Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Śrī Kuñja-vihary-aṣṭakam (2)
Śrī Kuñja-vihary-aṣṭakam (2)
Eight verses in praise of the Frolicker in the bowers
By Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda
Śrī Keśavāṣṭakam
Śrī Keśavāṣṭakam
Eight verses in praise of Śrī Keśava’s return to Vraja from the forest in the evening
By Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda
Śrī Kṛṣṇasya Līlāmṛtākhyaṁ Nāma-daśakam
A poem consisting of ten names known as The Nectar of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Līlā
By Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati |
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 9.26)
[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “One who with bhakti offers a leaf, flower, fruit, or water to me—I partake of that offered out of bhakti from one of pure heart.”
nāsāṁ dvijāti-saṁskāro na nivāso gurāv api |
nāsāṁ dvijāti-saṁskāro na nivāso gurāv api |
na tapo nātma-mīmāṁsā na śaucaṁ na kriyāḥ śubhāḥ ||
tathāpi hy uttamaḥ-śloke kṛṣṇe yogeśvareśvare |
bhaktir dṛḍhā na cāsmākaṁ saṁskārādimatām api ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.23.42–43)
“Although they have neither the saṁskāra of a twice-born, nor residence with the guru, nor austerity, nor self-inquiry, nor cleanliness, nor meritorious rites, still certainly [they have] firm bhakti to he of highest praise, Kṛṣṇa, the Īśvara of all masters of yogas, whereas even we who are endowed with the saṁskāra [of a twice-born] and so forth do not [have bhakti to Kṛṣṇa].”
dhig janma nas trivṛd vidyāṁ dhig vrataṁ dhig bahujñatām
dhig janma nas trivṛd vidyāṁ dhig vrataṁ dhig bahujñatām |
dhik kulaṁ dhik kriyā-dākṣyaṁ vimukhā ye tv adhokṣaje ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.23.39)
“Fie on the threefold birth, fie on the education, fie on the vow, fie on the great learnedness, fie on the family, and fie on the rites and expertise of we who are utterly averse to Adhokṣaja!”
janmanā brāhmaṇo jñeyaḥ saṁskārair dvija ucyate
janmanā brāhmaṇo jñeyaḥ saṁskārair dvija ucyate |
vidyayā yāti vipratvaṁ tribhiḥ śrotriya-lakṣaṇam ||
(Yājñavalkya; cited in Laghu Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā and Vaiṣṇavānandinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.16.2)
“One is to be known as a brāhmaṇa by birth. One is called a twice-born by saṁskāras. One attains vipratva [i.e., the status of being a vipra, a learned person] by learning. The characteristic of a śrotriya [i.e., one who is conversant in the Veda] is by these three [i.e., one who is born in a brāhmaṇa family, receives the necessary saṁskāras, and attains the necessary learning is accepted as being śrotriya, that is, conversant in the Vedas].”
āvṛtaṁ jñānam etena jñānino nitya-vairiṇā
āvṛtaṁ jñānam etena jñānino nitya-vairiṇā |
kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 3.39)
“The knowledge [i.e., discernment] of the knower is covered by this perpetual enemy in the form of kāma, which is like an insatiable fire.”