Rāgānugā-bhakti

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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tena gopikādy-anugatimaya-sva-nyūnatā-duḥkhāṅgīkāras

tena gopikādy-anugatimaya-sva-nyūnatā-duḥkhāṅgīkāras tu viriñca-bhava-lakṣmy-ādibhir īśvarābhimānibhiḥ sva-sva-loka-sthitair duḥśaka eva, anyeṣāṁ tu tādṛśopadeśasyālābhād arocakatvād vā tad-anugaty-abhāva eva … |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.21)

“Acceptance of the hardship of their own inferiority in following the gopikās and others [i.e., other residents of Gokula], is not possible for Brahmā, Śiva, Lakṣmī, and others who are situated in their own domains and have the mentality of being īśvaras. In the case of others, however, an absence of following them [i.e., the residents of Gokula] is because of not having received such instruction [to do so] or having no taste for it.”

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śrī-bhāgavate’smin bhagavat-premaiva

śrī-bhāgavate’smin bhagavat-premaiva sarva-puruṣārtha-śiromaṇitvenodghuṣyate | tasya mūla-bhūtāśrayāṇāṁ bhaktānāṁ madhye nitya-siddhatva eva tasya nitya-sthitiḥ sambhavet, teṣv api madhye gokula-vartinas tan-mātādaya eva śreṣṭhāḥ yeṣāṁ vātsalyādi-bhāva-viṣayī-bhūtaḥ kṛṣṇas tad-anugamana-bhaktimadbhir eva sulabho nānyair …|
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.21)

“In this Śrīmad Bhāgavatam only Bhagavat-prema is proclaimed to be the crown jewel of all puruṣārthas. Its [i.e., prema’s] eternal existence is possible within its substrata, bhaktas, only because of their being nitya-siddha. Among them, furthermore, the best are the residents of Gokula, such as his [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s] mother, the object of whose bhāvas of vātsalya and so forth—Kṛṣṇa—is easily attainable only by devotees who follow them [i.e., those residents of Gokula] and not by others [i.e., those who practice bhakti without following the residents of Gokula].”

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karma, tapa, yoga, jñāna

karma, tapa, yoga, jñāna, vidhi-bhakti, japa, dhyāna,
ihā haite mādhurya durlabha |
kevala ye rāga-mārge, bhaje kṛṣṇe anurāge,
tāre kṛṣṇa-mādhurya sulabha ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.21.119)

“Karma [i.e., observing the duties of one’s varṇa and āśrama], tapa (austerity), yoga, jñāna [i.e., deliberation on the meaning of the Upaniṣads], vidhi-bhakti [i.e., devotion motivated by śāstric injunctions], japa (repetition of a mantra), dhyāna (meditation)—through these [Kṛṣṇa’s] mādhurya is difficult to attain. Only for one who worships Kṛṣṇa with anurāga (loving attachment) according to the path of rāga is Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya easy to attain.”

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rāgera bhajana-patha

rāgera bhajana-patha, kahi ebe abhimata,
loka-veda-sāra ei vāṇī |
sakhīra anugā haiyā, vraje siddha-deha pāiyā,
sei bhāve juḍābe parāṇī ||
(Prema-bhakti-candrika: 48)

“I now speak of the approved path of rāga-bhajana. This teaching is the essence of the world [i.e., worldly propriety] and the Vedas. Becoming a follower of the sakhīs, and receiving a siddha-deha in Vraja, soothe the heart with this bhāva.”

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kṛṣṇa-tad-bhakta-kāruṇya

kṛṣṇa-tad-bhakta-kāruṇya-mātra-lābhaika-hetukā |
puṣṭi-mārgatayā kaiścid iyaṁ rāgānugocyate ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.309)

“Because the only cause for attaining it is simply the grace of Kṛṣṇa and his bhaktas, this rāgānugā [-bhakti] is called puṣṭi-mārga by some.”

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śrī-mūrter mādhurīṁ prekṣya

śrī-mūrter mādhurīṁ prekṣya tat-tal-līlāṁ niśamya vā |
tad-bhāvākāṅkṣiṇo ye syus teṣu sādhanatānayoḥ |
purāṇe śruyate pādme puṁsam api bhaved iyam ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.300)

“After seeing the beauty of the śrī-mūrti [i.e., the beauty of the śrī-mūrti of Śrī Kṛṣṇa along with the śrī-mūrtis of his beloveds engaged in their various līlās], or hearing of the beauty of their various līlās, those who shall become desirous of that bhāva [i.e., the bhāva of the Vraja-gopīs] possess the means [i.e., the adhikāra, eligibility] for these two [i.e., either of the two types of kāmānugā-bhakti]. This can occur even in men, as is heard of in Padma Purāṇa.”

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ataeva gopī-bhāva kari aṅgīkāra

ataeva gopī-bhāva kari aṅgīkāra |
rātri-dine cinte rādhā-kṛṣṇera vihāra ||
siddha-deha cinti kare tāhā̐i sevana |
sakhī-bhāve pāya rādhā-kṛṣṇera caraṇa ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.8.227–8)

“[Rāmānanda Rāya to Śrīman Mahāprabhu:] Therefore, accept the bhāva of the gopīs and think of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s play night and day. Thinking of one’s siddha-deha, engage in service specifically there [i.e., in Vraja]. With the bhāva of a sakhī, one attains the feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.”

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mātar gopa-kiśoraṁ taṁ

mātar gopa-kiśoraṁ taṁ tvañ ca rāsa-rasāmbudhim |
tat-prema-mohitābhiḥ śrī-gopībhir abhito vṛtam ||
amūṣāṁ dāsyam icchantī tādṛśa-prema-bhaṅgibhiḥ |
nityaṁ bhajasva tan-nāma-saṅkīrtana-parāyaṇā ||
(Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.154–5)

“The Adolescent Cowherd, the Ocean of the rasa of rāsa, surrounded on all sides by the beautiful gopīs enchanted by prema for him—O Mother, you too should always worship him with similar means of prema [i.e., with means of prema similar to those of the gopīs’ prema], desiring servitude to them [i.e., to the gopīs] and being absorbed in saṅkīrtana of his name.”

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tad-bhāvecchātmikā tāsām

tad-bhāvecchātmikā tāsām bhāva-mādhurya-kāmitā |
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.299)

“Bhakti constituted of desire for the sweetness of their [i.e., the Vraja-gopīs’] bhāva shall be [called] tad-bhāvecchātmikā [i.e., bhakti constituted of desire for their bhāva].”

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