Gaṅgā

pīyūṣa-dyutibhiḥ stanādri-patitaiḥ kṣīrotkarair jāhnavī

pīyūṣa-dyutibhiḥ stanādri-patitaiḥ kṣīrotkarair jāhnavī
kālindī ca vilocanābja-janitair jātāñjana-śyāmalaiḥ |
ārān madhyama-vedim āpatitayoḥ klinnā tayoḥ saṅgame
vṛttāsi vraja-rājñi tat suta-mukha-prekṣāṁ sphuṭaṁ vāñchasi ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 3.4.58)

“[When Mother Yaśodā travelled to Kurukṣetra on the pretext of a solar eclipse with great desire to see Śrī Kṛṣṇa, a feminine ascetic previously known to her says the following upon meeting her there:]
The Gaṅgā has appeared from the streams of milk (kṣīra)
Endowed with luster like nectar
Falling from the mountains of your breasts,
And the Kālindī [has appeared from the streams of water (kṣīra), that is, tears]
Produced by your lotus eyes
That are black because of your mascara [running off into them].
You have been bathed at the confluence of these two [rivers]
That have descended from above
Onto the altar of your midsection
[alt., They—the Gaṅgā and Kālindī—have in this way descended
And joined at Prayāga].
Thus, O Queen of Vraja!
You clearly desire to behold the face of your son
[Since it is well known
That people only go to bath at Prayāga
When they desire to attain the sight of Śrī Bhagavān].”

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ānanda-nirjharamayīm aravinda-nābha

ānanda-nirjharamayīm aravinda-nābha-
pādāravinda-makarandamaya-pravāham |
taṁ kṛṣṇa-bhaktim iva mūrtimatiṁ sravantīṁ
vande maheśvara-śiro-ruha-kunda-mālām ||
(Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latikā: 2.3)

“To her [viz., Śrī Gaṅgā Devī],
She who is filled with a cascade of bliss,
She who is a stream
Filled with the nectar of the lotus feet
Of he of lotus eyes [viz., Śrī Bhagavān],
She who is like a flowing embodiment of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti,
She who is a jasmine garland
Mounted on the head of Maheśvara—
I offer obeisance.”

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jayati taraṇi-putrī dharma-rāja-svasā yā

jayati taraṇi-putrī dharma-rāja-svasā yā
kalayati mathurāyāḥ sakhyam atyeti gaṅgām |
murahara-dayitā tat-pāda-padma-prasūtaṁ
vahati ca makarandaṁ nīra-pūra-cchalena ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.6)

“The daughter of Sūrya—
The sister of Dharmarāja,
Who fosters friendship with Mathurā,
Surpasses the Gaṅgā,
Is beloved to Murahara,
And carries the nectar
Emanating from his lotus feet
In the guise of a stream of water—
Triumphs!”

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yathā cintāmaṇiḥ śreṣṭho yathā gauś ca yathā satī

yathā cintāmaṇiḥ śreṣṭho yathā gauś ca yathā satī |
yathā dvijo yathā gaṅgā tathāsau mantra uttamaḥ ||
(Trailokya-sammohana-tantra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.185)

“As a thought-jewel, a cow, a chaste wife, a twice-born, and the Gaṅgā are the best [among their respective classes], so this mantra [i.e., the eighteen-syllable Gopāla-mantra] is foremost [among mantras].”

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navadvīpārāma-prakara-kusumāmoda-valitāṁ

navadvīpārāma-prakara-kusumāmoda-valitāṁ
sphurad-ratna-śreṇī-cita-taṭa-sutīrthāvali-yutām |
harer gaurāṅgasyātula-caraṇa-reṇūkṣita-tanuṁ
samudyat-premormi-tumula-hari-saṅkīrtana-rasaiḥ ||
prabhu-krīḍā-pātrīm amṛta-rasa-gātrīm ṛṣi-ghaṭā-
śiva-brahmendrādīḍita-māhātmya-mukharām |
lasat-kiñjalkāmbhojani-madhupa-garbhoru-karuṇām
ahaṁ vande gaṅgām agha-nikara-bhaṅgā-jala-kaṇām ||
(Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 1.14)

“Pervaded by the fragrance
Of the myriads of gardens throughout Navadvīpa,
Furnished along its banks with the fine ghats inlaid with shining jewels,
Sprinkled with the dust from the incomparable feet of Gaurāṅga Hari,
Swelling with waves of prema and the rasas of tumultuous Hari-saṅkīrtana,
A repository of Prabhu’s play,
A body of nectar (amṛta-rasa),
Praised and glorified by the ṛṣis, Śiva, Brahmā, Indra, and others,
Resplendent with whorls of lotus flowers full of bees,
And abundantly gracious—
I offer obeisance to the Gaṅgā,
One drop of whose water
Dispels heaps of sin.”

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mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa

mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa mayi sarva-guhāśaye |
mano-gatir avicchinnā yathā gaṅgāmbhaso’mbudhau ||
lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtam |
ahaituky avyavahitā yā bhaktiḥ puruṣottame ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.29.11–12; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.13–15; Bhakti Sandarbha: 234)

“‘[Kapiladeva to Devahūti:] Bhakti which is an uninterrupted, causeless, and unobstructed flow of the mind—solely because of hearing my qualities—towards me, the Supreme Person, who dwells in the hearts [lit., “caves”] of all, like [the flow of] the water of the Gaṅgā towards the ocean, is said to be the characteristic of nirguṇa-bhakti-yoga.”

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jananī janma-bhūmiś

jananī janma-bhūmiś ca jāhnavī ca janārdanaḥ |
janakaḥ pañcamaś caiva ja-kārāḥ pañca-durlabhāḥ ||
(Unknown source)

“Mother (jananī), the land of one’s birth (janma-bhūmi), the Ganges (Jāhnavī), Janārdana [i.e., Bhagavān], and fifthly, Father (janaka)—these five j’s are most precious to attain.”

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atha viśveśa viśvātman

atha viśveśa viśvātman viśva-mūrte svakeṣu me |
sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi dṛḍhaṁ pāṇḍuṣu vṛṣṇiṣu ||
tvayi me’nanya-viṣayā matir madhu-pate’sakṛt |
ratim udvahatād addhā gaṅgevaugham udanvati ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.8.41–42)

[Kuntī Devī to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “Now, O Lord of the universe, O Giver of consciousness to the universe, O Form of the universe, please cut these strong bonds of affection of mine for my relatives, the Pāṇḍavas and Vṛṣṇis [i.e., not my affection for them based on their endearment to you, but that affection which is based on bodily relationships and causes bondage; you are always attentive to their welfare, so why should I unnecessarily spend my life worrying about them?] O Madhupati, may my mind, having no other object [i.e., no thought of anything except you and your bhaktas], continuously [i.e., without cessation, or, without regard for obstacles] carry forth rati for you, just as the Gaṅgā carries forth its stream [i.e., its water, towards the ocean, disregarding all obstacles in its path].”

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