perfect as the limits of humanity will allow and as elevated as the loftiest ideal of human character may be, unsurpassed in its pathetic grandeur, unrivalled in the straight forward pursuit of duty along a most thorny and uneven path. ”

“ Rohini, wife of Vâsudeva, dwells in Gokula the kingdom of Nanda. Other wives of Vâsudeva lie hidden at other places, for fear of Kansa. The child in the womb of Devaki is my Sesha named abode. Draw it out and place it in the womb of Rohini. I shall myself become the son of Devaki as a part of myself. Thou shalt be born of Yasodâ, the wife of Nanda. Men shall worship thee as the giver of all desires and boons, with incense, presents and sacrifices. They shall give thee names and make places for thee on the Earth. ”