Scriptures Quotes

Anandaddhevya khalvimani bhutani jayante
Anandena jatani jivanti
Anandam prayantyabhisamvishanti

Out of bliss, all beings are born,
In bliss they are sustained,
And to bliss they go and merge again.
-Taittiriya Upanishad 3.6.1


mana eva manushyanam
karanam bandha-mokshayoh
bandhaya visayasango
muktyai nirvisayam manah

For man, mind is the cause of bondage
and mind is the cause of liberation. 
Mind absorbed in sense objects 
is the cause of bondage, 
and mind detached from the sense objects 
is the cause of liberation.
-Amrita Bindu Upanishad


karmany evadhikaras te
ma phalesu kadacana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango 'stv akarmani

You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, 
but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. 
Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, 
and never be attached to not doing your duty.
-Bhagavad Gita 2.47


yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

Whenever and wherever 
there is a decline in religious practice, 
O descendant of Bharata, 
and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time 
I descend Myself.
-Bhagavad Gita 4.7


karmany akarma yah pasyed
akarmani ca karma yah
sa buddhiman manusyesu
sa yuktah krtsna-karma-krt

One who sees inaction in action, 
and action in inaction, 
is intelligent among men, 
and he is in the transcendental position, 
although engaged in all sorts of activities.
-Bhagavad Gita 4.18


tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah

Just try to learn the truth 
by approaching a spiritual master. 
Inquire from him submissively 
and render service unto him.
The self-realized soul can impart knowledge
unto you because he has seen the truth.
-Bhagavad Gita 04.34


brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate na sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa

One who performs his duty without attachment, 
surrendering the results unto the Supreme God, 
is not affected by sinful action, 
as the lotus leaf is untouched by water.
-Bhagavad Gita 5.10


uddhared atmanatmanam
natmanam avasadayet
atmaiva hy atmano bandhur
atmaiva ripur atmanah

A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. 
The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
-Bhagavad Gita 6.5


sanaih sanair uparamed
buddhya dhrti-grhitaya
atma-samstham manah krtva
na kincid api cintayet

Gradually, step by step, with full conviction, 
one should become situated in trance 
by means of intelligence,
and thus the mind should be fixed on the Self alone 
and should think of nothing else.
-Bhagavad Gita 6.25


daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te

This divine energy of Mine, 
consisting of the three modes of material nature
(goodness, passion & ignorance), 
is difficult to overcome. 
But those who have surrendered unto Me 
can easily cross beyond it.
-Bhagavad Gita 7.14


anta-kale ca mam eva
smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
yati nasty atra samsayah

And whoever, at the time of death, 
quits his body, remembering Me alone, 
at once attains My nature.
Of this there is no doubt.
-Bhagavad Gita 8.5


sarganam adir antas ca
madhyam caivaham arjuna
adhyatma-vidya vidyanam
vadah pravadatam aham

Of all creations 
I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. 
Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the Self, 
and among logicians I am the conclusive truth.
-Bhagavad Gita 10.25


ihaika-stham jagat krtsnam
pasyadya sa-caracaram
mama dehe gudakesa
yac canyad drastum icchasi

Whatever you wish to see can be seen 
all at once in this body. 
This universal form can show you 
all that you now desire, as well as 
whatever you may desire in the future. 
Everything is here completely.
-Bhagavad Gita 11.7


tasmat tvam uttistha yaso labhasva
jitva satrun bhunksva rajyam samrddham
mayaivaite nihatah purvam eva
nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin

Therefore get up and prepare to fight. 
After conquering your enemies 
you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. 
They are already put to death by My arrangement,
and you, O Savyasācin, 
can be but an instrument in the fight.
-Bhagavad Gita 11.33


yasya nahankrto bhavo
buddhir yasya na lipyate
hatvapi sa imal lokan
na hanti na nibadhyate

He who is free from the notion of ego,
whose intellect is unattached,
though he annihilates all the worlds,
he slayeth not, 
nor is he bound by the results of his actions.
-Bhagavad Gita 18.17


satsaṇgatve nissṇgatvaṁ 
nissaṇgatve nirmohatvam |
nirmohatve niścalatattvaṁ 
niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ ||

From Satsanga comes non-attachment, 
from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, 
which leads to self-settledness. 
From self-settledness comes Jivan Mukti (liberation).
-Bhaja Govindam 9


yogarato vābhogaratovā 
saṇgarato vā saṇgavīhinaḥ |
yasya brahmaṇi ramate cittaṁ 
nandati nandati nandatyeva

One may take delight in yoga or bhoga, 
may have attachment or detachment. 
But only he whose mind steadily delights 
in Brahman enjoys bliss, 
no one else.
-Bhaja Govindam 20


Purnamadah Purnamidam Purnat Purnamudachyate
Purnasya Purnamadaya Purnameva Vashishyate
Om shanti, shanti, shanti

That unmanifested Brahman is perfect, 
and This manifested Brahman is also perfect. 
Fullness proceeds from fullness.
Taking fullness from fullness, 
all that remains is fullness.
Aum Peace! Peace! Peace!
-Isha Upanishad


My dear,
by knowing one piece of mud, 
all things made of mud are understood - 
in fact, the mud alone is the substance, 
the names and forms are mere words.

Just as, my dear, by one nugget of gold all 
that is made of gold is known,
the modification being only a name, arising from speech, 
while the truth is that all is gold..
-Chandogya Upanishad 6.1.2-6


brahma satyam jagan-mithyä 
jivo brahmaiva näparah

Brahman is the Reality, 
the universe is an illusion,
The living being is Brahman alone, 
none else.
-Advaita Vedanta


Not through discourse,
not through the intellect,
not even through the study of the scriptures
can the Self be realized.

The Self reveals Himself to the one who longs for the Self
-The Upanishads


Oh Arjuna, I am the Self indwelling in the hearts of all beings.
I am thus the beginning, the middle, as also the end of all beings.
-Bhagavad Gita 10.20


As the blazing fire reduces wood to ashes,
similarly, the fire of Self-knwowledge reduces all Karma to ashes.
-Bhagavad Gita 


Kaama maya evayam purusha iti
Sa Yatha kaamo bhavati tat kratur bhavati
Yat kratur bhavati tat karma kurute
Yat karma kurte tad abhisam padyate

You are what your deep, driving desire is
As your desire is, so is your will
As your will is, so is your deed
As your deed is, so is your destiny
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishand 4, 4.5


The disciple questioned: 
After these five sheaths have been eliminated as unreal, 
I find nothing, O Master, in this universe 
but a Void, the absence of everything. 
What object remains for a wise person to identify with?

and the Guru replies that 
the Self or That by which 
all modifications, including the ego and
all its creatures and their absence (that is the void), 
are perceived, is always there
but which Itself is not perceived, know thou that Ātman – the Knower – through the sharpest intellect.
-Vivekachudamani 212-214


Swa swarupanusandhanam 
bhaktirityabhidheeyate

Reflection on one’s own Self 
is called bhakti.
Bhakti and Self-Enquiry
are one and the same.


A sober person, 
even when harassed by other living beings, 
should understand that his aggressors 
are acting helplessly under the control of God, 
and thus he should never be distracted 
from progress on his own path. 
This rule I have learned from the earth.
-Uddhava Gita 7.37


One who is qualityless, is recognised as such. 
One who was meaningful, got His own meaning.
After many days He met himself.
-Dasabodh 8.8.65


Although it (Jivatman) is 
(considered to be) in the body
it is still not in the body; 
it is not affected by any change of the body, 
nor does it take part in any enjoyment 
pertaining to the body, 
nor can it be bound down or conditioned
by anything that binds the body.
-Uttara Gita 1.27


It is not for the sake of the husband, 
my dear, that he is loved, 
but for the sake of the Self that he is loved. 
It is not for the sake of the wife, 
my dear, that she is loved, 
but for sake of the Self that she is loved.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.4.5


There is light within a man of light,
and he lights the whole world.
If he does not shine,
he is darkness.
-Gospel of Thomas 


Jesus said, 
'The seeker should not stop until he finds. 
When he does find he will be disturbed. 
After having been disturbed, he will be astonished. 
Then he will reign over everything. 
[Having reigned, he will rest.]
-Gospel of Thomas


The Kingdom of God is spread upon the earth, 
and men do not see it.
-Gospel of Thomas, 113


When you make the two into one, 
and when you make the inner like the outer 
and the outer like the inner, 
and the upper like the lower, 
and when you make male and female into a single one, 
so that the male will not be male 
nor the female be female, ... 
then you will enter the kingdom
-Gospel of Thomas


Satyameva jayate naanritam
satyena pantha vitato devayanah
yenaa kramantyarishayo hyaaptakaamaa
yatra tat satyasya paramam nidhaanam

Truth alone triumphs; not falsehood
The divine path is laid by truth through which
The sages whose desires have been completely fulfilled
Reach the Absolute, where the supreme Truth resides.
-Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.6



naantah-prajnam, na bahishprajnam, nobhayatah-prajnam, 
na prajnanaghanam, na prajnam, naaprajnam, adrishtam, avyavaharyam, agraahyam, alakshanam, achintyam, avyapadeshyam,
ekatma-pratyaya-saram, prapanchopashamam, shantam, shivam, advaitam, chaturtham, manyante, sa atma; sa vijneyah

Turiya is not that which is conscious of the internal (subjective) world, nor that which is conscious of the external (objective) world, nor that which is conscious of both, nor that which is a mass of all consciousness, nor that which is simple consciousness, nor that which is unconscious. It is unseen (by sense organs), not related to anything, incomprehensible by the mind, uninferable, unthinkable, indescribable, essentially of the nature of Consciousness constituting the Self alone, negation of all phenomena, the Peaceful, all Bliss and the Non-dual. This is what is known as the fourth (Turiya). This is the Atman and it has to be realized.
-Mandukya Upanishad 7