Govinda Dāsa Kavirāja

tāvad gīti-sugadya-padya-racanāḥ kartuṁ spṛhā jāyate

tāvad gīti-sugadya-padya-racanāḥ kartuṁ spṛhā jāyate
garvas tāvad aho ahaṁ kavir iti prāyeṇa kharvo na hi |
śrīmad-rūpa-sanātanānukathanaṁ śrī-jīva-gosvāminaḥ
śrī-govinda-kaver vicitra-kavitā yāvan na karṇaṁ vrajet ||
(Ghanaśyāma Dāsa’s Govinda-rati-mañjarī: 1.9)

“The desire arises to compose
Songs and fine prose and poetry,
And aho!
The pride, ‘I am a poet (kavi)’
Seldom ever becomes crushed,
So long as the discourse of Śrīmad Rūpa and Sanātana
And the extraordinary poetry
Of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrī Govinda Kavi
Shall not enter the ear!”

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nāvirato duścaritān nāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ

nāvirato duścaritān nāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ |
nāśānta-mānaso vāpi prajñānenainam āpnuyāt ||
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 1.2.24; cited in the Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 3.3.54; Gītā-bhūṣaṇa-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 9.31)

“Neither one who has not desisted from misbehavior, nor one who is devoid of peace [i.e., devoid of control of the senses], nor one who is not steadfast [alt., concentrated], nor one whose mind is devoid of peace, can attain this [i.e., the Ātmā] through knowledge.”

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