Rūpa Gosvāmī

hā devi kāku-bhara-gadgadayādya vācā

hā devi kāku-bhara-gadgadayādya vācā
yāce nipatya bhuvi daṇḍavad udbhaṭārtiḥ |
asya prasādam abudhasya janasya kṛtvā
gāndharvike nija-gaṇe gaṇanāṁ vidhehi ||
(Stava-mālā: Gāndharvā-prārthanāṣṭakam, 2)

“Hā! O Devī! Today, filled with intense heartache, I fall prostrate in obeisance on the ground [before you] and pray [to you] with a faltering voice filled with sorrow: O Gāndharvikā! Please bestow your grace upon this foolish fellow and count him within your own retinue.” 

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apāra-karuṇā-pūra-pūritāntar-mano-hrade

apāra-karuṇā-pūra-pūritāntar-mano-hrade |
prasīdāsmin jane devi nija-dāsya-spṛhā-juṣi ||
(Stava-mālā: Cāṭu-puṣpāñjali, 17)

“O you the deep lake of whose inner heart is filled with a boundless flood of compassion! O Devī! Please be gracious to this person, who cherishes longing for your service.”

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tvām asau yācate natvā viluṭhan yamunā-taṭe

tvām asau yācate natvā viluṭhan yamunā-taṭe |
kākubhir vyākula-svānto jano vṛndāvaneśvari ||
kṛtāgaske’py ayogye’pi jane’smin kumatāv api |
dāsya-dāna-pradānasya lavam apy upapādaya ||
yuktas tvayā jano naiva duḥkhito’yam upekṣitum |
kṛpā-dyota-dravac-citta-navanītāsi yat sadā ||
(Stava-mālā: Prārthanā-paddhati, 5–7)

“Offering obeisance to you,

And rolling about on the bank of the Yamunā,

This person of agitated heart,

Begs with cries of sorrow,

O Vṛndāvaneśvarī!

Although a transgressor,

Although unfit,

And although foul-minded,

Please bestow upon this person

Just a tiny portion of the gift

Of a share of [your] service.

It is not proper for this sorrowful person

To be neglected by you,

For the fresh butter of your heart

Is always melting under the sunshine of your grace.”

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bhavatīm abhivādya cāṭubhir

bhavatīm abhivādya cāṭubhir
varam ūrjeśvari varyam arthaye |
bhavadīyatayā kṛpāṁ yathā
mayi kuryād adhikāṁ bakāntakaḥ ||
(Stava-mālā: Utkalikā-vallariḥ, 20)

“O Ūrjeśvarī [i.e., O Rādhā, presiding goddess over Kārtika], I salute you, and with endearing words I pray for this finest benediction: may Bakāntaka [i..e, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the killer of Bakāsura], bestow greater grace upon me on account of [my] being your own.”

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rādhāyā bhavataś ca citta-jatunī svedair vilāpya kramād

rādhāyā bhavataś ca citta-jatunī svedair vilāpya kramād
yuñjann adri-nikuñja-kuñjara-pate nirdhūta-bheda-bhramam |
citrāya svayam anvarañjayad iha brahmāṇḍa-harmyodare
bhūyobhir nava-rāga-hiṅgula-bharaiḥ śṛṅgāra-kāruḥ kṛtī ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.155; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 81; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.8.194)

[Vṛndā addresses Kṛṣṇa:] “O elephant king of the mountain arbors, the expert artisan of amorous love has gradually melted the lac of the hearts of Rādhā and yourself with heat, stirred them, removed any appearance of separation [between them, i.e., made them one], and then personally dyed them with a rich abundance of fresh red vermillion dye to decorate [alt., to paint a picture within] the interior of the palace of the universe.”

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atra kṛtānukaraṇaṁ nāma līlākhyo nāyikānubhāvaḥ

atra kṛtānukaraṇaṁ nāma līlākhyo nāyikānubhāvaḥ | tad uktaṁ kriyānukaraṇaṁ līleti | prakṛtiṁ svabhāvam | tādṛśa-premāveśo jātaḥ | yena tat-svabhāva-nija-svabhāvayor aikyam eva tāsu jātam ity arthaḥ | yathā śrīmad-ujjvala-nīlamaṇau mahā-bhāvodāharaṇam—rādhāyā bhavataś ca … |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 81)

“Here [in reference to the līlā described in SB 1.9.40 and 10.30.14–23], imitation of deeds, which is called līlā, is an ensuant (anubhāva) of a nāyikā [i.e., the gopīs]. This is stated [in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 10.28]: kriyānukaraṇaṁ līlā [“imitating actions [of one’s beloved] is [called] līlā”]. ‘Nature’ (prakṛti) means svabhāva. Absorption in such prema arose [in the gopīs] whereby a oneness arose in them of his svabhāva with their own svabhāvas, as [is described] in the illustration of mahābhāva in Śrīmad Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: rādhāyā bhavataś ca ….”

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ṛddhā siddhi-vraja-vijayitā satya-dharmā samādhir

ṛddhā siddhi-vraja-vijayitā satya-dharmā samādhir
brahmānando gurur api camatkārayaty eva tāvat |
yāvat premṇāṁ madhu-ripu-vaśīkāra-siddhauṣadhīnāṁ
gandho’py antaḥ-karaṇa-saraṇī-pānthatāṁ na prayāti ||
(Lalita-mādhava-nāṭaka: 5.2; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 19.165)

“The pre-eminence of flourishing siddhis, samādhi attained by means of the dharma of truthfulness [cleanliness, austerity, and so forth], and even the greatness of the bliss of Brahman cause amazement only so long as even the fragrance of prema—the proven herb for captivating the Enemy of Mura [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa]—does not become a traveller on the path of the antaḥkaraṇa [i.e., is not perceived by the mind].”

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sarvathā dhvaṁsa-rahitaṁ saty api dhvaṁsa-kāraṇe

sarvathā dhvaṁsa-rahitaṁ saty api dhvaṁsa-kāraṇe |
yad bhāva-bandhanaṁ yūnoḥ sa premā parikīrtitaḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.63)

“The bond of bhāva between a youthful couple that remains undestroyed under all circumstances, even in the presence of a cause for destruction, is proclaimed prema.”

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api sphārāmode pratipada-sudhā-koṭi-madhure

api sphārāmode pratipada-sudhā-koṭi-madhure
purāṇa-grāmāntar-vahati tava līlā-rasa-jhare |
mano-vatsaḥ pātuṁ viṣaya-viṣa-garte viśati me
kṛpā-yaṣṭyā tūrṇaṁ damaya tam amuṁ tarṇaka-pate ||
(Stava-mālā: Nandotsavādi-carita, 11)

“Although the stream of your līlā-rasa, abundantly fragrant [i.e., imbued with the fine fragrance of your qualities and renown] and sweet at every step with the highest grade of nectar, flows through the old village [i.e., the Purāṇas led by Śrīmad Bhāgavatam], the calf of my mind enters a ditch to drink the poison of viṣaya. O calf-keeper [i.e., O Kṛṣṇa], please quickly restrain it with the stick of your grace [so that it drinks only your līlā-rasa and no more the poison of viṣaya].”

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