Bhakti

kṛṣṇasyānugraho’py ebhyo nānumīyeta sattamaiḥ

kṛṣṇasyānugraho’py ebhyo nānumīyeta sattamaiḥ |
sa cāvirbhavati śrīmann adhikṛtyaiva sevakam ||
hanūmad-ādivat tasya kāpi sevā kṛtāsti na |
paraṁ vighnākule citte smaraṇaṁ kriyate mayā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.4.19–20)

“Even Kṛṣṇa’s favor shall not be inferred from these [i.e., from someone’s overcoming impediments, teaching children, acting like a sādhu, being compassionate to living beings in distress, not accepting mokṣa, pleasing people in general, and other characteristics spoken of in the previous verse] by the best of the sat. O blessed one, furthermore that [i.e., Kṛṣṇa’s favor] appears only towards a servant [i.e., it is not bestowed upon someone like me who does not engage in service to Bhagavān]. Not sort of service to him like Hanumān [performs] has been performed by me. Only remembrance [of him] with a mind beset with disturbances is performed by me.”

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yeṣāṁ sa eṣa bhagavān dayayed anantaḥ

yeṣāṁ sa eṣa bhagavān dayayed anantaḥ
sarvātmanāśrita-pado yadi nirvyalīkam |
te dustarām atitaranti ca deva-māyāṁ
naiṣāṁ mamāham iti dhīḥ śva-śṛgāla-bhakṣye ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.7.42; cited in Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.86; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.6.235)

“If those whom he, this Bhagavān, the Unlimited, may grace take shelter in his feet in all respects without duplicity, they will cross beyond his difficult to surmount, divine māyā [and come to know him], and they will have no notion of ‘my’ or ‘I’ in regard to that which is food for dogs and jackals [i.e., the material body].”

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tasmād asad-abhidhyānaṁ yathā svapna-manoratham

tasmād asad-abhidhyānaṁ yathā svapna-manoratham |
hitvā mayi samādhatsva mano mad-bhāva-bhāvitam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.14.28)

“Therefore, one should reject desire for [alt., meditation upon] the asat, which is like the illusion in a dream, and upon me fully fix the mind imbued with bhāva by way of contemplation of me.”

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jayati jayati kṛṣṇa-prema-bhaktir yad-aṅghriṁ

jayati jayati kṛṣṇa-prema-bhaktir yad-aṅghriṁ
nikhila-nigama-tattvaṁ gūḍham ājñāya muktiḥ |
bhajati śaraṇa-kāmā vaiṣṇavais tyajyamānā
japa-yajana-tapasya-nyāsa-niṣṭhāṁ vihāya ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.8)

“Kṛṣṇa-prema-bhakti—
Whose foot
Mukti,
Being shunned by the Vaiṣṇavas
And [thus] desirous of shelter,
Worships
Having determined [it] to be the esoteric essence
Of all the Vedas
And utterly rejected perfection in japa, yajña, tapasya, and sannyāsa—
Triumphs!
Triumphs!”

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aho golokīyair nikhila-bhuvana-vāsi-mahitaiḥ

aho golokīyair nikhila-bhuvana-vāsi-mahitaiḥ
sadā tais tair lokaiḥ samanubhavanīyasya mahataḥ |
padārthasyākhyātuṁ kati vivaraṇāni prabhur ahaṁ
tad āstaṁ tal-lokākhila-parikarebhyo mama namaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.380)

“Aho!
How many descriptions can I articulate
Of that paramount object
Eternally experienceable in full
By those people of Goloka
[Who are] Honored by the residents of all the worlds?
Thus,
Let my obeisance be [offered]
Unto all the companions [of Śrī Kṛṣṇa] in that plane [of Goloka].”

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adhokṣajālambham ihāśubhātmanaḥ

adhokṣajālambham ihāśubhātmanaḥ
śarīriṇaḥ saṁsṛti-cakra-śātanam |
tad brahma-nirvāṇa-sukhaṁ vidur budhās
tato bhajadhvaṁ hṛdaye hṛd-īśvaram ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.7.37)

“The wise know the impure mind’s contact with Adhokṣaja [i.e., Bhagavān] to be destructive of the cycle of saṁsāra for an embodied being in this world and to be [inclusive of] the bliss of immersion (nirvāṇa) in Brahman. Therefore, you all should worship the Lord of the heart in the heart.”

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mat-sevayā pratītaṁ te sālokyādi-catuṣṭayam

mat-sevayā pratītaṁ te sālokyādi-catuṣṭayam |
necchanti sevayā pūrṇāḥ kuto’nyat kāla-viplutam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 9.4.67)

“Being fulfilled by service [to me], they do not desire the four [types of mukti] beginning with sālokya [that can be] attained by service to me, much less anything else that is dissipated in time.”

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yaśaḥ-śriyām eva pariśramaḥ paro

yaśaḥ-śriyām eva pariśramaḥ paro
varṇāśramācāra-tapaḥ-śrutādiṣu |
avismṛtiḥ śrīdhara-pāda-padmayor
guṇānuvāda-śravaṇādarādibhiḥ ||
avismṛtiḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ
kṣiṇoty abhadrāṇi ca śaṁ tanoti |
sattvasya śuddhiṁ paramātma-bhaktiṁ
jñānaṁ ca vijñāna-virāga-yuktam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.12.54–55)

“Great endeavor in regard to the conduct of the varṇas and āśramas, austerity, learning, and so on is only for [worldly] wealth and fame. By hearing, honoring, and so forth narrations of [his] qualities, [however,] non-forgetfulness of Śrīdhara’s lotus feet comes about. Non-forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet dispels inauspiciousness and produces equanimity, purity of mind, bhakti to the Supreme Self, and knowledge accompanied by realization and non-attachment.”

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sarvajñera cūḍāmaṇi viśvambhara-rāya

sarvajñera cūḍāmaṇi viśvambhara-rāya |
jāne ‘vipra lukāiyā āchaye ethāya’ ||
rahiyā rahiyā bole prabhu viśvambhara |
‘āji kena prema-yoga nā pāṅa nirbhara ||
keha ni āsiyā āche bāḍīra bhitare |
kichu nāhi bujho̐, satya kaha dekhi more’ ||
bhaya pāi śrīnivāsa bolaye vacana |
‘pāṣaṇḍera ithe prabhu nāhi āgamana ||
sabe eka brahmacārī—baḍa subrāhmaṇa |
sarva-kāla payaḥ-pāna, niṣpāpa-jīvana ||
dekhite tomāra nṛtya śraddhā tā̐ra baḍa |
nibhṛte āchaye prabhu jāniyācha daḍha’ ||
śuni krodhāveśe bole prabhu viśvambhara |
‘jhāṭa jhāṭa bāḍīra bāhira niñā kara’ ||
mora nṛtya dekhite uhāra kon śakti |
payaḥ-pāna karile ki mohe haya bhakti?’ ||
dui bhuja tuli prabhu aṅgulī dekhāya |
‘payaḥ-pāne kabhu more keha nāhi pāya ||
caṇḍāleho mohāra śaraṇa yadi laya |
seha mora, muñi tāra, jāniha niścaya ||
sannyāsīo yadi mora nā laya śaraṇa |
seha mora nahe, satya balilu vacana ||
gajendra-vānara-gopa ki tapa karila |
bola dekhi tārā more ki tape pāila ||
asureo tapa kare, ki haya tāhāra |
vine mora śaraṇa laile nāhi pāra’ ||
(Caitanya-bhāgavata: 2.23.34–46)

“The crest jewel of the all-knowing, Viśvambhara Rāya, knew, ‘A brāhmaṇa is hiding here.’ Prabhu Viśvambhara, stopping [his dancing] again and again, said, ‘Why do I not feel an abundance of prema’s presence today? Someone has been brought inside the house. I don’t understand anything? Look and tell me the truth.’ Feeling fear, Śrīnivāsa spoke this statement, ‘No heretic has arrived here, Prabhu! In all there is [just] one bramacārī, who is an exalted and excellent brāhmaṇa. He drinks milk all the time and has a sinless life. He had a great desire to behold your dancing. He is hidden [here], Prabhu. You have understood rightly.’
“Upon hearing [this], absorbed in anger Prabhu Viśvambhara said, ‘Quickly, quickly take him out of the house! What ability does he have to see my dancing? Does one attain bhakti to me [merely] by drinking milk?’
“Raising his two arms, Prabhu showed his [index] fingers [and said], ‘No one ever attains me [merely] by drinking milk. If even a caṇḍāla accepts my shelter, [then] know for certain that he is mine, and I am his. If even a sannyāsī [however] does not accept my shelter, [then] he is not mine. I have spoken a truthful statement. What austerity did Gajendra, the forest monkeys, or the cowherds perform? Look and say by what austerity they attained me? Even asuras perform austerities. What do they attain [merely by that]? If they do not accept my shelter, there is no deliverance [for anyone].”

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prabho! bhagavan! kṛpā-pārāvāra! ghora-saṁsāra-pravāha-prāpita

prabho! bhagavan! kṛpā-pārāvāra! ghora-saṁsāra-pravāha-prāpita-kleśa-cakra-nakra-vyūha-carvyamāṇaṁ māṁ vilokya, kāruṇyodyota-drava-ceto-navanīto’khila-lokātīto bhagavan śrī-guru-rūpa-dhārī mad-anādy-avidyā-vidāri-sva-darśanena sudarśanenaiva tan nirbhidya, tad-daṁṣṭrā-taṭād evonmocya, nija-caraṇa-kamala-yugala-dāsī-cikīrṣayā sva-mantra-varṇa-vīthīṁ mat-karṇa-vīthīṁ praveśya, nirvyathīkṛtya, muhur muhur api sva-guṇa-nāma-śravaṇa-kīrtana-smaraṇādibhir māṁ yad aśūśudhan nija-bhaktair api saṅgamitaiḥ sva-sevām apy abūbudhat, tad api durmedho’ham adhamatamo divasam ekam api prabhuṁ na paryacaraṁ, kadarya-caryas tad ayaṁ jano daṇḍayitum evārhaḥ, pratyutaitāvad darśana-mādhurīṁ pāyitaḥ |
(Mādhurya-kādambinī: 8.9)

“O Master! O Bhagavān! O Ocean of grace! Seeing me being chewed by the crocodile bask of the cycle of afflictions engendered by the frightful course of saṁsāra, [you,] Bhagavān, who are beyond all planes [in saṁsāra] and the butter of whose heart becomes melted by the radiance of [your] compassion, have assumed the form of śrī-guru, cut that [bask of crocodiles] asunder with the sudarśana [cakra] of your own darśana rending of my beginningless ignorance (avidyā), freed me from their jaws, caused the syllables of your mantra to enter the path of my ears out of desire to engage me [in service] as a maidservant of your two lotus feet, freed me from all pain, purified me by means of repeated hearing, chanting, remembering, and so forth of your names and qualities, and enlightened me about your own service by means of the association of your own bhaktas, yet still I of dull wit, the most fallen, have not served my Master [i.e., you, O Bhagavān] for even one day. Thus, this ill-behaved person [i.e., my most-fallen self] is certainly fit to be punished. Despite all this [however] I have been given the chance to drink the sweetness of your darśana.”

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