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- Read on →: tatrāpi gokule tasya mādhurī sarvato’dhikā
tatrāpi gokule tasya mādhurī sarvato’dhikā ||
caturdhā mādhurī tasya vraja eva virājate |
aiśvarya-krīḍayor veṇos tathā śrī-vigrahasya ca ||
tatra aiśvaryasya—
kutrāpy aśruta-pūrveṇa madhuraiśvarya-rāśinā |
sevyamāno haris tatra vihāraṁ kurute vraje ||
krīḍāyāḥ yathā pādme—
caritaṁ kṛṣṇa-devasya sarvam evādbhutaṁ bhavet |
gopāla-līlās tatrāpi sarvato’timanoharā ||
śrī-bṛhad-vāmane—
santi yadyapi me prājyā līlās tās tā manoharāḥ |
na hi jāne smṛte rāse mano me kīdṛśaṁ bhavet ||
veṇoḥ, yathā—
yāvatī nikhile loke nādānām asti mādhurī |
tāvatī vaṁśikā-nāda-paramāṇau nimajjati ||
cara-sthāvarayoḥ sāndra-paramānanda-magnayoḥ ||
bhaved dharma-viparyāso yasmin dhvanati mohane ||
mohanaḥ ko’pi mantro vā padārtho vādbhutaḥ paraḥ |
śruti-peyo’yam ity uktvā yatrāmuhyaś chivādayaḥ ||
cara-sthāvarayoḥ sāndra-paramānanda-magnayoḥ ||
bhaved dharma-viparyāso yasmin dhvanati mohane ||
śrī-vigrahasya, yathā—
asamānordhva-mādhurya-taraṅgāmṛta-vāridhiḥ |
jaṅgama-sthāvarollāsi-rūpo gopendra-nandanaḥ ||
yathā tantre—
kandarpa-koṭy-arbuda-rūpa-śobhā-
nīrājya-pādābja-nakhāñcalasya |
kutrāpy adṛṣṭa-śruta-ramya-kānter
dhyānaṁ paraṁ nanda-sutasya vakṣye ||
(Laghu-Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.520, 526–526, 530–533, 538–539)“Even therein [i.e., even in regard to the three abodes—Gokula, Mathurā, and Dvārakā], his [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s] sweetness in Gokula is superior to all [i.e., to his sweetness in Mathurā and Dvārakā]. … Only in Vraja [i.e., Gokula] shines the fourfold sweetness of his power, play, flute, and beautiful figure. Regarding [his] power therein: ‘Being served by multitude of sweet powers unheard of before anywhere else, Hari sports there in Vraja.’ Regarding [his] play, as in Padma Purāṇa: ‘All of Kṛṣṇadeva’s activities can certainly be astonishing. Even among them, [however,] his līlās with the gopas and gopīs are the most charming of all [i.e., are more charming than his līlās as a king in Mathurā and Dvārakā].’ In Śrī Bṛhad Vāmana Purāna: ‘[Bhagavān:] Although I have many well-known charming līlās [e.g., the līlā of being tied around the belly by Yaśodā], when I remember the rāsa-līlā, I do not know what becomes of my mind.’ Regarding [his] flute, as follows: ‘All the sweetness of the sounds that exist throughout the entire world become engulfed in an atom of the sound of the flute. A reversal of the nature (dharma) of [all] mobile and stationary beings, who become absorbed in intense, paramount bliss, can occur when the enchanting flute resounds [i.e., mobile beings can become stationary, and stationary beings can become mobile].’ … Regarding [his] beautiful figure, as follows: ‘An ocean of nectar filled with waves of incomparable sweetness, the figure of the Son of the gopa’s king delights [all] mobile and stationary beings.’ As in the Tantra, ‘I will describe the supreme meditation on the Son of Nanda, the tips of the toenails of whose lotus feet are worthy of lustration by the beauty of the figures of crores and crores of Kandarpas [i.e., Kāmadevas], and whose pleasing luster is unseen and unheard of anywhere [else, i.e., including even in Mathurā and Dvārakā].’”
- Read on →: māthuraṁ ca dvidhā prāhur gokulaṁ puram eva ca
māthuraṁ ca dvidhā prāhur gokulaṁ puram eva ca ||
yat tu goloka-nāma syāt tac ca gokula-vaibhavam |
sa goloko yathā brahma-saṁhitāyām iha śruteḥ ||
tad-ātma-vaibhavatvaṁ ca tasya tan-mahimonnateḥ ||
aho madhupurī dhanyā vaikuṇṭhāc ca garīyasī |
dinam ekaṁ nivāsena harau bhaktiḥ prajāyate ||
ayodhyā mathurā māyā kāśī kāñcī avantikā |
purī dvāravatī caiva saptaitā mokṣa-dāyikāḥ ||
evaṁ sapta-purīṇāṁ tu sarvotkṛṣṭaṁ tu māthuram |
śrūyatāṁ mahimā devi vaikuṇṭha-bhuvanottamaḥ ||
iti dhāma-traye kṛṣṇo viharaty eva sarvadā ||
tatrāpi gokule tasya mādhurī sarvato’dhikā ||
(Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.497–498, 502–505, 519–520)“‘Well, how can we consider Goloka a magnificence of Gokula?’ To this, the author speaks this verse (tad-ātma …, i.e., 502). Because of the elevation of Gokula’s greatness even in comparison to Goloka [Goloka is considered an expansion of Gokula]. This is the meaning. … By the word Vaikuṇṭha, the domain extending as far as [i.e., including] Goloka is to be understood because of its [i.e., Goloka’s] being its [i.e., Vaikuṇṭha’s] upper portion. [An objection is raised:] ‘Well, on account of the absence of it [i.e., Gokula] being above all, observance of return from there [i.e., rebirth after residing there], and seeing the suffering of old age and so forth in its present residents, it is not superior to Goloka.’ No, that is not so, (1) because of its [i.e., Gokula’s] being, like Hari [i.e., the Paramātmā], above all by virtue of inconceivable potency even while being situated in the midst of all, (2) because of the non-return [i.e., non-rebirth] from there of those who have performed sādhana and attained it, and (3) because of seeing suffering such as old age in its residents, like [seeing] the nature of a human boy in Hari, being a cause of fault. Furthermore, there is no deficiency [there], and, rather, there is certainly an express statement [i.e., the aforementioned verse cited from Padma Purāṇa] of superiority [i.e., of the superiority of Gokula above Goloka] that has also been cited by the revered author [i.e. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda].”
- Read on →: atra maraṇe sarveṣāṁ dainyādayo’pi śrī-bhagavat-kṛpātiśaya-dvāram iti draṣṭavyam
atra maraṇe sarveṣāṁ dainyādayo’pi śrī-bhagavat-kṛpātiśaya-dvāram iti draṣṭavyam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 162)“Here [i.e., in regard to Ajāmila chanting the name of Bhagavān at the time of death], it is to be observed that even the humility and so forth everyone has at the time of death is the foremost door to [receiving] Śrī Bhagavān’s grace.”