sarvathā dhvaṁsa-rahitaṁ saty api dhvaṁsa-kāraṇe |
yad bhāva-bandhanaṁ yūnoḥ sa premā parikīrtitaḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.63)
“The bond of bhāva between a youthful couple that remains undestroyed under all circumstances, even in the presence of a cause for destruction, is proclaimed prema.”
gaura-śyāma-rucojjvalābhir amalair akṣṇor vilāsotsavair
nṛtyantībhir aśeṣa-mādana-kalā-vaidagdhya-digdhātmabhiḥ
anyonya-priyatā-sudhā-parimala-stomonmadābhiḥ sadā
rādhā-mādhava-mādhurībhir abhitaś cittaṁ mamākrāmyatām
(Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 189)
“The brilliance of their fair and blackish lusters, their dancing amid a festival of pure delight in their eyes [as they gaze upon one another], their figures anointed with mastery in all the arts of amour, their inebriety brought about by the fragrances of the nectars of their love for one another—let my heart be continuously and completely overwhelmed by the [aforementioned] sweetnesses of Rādhā and Mādhava.”
kalpāgā amṛtāmbudher jhaṣa-varāḥ premāmbudheś cātakā
meghasyāmṛta-pāyino vara-vidhoḥ padmāni caṇḍa-tviṣaḥ |
bhṛṅgāḥ padma-vanasya nāka-sadanā viṣṇor mahānto hi te
bhaktā gaurahareḥ paraṁ mayi kṛpāṁ kurvantv ananya-gatau ||
(Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 2.16)
“O desire-trees along the ocean of nectar! O topmost fish in the ocean of prema! O cātakās of the cloud [of mādhurya]! O drinkers of nectar from the best of moons [of prema]! O lotuses under the hot sun [of saṅkīrtana]! O bees in the lotus cluster [of bhāva]! O [you who resemble] sky-abodes of Viṣṇu! O great ones! O bhaktas of Gaurahari! Please bestow your abundant grace upon me. I have no other shelter.”
api sphārāmode pratipada-sudhā-koṭi-madhure
purāṇa-grāmāntar-vahati tava līlā-rasa-jhare |
mano-vatsaḥ pātuṁ viṣaya-viṣa-garte viśati me
kṛpā-yaṣṭyā tūrṇaṁ damaya tam amuṁ tarṇaka-pate ||
(Stava-mālā: Nandotsavādi-carita, 11)
“Although the stream of your līlā-rasa, abundantly fragrant [i.e., imbued with the fine fragrance of your qualities and renown] and sweet at every step with the highest grade of nectar, flows through the old village [i.e., the Purāṇas led by Śrīmad Bhāgavatam], the calf of my mind enters a ditch to drink the poison of viṣaya. O calf-keeper [i.e., O Kṛṣṇa], please quickly restrain it with the stick of your grace [so that it drinks only your līlā-rasa and no more the poison of viṣaya].”
mat-tulyo nāsti pāpātmā nāparādhī ca kaścana |
parihāre’pi lajjā me kiṁ brūve puruṣottama ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.154; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.1.190)
“No one is a sinner and a offender like me. O Puruṣottama! I am ashamed even to speak. What can I say?’
mantra-hīnaṁ kriyā-hīnaṁ bhakti-hīnaṁ janārdana |
yat pūjitaṁ mayā deva paripūrṇaṁ tad astu me ||
(Āgama-śāstra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.427)
“[Although] Deficient in mantras, deficient in performance, and deficient in bhakti, O Janārdana, O Deva, may that by which you have been worshipped by me be fully complete [i.e., sufficient in satisfying you].”
sakṛt tvad-ākāra-vilokanāśayā
tṛṇī-kṛtānuttama-bhukti-muktibhiḥ |
mahātmabhir mām avalokyatāṁ naya
kṣaṇe’pi te yad viraho’ti-duḥsahaḥ ||
(Stotra-ratna: 56)
“Please bring me into the sight of those great souls who out of longing to once behold your figure consider unparalleled enjoyment and mukti to be straw, [those great souls] whose separation is extremely difficult to bear for a moment even for you.”
tava dāsya-sukhaika-saṅgināṁ
bhavaneṣv astv api kīṭa-janma me |
itarāvasatheṣu mā sma bhūd
api me janma caturmukhātmanā ||
(Stotra-ratna: 55)
“Let me take birth, even as a worm, in the homes of those whose only attachment is to the happiness of your service. Never let me take birth, even as he of four faces [i.e., Lord Brahmā], in any other situation.”
ālībhiḥ paripālitaḥ prabalitaḥ sānandam ālokitaḥ
pratyāśaṁ sumanaḥ-phalodaya-vidhau sāmodam āsvāditaḥ
vṛndāraṇya-bhuvi prakāśa-madhuraḥ sarvātiśāyi-śriyā
rādhā-mādhavayoḥ pramodayatu mām ullāsa-kalpa-drumaḥ
(Prīti Sandarbha: 429)
“May the desire-tree of Rādhā and Mādhava’s joy
[Alt., may the effulgent desire-tree of Rādhā and Mādhāva]
In the land of Vṛndāvana,
Splendorous with sweetness;
Nurtured in full,
Fortified,
Blissfully beheld with expectation,
And, upon the emergence of its fruits and flowers,
Delightedly relished by the sakhīs;
Completely delight me
With [its] all-surpassing beauty.”
na dharmaṁ kāmam arthaṁ vā mokṣaṁ vā varadeśvara |
prārthaye tava pādābje dāsyam evābhikāmaye ||
(Hayaśīrṣa Pañcarātra; cited in Rādhā Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Gosvāmī’s Daśa-śloki-bhāṣya)
“I do not pray for dharma, kāma, artha, or mokṣa, O Varadeśvara [i.e., O Lord, granter of boons]. I desire only servitude to your lotus feet.”
