kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasāsvādavatāṁ kiṁ syān na sundaram
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasāsvādavatāṁ kiṁ syān na sundaram ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.39)
“For those who taste the rasa of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, what shall not be beautiful?”
Sanātana Gosvāmī
sa-premakā bhaktir atīva-durlabhā
sa-premakā bhaktir atīva-durlabhā
svargādi-bhogaḥ sulabho’bhavaś ca saḥ |
cintāmaṇiḥ sarva-janair na labhyate
labhyeta kācādi kadāpi hāṭakam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.232)
“Bhakti endowed with prema is extremely rare to attain. Enjoyment of Svarga and so forth, and even non-birth [i.e., non-rebirth], are [relatively] easy to attain. A thought-jewel is not attained by everyone. [Rather,] Glass and so forth is attained, and sometimes gold.”
vanaṁ gṛhaṁ no’bhavad ālayo vanaṁ
vanaṁ gṛhaṁ no’bhavad ālayo vanaṁ
dviṣat suhṛd bandhu-gaṇaś ca vairiṇaḥ |
viṣaṁ ca pīyūṣam utāmṛtaṁ viṣaṁ
yad-artham asmāt tvād ṛte mriyāmahe ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.292)
“[The gopīs to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] Without you, for the sake of whom the forest has become our home and our abode the forest, our enemies well-wishers, and our friends enemies, poison ambrosia and even nectar poison, we are dying.”
tad-eka-rasa-lokasya saṅge’bhivyaktatāṁ svataḥ
tad-eka-rasa-lokasya saṅge’bhivyaktatāṁ svataḥ |
prayāsyad api tad vastu gopanīyaṁ prayatnataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.219)
“Even though that substance [i.e., that prema] will naturally become manifest in the association of a person whose only love is for that [prema], it should be kept hidden with effort.”
nidānaṁ tu paraṁ premṇaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-karuṇā-bharaḥ
nidānaṁ tu paraṁ premṇaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-karuṇā-bharaḥ |
kasyāpy udety akasmād vā kasyacit sādhana-kramāt ||
yathodārān milaty annaṁ pākvaṁ vā pāka-sādhanam |
sādhakasyocyate śāstra-gatyāyaṁ sādhana-kramaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.215–216)
“But the primary cause of [such] prema is an abundance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace. That manifests for some without cause and for some through a course of sādhanas, just as either cooked food or the ingredients for cooking come [to someone] from a generous person. This course of sādhanas for a sādhaka [through which an abundance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace manifests] is [now going to be] described [by me] in accord with śāstra.”
mat-tulyo nāsti pāpātmā nāparādhī ca kaścana
mat-tulyo nāsti pāpātmā nāparādhī ca kaścana |
parihāre’pi lajjā me kiṁ brūve puruṣottama ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.154; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.1.190)
“No one is a sinner and a offender like me. O Puruṣottama! I am ashamed even to speak. What can I say?’
mantra-hīnaṁ kriyā-hīnaṁ bhakti-hīnaṁ janārdana
mantra-hīnaṁ kriyā-hīnaṁ bhakti-hīnaṁ janārdana |
yat pūjitaṁ mayā deva paripūrṇaṁ tad astu me ||
(Āgama-śāstra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.427)
“[Although] Deficient in mantras, deficient in performance, and deficient in bhakti, O Janārdana, O Deva, may that by which you have been worshipped by me be fully complete [i.e., sufficient in satisfying you].”
ekādaśī-sahasrais tu māsopoṣaṇa-koṭibhiḥ
ekādaśī-sahasrais tu māsopoṣaṇa-koṭibhiḥ |
tat phalaṁ prāpyate pumbhir viṣṇor naivedya-bhakṣaṇāt ||
(Unknown source; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 9.408)
“The result of [fasting on] thousands of Ekādaśīs and fasting for tens of millions of [specified] months is attained by people just by eating [the remnants of] offerings to Viṣṇu.”
yo mamaivārcanaṁ kṛtvā tatra prāpaṇam uttamam
yo mamaivārcanaṁ kṛtvā tatra prāpaṇam uttamam |
śeṣam annaṁ samaśnāti tataḥ saukhyataraṁ nu kim ||
(Varāha Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 9.390)
“What greater happiness is there than that of one who worships me with an excellent offering and then partakes in full of the food remnants?”
navam annaṁ phalaṁ puṣpaṁ nivedya madhusūdane
navam annaṁ phalaṁ puṣpaṁ nivedya madhusūdane |
paścād bhuṅkte svayaṁ yaś ca tasya tuṣyati keśavaḥ ||
(Viṣṇu-dharma-uttara; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 9.406)
“Keśava satisfies one who offers fresh grain, fruit, and flowers to Madhusūdana and thereafter personally partakes [of the remnants].”