asmil̐ loke vartamānaḥ svadharmastho’naghaḥ śuciḥ |
jñānaṁ viśuddham āpnoti mad-bhaktiṁ vā yadṛcchayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.20.11)
“While existing in this world, one who is situated in one’s own dharma, sinless, and pure attains pure jñāna, or, bhakti to me independently.”
kālāhi-vaktra-vilasad-rasanāgra-jāgrad-
gopī-dṛg-añcala-camatkṛti-viddha-marmā |
śarmādiśatv aruṇa-ghūrṇita-locanāntaḥ-
sañcāra-cūrṇita-satī-hṛdayo mukundaḥ ||
(Govinda-vilāsa; cited in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.2)
“He whose core is pierced
By the astonishment produced by the gopīs’ side-long glances,
Which are vigilant like the flickering tip of the tongue
In the mouth of a black snake;
He by the movements along the reddish edges
Of whose rolling eyes
The hearts of chaste women
Are pulverized—
May [he,] Mukunda
Beget delight.”
śrīvāsādi yata mahāprabhura bhakta-gaṇa |
nija-nija-bhāve karena caitanya-sevana ||
paṇḍita-gosāñi-ādi yāra yei rasa |
sei sei rase prabhu hana tāra vaśa ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.17.300–301)
“All of Mahāprabhu’s bhaktas, Śrīvāsa and so forth, engage in service to Caitanya with their own respective bhāvas. Prabhu becomes captivated by Paṇḍita Gosāñi [i.e., Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī] and others by the respective rasas which they each have.”
tam aṅkam ārūḍham apāyayat stanaṁ
sneha-snutaṁ sa-smitam īkṣatī mukham |
atṛptam utsṛjya javena sā yayāv
utsicyamāne payasi tv adhiśrite ||
sa jāta-kopaḥ sphuritāruṇādharaṁ
sandaśya dadbhir dadhi-mantha-bhājanam |
bhittvā mṛṣāśrur dṛṣad-aśmanā raho
jaghāsa haiyaṅgavam antaraṁ gataḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.5–6)
“Raised in her lap, she [i.e., Yaśodā] had him [i.e., Kṛṣṇa] drink from her breast, flowing [with milk] out of affection, as she beheld his smiling face, but when the milk on the fireplace was beginning to boil over, she put him down [although he was] unsatiated, and quickly went over [to attend to the milk on the fireplace]. Angered [by this] and biting his quivering reddish lips with his teeth, he [then] broke with a grindstone the pot [that Yaśodā had been using] for churning yoghurt, went inside [the house] with false tears [alt., non-false tears, in his eyes], and in a concealed place devoured the fresh butter [that Yaśodā had just churned].”
sakhyāṁ sva-sneho, yathā—
śaila-mūrdhni hariṇā viharantī
roma-kuḍmala-karmabita-mūrtiḥ |
rādhikā salalitaṁ lalitāyāḥ
paśya mārṣṭi lulitālakam āsyam ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 13.104)
“Personal [i.e., a nāyikā’s own] affection for sakhīs is [described] as follows: ‘[Rūpa Mañjarī says to a sakhī of Lalitā:] Look! While sporting with Hari atop the mountain, her figure inlaid with budding pores [i.e., horripilation], Rādhikā wipes Lalitā’s charming face with disheveled locks.”
vibhāvair anubhāvaiś ca sāttvikair vyabhicāribhiḥ |
svādyatvaṁ hṛdi bhaktānām ānītā śravaṇādibhiḥ |
eṣā kṛṣṇa-ratiḥ sthāyī bhāvo bhakti-raso bhavet ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.5)
“This rati for Kṛṣṇa, the sthāyi-bhāva, brought into the state of taste-ability in the heart of bhaktas by vibhāvas, anubhāvas, sāttvikas [i.e., sāttvika-bhāvas], and vyabhicāris [i.e., vyabhicāri-bhāvas] through hearing and so forth, shall become bhakti-rasa.”
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.”
mārabi rākhabi yo iccha tohārā |
nitya-dāse prati tuyā adhikārā ||
(Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s Śaraṇāgati: 11.3)
“You may kill me or protect me as you wish. You have [full] authority over your eternal servant.”
tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha-vāso’laṅkāra-carcitāḥ |
ucchiṣṭa-bhojino dāsās tava māyāṁ jayema hi ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.6.46; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 9.355 and Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.125)
[Uddhava to Kṛṣṇa:] “Adorned with garlands, fragrances, garments, and ornaments enjoyed by you, and partaking of your remnants, your servants can certainly conquer your māyā.”
nānyathā te’khila-guro ghaṭeta karuṇātmanaḥ |
yas ta āśiṣa āśāste na sa bhṛtyaḥ sa vai vaṇik ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.10.4)
[Prahlāda Mahārāja to Nṛsiṁhadeva:] “Otherwise, this [i.e., your presently prompting me in this way] would not happen, since you are compassionate, O Guru of all! One who desires benedictions from you is not a servant. He is just a merchant!”
