Bhakta-vaśyatā

evaṁ yad dhyāna-pūjādāv ekāntibhyaḥ prarocate

evaṁ yad dhyāna-pūjādāv ekāntibhyaḥ prarocate |
kṛṣṇāya rocate’tyantaṁ tad eva ca satāṁ matam ||
tathā ca tṛtīya-skandhe śrī-kardama-stutau—
tāny eva te’bhirūpāṇi rūpāṇi bhagavaṁs tava |
yāni yāni ca rocante sva-janānām arūpiṇaḥ ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 7.381–382)

“In this way, specifically that which in meditation, ritual worship, and so forth is highly pleasing to the one-pointed is exceedingly pleasing to Kṛṣṇa and [thus] approved by the sat. Accordingly also, in the praise by Śrī Kardama in the Third Canto [i.e., SB 3.24.31, it is said], ‘O Bhagavān, specifically those forms of yours—of you who are beyond form—which are pleasing to your own persons are suitable for you.’”

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citrāticitrai rucirair vihārair

citrāticitrai rucirair vihārair
ānanda-pāthodhi-taraṅga-magnaḥ |
nājñāsiṣaṁ rātri-dināni tāni
tat-tan-mahāmohana-loka-saṅgāt ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.107)

“Submerged in the waves of an ocean of bliss
By the most wonderful of wonderful,
Relishable sports,
I did not notice those nights and days [pass]
Because of the company of those most enchanting people.”

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yā bhartṛ-putrādi vihāya sarvaṁ

yā bhartṛ-putrādi vihāya sarvaṁ
loka-dvayārthān anapekṣyamāṇāḥ |
rāsādibhis tādṛśa-vibhramais tad-
rītyābhajaṁs tatra tam enam ārtāḥ ||
ato hi yā no bahu-sādhanottamaiḥ
sādhyasya cintyasya ca bhāva-yogataḥ |
mahāprabhoḥ prema-viśeṣa-pālibhiḥ
sat-sādhana-dhyāna-padatvam āgatāḥ ||
tāsv etasya hi dharma-karma-suta-pautrāgāra-kṛtyādiṣu
vyagrābhyo’smad athādaraiḥ patitayā sevā-karībhyo’dhikaḥ |
yukto bhāva-varo na matsara-padaṁ codvāha-bhāgbhyo bhavet
saṁślāghyo’tha ca yat prabhoḥ priya-janādhīnatva-māhātmya-kṛt ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.82–84)

“[Rukmiṇī Devī speaks in praise of the Vraja-gopīs:]
[They] Who being heart-stricken,
Forsaking everything—husband, son, and so on,
And disregarding the objects of the two worlds,
Worshiped him—he there—in that manner
By means of such graceful movements as rāsa and the like,
And who thus indeed attained in full the state of being
The object of paramount adoration and meditation
Accompanied by series of special expressions of prema
For our Great Master,
He who has been an object of attainment for us
By means of a profusion of the most excellent adorations
And an object of contemplation
By means of bhāva—
His greater, most beautiful bhāva for them [viz., the gopīs]
In comparison to us—
We who are his marital partners,
His servants with reverences
Because of his being our husband,
And intently concerned
About propriety (dharma), rites (karma), sons,
Grandsons, home, and duties—
Shall be appropriate,
Not an object of envy,
And rather fit to be highly praised [by us]
Since it is a cause for our Master
Of the greatness of being subservient to dear persons.”

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idam ākarṇya bhagavān utthāya śayyanād drutam

idam ākarṇya bhagavān utthāya śayyanād drutam |
priya-prema-parādhīno rudann uccair bahir gataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.6.63)

“Hearing this [statement of Balarāma], Bhagavān [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa], he who is captivated by the prema of dear ones, quickly arose from bed and went outside, weeping loudly.”

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pratyekaṁ gāva etā bahir api ca hareḥ prāṇa-rūpā yad āsāṁ

pratyekaṁ gāva etā bahir api ca hareḥ prāṇa-rūpā yad āsāṁ
śaśvat tṛptau ca tṛptiṁ kṣudhi ca kalayati kṣud-vikāraṁ sa eṣaḥ |
ānīyānīya caitā nija-hṛdi vidadhad ghrāṇa-saukhyaṁ dadhānaḥ
śliṣyann uccair vicinvann aśanam upadadat pālayan svena bhāti ||
usrāṇāṁ prāṇa-sāmyaṁ vahati harir amūs taṁ vinā rikta-cittāś
citra-prāyāḥ samantād yad iha vana-tati-śrī-nibhā visphuranti |
(Gopāla-campū: 1.12.31–32)

“And every one of these cows, although outside [Hari’s body], is like an embodiment of Hari’s vital air (prāṇa), since he always feels satisfied when their satisfaction occurs and [he feels] the pang of hunger when their hunger occurs. He repeatedly fetches them, takes pleasure in smelling them, and holds them to his heart; he embraces them, avidly inspects them, and feeds them; he along with those who are his own shines as he protects them. Hari sustains the cows like his vital air (prāṇa), and without him they become of void hearts and [motionless] like pictures since they appear like the beauty of the forests all around here [i.e., since they remain motionless like the beautiful trees in Goloka when he disappears from their sight].”

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patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati |
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 9.26)

[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “One who with bhakti offers a leaf, flower, fruit, or water to me—I partake of that offered out of bhakti from one of pure heart.”

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jahyād yad-arthe svān prāṇān hanyād vā pitaraṁ gurum

jahyād yad-arthe svān prāṇān hanyād vā pitaraṁ gurum |
tasyāṁ svatvaṁ striyāṁ jahyād yas tena hy ajito jitaḥ ||
kṛmi-viḍ-bhasma-niṣṭhāntaṁ kvedaṁ tucchaṁ kalevaram |
kva tadīya-ratir bhāryā kvāyam ātmā nabhaś-chadiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.14.12–13)

“The Unconquerable One [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān] becomes conquered by one who can relinquish possessiveness of one’s wife, for the sake of whom one [who is attached to one‘s wife] may relinquish [even] one’s vital airs [i.e., give up one’s life] or may kill [even] one’s father or guru [if a circumstance arises in which one’s wife’s life is in danger]. Where is this insignificant body, the end-state of which is in insects, excrement, or ashes? Where is a wife, whose attachment is to that [i.e., to that insignificant body]? And where is this Self, he who eclipses [even] the sky?”

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kṛṣṇa sei satya kare, yei māge bhṛtya

kṛṣṇa sei satya kare, yei māge bhṛtya |
bhṛtya-vāñchā-pūrti-vinu nāhi anya kṛtya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.15.168)

“Kṛṣṇa manifests that which [his] servants ask for. He has no task other than fulfilling [his] servants’ desires.”

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āraṇya-veśo vicalat-kadamba

āraṇya-veśo vicalat-kadamba-
mālāvataṁsāmbara-bārha-mauliḥ |
saurabhya-saṁvāsita-dik-taṭānto
līlā-smita-śrī-vikasan-mukhābjaḥ ||
kṛpāvalokollasad-īkṣaṇāmbujo
vicitra-saundarya-bharaika-bhūṣaṇaḥ |
go-dhūlikālaṅkṛta-cañcalālaka-
śreṇy-āvṛti-vyagra-karāmbujāṅguliḥ ||
dharā-tala-śrī-bhara-dāna-hetunā
bhūmi-spṛśor nṛtya-vilāsa-gāminoḥ |
sujātayoḥ śrī-pada-padmayor javad-
uccālanollāsa-bharair manoharaḥ ||
kaiśora-mādhurya-bharollasac-chrī-
gātrābhra-kānty-ujjvalitākhilāśaḥ |
tatratya-nitya-priya-loka-citta-
grāhyādbhutāneka-mahattva-sindhuḥ ||
sva-dīna-loka-priyatā-niyantrito
balād athotplutya samīpam āgataḥ |
tad-īkṣaṇa-prema-vimohitaṁ hi māṁ
gale gṛhitvā sahasāpatad bhuvi ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.56–60)

“With forest garb,
Kadamba garland, earrings, and peacock feather crest swaying,
The extremes of the directions
Fully scented with his fragrance,
Lotus face blossoming
With the splendor of a mild, playful smile,
Lotus eyes beaming with a glance of grace,
An abundance of variegated beauty
As his preeminent ornament,
The fingers of his lotus hand eagerly engaged
In retaining his locks
That had become decorated
With the dust raised by the cows,
Captivating the heart
With abundances of elation—
The high steps of his superb, blessed lotus feet
Moving with the joviality of dance
And touching the earth
For the sake of granting an abundance of blessedness
Upon the earth’s surface—
All directions illuminated
By the cloud-like luster of his blessed figure
Shining with an abundance of the sweetness of adolescence,
An ocean of numerous, astonishing greatnesses
Constantly perceptible to the minds
Of his dear ones present there [i.e., in Goloka],
And controlled by his fondness [i.e., prema]
For this humble person of his own [i.e., me (Gopa Kumāra)],
He then,
Forcibly jumping,
Came near me—
I who was overwhelmed with prema
Just by the sight of him—
Grabbed hold of my neck,
And suddenly [i.e., unintentionally] fell to the ground.”

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śoka-paṅka-nimagnaṁ yaḥ sāṅkhya-yogopadeśataḥ

śoka-paṅka-nimagnaṁ yaḥ sāṅkhya-yogopadeśataḥ |
ujjahārārjunaṁ bhaktaṁ sa kṛṣṇaḥ śaraṇaṁ mama ||
(Subodhinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.72)

“He who by means of instructions
About the yoga of wisdom
Uplifted Arjuna,
His bhakta submerged in the mud of sorrow—
Kṛṣṇa—
Is my shelter.”

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