yathā rādhā-padāmbhoje bhaktiḥ syāt prema-lakṣaṇā |
tathaiva kṛṣṇa-caitanye vardhate madhurā ratiḥ ||
(Caitanya-śataka: 18)
“As far as bhakti characterized by prema for the lotus feet of Rādhā shall manifest, so indeed sweet rati increases for Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.”
śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vānayaivā-
svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥ |
saukhyañ cāsyā mad-anubhavataḥ kīdṛśaṁ veti lobhāt
tad-bhāvāḍhyaḥ samajani śacī-garbha-sindhau harīnduḥ ||
(Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.6)
“‘What is the greatness of Śrī Rādhā’s love? What sort of astonishing sweetness of mine is relishable only by her through that [love]? And what sort of happiness does she feel as a result of experiencing me?’ Out of such intense desire [i.e., intensely desiring to experience these three mysteries], the moon Hari, endowed with her bhāva, arose from the ocean of Śacī’s womb.”
tatrāsakti-kṛd anyatra prīti-saṁhāriṇī hy asau |
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.5.28)
“It [i.e., the sthāyi-bhāva known as prīti, that is, dāsya-bhāva] produces attachment to him [i.e., Bhagavān] and completely destroys affection for all else.”
santu ramyāṇi bhūrīṇi prārthyaṁ syād idam eva me |
iti yo nirṇayo dhīrair abhimānaḥ sa ucyate ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.19)
“‘Let many pleasing things be [i.e., let me disregard them], and let this alone be desirable to me [i.e., let me desire only this],’—such determination is called abhimāna by the wise.”
yāra yemana bhāva tāra temana lābha |
(Bengali saying)
“As is one’s bhāva, so is one’s attainment.”
yathāveśas tathā praveśaḥ |
(Sanskrit saying)
“As is [one’s] absorption, so is [one’s] entrance.”
mantre tīrthe dvije deve daivajñe bheṣaje gurau |
yādṛśī bhāvanā yasya siddhir bhavati tādṛśī ||
(Skanda Purāṇga: 5.3.227.38–9; cited in Pañcatantra: 5.96)
“In regard to a mantra, tīrtha, brāhmaṇa, deva, astrologer, medicine, or guru—as is one’s attitude (bhāvanā), so is one’s attainment.”
na kāṣṭhe vidyate devo na śilāyāṁ kadācana |
bhāve hi vidyate devas tasmād bhāvaṁ samācaret ||
(Garuḍa Purāṇa: 2.38.13)
“Deva is never present in wood or in stone. Deva is present in bhāva. Therefore, cultivate bhāva.”
kāṣṭha-pāṣāṇa-dhātūnāṁ kṛtvā bhāvena sevanam |
śraddhayā ca tathā siddhis tasya viṣṇu-prasādataḥ ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 8.12)
“If one serves that which is made of wood, stone, or metal [i.e., a deity] with bhāva and śraddhā, then siddhi [i.e., success in one’s worship] occurs by Viṣṇu’s grace.”
nāgni-hotraṁ vinā vedā na ca dānaṁ vinā kriyā |
na bhāvena vinā siddhis tasmād bhāvo hi kāraṇam ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 8.10)
“There are no Vedas without Agni-hotra [i.e., the practice of Agni-hotra is described all throughout the Vedas], and there are no rites without charity [ie., Vedic sacrifices always include, and not considered successful without, giving charity]. [Similarly,] There is no attainment without bhāva. Therefore, bhāva is the means.”
