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  • mātaḥ sapady eva vimiśritā gavāṁ
    hambā-ravair veṇu-viṣāṇa-nikvaṇāḥ |
    taumbeya-vīṇā-dala-vādya-carcitā
    jātā gabhīrā madhurā vidūrataḥ ||
    tau prāpitau bodham amībhir utthitau
    tad-dīrgha-nādābhimukhe’bhyadhāvatām |
    gopāla-devaṁ tam apaśyatām atho
    suśyāma-gātra-dyuti-maṇḍalojjvalam ||
    paśūn payaḥ pāyayituṁ vayasyaiḥ
    samaṁ vihartuṁ taraṇeḥ sutāyām |
    gajendra-līlārcita-nṛtya-gatyā-
    ntike samāyāntam ananta-līlam ||
    svakīya-kaiśora-mahāvibhūṣaṇaṁ
    vicitra-lāvaṇya-taraṅga-sāgaram |
    jagan-mano-netra-mudaṁ vivardhanaṁ
    muhur muhur nūtana-mādhurī-bhṛtam ||
    niḥśeṣa-sal-lakṣaṇa-sundarāṅgaṁ
    nīpāvataṁsaṁ śikhi-piccha-cūḍam |
    muktāvalī-maṇḍita-kambu-kaṇṭhaṁ
    kauṣeya-pītāmbara-yugma-dīptam ||
    guñjā-mahā-hāra-vilamba-bhūṣita-
    śrī-vatsa-lakṣmy-ālaya-pīna-vakṣasam |
    siṁhendra-madhyaṁ śata-siṁha-vikramaṁ
    saubhāgya-sārārcita-pāda-paṅkajam ||
    kadamba-guñja-tulasī-śikhaṇḍa-
    pravāla-mālāvali-cāru-veṣam |
    kaṭī-taṭī-rājita-citra-puṣpa-
    kañcī-vilambāḍhya-nitamba-deśam ||
    sauvarṇa-divyāṅgada-kaṅkaṇollasad-
    vṛttāyatā-sthūla-bhujābhirāmam |
    bimbādhara-nyasta-manojña-veṇu-
    vādyollasat-padma-karāṅgulīkam ||
    svotprekṣitāpaurvika-veṇu-gīta-
    bhaṅgi-sudhā-mohita-viśva-lokam |
    tiryaṅ manāg lola-viloka-līlā-
    laṅkāra-saṁlālita-locanābjam ||
    cāpopamā-bhrū-yuga-nartana-śrī-
    saṁvardhita-preṣya-janānurāgam |
    śrīmat-sadā-smera-mukhāravinda-
    śobha-samākṛṣṭa-munīndra-cittam ||
    tila-prasūnottama-nāsikāgrato
    virājamānaika-gajendra-mauktikam |
    kadāpi go-dhūli-vibhūṣitālaka-
    dvirepha-sambhālanato lasat-karam ||
    sūryātmajā-mṛd-racitordhva-puṇḍra-
    sphītārdha-candrākṛti-bhāla-paṭṭam |
    nānādri-dhātu-praticitritāṅgaṁ
    nānā-mahāraṅga-taraṅga-sindhum ||
    sthitvā tri-bhaṅgi-lalitaṁ kadācin
    narmāṇi vaṁśyā bahu vādayantam |
    tair hāsayantaṁ nija-mitra-vargān
    bhūmiṁ padaiḥ svaiḥ paribhūṣayantam ||
    tādṛg-vayo-veṣa-vatāgra-janmanā
    nīlāṁśukālaṅkṛta-gaura-kāntinā |
    rāmeṇa yuktaṁ ramaṇīya-mūrtinā
    taiś cātma-tulyaiḥ sakhibhiḥ priyair vṛtam ||
    tad-darśanādbhuta-mahāmudāvalī-
    bhareṇa gāḍhena nipātitau hi tau |
    daṇḍa-praṇāmārtham ivāśu petatuḥ
    sambhrānti-vidhvaṁśita-sarva-naipuṇyau ||
    sa ca priya-prema-vaśaḥ pradhāvan
    samāgato harṣa-bhareṇa mugdhaḥ |
    tayor upary eva papāta dīrgha-
    mahābhujābhyāṁ parirebhatau dvau ||
    premāśru-dhārābhir aho mahāprabhuḥ
    sa snāpayām āsa kṛpārdra-mānasaḥ |
    kṣaṇāt samutthāya kara-dvayena
    tāv utthāpayām āsa cakāra ca sthirau ||
    saṁmarjayann aśru rajaś ca gātre
    lagnaṁ dayālur muhur āliliṅga |
    tatraiva tābhyām upaviśya bhūmau
    vākyāmṛtair vipram atoṣayac ca ||
    (Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.19–36)

    “[Parīkṣit Mahārāja to Uttarā Devī:] O Mother,
    All of the sudden arose the deep,
    Sweet sounds of flutes and horns
    Blended with the mooing of cows
    And joined by the music
    Of gourd vīṇās and leaves [i.e., leaf whistles].
    Brought to consciousness by these [sounds],
    The two [i.e., the guru and disciple, Sarūpa and the Mathurā brāhmaṇa] arose and ran
    Towards those long-traveling sounds.
    Then,
    They saw him,
    Gopāladeva,
    Effulgent with the radiance
    Of his excellently swarthy figure;
    Coming near with a dancing gait,
    [Which is] Worshiped by the sporting of the king of elephants,
    To water his animals
    And play with his contemporaries [i.e., close friends]
    In the Daughter of the Sun [i.e., the Yamunā];
    [They saw Gopāladeva, he who is] Possessed of unlimited līlās;
    Possessed of the tremendous, fine ornament
    Of his own adolescence;
    An ocean filled with waves
    Of extraordinary loveliness;
    Greatly increasing of the delight
    Of the minds and eyes of the world;
    Filled with fresh sweetness moment after moment;
    Of beautiful figure [marked] with all the signs of auspiciousness;
    [Adorned with] Kadamba flower ear-garlands [on his ears];
    [Adorned with] A peacock feather plume [atop his head];
    Of conch-shell neck adorned with a pearl necklace;
    Luminous by virtue of his pair of yellow silken garments;
    Of broad chest—the abode of the śrīvatsa and Lakṣmī—
    Ornamented with a long, hanging necklace of guñjās;
    Of a waist of the king of lions;
    Of the strength of a hundred lions;
    Of lotus feet worshiped by the essence of good fortune [i.e., paramount beauty];
    Wearing the charming adornments
    Of kadamba, guñjā, tulasī, peacock feather, and coral necklaces;
    Of hips adorned with a hanging sash of bright flowers
    Embellishing the slope of his waist;
    Attractive with his long, round, buff arms
    Shining with splendid golden bangles and armlets;
    Of fingers on his lotus hands shining
    As he plays his alluring flute
    Fixed at his bimba [red] lips;
    Enchanting the people of the world
    With the nectar of the unprecedented embellishments
    Of his flute song anticipated [alt., demonstrated] by him [alone];
    Of lotus eyes finely caressed by the ornaments
    Of the play of his side-long, slightly rolling glances;
    Fully nourishing of the love of his servants
    With the beauty of the dancing
    Of his pairs of brows comparable to [the] bows [of an archer];
    Possessed of a splendor in his beautiful ever-smiling lotus face
    Fully attracting to the hearts of the best of the sages;
    Possessed of one excellent pearl from a king of elephants
    Shining on the tip of his fine sesame flower nose;
    Of glistering hands sometimes brushing aside
    The bees of his locks finely adorned with dust raised by the cows;
    Possessed of a half-moon shaped, slab-like forehead
    Endowed with vertical marks
    Made with [bright] clay from the Daughter of the Sun [i.e., the Yamunā];
    Of limbs painted all over with various mountain minerals [e.g., red gairika and yellow haritāla];
    An ocean of the waves
    Of various grand sports;
    Standing sometimes in a thrice-bent posture;
    Playing numerous humorous sounds with his flute;
    Making his personal friends laugh thereby;
    Decorating the earth all around with his own feet [i.e., with his foot-prints];
    Accompanied by his elder brother of similar age and garb—
    [That is,] Rāma of pleasing figure and fair luster
    Bedecked with fine blue garments;
    And surrounded by his dear friends equal to himself.
    Knocked down by the heavy weight
    Of the series of great joys
    Produced the sight of him,
    They [i.e., Sarūpa and the Mathurā brāhmaṇa] quickly dropped [to the ground] as if to offer prostrate obeisances,
    All their adeptness dashed by their astonishment.
    He [i.e., Śrī Gopāladeva] too became overwhelmed
    With prema for his dear ones,
    Ran over,
    Joined [them],
    Became bewildered by the weight of his delight,
    And fell right on top of them,
    Embracing them both with his long, mighty arms,
    Aho!
    He, the Supreme Master (Mahāprabhu),
    His heart melted with compassion,
    Bathed them with streams of his tears of prema.
    Arising after a moment,
    He raised and steadied them with his two hands.
    Wiping away the tears and dust
    Smeared on their bodies,
    The Gracious One embraced them repeatedly.
    And [then] sitting right there on the ground with them,
    He satisfied the brāhmaṇa with the nectars of his speech.”

    Read on →: mātaḥ sapady eva vimiśritā gavāṁ

  • śāstraṁ hy abuddhvā tattvena kecid vāda-balāj janāḥ |
    kāma-dveṣābhibhūtatvād ahaṅkāra-vaśaṁ gatāḥ ||
    yāthātathyam avijñāya śāstrāṇāṁ śāstra-dasyavaḥ |
    brahma-stenā nirārambhā dambha-moha-vaśānugāḥ ||
    (Mahābhārata: Śānti-parva, 269.53)

    “Not understanding śāstra accurately, some persons become captivated by arrogance (ahaṅkāra) on account of being overcome by desire or enmity on the strength of argument. Without knowing the truth of the śāstras, the robbers of the śāstras—thieves of Brahman—controlled by deceit and delusion, remain without undertaking [i.e., they do not take up the practices taught in the śāstras beginning with equanimity and so on].”

    Read on →: śāstraṁ hy abuddhvā tattvena kecid vāda-balāj janāḥ

  • ekadā kṛṣṇa-patnyas tu śrī-kṛṣṇa-virahāturāḥ |
    kālindīṁ muditā vīkṣya papracchur gata-matsarāḥ ||
    śrī-kṛṣṇa-patnya ūcuḥ |
    yathā vayaṁ kṛṣṇa-patnyas tathā tvam api śobhane |
    vayaṁ viraha-duḥkhārtās tvaṁ na kālindi tad vada ||
    tac chrutvā smayamānā sā kālindī vākyam abravīt |
    sāpatnyaṁ vīkṣya tat tāsāṁ karuṇāpara-mānasā ||
    śrī-kālindy uvāca |
    ātmārāmasya kṛṣṇasya dhruvam ātmāsti rādhikā |
    tasyā dāsya-prabhāveṇa viraho’smān na saṁspṛśet ||
    tasyā evāṁśa-vistārāḥ sarvāḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāyikāḥ |
    nitya-sambhoga evāsti tasyāḥ sāmmukhya-yogataḥ ||
    (Skanda Purāṇa: Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa, Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 2.8–12)

    “Once, wives of Kṛṣṇa who were distressed in separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa [and had come to Śrī Vṛndāvana] saw Kālindī [i.e., Yamunā Devī] delighted, and been covetous, inquired [from her]. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s wives said, ‘As we are wives of Kṛṣṇa, so too are you, O splendid one. We are stricken with sorrow in separation, but you are not, O Kālindī. Please explain this.’ Hearing this [inquiry], observing their rivalry [towards her as a co-wife], and being of compassionate mind towards them, she, Kālindī, smiling, spoke this statement [to them]. Śrī Kālindī said, ‘Rādhikā is the eternal self (ātmā) of Kṛṣṇa, he whose joy is in the self [i.e., he who is known to be ātmārāma]. By the influence of service to her, separation [from Kṛṣṇa] cannot touch us. All of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mistresses (nāyikās) are extensions of a part of her alone. There is certainly perpetual union [with Kṛṣṇa] (nitya-sambhoga) as a result of being present before her [alt., as a result of her favor, or, as a result of attentive service to her].”

    Read on →: ekadā kṛṣṇa-patnyas tu śrī-kṛṣṇa-virahāturāḥ

  • ye śrī-kṛṣṇa-vihāraika-bhajanāsvāda-lolupāḥ ||
    muktāv api nirākāṁkṣās teṣāṁ bhāgavataṁ dhanam ||
    (Skanda Purāṇa: Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa, Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 4.31)

    “The Bhāgavata is the wealth of those who are disinterested even in mukti and deeply desirous of one-pointedly worshiping and relishing the play of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.”

    Read on →: ye śrī-kṛṣṇa-vihāraika-bhajanāsvāda-lolupāḥ

  • yadā viṣṇuḥ svayaṁ vaktā lakṣmīś ca śravaṇe ratā |
    tadā bhāgavata-śrāvo māsenaiva punaḥ punaḥ ||
    yadā lakṣmīḥ svayaṁ vaktrī viṣṇuś ca śravaṇe rataḥ |
    māsa-dvayaṁ rasāsvādas tadātīva suśobhate ||
    adhikāre sthito viṣṇur lakṣmīr niścinta-mānasā |
    tena bhāgavatāsvādas tasyā bhūri prakāśate ||
    (Skanda Purāṇa: Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa, Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 3.35‒37)

    “When Viṣṇu himself is the speaker [in a recitation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam] and Lakṣmī is engaged in listening, then the hearing of the Bhāgavata is repeatedly only for one month [i.e., every time Viṣṇu does the series of daily readings, it always ends up taking one month to complete the full recitation of the text]. When Lakṣmī herself is the speaker and Viṣṇu is engaged in listening, then it [i.e., the recitation] is two months [in duration] and the relish of the rasa is exceedingly splendid. Viṣṇu is engaged in administration. Lakṣmī is worry-free in mind. Thus, her relish of the Bhāgavata manifests most abundantly.”

    Read on →: yadā viṣṇuḥ svayaṁ vaktā lakṣmīś ca śravaṇe ratā

  • śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ śāstraṁ yatra bhāgavatair yadā |
    kīrtyate śrūyate cāpi śrī-kṛṣṇas tatra niścitam ||
    śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ yatra ślokaṁ ślokārddham eva ca |
    tatrāpi bhagavān kṛṣṇo ballavībhir virājate ||
    (Skanda Purāṇa: Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa, Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 3.12‒13)

    “When and where the śāstra Śrīmad Bhāgavam is praised and heard by Bhāgavatas, Śrī Kṛṣṇa too is certainly present there. Even where only a verse or a half-verse of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam [is heard and praised], there Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifests with the ballavīs [i.e., the gopīs].”

    Read on →: śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ śāstraṁ yatra bhāgavatair yadā

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