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].”
sabe eka sakhī-gaṇera ihā̐ adhikāra |
sakhī haite haya ei līlāra vistāra ||
sakhī vinu ei līlā puṣṭi nāhi haya |
sakhī līlā vistāriyā, sakhī āsvādaya ||
sakhī vinu ei līlāya nāhi anyera gati |
sakhī-bhāve tā̐re yei kare anugati ||
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-kuñja-sevā-sādhya sei pāya |
sei sādhya pāite āra nāhika upāya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.8.201–204)
“Among all, only the sakhīs have eligibility here [i.e., within Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s līlā], and expansion of this līlā occurs [only] through the sakhīs. Without the sakhīs, this līlā is not nourished. The sakhīs expand this līlā, and the sakhīs taste it. Apart from the sakhīs, others have no entrance into this līlā. One who with the bhāva of a sakhī follows them attains the sādhya [i.e., goal] of service in the kuñja to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. There is no other way to attain this sādhya.”
paraṁ saukhyaṁ hi nairāśyaṁ svairiṇy apy āha piṅgalā |
taj jānatīnāṁ naḥ kṛṣṇe tathāpy āśā duratyayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.47)
[The Vraja-gopīs:] “Although the prostitute Piṅgalā said that hopelessness is the greatest happiness [see SB 11.8.44], still, even though we know this, our hope for Kṛṣṇa is unassailable [i.e., impossible to give up].”
pītvā mukunda-mukha-sāragham akṣi-bhṛṅgais
tāpaṁ jahur viraha-jaṁ vraja-yoṣito’hni |
tat satkṛtiṁ samadhigamya viveśa goṣṭhaṁ
savrīḍa-hāsa-vinayaṁ yad apāṅga-mokṣam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.15.43; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 315)
“Drinking the honey from the face of Mukunda with the bees of their eyes, the women of Vraja gave up the sorrow produced by separation during the day. Accepting their excellent reception in the form of casting sidelong glances with bashful smiles and modesty, he entered his abode.”
taṁ gorajaś-churita-kuntala-baddha-barha-
vanya-prasūna-rucirekṣaṇa-cāru-hāsam |
veṇum kvaṇantam anugair upagīta-kīrtiṁ
gopyo didṛkṣita-dṛśo’bhyagaman sametāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.15.42)
“The assembled gopīs came forward, their eyes desiring to see him playing the flute with charming glances and a lovely smile as his glories are sung by his companions and his hair bound with a peacock feather and forest flowers is covered with dust raised by the cows.”
sei kṛṣṇa sei gopī—parama virodha |
acintya-caritra prabhura—ati sudurbodha ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.17.304)
“He is Kṛṣṇa, and he is a gopī [i.e., Rādhā]—this is completely contradictory. Prabhu’s character is inconceivable—it is extremely difficult to understand.”
