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जन्मानेकशतै: सदादरयुजा भक्त्या समाराधितो
भक्तैर्वैदिकलक्षणेन विधिना सन्तुष्ट ईश: स्वयम् ।
साक्षाच्छ्रीगुरुरूपमेत्य कृपया दृग्गोचर: सन् प्रभु:
तत्त्वं साधु विबोध्य तारयति तान् संसारदु:खार्णवात् ॥

janmānekaśatai: sadādarayujā
bhaktyā samārādhito
bhaktair-vaidika-lakṣaṇena vidhinā
santuṣṭa īśa: svayam ।
sākṣāc-chrīgururūpam-etya kṛpayā
dṛg-gocara: san prabhu:
tattvaṃ sādhu vibodhya tārayati tān
saṃsāra-du:khārṇavāt ।।
Śrī Śaṅkarāchārya’s Sarvavedāntasiddhāntasārasaṅgraha: 254

Pleased with the traditional Vedic ways of worship performed by the devotee in hundreds of lives with piety and devotion, the Lord out of His own volition, becomes visible in the form of a Guru and, mercifully awakens the devotee by explaining the supreme Truth sufficiently well and takes him across the sea of worldly afflictions.

सर्वव्यापकमद्वितीयमजरं वेदान्तविज्ञापितं
द्वन्द्वाभासविवर्जितं भवहरं शान्तिप्रदं देहिनाम् ।
कर्माकर्मविकर्महीनममलं त्रैगुण्यविच्छेदकं
ध्यायेत् ब्रह्म सदा प्रशान्तमनसा भक्त्या च सश्रद्धया॥

sarva-vyāpakam-advitīyam-ajaraṃ
vedānta-vijñāpitaṃ
dvandvābhāsa-vivarjitaṃ bhavaharaṃ
śānti-pradaṃ dehinām ।
karmākarma-vikarmahīnam-amalaṃ
traiguṇya-vicchedakaṃ
dhyāyet brahma sadā praśāntamanasā
bhaktyā ca saśraddhayā ।।
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

One should meditate upon Brahman always with a peaceful mind and with devotion and śraddhā (assigning greatest value) – Brahman that is all-pervading, one without a second, devoid of decline or decay, and defined in the Upanishads; Brahman that does not allow any semblance of duality, robs worldliness, and bestows peace (to the embodied); Brahman that is free from action, non-action and wrong action and is free of all impurities; Brahman that transcends the three guṇas (sattva, rajas and tamas).

अयं दानकालस्त्वहं दानपात्रं
भवानेव दाता त्वदन्यं न याचे ।
भवद्भक्तिमेव स्थिरां देहि मह्यं
कृपाशील शम्भो कृतार्थोऽस्मि तस्मात् ॥

ayaṃ dāna-kālas-tvahaṃ dāna-pātraṃ
bhavāneva dātā tvad-anyaṃ na yāce ।
bhavad-bhaktim-eva sthirāṃ dehi mahyaṃ
kṛpā-śīla śambho kṛtārtho’smi tasmāt ।।
Śrī Śaṅkarāchārya’s Śivabhujaṅgastotram 11

O, merciful Śambhu, this indeed is the time for dāna (giving). I am the deserving receptacle for it. You are the giver. I do not beg, beseech from anyone but you. Give me unswerving devotion to You alone. By that I am fulfilled.

नो सोदरो न जनको जननी न जाया
नैवात्मजो न च कुलं विपुलं बलं वा ।
संदृश्यते न किल कोऽपि सहायको मे
तस्मात् त्वमेव शरणं मम शंखपाणे ॥

no sodaro na janako jananī na jāyā
naivātmajo na ca kulaṃ vipulaṃ balaṃ vā ।
sandṛśyate na kila ko’pi sahāyako me
tasmāt tvam-eva śaraṇaṃ mama śaṅkha-pāṇe ।।
Śrīhariśaraṇāṣṭakam 2

I have no brother, no father, no mother and no wife. I have no son either. Equally so, I do not have a distinguished lineage or great power. There is no visible support or help. Therefore, O wielder of the conch (Viṣṇu), you alone are my refuge.