gopīnāṁ mahimā kaścit tāsām eko‘pi śakyate |
na mayā svamukhe kartuṁ merur makṣikayā yathā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.156)
[Parīkṣit Mahārāja to Mother Uttarā:] “Even one particular greatness of those gopīs is not able to be uttered by me with my own mouth, just as [the greatness] of [Mount] Meru [cannot be swallowed] by a fly [with its own mouth].”
iti gauḍīya-bhakta-sudhībhir avaśyāvagamyaṁ …
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.8.13)
“This is to be understood by wise Gauḍīya devotees.”
ity evam upakāro’dya bhavatākāri me mahān |
tat te’smi parama-prīto nijābhīṣṭān varān vṛṇu ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.131)
[Śrī Bhagavān to Nārada:] “Thus in this way today [i.e., by reminding me of the gopīs] you have greatly favored me. Therefore, I am supremely pleased with you. Please choose your desired benedictions.”
mat-prīty-utpādana-vyagra śrī-nārada suhṛt-tama |
hitam evākṛtātyantaṁ bhavān me rasikottama ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.124)
[Śrī Bhagavān:] “O Nārada, O you who are eager to bring me pleasure, [and are thus] my dearest friend! You have indeed benefitted me to the highest degree, O very best of rasikas!”
kṣīreṇātmagatodakāya hi guṇā dattā purā te’khilā
kṣīrottāpam avekṣya tena payasā svātmā kṛśānau hutaḥ |
gantuṁ pāvakam unmanas tad abhavad dṛṣṭvā tu mitrāpadaṁ
yuktaṁ tena jalena śāmyati satāṁ maitrī punas tv īdṛśī ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 76)
“First, milk bestowed all its own well-known qualities on water [such as whiteness, tastefulness, etc., when it was mixed with water]. Observing the milk [in its midst] becoming greatly heated [i.e., seeing the milk and itself being heated on a stove], the water made itself an offering into the fire [i.e., the water sacrificed itself to protect the milk]. The milk became eager to enter the fire [along with its friend the water, as it neared boiling over] upon seeing the distress of his friend [i.e., the water], but became calm when combined with water again. Such is friendship with the virtuous.”
pāpān nivārayati yojayate hitāya
guhyam nigūhati guṇān prakaṭīkaroti |
āpad-gataṁ ca na jahāti dadāti kāle
san-mitra-lakṣaṇam idaṁ pravadanti santaḥ
(Nīta-śatakam of Bhatṛhari: 1.73)
“The wise say these are the characteristics of a true friend: he prevents one from sins, engages one in what is beneficial, conceals one’s secrets, affirms one’s qualities, does not abandon one in trouble, and gives one [whatever is required or desired] at the appropriate time.”
haraty aghaṁ samprati hetur eṣyataḥ
śubhasya pūrvācaritaiḥ kṛtaṁ śubhaiḥ |
śarīra-bhājāṁ bhavadīya-darśanaṁ
vyanakti kāla-tritaye’pi yogyatām ||
(Śiśupāla-vadha: 1.26)
[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa addresses Nārada Muni upon his arrival in Dvārakā:] “Sight of you demonstrates indeed the virtue of embodied beings in the three phases of time: it removes impurity in the present, it is the cause of good fortune in the future, and it is attained by good works performed in the past.”
āhārārthaṁ samīheta yuktaṁ tat-prāṇa-dhāraṇam |
tattvaṁ vimṛśyate tena tad-vijñāya vimucyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.18.34)
“One should endeavor for the sake of food. Sustaining one’s life is rightful. Thereby, reality is deliberated upon, and by realizing it, one can become completely liberated.”
nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati |
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.17.28; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.190; Bhakti-rasāmṛa-sindhu: 1.2.33; Prīti Sandarbha: 21, 47)
[Śiva to Pārvatī:] “All who are devoted to Nārāyaṇa do not become afraid under any circumstances. They are seers of the same object amid Svarga, liberation, and even Naraka.”
