Sādhana-bhakti

ye sarva-nairapekṣyena rādhā-dāsyecchavaḥ param

ye sarva-nairapekṣyena rādhā-dāsyecchavaḥ param |
saṅkīrtayanti tan-nāma tādṛśa-priyatā-mayāḥ ||
anyeṣām iva teṣāṁ ca prāpyaṁ ced hṛn na tṛpyati |
aho nanda-yaśodāder na sahe tādṛśīṁ gatim ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.1.21–22)

“If the attainment of those who, without regard for all of this [i.e., all the aforementioned sādhyas and sādhanas of karmīs, jñānīs, and other bhaktas], desire only servitude to Rādhā and engage in saṅkīrtana of his name [i.e., the name of Kṛṣṇa, the relisher of the rāsa dance], filled with such fondness [i.e., the extraordinary prema of the gopīs, the recipients of the very essence of Bhagavān’s grace], is like that of others [i.e., is the same as that of the Yādavas, Pāṇḍavas, and so forth], then my heart is not satisfied. Aho! I cannot tolerate such a destination [being that meant] for Nanda, Yaśodā, and others [i.e., for the people of Vraja led by Nanda and Yaśodā, since an equal result for those who are great and those who are lesser is not befitting].”

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na hi sādhana-sampattyā haris tuṣyati kasyacit

na hi sādhana-sampattyā haris tuṣyati kasyacit |
bhaktānāṁ dainyam evaikaṁ hari-toṣana-sādhanam ||
(Subodhinī-ṭikā of Vallabhācārya on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10)

“Hari is not satisfied by anyone’s performance of [alt., abundance of, or excellence in,] sādhana. The humility of bhaktas is indeed the only means of satisfying Hari.”

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vicitra-līlā-rasa-sāgarasya

vicitra-līlā-rasa-sāgarasya
prabhor vicitrāt sphuritāt prasādāt |
vicitra-saṅkīrtana-mādhurī sā
na tu sva-yatnād iti sādhu sidhyet ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.3.168)

“That variegated sweetness of saṅkīrtana can be truly attained [only] by the manifest, variegated grace of Prabhu [i.e., Bhagavān], the ocean of variegated līlā-rasa, and not, rather, by one’s own exertion.”

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anuṣṭhānaṁ hy upadeśāpekṣaṁ

anuṣṭhānaṁ hy upadeśāpekṣaṁ, prema tu tat-prasādāpekṣam iti |
(Tattva Sandarbha: 46)

“Practice [i.e., sādhana-bhakti] is dependent on instruction, but prema [i.e., prema-bhakti] is dependent on his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] grace.”

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tatas te bhojayitvānyā vayasyā dāsikā api

tatas te bhojayitvānyā vayasyā dāsikā api |
sa-gaṇaiḥ saha saṁhṛṣṭaiḥ sveśā-śeṣānnam ādatuḥ ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 20.74)

“Thereafter, they [i.e., Tulasī and Rūpa Mañjarī] fed their contemporaries and servants and then with their companions delightedly ate their Īśā’s [i.e., Rādhā’s] remnants.”

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tāsāṁ nāthaṁ ballavīnāṁ sametaṁ

tāsāṁ nāthaṁ ballavīnāṁ sametaṁ
tābhiḥ premṇā saṁśrayantī yathoktam |
mātaḥ satyaṁ tat-prasādān mahattvaṁ
tāsāṁ jñātuṁ śakṣyasi tvaṁ ca kiñcit ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.159)

“By taking full shelter with prema [i.e., by becoming fully absorbed in sevā with prema] of the gopīs and their Nātha together with them as described [i.e., without transgressing the rules regarding upāsanā described in śāstra], I promise that you too will be able to understand something of their [i.e., the gopīs’] greatness by their [i.e., the gopīs’ and their Nātha’s] grace [i.e., even though their greatness is indescribable].”

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tad-bhāva-baddha-rāgā ye janās te sādhane ratāḥ

atha ayauthikyaḥ—
tad-bhāva-baddha-rāgā ye janās te sādhane ratāḥ |
tad-yogyam anurāgaughaṁ prāpyotkaṇṭhānusārataḥ ||
tā ekaśo’thavā dvi-trāḥ kāle kāle vraje’bhavan |
prācīnāś ca navāś ca syur ayauthikyas tato dvidhā |
nitya-priyābhiḥ sālokyaṁ prācīnāś ciram āgatāḥ |
vraje jātā navās tv etā martyāmartyādi-yonitaḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlāmaṇī: 3.49; cited in Rāga-vartma-candrikā: 2.7)

“Those persons possessed of rāga [i.e., strong affinity] for that bhāva [i.e., the gopīs’ paroḍhā-bhāva] who engaged in sādhana and upon attaining in accord with their [level of] eagerness an abundance of anurāga [i.e., ardor] befitting that [i.e., that gopī-bhāva] took birth one by one or in twos and threes from time to time in Vraja are [known as] ayauthikyas [i.e., those who engaged in a sādhana and attained siddhi outside of a fixed group]. Ayauthikyas can be of two types: ancient and new. The ancient attained co-residence with the eternal beloveds [of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in his eternal dhāma] long ago [i.e., during previous kalpas], while the new have taken birth in Vraja after being born as mortals, immortals, and so on [i.e., as human beings, devas, animals, and so forth during the present kalpa].”

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snātānulipta-vapuṣaḥ pupuṣuḥ svabhās tan- nirmālya-mālya-vasanābharaṇena dāsyaḥ

snātānulipta-vapuṣaḥ pupuṣuḥ svabhās tan-
nirmālya-mālya-vasanābharaṇena dāsyaḥ |
prāsya svakāmam anuvṛtti-ratās tayor yāḥ
śrī-rūpa-mañjari-samāna-guṇābhidhānāḥ ||
tā vidyud-uddyuti-jayi-prapadaika-rekhā
vaidagdhya eva kila mūrtibhṛtas tathāpi |
yūtheśvarītvam api samyag arocayitvā
dāsyāmṛtābdhim anusasnur ajasram asyāḥ ||
(Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta: 3.1–2)

“The dāsīs whose bodies are bathed and anointed and whose own lusters are nourished with her [i.e., Śrī Rādhā’s] remnant garlands, garments, and ornaments, [the dāsīs] who have cast away selfish desire and are engaged in pleasing them [i.e., Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa], [the dāsīs] who are known to possess qualities equal [in excellence] to the buds (mañjarīs) of their figures and splendors [alt., who are known to have qualities equal to those of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī], [the dāsīs] one ray from the tips of whose toes defeats the brilliance of lightning, [the dāsīs] who are verily embodiments of cleverness, [the dāsīs] who nevertheless have no taste whatsoever for being a yūtheśvarī [even though they are fully qualified to be one], [those dāsīs] forever bath in the ocean of the nectar of servitude (dāsya) unto her [i.e., Śrī Rādhā].”

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śrī-rādhā-pāda-padma-cchavi-madhuratara-prema-cij-jyotir ekā-mbodher

śrī-rādhā-pāda-padma-cchavi-madhuratara-prema-cij-jyotir ekā-
mbodher udbhūta-phena-stavaka-maya-tanūḥ sarva-vaidagdhya-pūrṇāḥ |
kaiśora-vyañjitās tad-ghana-rug-apaghana-śrī-camatkāra-bhājo
divyālaṅkāra-vastrā anusarata sakhe rādhikā-kiṅkarīs tāḥ ||
(Vṛndāvana-mahimāmṛta: 2.86)

“Their forms are made of clusters of foam arising from the superexcellent ocean of the spiritual light of prema made even sweeter by the luster of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. They are replete with all expertise and vividly youthful, their figures are splendorous and astonishing with the intense luster thereof [i.e., of their youth] and adorned with charming ornaments and garments. O sakhī, follow those maidservants of Rādhikā.”

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