The Latest

tāsāṁ nāthaṁ ballavīnāṁ sametaṁ
tābhiḥ premṇā saṁśrayantī yathoktam |
mātaḥ satyaṁ tat-prasādān mahattvaṁ
tāsāṁ jñātuṁ śakṣyasi tvaṁ ca kiñcit ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.159)
“By taking full shelter with prema [i.e., by becoming fully absorbed in sevā with prema] of the gopīs and their Nātha together with them as described [i.e., without transgressing the rules regarding upāsanā described in śāstra], I promise that you too will be able to understand something of their [i.e., the gopīs’] greatness by their [i.e., the gopīs’ and their Nātha’s] grace [i.e., even though their greatness is indescribable].”
Read on →: tāsāṁ nāthaṁ ballavīnāṁ sametaṁ
gopīnāṁ paramānanda āsīd govinda-darśane |
kṣaṇaṁ yuga-śatam iva yāsāṁ yena vinābhavat ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.19.16)
“The gopīs felt the highest bliss at the darśana of Govinda, as for them, a moment without him had become like a hundred yugas.”
Read on →: gopīnāṁ paramānanda āsīd govinda-darśane
yāsāṁ budhyeta vāg artho yāsām eva prasādataḥ |
gopīḥ prapadye tā yābhiḥ sa gambhīrāśayo jitaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.21.7)
“I take shelter in the gopīs, the meaning of whose words can be understood only by their grace, and by whom he of deep heart [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] is conquered.”
Read on →: yāsāṁ budhyeta vāg artho yāsām eva prasādataḥ
atha ayauthikyaḥ—
tad-bhāva-baddha-rāgā ye janās te sādhane ratāḥ |
tad-yogyam anurāgaughaṁ prāpyotkaṇṭhānusārataḥ ||
tā ekaśo’thavā dvi-trāḥ kāle kāle vraje’bhavan |
prācīnāś ca navāś ca syur ayauthikyas tato dvidhā |
nitya-priyābhiḥ sālokyaṁ prācīnāś ciram āgatāḥ |
vraje jātā navās tv etā martyāmartyādi-yonitaḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlāmaṇī: 3.49; cited in Rāga-vartma-candrikā: 2.7)
“Those persons possessed of rāga [i.e., strong affinity] for that bhāva [i.e., the gopīs’ paroḍhā-bhāva] who engaged in sādhana and upon attaining in accord with their [level of] eagerness an abundance of anurāga [i.e., ardor] befitting that [i.e., that gopī-bhāva] took birth one by one or in twos and threes from time to time in Vraja are [known as] ayauthikyas [i.e., those who engaged in a sādhana and attained siddhi outside of a fixed group]. Ayauthikyas can be of two types: ancient and new. The ancient attained co-residence with the eternal beloveds [of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in his eternal dhāma] long ago [i.e., during previous kalpas], while the new have taken birth in Vraja after being born as mortals, immortals, and so on [i.e., as human beings, devas, animals, and so forth during the present kalpa].”
Read on →: tad-bhāva-baddha-rāgā ye janās te sādhane ratāḥ
kānta-sevā sukha-pūra, saṅgama haite sumadhura |
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.20.60)
[For the gopīs:] “Service to the beloved is an outpouring of joy, and is far sweeter than union.”
Read on →: kānta-sevā sukha-pūra, saṅgama haite sumadhura
gopī-preme kare kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera puṣṭi |
mādhurya bāḍāya prema hañā mahātuṣṭi ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.4.198)
“The gopīs’ prema nourishes Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya, and his mādhurya, becoming greatly satisfied, increases the prema [of the gopīs].”
Read on →: gopī-preme kare kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera puṣṭi