madhye-nabhaḥ sammilane’py alūnair
javāt praviṣṭair hṛdaye mithas tau |
kaṭākṣa-bāṇair api modam āptau
premno vicitrā hi gatir durūhā ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 5.42)
“Although the arrows of their side-long glances collided in mid-air, and although without breaking these arrows swiftly pierced each of their hearts, they both felt bliss. The movements of prema are indeed marvellous and mysterious.”
gopī-preme kare kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera puṣṭi |
mādhurya bāḍāya prema hañā mahātuṣṭi ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.4.198)
“The gopīs’ prema nourishes Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya, and his mādhurya, becoming greatly satisfied, increases the prema [of the gopīs].”
yatnāgraha vinā bhakti nā janmāya preme |
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.24.165)
“Without earnestness and determination, bhakti does not give rise to prema.”
dīnere adhika dayā kare bhagavān |
kulīna, paṇḍita, dhanīra baḍa abhimāna ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.4.68)
”Bhagavān bestows greater grace upon the humble. The noble, learned, and wealthy have great pride.”
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ |
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.33.39)
“One endowed with śraddhā who shall hear about or describe this extraordinary play and so forth of Viṣṇu with the ladies of Vraja attains superlative bhakti to Bhagavān, quickly casts off the heart disease of kāma, and without delay becomes steadfast.”
preme matta nityānanda kṛpā-avatāra |
uttama, adhama, kichu nā kare vicāra ||
ye āge paḍaye, tāre karaye nistāra |
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.5.207–8)
“Maddened with prema, Nityānanda is the avatāra of grace. He does not discriminate at all between the high and the low. He delivers whoever falls before him.”
vande’nantādbhutaiśvaryaṁ śrī-nityānandam īśvaram |
yasyecchayā tat-svarūpam ajñenāpi nirūpyate ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.5.1)
“I offer obeisance unto Śrī Nityānanda, the Īśvara of infinite and astonishing aiśvarya by whose wish his nature is understood even by the ignorant.”
līlānukūleṣu janeṣu citte-
ṣūtpanna-bhāveṣu ca sādhakānām |
evaṁ-vidhaṁ sarvam idaṁ cakāsti
svarūpataḥ prākṛtavat pareṣu ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 7.119)
“[Why do Rādhā Kuṇḍa and Śyāma Kuṇḍa appear to someone just like ordinary ponds and not as described here in Govinda-līlāmṛta?] All of this [i.e., the entire environment of and around Rādhā Kuṇḍa and Śyāma Kuṇḍa] shines as such [i.e., as has just been elaborately described in Govinda-līlāmṛta] in reality to persons favorable to the līlā [i.e., to nitya-siddha parikaras] and to the minds of sādhakas of manifest bhāva [i.e., to sādhakas who have attained bhāva-bhakti] but as though mundane (prākṛta) to others [i.e., to those in whom bhāva has not manifest].”
grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe |
bhāla nā khāibe, āra bhāla nā paribe ||
amānī mānada kṛṣṇa-nāma sadā labe |
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā mānase karibe ||
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Antya-līlā, 6.236–7)
“Do not listen to village talk, and do not speak of village matters. Do not eat fancy food, and do not wear fancy clothes. [Remaining] Undesirous of honor and respectful [to others], always take Kṛṣṇa’s name and within your heart engage in service to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in Vraja.”
sthira hañā ghare yāha, nā hao vātula |
krame krame pāya loka bhava-sindhu-kūla ||
markaṭa-vairāgya nā kara loka dekhāiyā |
yathā-yogya viṣaya bhuñja anāsakta haiyā ||
antara-niṣṭhā kara, bāhye loka-vyavahāra |
acirāte kṛṣṇa tomāya karibe uddhāra ||
vṛndāvana dekhi yabe āsi nīlācale |
tabe tumi āmā-pāśa āsiha kona-chale ||
se-kāle se chala kṛṣṇa sphurābe tomāre |
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā yāre, tāre ke rākhite pāre ? ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.16.238–242)
“Be steady and go home. Do not be crazy. Gradually a person reaches the shore of the ocean of material existence. Do not engage in monkey renunciation and make a show to the public. [Rather,] Make use of material things as appropriate, remaining detached. Internally be fixed but externally observe social conduct. Soon Kṛṣṇa will deliver you. When I return to Nīlācala after visiting Vṛndāvana, then on some pretext come to my side. Kṛṣṇa will reveal this pretext to you at that time. Who can detain one who has received Kṛṣṇa’s grace?”
