Madhura-rasa

atulatvād apāratvād āpto’sau durvigāhatām

atulatvād apāratvād āpto’sau durvigāhatām |
spṛṣṭaḥ paraṁ taṭasthena rasābdhir madhuro mayā ||
(Ujjvala-nīlāmaṇi: 15.259)

“This ocean of madhura-rasa, difficult to fully plunge into [i.e., difficult to fully grasp, even for great prema-bhaktas and rasika-kavis, such as Śukadeva, Līlāśuka, and Jayadeva] because of its being bottomless and boundless [i.e., superior to all other rasas in quality and quantity], has only been touched by me, who am situated on the shore [i.e., who am unable to enter into it, and so, I, from the shore, have just collected a drop of it with my finger and placed it on my tongue].”

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mukhya-raseṣu purā yaḥ saṁkṣepeṇodito rahasyatvāt

mukhya-raseṣu purā yaḥ saṁkṣepeṇodito rahasyatvāt |
pṛthag eva bhakti-rasa-rāṭ sa vistareṇocyate madhuraḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 1.2)

“Madhura [i.e., madhura-rasa], the king of bhakti-rasas, which was described [only] briefly [in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu] among the principal rasas because of its being confidential, is separately described elaborately [here in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi].”

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nivṛttānupayogitvād durūhatvād ayaṁ rasaḥ

nivṛttānupayogitvād durūhatvād ayaṁ rasaḥ |
rahasyatvāc ca saṁkṣipya vitatāṅgo‘pi likhyate ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 3.5.2)

“This rasa [i.e., madhura-rasa], although it’s components are extensive, is described [only] briefly [here in this text (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu)] because of its being unsuitable for the abstinent, difficult to comprehend, and confidential.”

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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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viśveṣām anurañjanena janayann ānandam indīvara

viśveṣām anurañjanena janayann ānandam indīvara-
śreṇī-śyāmala-komalair upanayann aṅgair anaṅgotsavam |
svacchandaṁ vraja-sundarībhir abhitaḥ praty-aṅgam āliṅgitaḥ
śṛṅgāraḥ sakhi mūrtimān iva madhau mugdho hariḥ krīḍati ||
(Gītā-govinda: 1.11; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.4.224, 2.8.143)

“O sakhi, producing bliss for all by satisfying [all], creating a festival of Anaṅga with his dark and tender limbs resembling rows of blue lotuses, and freely embraced in full by the beauties of Vraja on both sides, charming Hari plays during the spring like the embodiment of śṛṅgāra.”

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kam prati kathayitum īśe samprati ko vā pratītim āyātu

kam prati kathayitum īśe samprati ko vā pratītim āyātu |
go-pati-tanayā-kuñje gopa-vadhūṭī-viṭaṁ brahma ||
(Raghupati Upādhyāya; cited in Padyāvalī: 98; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.19.98)

“Who can I tell, and who will now believe, that Brahman is a hunter of the wives of cowherd men in the groves along the Yamunā?”

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yat pālitaṁ tāta-mukhair vardhitaṁ

yat pālitaṁ tāta-mukhair vardhitaṁ
līlā-rasair mitra-gaṇair niṣevitam |
bhaktaiḥ sadāsvāditam etad ālibhiḥ
śrī-rādhayā kṛṣṇa-rasāmṛtaṁ phalam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 23.92)

“This fruit—Kṛṣṇa, the nectar of rasa [i.e., Kṛṣṇa, who is the nectar of prema personified]—which is continuously nourished with the rasas of līlās [i.e., with līlās full of varieties of rasa] by his father and so forth, [continuously] increased [with the rasas of līlās] by his friends, and [continuously] served [with the rasas of līlās] by his bhaktas [i.e., his servants], is [continuously] tasted [through the rasas of līlās] by Śrī Rādhā and friends.”

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vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ

vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ |
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.33.39)

“One endowed with śraddhā who shall hear about or describe this extraordinary play and so forth of Viṣṇu with the ladies of Vraja attains superlative bhakti to Bhagavān, quickly casts off the heart disease of kāma, and without delay becomes steadfast.”

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