yathā-śāstram upāsyasya arthasya viṣayīkaraṇena sāmīpyam upagamya taila-dhārāvat samāna-pratyaya-pravāheṇa dīrgha-kālaṁ yat āsanaṁ tat upāsanam ācakṣate |
(Śaṅkarācārya’s ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 12.3)
“Approaching the proximity of the entity to be worshipped as per the śāstra by making it an object and dwelling [upon it] for a long time with a flow of singular thought like a stream of oil—this is called upāsana.”
darśanāliṅganādīnām ānukūlyān niṣevayā |
yūnor ullāsam ārohan bhāvaḥ sambhoga īryate ||
(Ujjvala-nīlāmaṇi: 15.188)
“Through the adoration of seeing [one another], embracing, and so forth out of favorability [i.e. intentness upon the satisfaction of the other], the bhāva that increases the delight of a pair of youths [i.e., a nāyaka and nāyikā] is called sambhoga.”
bhaktyā vihīnā aparādha-lakṣaiḥ
kṣiptāś ca kāmādi-taraṅga-madhye |
kṛpāmayi tvāṁ śaraṇaṁ prapannā
vṛnde numas te caraṇāravindam ||
(Stavāmṛta-laharī: Vṛndāṣṭakam, 8)
“Devoid of bhakti and cast by lakhs of aparādhas into the waves of kāma and so forth [within the ocean of saṁsāra], O gracious one, we take shelter in you. [Please protect us.] O Vṛndā! We offer obeisance at your lotus feet.”
rāsābhilāṣo vasatiś ca vṛndā-
vane tvad-īśāṅghri-saroja-sevā |
labhyā ca puṁsāṁ kṛpayā tavaiva
vṛnde numas te caraṇāravindam ||
(Stavāmṛta-laharī: Vṛndāṣṭakam, 6)
“Desire for rāsa [i.e., for participating in the rāsa dance], residence in Vṛndāvana, and service to the lotus feet of your Īśas [i.e., Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa] is attained by living beings only by your grace. O Vṛndā! We offer obeisance at your lotus feet.”
samasta-vaikuṇṭha-śiromaṇau śrī-
kṛṣṇasya vṛndāvana-dhanya-dhāmni |
dattādhikāre vṛṣabhānu-putryā
vṛnde numas te caraṇāravindam ||
(Stavāmṛta-laharī: Vṛndāṣṭakam, 3)
“O you who have been given authority by the Daughter of Vṛṣabhānu over Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s auspicious abode of Vṛndāvana, the crest-jewel of all of Vaikuṇṭha! O Vṛndā! We offer obeisance at your lotus feet.”
tavāraṇye devi dhruvam iha murārir viharate
sadā preyasyeti śrutir api virauti smṛtir api |
iti jñātvā vṛnde caraṇam abhivande tava kṛpāṁ
kuruṣva kṣipraṁ me phalatu nitarāṁ tarṣa-viṭapī ||
hṛdi cira-vasad-āśā-maṇḍalālamba-pādau
guṇavati tava nāthau nāthituṁ jantur eṣaḥ |
sapadi bhavad-anujñāṁ yācate devi vṛnde
mayi kira karuṇārdrāṁ dṛṣṭim atra prasīda ||
(Stava-mālā: Utklikā-vallari: 3–4)
[A prayer to Vṛndā Devī, the presiding devatā of Vṛndāvana:] “O Devī! Both the Śruti and the Smṛti proclaim that Murāri always and everlastingly enjoys with his beloved here in your forest. Understanding this, O Vṛndā, I adoringly offer obeisance at your feet. Please bestow your grace [upon me]. May the tree of my desire [by your grace] quickly and fully bear fruit [i.e., may it grant me the fruit of attaining Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa]. O virtuous one! This person begs for your prompt permission to appeal to your Masters [i.e., Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa], whose feet are the focus of a host of long-standing desires within his heart. O Devī! O Vṛndā! Please cast a glance tender with compassion upon me and be gracious in this regard [so that my desires may bear fruit, since without your grace, the grace of they who are submissive to you—Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa—is most difficult to attain].”
yā dṛṣṭā nikhilāgha-saṅgha-śamanī spṛṣṭā vapuḥ-pāvanī
rogāṇām abhivanditā nirasinī siktā’ntaka-trāsinī |
pratyāsatti-vidhāyinī bhagavataḥ kṛṣṇasya saṁropitā
nyastā tac-caraṇe vimukti-phaladā tasyai tulasyai namaḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 9.104)
“Upon being seen, she destroys all sins. Upon being touched, she purifies the body. Upon being adored, she removes all diseases. Upon being sprinkled, she scares away death. Upon being cultivated, she bestows attachment to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and upon being placed at his feet, she bears the fruit of the highest liberation [i.e., prema-bhakti]. I offer obeisance unto her, Tulasī.”
ṛtaṁ ca sūnṛtā vāṇī kavibhiḥ parikīrtitā |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.19.38)
“Ṛtam is praised by the kavis as sūnṛtā speech.”
likhita granthera yadi kari anuvāda |
tabe se granthera artha pāiye āsvāda ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.17.311)
“If I recapitulate [alt., translate] what is written in a text, then I get a taste of the meaning of that text.”
