Bhakty-ānanda

yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtāṁ tava pāda-padma

yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtāṁ tava pāda-padma-
dhyānād bhavaj-jana-kathā-śravaṇena vā syāt |
sā brahmaṇi sva-mahimany api nātha mā bhūt
kiṁ tv antakāsi-lulitāt patatāṁ vimānāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.9.10; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.29)

“O Lord, that bliss which can arise for embodied beings from meditation upon your lotus feet or through hearing narratives of persons who are your own does not occur even in [realization of] Brahman, your own [all-pervading] greatness. How then could it occur for [the devas of Svarga,] those who [all eventually] fall from airplanes slashed by the sword of death [i.e., time]?”

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rasena yena yenānte veśākārādinā tathā

rasena yena yenānte veśākārādinā tathā |
sevitvā kṛṣṇa-pādābje yo yo vaikuṇṭham āgataḥ ||
tasya tasyākhilaṁ tat tac chrīmad-bhagavataḥ priyam |
tasmai tasmai praroceta tasmāt tat-tad-rasādikam ||
te ca sarve’tra vaikuṇṭhe śrī-nārāyaṇam īśvaram |
tat-tad-varṇādi-yuktātma-deva-rūpaṁ vicakṣate ||
pūrvavad bhajanānandaṁ prāpnuvanti navaṁ navam |
sarvadāpy aparicchinnaṁ vaikuṇṭhe’tra viśeṣataḥ ||
ye tv asādharaṇaiḥ sarvaiḥ pūrvair ātma-manoramaiḥ |
parivārādibhir yuktaṁ nijam iṣṭataraṁ prabhum ||
sampaśyanto yathā-pūrvaṁ sadaivecchanti sevitum |
te’tyanta-tat-tan-niṣṭhāntya-kaṣṭhavanto mahāśayāḥ ||
te cāsyaiva pradeśeṣu tādṛśeṣu purādiṣu |
tathaiva tādṛśaṁ nāthaṁ bhajantas tanvate sukham ||
ye caikatara-rūpasya prīti-niṣṭhā bhavanti na |
aviśeṣa-grahās tasya yat-kiñcid-rūpa-sevakāḥ ||
ye ca lakṣmī-pater aṣṭākṣarādi-manu-tat-parāḥ |
te hi sarve sva-dehānte vaikuṇṭham imam āśritāḥ ||
yathā-kāmaṁ sukhaṁ prāpuḥ sarvato’py adhikaṁ sukhāt |
teṣāṁ sva-sva-rasānaikyāt tāratamye’pi tulyatā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.145–154)

“That particular beautiful rasa, as well as the garb, form, and so forth, dear to Bhagavān, with which they have worshiped the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and finally reached Vaikuṇṭha—all of that is deeply relished by them [i.e., by bhaktas who thereafter dwell eternally in Vaikuṇṭha] because of that [i.e., because of that form, garb, rasa, and so forth being dear to Śrī Bhagavān]. Furthermore, in Vaikuṇṭha, they all behold Śrī Nārāyaṇa, the Īśvara, in the form of their own Deva [i.e., in the form of their personal Iṣṭa-devatā] replete with that particular complexion and so forth [i.e., replete with the complexion, appearance, associates, and so forth unique to their Iṣṭa-devatā]. Although always unceasing as before, they attain newer and newer bliss in worship here in Vaikuṇṭha especially [i.e., as the bliss they felt during their worship in their final body in saṁsāra was unceasing, it is felt to increase and become ever-new upon entering their Iṣṭa-devatā’s personal abode and presence]. They as previously [aspired for] behold in full their own dearmost Prabhu [i.e., their Iṣṭa-devatā] replete with all the previous extraordinary associates and so forth [i.e., characteristics, activities, and so on] pleasing to their hearts which they always desired to worship [directly while they were in saṁsāra] since these high-minded ones [i.e., these bhaktas endowed with extremely deep, imperturbable cognitive functions (parama-gambhīrākṣobhya-citta-vṛttayaḥ)] are possessed of the extremity of superlative fixity [i.e., one-pointedness] in these [i.e., in these associates, characteristics, activities, and so forth specifically of their Iṣṭa-devatā]. Furthermore, they worship the Lord as such only in that way in such domains as the city [i.e., Dvārakā] and expand their bliss [i.e., they worship the Lord only in the particular form of their Iṣṭa-devatā along with his particular associates, particular abode, and so forth that are the specific object of their superlative fixity]. [On the contrary,] All of the worshipers of any particular form of the Lord of Lakṣmī who do not have fixity in love (prīti) for one particular form [of his] because they do not have any specific inclination [towards any one particular form of his] and who are devoted to a mantra such as the eight-syllable become sheltered in this Vaikuṇṭha after the demise of their own [final sāṁsārika] bodies and attain bliss as desired [by them] greater even than all [the] bliss [previously experienced by them while performing worship in saṁsāra]. Even in the midst of a gradation [in the degree of the bliss these bhaktas of various types experience] on account of the non-singularity of their own respective rasas, there is an equality among them.”

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ato vai kavayo nityaṁ bhaktiṁ paramayā mudā

ato vai kavayo nityaṁ bhaktiṁ paramayā mudā |
vāsudeve bhagavati kurvanty ātma-prasādanīm ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.22)

“Therefore, indeed with paramount delight, the wise always perform bhakti to Bhagavān, Vāsudeva, which is purifying of the self.”

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jala-sthalaukasaḥ sarve nava-vāri-niṣevayā

jala-sthalaukasaḥ sarve nava-vāri-niṣevayā |
abibhran ruciraṁ rūpaṁ yathā hari-niṣevayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.20.13)

“All [living beings] dwelling on land and in water bore a bright appearance by partaking of the fresh water [of the monsoon rains] just as [all living beings do] by serving Hari.”

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ekāntino yasya na kañcanārthaṁ

ekāntino yasya na kañcanārthaṁ
vāñchanti ye vai bhagavat-prapannāḥ |
atyadbhutaṁ tac-caritaṁ sumaṅgalaṁ
gāyanta ānanda-samudra-magnāḥ ||
tam akṣaraṁ brahma paraṁ pareśam
avyaktam ādhyātmika-yoga-gamyam |
atīndriyaṁ sūkṣmam ivātidūram
anantam ādyaṁ paripūrṇam īḍe ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.3.20–21; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.193; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.37; Bhakti Sandarbha: 165)

“[Gajendra to Śrī Bhagavān:] I praise him, the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Īśa—inexhaustible, unmanifest, knowable by means of the yoga related to the Self, beyond the senses, as though minute, very far off, infinite, original, and fully complete—from whom the one-pointed, those who have taken full shelter in Bhagavān and are immersed in an ocean of bliss by singing of his highly astonishing and most auspicious activities, desire no object whatsoever.”

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naikātmatāṁ me spṛhayanti kecin

naikātmatāṁ me spṛhayanti kecin
mat-pāda-sevābhiratā mad-īhāḥ |
ye’nyonyato bhāgavatāḥ prasajya
sabhājayante mama pauruṣāṇi ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.25.34; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.440; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.43 ; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.27; Bhakti Sandarbha: 340; Prīti Sandarbha: 21, 51, 73)

“Some bhāgavatas, who are deeply engaged in service to my feet, whose actions are for me, and who devoutly honor my feats, do not covet oneness with me.”

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sā śraddadhānasya vivardhamānā

sā śraddadhānasya vivardhamānā
viraktim anyatra karoti puṁsaḥ |
hareḥ padānusmṛti-nirvṛtasya
samasta-duḥkhāpyayam āśu dhatte ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.5.13)

“That [i.e., inclination (mati), meaning, taste, for discussion of Hari], upon flourishing, produces disinterest for all else in a person endowed with śraddhā. The dissolution of all suffering of one who is delighted by continuous remembrance of Hari’s feet is quickly effected.”

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jayati nija-padābja-prema-dānāvatīrṇo

jayati nija-padābja-prema-dānāvatīrṇo
vividha-madhurimābdhiḥ ko’pi kaiśora-gandhiḥ |
gata-parama-daśāntaṁ yasya caitanya-rūpād
anubhava-padam āptaṁ prema gopīṣu nityam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.1)

“Someone—

Who descended to bestow prema

For his own lotus feet,

Who is an ocean

Of various sweetnesses,

Who is fragrant with adolescence,

And whose everlasting prema for the gopīs,

Having attained the ultimate limit

Of the highest state,

Has reached the position of experience [for others]

Because of his form of Caitanya—
Triumphs!”

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yadavadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravinde

yadavadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravinde
nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt |
tadavadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne
bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.5.72)

“Ever since my mind began to delight in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the abode of newer and newer rasa, oh, whenever remembrance of [past] association with women occurs, my face recoils sharply and I spit.”

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bhaktir yā nikhilārtha-varga-jananī yā brahma-sākṣātkṛter

bhaktir yā nikhilārtha-varga-jananī yā brahma-sākṣātkṛter
ānandātiśaya-pradā viṣayajāt saukhyād vimuktir yayā |
śrī-rādhā-ramaṇaṁ padāmbuja-yugaṁ yasyā mahān-āśrayo
yā kāryā vraja-lokavat gurutara-premnaiva tasyai namaḥ ||
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.1)

“Obeisance unto her, Bhakti [Devī],

Who is the mother of all goals

[i.e., the cause of attaining all the puruṣārthas],

Who is the bestower of bliss

Surpassing [that of] Brahman realization,

By whom complete liberation from pleasure

Produced by the sense objects is attained,

Whose principal shelter

Is the two lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā Ramaṇa,

And who is to be performed with very strong prema

Like the people of Vraja.”

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