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  • 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

  • śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ |
    hṛdy antaḥstho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām ||
    (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.17; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 12)

    “Situated internally, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Well-Wisher of the sat, he of whom hearing and praising are purifying, completely washes away vices in the hearts of those who hear narrations of himself.”

    Read on →: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

  • tasya ca bhaved dvayaṁ vipralambhaḥ sambhogaś ceti | tatra vipralambho viprakarṣeṇa lambhaḥ prāptir yasya sa tathā | yathoktam—‘yūnor ayuktayor bhāvo yuktayor vā tayor mithaḥ | abhīṣṭāliṅganādīnām anavāptau prakṛṣyate | sa vipralambho vijñeyaḥ sambhogonnati-kārakaḥ ||’ iti | … tasya vipralambhasya catvāro bhedāḥ—pūrva-rāgo mānaḥ prema-vaicittyaṁ pravāsaś ceti | atha sambhogaś ca yūnoḥ saṅgatayoḥ sambaddhatayā bhogo yatra sa bhāva ucyate | yathoktam—’darśanāliṅganādīnām ānukūlyān niṣevayā | yūnor ullāsam ārohan bhāvaḥ sambhoga ucyate ||’ iti |
    (Prīti Sandarbha: 370)

    “It [i.e., ujjvala-rasa], furthermore, shall have two varieties: (1) vipralambha [i.e., separation] and (2) sambhoga [i.e., enjoyment together]. Therein, vipralambha is [known as] that the attainment (lambha) of which occurs because of distance (vipra—viprakarṣa) [between the couple, lit., the ‘drawing apart’ of the couple], as is described [in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 15.2], ‘That bhāva of a couple, [be they] non-united or united together [at a given time], which is distinctly brought forth when their mutually desired embraces and so forth are not attained, and which is a cause of the elevation of [their] sambhoga, is to be known as vipralambha [i.e., separation].’ … This vipralambha has four varieties: (1) pūrva-rāga [lit., ‘prior attachment,’ that is, the vipralambha felt by a couple after they have developed attachment (rāga) to one another but prior to their ever meeting one another], (2) māna [i.e., jealous anger], (3) prema-vaicittya [lit., ‘bewilderment because of prema’], and (4) pravāsa [i.e., dwelling abroad]. Then, that bhāva in which a united couple’s enjoyment (bhoga) occurs on account of being joined together is called sambhoga [lit., ‘enjoyment (bhoga) together (sam)’], as is described [in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 15.188], ‘That bhāva that elevates a couple’s elation by means of acts of service [for one another], such as looking [at one another] and embracing [one another], out of favorability (anukūlya) [towards one another] is called sambhoga [i.e., enjoyment together].’”

    Read on →: tasya ca bhaved dvayaṁ vipralambhaḥ sambhogaś ceti

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