Rūpa Gosvāmī

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ |
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.18.12; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.561; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.29; Bhakti Sandarbha: 109; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.8.58, 2.22.76)

“[Prahlāda Mahārāja to Bhagavān Nṛsiṁha:] The suras along with all qualities reside in full within one who has unconditional bhakti to Bhagavān. How could a non-bhakta of Hari running outwards after the asat as a result of desire have the qualities of the mahats?”

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dainyārṇave nimagno’smi mantu-grāva-bharārditaḥ

dainyārṇave nimagno’smi mantu-grāva-bharārditaḥ |
duṣṭe kāruṇya-pārīṇa mayi kṛṣṇa kṛpāṁ kuru ||
ādhāro’py aparādhānām aviveka-hato’py aham |
tvat-kāruṇya-pratīkṣo’smi prasīda mayi mādhava ||
(Stava-mālā: Praṇāma-praṇaya-stava, 13–14)

“I am immersed in an ocean of distress and burdened by the weight of the stone of my offenses [which is shackled to me as I flounder]. O Adept in compassion! O Kṛṣṇa! Please bestow your grace upon my wicked self. Although I am a repository of aparādhas, and although I am blighted by indiscrimination, I wait [expectantly] for your compassion. Please bestow your grace upon me.”

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cintāmaṇiś caraṇa-bhūṣaṇam aṅganānāṁ

cintāmaṇiś caraṇa-bhūṣaṇam aṅganānāṁ
śṛṅgāra-puṣpa-taravas taravaḥ surāṇām |
vṛndāvane vraja-dhanaṁ nanu kāma-dhenu-
vṛndāni ceti sukha-sindhur aho vibhūtiḥ ||
(Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.173; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.14.228)

“‘Nanu! In Vṛndāvana, the ladies’ foot-ornaments are thought-jewels, the decorative flowering trees are desire-trees [lit., trees of the suras], and the communal wealth is herds of desire-cows. Aho! The opulence [here] is thus an ocean of joy!”

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śriyaḥ kāntāḥ kāntaḥ parama-puruṣaḥ kalpa-taravo

śriyaḥ kāntāḥ kāntaḥ parama-puruṣaḥ kalpa-taravo
drumā bhūmiś cintāmaṇi-gaṇa-mayī toyam amṛtam |
kathā gānaṁ nāṭyaṁ gamanam api vaṁśī priya-sakhī
cid-ānandaṁ jyotiḥ param api tad āsvādyam api ca ||
sa yatra kṣīrābdhiḥ sravati surabhībhyaś ca sumahān
nimeṣārdhākhyo vā vrajati na hi yatrāpi samayaḥ |
bhaje śvetadvīpaṁ tam aham iha golokam iti yaṁ
vidantas te santaḥ kṣiti‑virala‑cārāḥ katipaye ||
(Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.55–56; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.143; Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.94–95; Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.5.500–501; Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 172, 177, 186; Prīti Sandarbha: 111; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.14.227)

“That [place] where the lovers [alt., women] are Śrīs [i.e., resemblant of Lakṣmī], the beloved is the Supreme Puruṣa [i.e., he who is superior even to Nārāyaṇa and expands himself to reciprocate with every lover], the trees are desire-trees, the land is made of thought-jewels, the water is nectar, the speech is song, the movement is dance, the vaṁśī [i.e., flute] is a dear sakhī [i.e., is a friend to Kṛṣṇa as his constant companion and a friend to the residents of Vraja by making Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure and whereabouts known], the conscious, blissful, superb light is supremely relishable, an ocean of milk flows from the cows [i.e., where the cows become absorbed in the sound of the flute and yield unlimited milk], and where even the time [i.e., the time span] known as half of the most immense [i.e., half of the lifespan of Brahmā] or [the time span known as half of] the blink of the eye [i.e., an instant] does not pass [i.e., where the troublesome effects of time are absent and the residents are unaware of time on account of their absorption]—I worship [i.e., take shelter in] that Śvetadvīpa [lit., ‘white island’] which [only] a few sādhus in this world, who move about in seclusion on the earth [out of attachment to Kṛṣṇa and non-attachment to everything of the world; alt., who are extremely rare], know to be Goloka.”

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śūnyāyate mahāgoṣṭhaṁ girīndro’jagarāyate

śūnyāyate mahāgoṣṭhaṁ girīndro’jagarāyate |
vyāghra-tuṇḍāyate kuṇḍaṁ jīvātu-rahitasya me ||
(Stavāvalī: Prārthanāśraya-caturdaśaka, 11)

“The great pastureland [i.e., Vraja] seems empty, the king of mountains [i.e., Girirāja Govardhana] seems like a python, and the pool [i.e., Rādhā Kuṇḍa] seems like the jaws of a tiger for I who am bereft of [my] vitality [i.e., Śrī Rūpa].”

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pīḍābhir nava-kāla-kūṭa-kaṭutā-garvasya nirvāsano

pīḍābhir nava-kāla-kūṭa-kaṭutā-garvasya nirvāsano
nisyandena mudāṁ sudhā-madhurimāhaṅkāra-saṅkocanaḥ |
premā sundari nanda-nandana-paro jāgarti yasyāntare
jñāyante sphuṭam asya vakra-madhurās tenaiva vikrāntayaḥ ||
(Vidagdha-mādhava-nāṭaka: 2.18; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.2.52)

“Banishing of the pride
Of the severity of a young snake’s venom
With its pains,
And constricting of the ego
Of the sweetness of nectar
With its exudation of delight,
O beautiful one,
The crooked and sweet strides [alt., prowesses]
Of prema for the Son of Nanda
Are clearly known
Only by one in whose heart it awakens.”

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kurvati kila kokila-kula ujjvala-kala-nādam

kurvati kila kokila-kula ujjvala-kala-nādam |
jaiminir iti jaiminir iti jalpati saviṣādam ||
(Stava-mālā: Gītāvalī, 32.1)

“As the cuckoos call out with bright melodies, she [i.e., Rādhā] cries out in despair, ‘Jaimini! Jaimini!‘”

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ye me bhakta-janāḥ pārtha na me bhaktāś ca te janāḥ

ye me bhakta-janāḥ pārtha na me bhaktāś ca te janāḥ |
mad-bhaktānāñ ca ye bhaktās te me bhakta-tamā matāḥ
(Ādi Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.133; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.218; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.11.28)

“O Arjuna, those persons who are bhaktas of me [i.e., who are focused only on me and neglect my bhaktas]—those persons are not my bhaktas [i.e., they are not my bhaktas in the full and proper sense]. Those who are bhaktas of my bhaktas are considered my best bhaktas [i.e., I consider those who have bhakti both for me and for my bhaktas to truly be my bhaktas].“

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na vayaṁ kavayo na tārkikā

na vayaṁ kavayo na tārkikā
na ca vedānta-nitānta-pāragāḥ |
na ca vādi-nivārakāḥ paraṁ
kapaṭābhīra-kiśora-kiṅkarāḥ ||
(Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; cited in Padyāvalī: 72)

“We are neither poets, nor logicians, nor great adepts in Vedānta, nor refuters of disputants. Rather, we are servants of a crafty cowherd boy.”

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prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ

prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ |
mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.256)

“The rejection of an object related to Hari by seekers of liberation based on consideration of [its supposedly] being mundane is called useless non-attachment (phalgu-vairāgya).”

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