Gopī-bhāva – Page 11 – Anuśīlana.in

tāmbūlārpaṇa-pāda-mardana-payodānābhisārādibhir

tāmbūlārpaṇa-pāda-mardana-payodānābhisārādibhir
vṛndāraṇya-maheśvarīṁ priyatayā yās toṣayanti priyāḥ |
prāṇa-preṣṭha-sakhī-kulād api kilāsaṅkocitā bhūmikāḥ
keli-bhūmiṣu rūpa-mañjarī-mukhās tā dāsikāḥ saṁśraye ||
(Stavāvalī: Vraja-vilāsa-stava, 38; cited in Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 1.27)

“I take full shelter in those dāsīs headed by Rūpa Mañjarī, who out of affection satisfy the great Īśvarī of Vṛndāvana [i.e., Śrī Rādhikā] with offerings of pan, foot massages, servings of water, [arrangements for] trysts, and so forth [for her and her beloved Śrī Kṛṣna], who are more dear [to her] than even the prāṇa-preṣṭha-sakhīs, and who have uninhibited roles in the locales of [her] amorous play [with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, i.e., they render service without any inhibition and also cause no inhibition in Rādhā or Kṛṣṇa in the midst of their līlās].”

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Gopī-gītā

Nineteen verses spoken by the gopīs to Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Excerpted from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.31.1–19.

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kṛṣṇe gate madhupurīṁ bata ballavīnāṁ

kṛṣṇe gate madhupurīṁ bata ballavīnāṁ
bhāvo’bhavat sapadi yo laya-vahni-tīvraḥ |
premāsya hetur uta tattvam idaṁ hi tasya
mā tad-viśeṣam aparaṁ bata boddhum iccha ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.232)

“Bata!
The bhāva of the gopīs,
More intense than the fire of [universal] dissolution,
Which instantly arose
When Kṛṣṇa went to Madhupurī—
The cause of that [bhāva] is prema,
And this [bhāva] is verily the quiddity of it [i.e., of prema].
Bata!
Do not desire to understand
Any other distinguishing characteristic of it [i.e., of prema,
Lest you and I enter an overwhelmingly perfervid state].”

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Praṇaya-gīta

Eleven verses spoken by the gopīs to Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Excerpted from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.29.31–41.

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yat tv ahaṁ bhavatīnāṁ vai dūre varte priyo dṛśām

yat tv ahaṁ bhavatīnāṁ vai dūre varte priyo dṛśām |
manasaḥ sannikarṣārthaṁ mad-anudhyāna-kāmyayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.34; cited in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 161)

“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa to the gopīs:] I, your beloved, however, remain afar from your eyes for the sake of nearness of mind [i.e., for the sake of drawing your minds near to me] out of desire for [you all to engage in] continuous meditation upon me.”

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tās tu vṛndāvaneśvaryāḥ sakhyaḥ pañca-vidhā matāḥ

tās tu vṛndāvaneśvaryāḥ sakhyaḥ pañca-vidhā matāḥ |
sakhyaś ca nitya-sakhyaś ca prāṇa-sakhyaś ca kāścana |
priya-sakhyaś ca parama-preṣṭha-sakhyaś ca viśrutāḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 4.50)

“The sakhīs of Vṛndāvaneśvarī [i.e., Śrī Rādhā] are considered to be of five types. They are known as sakhīs, nitya-sakhīs, prāṇa-sakhīs, priya-sakhīs, and parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs.”

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tac ca śrī-ballavī-prāṇanātha-pāda-sarojayoḥ

tac ca śrī-ballavī-prāṇanātha-pāda-sarojayoḥ |
premaiva tad-vraja-prema-sājātīyaṁ na cetarat ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.214)

“That [i.e., your sādhana to attain your Iṣṭadeva], moreover, is simply prema for the lotus feet of the beautiful ballavī’s Beloved [lit., the Lord of the gopīs’ prāṇas, that is, hearts, lives, or vital airs] which resembles the [highly celebrated] prema for him [found] in Vraja, and is not otherwise.”

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vinā rādhāṁ kṛṣṇo na khalu sukhadaḥ sā na sukhadā

vinā rādhāṁ kṛṣṇo na khalu sukhadaḥ sā na sukhadā
vinā kṛṣṇaṁ dvābhyām api vinānyā na sarasāḥ |
vinā rātriṁ nendus tam api na vinā sā’pi ruci-bhāk
vinā tābhyāṁ jṛmbhāṁ dadhati kumudinyo’pi na tarām ||
(Alaṅkāra-kaustubha: 8.193)

“Certainly, without Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa is not delightful, and she is not delightful without Kṛṣṇa. And alas, without both of them, others [i.e., the sakhīs] are not beautiful [alt., impassioned, lit., imbued with rasa]. Neither the moon without the night, nor it without that [i.e., nor the night without the moon] are resplendent. And without them both, white water lillies do not fully blossom.”

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ity unmatta-vaco gopyaḥ kṛṣṇānveṣaṇa-kātarāḥ

ity unmatta-vaco gopyaḥ kṛṣṇānveṣaṇa-kātarāḥ |
līlā bhagavatas tās tā hy anucakrus tad-ātmikāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.30.14)

“Having spoken such maddened words, the gopīs, distraught as they searched for Kṛṣṇa, acted out the various līlās of Bhagavān, their minds absorbed in him.”

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vijaya-ratha-kuṭumba ātta-totre

vijaya-ratha-kuṭumba ātta-totre
dhṛta-haya-raśmini tac-chriyekṣaṇīye |
bhagavati ratir astu me mumūrṣor
yam iha nirīkṣya hatā gatāḥ sva-rūpam ||
lalita-gati-vilāsa-valguhāsa-
praṇaya-nirīkṣaṇa-kalpitoru-mānāḥ |
kṛtam anukṛtavatya unmadāndhāḥ
prakṛtim agan kila yasya gopa-vadhvaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.9.39–40; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 81)

[Bhīṣmadeva:] “Let me, desiring death, have rati for Bhagavān, who is sightly on account of his splendor, holding the reins of horses [in his left hand] and grasping a whip [with his right] as he protects the chariot of Vijaya [i.e., Arjuna]; by seeing whom the dead [in the battle of Kurukṣetra] attained their own forms [i.e., mukti]; and whose nature the wives of the gopas verily attained as they were highly honored by [his] charming movements, play, attractive smiles, and loving glances, [thus] blinded by [the] madness [of prema], and [so became] engaged in imitating his deeds.”

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