nirapekṣa na haile dharma nā yāya rakṣaṇe
nirapekṣa na haile dharma nā yāya rakṣaṇe |
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.3.23)
“[Śrīman Mahāprabhu:] If one is not nirapekṣa [i.e., impartial, indifferent, independent], dharma cannot be upheld.”
Caitanya Mahāprabhu
śrīman-mauktika-dāma-baddha-cikuraṁ susmera-candrānanaṁ
śrīman-mauktika-dāma-baddha-cikuraṁ susmera-candrānanaṁ
śrīkhaṇḍāguru-cāru-citra-vasanaṁ srag-divya-bhūṣāñcitam |
nṛtyāveśa-rasānumoda-madhuraṁ kandarpa-veśojjvalaṁ
caitanyaṁ kanaka-dyutiṁ nija-janaiḥ saṁsevyamānaṁ bhaje ||
(Gaura-govindārcana-paddhati: 49; cited in Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 2.11)
“His hair bound with beautiful strings of pearls,
An excellent smile on his moon face,
Adorned with sandalwood paste, aguru, and charming, wondrous garments,
Bedecked with garlands and shining ornaments,
Mellifluous with delight
Ensuing from the rasa of absorption in dance,
And radiant in appearance more so than Kāmadeva—
I worship Śrī Caitanya of golden luster
As he is served by his personal associates.”
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-līlā-rasa-madhura-sudhāsvāda-śuddhaika-mūrtau
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-līlā-rasa-madhura-sudhāsvāda-śuddhaika-mūrtau
gaure śraddhāṁ dṛḍhāṁ bho prabhu-parikara-samrāṭ prayacchādhame’smin |
ullaṅghyāṅghriṁ hi yasyākhila-bhajana-kathā svapnavac caiva mithyā
śrī-nityānandacandraṁ patita-śaraṇadaṁ gauradaṁ taṁ bhaje’ham ||
(Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva-Gosvāmī’s Śrīman Nityānanda-dvādaśakam: 12)
“Bho! O sovereign among the associates of Prabhu, please bestow upon this lowly person firm śraddhā in Gaura, the pure and unparalleled embodiment of tasting the sweet nectar of the rasa of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s līlā. I worship him, Śrī Nityānandacandra, the giver of Gaura and shelter to the fallen, by neglecting whose feet all talk of bhajana becomes completely false like a dream.”
vande taṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanyaṁ
vande taṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanyaṁ gauraṁ kṛṣṇam api svayam |
yo rādhā-bhāva-saṁlubdhaḥ svaṁ bhāvaṁ nitarāṁ jahau ||
(Attributed to Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī by Mukunda Dāsa Gosvāmī in his Artha-ratnālpa-dīpikā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu and Rādhā Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Gosvāmī in his Daśa-śloki-bhāṣya)
“I offer obeisance unto him, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who is golden although he is Kṛṣṇa [alt., blackish] himself, and, being intensely desirous of Rādhā’s bhāva, has completely given up his own bhāva.”
viṣayīra anna khāile malina haya mana
viṣayīra anna khāile malina haya mana |
malina mana haile nahe kṛṣṇera smaraṇa ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.6.278)
“When you eat the food of viṣayīs, the mind becomes contaminated, and when the mind is contaminated, there is no remembrance of Kṛṣṇa.”
grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe
grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe |
bhāla nā khāibe, āra bhāla nā paribe ||
amānī mānada kṛṣṇa-nāma sadā labe |
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā mānase karibe ||
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Antya-līlā, 6.236–7)
“Do not listen to village talk, and do not speak of village matters. Do not eat fancy food, and do not wear fancy clothes. [Remaining] Undesirous of honor and respectful [to others], always take Kṛṣṇa’s name and within your heart engage in service to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in Vraja.”
vairāgī karibe sadā nāma-saṅkīrtana
vairāgī karibe sadā nāma-saṅkīrtana |
māgiyā khāñā kare jīvana-rakṣaṇa ||
vairāgī ha-iyā yebā kare parāpekṣā |
kārya-siddhi nahe, kṛṣṇa karena upekṣā ||
vairāgī ha-iyā kare jihvāra lālasa |
paramārtha yāya tāra, haya rasera vaśa ||
vairāgīra kṛtya—sadā nāma-saṅkīrtana |
śāka-patra-phala-mūle udara-bharaṇa ||
jihvāra lālase yei iti-uti dhāya |
śiśnodara-parāyaṇa kṛṣṇa nāhi pāya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Antya-līlā, 6.223–7)
“A vairāgyī should always engage in nāma-saṅkīrtana and maintain his life begging and eating. One who as a vairāgī depends on others has no success in his endeavor, and Kṛṣṇa neglects him. One who becomes a vairāgī but indulges in the greed of the tongue—his supreme aim [i.e., his pursuit of his ultimate goal] goes [i.e., is lost], and he becomes subjugated by tastes. The duty of a vairāgī is constant nāma-saṅkīrtana and filling the belly with greens, leaves, fruits, and roots. One who runs here and there because of the tongue’s greed becomes engrossed in the genitals and stomach, and does not attain Kṛṣṇa.”
sthira hañā ghare yāha, nā hao vātula
sthira hañā ghare yāha, nā hao vātula |
krame krame pāya loka bhava-sindhu-kūla ||
markaṭa-vairāgya nā kara loka dekhāiyā |
yathā-yogya viṣaya bhuñja anāsakta haiyā ||
antara-niṣṭhā kara, bāhye loka-vyavahāra |
acirāte kṛṣṇa tomāya karibe uddhāra ||
vṛndāvana dekhi yabe āsi nīlācale |
tabe tumi āmā-pāśa āsiha kona-chale ||
se-kāle se chala kṛṣṇa sphurābe tomāre |
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā yāre, tāre ke rākhite pāre ? ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.16.238–242)
“Be steady and go home. Do not be crazy. Gradually a person reaches the shore of the ocean of material existence. Do not engage in monkey renunciation and make a show to the public. [Rather,] Make use of material things as appropriate, remaining detached. Internally be fixed but externally observe social conduct. Soon Kṛṣṇa will deliver you. When I return to Nīlācala after visiting Vṛndāvana, then on some pretext come to my side. Kṛṣṇa will reveal this pretext to you at that time. Who can detain one who has received Kṛṣṇa’s grace?”
na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye |
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi ||
(Śikṣāṣṭakam: 4; cited in Padyāvalī 94; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.20.29)
“O Master of the universe,
I desire neither wealth,
Nor men [i.e., assistants, followers, relatives, etc.],
Nor beautiful women [i.e., an excellent wife],
Nor erudition [i.e., intellectual prowess or recognition thereof],
Or otherwise [i.e., mukti].
In birth after birth, O Īśvara,
Let me have unconditional bhakti to you.”
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam |
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam ||
(Padyāvalī: 22; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.20.12)
“Cleansing the mirror of the mind,
Extinguishing the raging forest fire of material existence,
Shining moonlight on the evening lotus of good fortune,
The life of the wife of knowledge,
Expanding the ocean of bliss,
The taste of full nectar at every moment,
Bathing the entire self—
Śrī Kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana is supremely triumphant!”