nirupadhi-karuṇena śrī-śacī-nandanena
tvayi kapaṭi-śaṭho’pi tvat-priyeṇārpito’smi |
iti khalu mama yogyāyogyatāṁ tām agṛhṇan
nija-nikaṭa-nivāsaṁ dehi govardhana tvam ||
(Govardhana-vāsa-prārthanā-daśakam: 10)
“Although I am crooked and deceitful, I have been given to you by your dear one, the unconditionally compassionate Son of Śrī Śacī. So, may you please do not judge my fitness and unfitness, and give me a dwelling near you, O Govardhana!”
pramada-madana-līlāḥ kandare kandare te
racayati nava-yūnor dvandvam asminn amandam |
iti kila kalanārthaṁ lagnakas tad-dvayor me
nija-nikaṭa-nivāsaṁ dehi govardhana tvam ||
(Govardhana-vāsa-prārthanā-daśakam: 2)
“The Pair of fresh youths liberally enact līlās of madden love in these caves of yours. Thus, for the sake of my beholding that Pair [so engaged upon you], may you please become an intermediary and give me a dwelling near you, O Govardhana!”
vinā bhavet kiṁ hari-dāsa-varya-
padāśrayaṁ bhaktir ataḥ śrayāmi |
yam eva saprema nijeśayoḥ śrī-
govardhano me diśatām abhīṣṭam ||
(Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda’s Govardhanāṣṭakam: 8)
“Can bhakti [to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa] ever manifest without the shelter of the feet of the best of Hari’s servants?[Never.] Therefore, I take shelter In [Govardhana,] he who is endowed with prema for his own Īśas. May Śrī Govardhana fulfill my desire.”
śrī-kṛṣṇa-dāsa-varyo’yaṁ śrī-govardhana-bhūdharaḥ |
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 16.232)
“The best of the servants of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is Govardhan.”
veṇu-nāda-sudhā-vṛṣṭyā niṣkramayyokti-mādhurīm |
yāsāṁ naḥ pāyayāmāsa kṛṣṇas tā eva no gatiḥ ||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.21.7)
“Our refuge is they [i.e., the Vraja-gopīs,] the sweetness of whose speech Kṛṣṇa, with a shower of nectar in the form of the sound of his flute, drew out and caused us to drink.”
yāsāṁ budhyeta vāg artho yāsām eva prasādataḥ |
gopīḥ prapadye tā yābhiḥ sa gambhīrāśayo jitaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.21.7)
“I take shelter in the gopīs, the meaning of whose words can be understood only by their grace, and by whom he of deep heart [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] is conquered.”
atha ayauthikyaḥ—
tad-bhāva-baddha-rāgā ye janās te sādhane ratāḥ |
tad-yogyam anurāgaughaṁ prāpyotkaṇṭhānusārataḥ ||
tā ekaśo’thavā dvi-trāḥ kāle kāle vraje’bhavan |
prācīnāś ca navāś ca syur ayauthikyas tato dvidhā |
nitya-priyābhiḥ sālokyaṁ prācīnāś ciram āgatāḥ |
vraje jātā navās tv etā martyāmartyādi-yonitaḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlāmaṇī: 3.49; cited in Rāga-vartma-candrikā: 2.7)
“Those persons possessed of rāga [i.e., strong affinity] for that bhāva [i.e., the gopīs’ paroḍhā-bhāva] who engaged in sādhana and upon attaining in accord with their [level of] eagerness an abundance of anurāga [i.e., ardor] befitting that [i.e., that gopī-bhāva] took birth one by one or in twos and threes from time to time in Vraja are [known as] ayauthikyas [i.e., those who engaged in a sādhana and attained siddhi outside of a fixed group]. Ayauthikyas can be of two types: ancient and new. The ancient attained co-residence with the eternal beloveds [of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in his eternal dhāma] long ago [i.e., during previous kalpas], while the new have taken birth in Vraja after being born as mortals, immortals, and so on [i.e., as human beings, devas, animals, and so forth during the present kalpa].”
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].”
snātānulipta-vapuṣaḥ pupuṣuḥ svabhās tan-
nirmālya-mālya-vasanābharaṇena dāsyaḥ |
prāsya svakāmam anuvṛtti-ratās tayor yāḥ
śrī-rūpa-mañjari-samāna-guṇābhidhānāḥ ||
tā vidyud-uddyuti-jayi-prapadaika-rekhā
vaidagdhya eva kila mūrtibhṛtas tathāpi |
yūtheśvarītvam api samyag arocayitvā
dāsyāmṛtābdhim anusasnur ajasram asyāḥ ||
(Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta: 3.1–2)
“The dāsīs whose bodies are bathed and anointed and whose own lusters are nourished with her [i.e., Śrī Rādhā’s] remnant garlands, garments, and ornaments, [the dāsīs] who have cast away selfish desire and are engaged in pleasing them [i.e., Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa], [the dāsīs] who are known to possess qualities equal [in excellence] to the buds (mañjarīs) of their figures and splendors [alt., who are known to have qualities equal to those of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī], [the dāsīs] one ray from the tips of whose toes defeats the brilliance of lightning, [the dāsīs] who are verily embodiments of cleverness, [the dāsīs] who nevertheless have no taste whatsoever for being a yūtheśvarī [even though they are fully qualified to be one], [those dāsīs] forever bath in the ocean of the nectar of servitude (dāsya) unto her [i.e., Śrī Rādhā].”
śrī-rādhā-pāda-padma-cchavi-madhuratara-prema-cij-jyotir ekā-
mbodher udbhūta-phena-stavaka-maya-tanūḥ sarva-vaidagdhya-pūrṇāḥ |
kaiśora-vyañjitās tad-ghana-rug-apaghana-śrī-camatkāra-bhājo
divyālaṅkāra-vastrā anusarata sakhe rādhikā-kiṅkarīs tāḥ ||
(Vṛndāvana-mahimāmṛta: 2.86)
“Their forms are made of clusters of foam arising from the superexcellent ocean of the spiritual light of prema made even sweeter by the luster of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. They are replete with all expertise and vividly youthful, their figures are splendorous and astonishing with the intense luster thereof [i.e., of their youth] and adorned with charming ornaments and garments. O sakhī, follow those maidservants of Rādhikā.”
