Govardhana Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī

vairāgyaṁ vidhi-rāga-bhaktim amalān nānā-rasān dvādaśa
premānaṁ vraja-vāsināṁ śuka-mukhair vipra-rṣibhiḥ saṁstutam |
gopīnāṁ paramāṁ lasat-para-mahābhāvāṁ samarthāṁ ratiṁ
rādhāyām iha mādanaṁ vada sakhe ko vetti rūpaṁ vinā ||
(Govardhana Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī)

“O friend,
Pray tell,
Who here [i.e., in this world] would understand
Non-attachment (vairāgya),
Vidhi- and rāgā-bhakti [i.e., vaidhī- and rāgānugā-bhakti],
The twelve different taintless rasas,
The prema of the residents of Vraja
Highly praised by the learned seers led by Śuka,
The gopīs’ paramount samartha-rati
Which shines ultimately as mahābhāva,
Or the mādana [i.e., the mādanākhyā-mahābhāva, manifest] in Rādhā
Without Rūpa?”

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kaḥ śrī-bhāgavatasya tattvam amalaṁ boddhuṁ kṣamo bhūtale
ko vṛndāvana-mādhurīṁ kalayituṁ vaktuṁ ca dhatte matim |
goṣṭhendrāmala-rūpam adbhutatamaṁ ko vā nayen mānasaṁ
śrīmantaṁ karuṇākaraṁ guṇa-nidhiṁ rūpaṁ sabandhuṁ vinā ||
(Govardhana Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī)

“Who on the surface of the earth
Is able to understand
The taintless truth of Śrīmad Bhāgavam,
Who can cause the intellect to grasp and describe
The sweetness of Vṛndāvana,
And who can fix the mind
On the supremely astonishing, taintless figure
Of [Śrī Kṛṣṇa,] the Prince of the cowherd dwelling,
Without the illustrious reservoir of compassion
And treasury of qualities,
Śrī Rūpa,
Along with his companions?”

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hitvā rūpa-padāmbujaṁ bhavati yo rādhāṅghri-dāsyotsukas
tuṅgaṁ geham asau tanoti na kathaṁ ramye sthale saikate |
bāhubhyāṁ tridivaṁ spṛśen na hi kathaṁ no vā kathaṁ cchādayet
tūrṇaṁ bhūri-rajobhir ambara-maṇiṁ paṅguṁ na kiṁ cālayet ||
(Govardhana Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī)

“Does one who becomes strongly desirous
Of service to the feet of Rādhā
But disregards the lotus feet of Rūpa
Not [in effect] build a lofty house
In a pleasant spot on a sand-bank?
Can one not touch the heavens with one’s arms?
Can one not cover the sun with a bunch of dust?
Can one not make a lame person walk?”

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