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!”
nanu nirupādhi-premāspadasya prītau parikaratvābhimāna upādhiḥ syāt | tato jñānātmikāṁ sāmānyāṁ ca prītim apekṣya tad-abhimāni-prītayo gauṇya eva syuḥ | kiṁ ca mamatāyāḥ prīti-hetutve jñāte ca yasyātmanaḥ sambandhāt prītir bhavet tasminn eva tad-ādhikyaṁ syāt | naivaṁ | śrī-bhagavato yena svabhāvenaivānubhūtenābhimāna-viśeṣaṁ vināpi teṣāṁ prītir udayate tenāpi parikarāṇām udayate | tathā nija-svabhāva-siddho vā tātkāliko vā yo’bhimāna-viśeṣas tenāpy udayate | samuccaye ko virodhaḥ | pratyutollāsa eva |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 92)
“[An objection is raised:] ’Well, in the case of prīti for an object of upādhi-free prema [i.e., in the case of prīti for Śrī Bhagavān, who is the object of prema that is free from upādhis, that is, adjuncts, meaning, conditions], the identity (abhimāna) of being a parikara [i.e., an associate of Bhagavān] shall [itself] be an upādhi. Thus, the prītis of bearers of identity (abhimāna) in relation to him [i.e., the identity of being a parikara of Bhagavān] shall definitively be secondary [i.e., inferior] in comparison to jñāna-constituted and generic prīti [i.e., to jñānātmikā-prīti and sāmānya-prīti]. Moreover, when my-ness’s (mamatā’s) being the cause of prīti is also understood [i.e., when my-ness in relation to Bhagavān is considered the cause of prīti for Bhagavān], [then] an exceedance of prīti shall occur specifically for the self (ātmā) on the basis of a relation with which prīti [for Bhagavān] shall occur [i.e., if prīti for Bhagavān is caused by my-ness, that is, a sense of something belonging to and being dear to oneself, then prīti for one’s self is the basis of prīti for Bhagavān and will also always be greater than any prīti for Bhagavān that one may have].’
“[In response, it should be said:] No, that is not so. Prīti is manifested in parikaras by the same perceived nature (svabhāva) of Śrī Bhagavān by which prīti is manifest in them [i.e., those possessed of jñānātmikā-prīti and sāmānya-prīti] even without a particular identity (abhimāna) [in relation to Śrī Bhagavān]. It is also similarly manifest by a particular identity (abhimāna), be it one established in one’s own nature (svabhāva) or existent [only] for a particular time [i.e., temporarily present in the mind of a parikara]. What contradiction is there in the aggregation [of these? Meaning, there is no contradiction in saying that prīti is manifested both by perception of Bhagavān’s nature (svabhāva) and manifested by a particular identity (abhimāna) in relation to Bhagavān because these two things are not mutually exclusive but rather mutually complementary and of the same nature since both are manifestations of Śrī Bhagavān’s own svarūpa-śakti]. Rather, there is simply elation (ullāsa) [i.e., the elation of prīti, alt., there is simply increase (ullāsa), meaning, prīti simply manifests to a greater degree when Bhagavān’s nature (svabhāva) is perceived by one who also has a sense of identity (abhimāna) in relation to Bhagavān that is also manifested by Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti].”
atha śrīmad-bhṛtyeṣu rāga-paryantāpi sambhāvyate teṣāṁ mamatādhikyena santata-tat-sevā-lampaṭatvena tad-eka-jīvanatvāt | lālyeṣu sākṣāc-chrī-vigraha-sambandhena tato’pi mamatā-viśeṣorjitatvāt rāgātiśayo mantavyaḥ |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 92)
“Then, in blessed servants (bhṛtyas) [of Śrī Bhagavān], [prīti] even up to [the stage of] rāga is possible because of their having him alone as [their] life as a result of [their] being constantly covetous of his service on account of the exceedance of [their] my-ness (mamatā) [in relation to him]. A profusion of rāga is to be recognized in those to be cherished (lālyas) because of [their] having special my-ness (mamatā) [in relation to him] stronger than even that [of the servants (bhṛtyas)] because of [the lālya’s] direct relationship with [his] divine body.”
