Gopī-bhāva

ādi-purāṇe ca śrīmad-arjuna-vākyaṁ

ādi-purāṇe ca śrīmad-arjuna-vākyaṁ—
trailokye bhagavad-bhaktāḥ ke tvāṁ jānanti marmaṇi |
keṣu vā tvaṁ sadā tuṣṭaḥ keṣu prema tavātulam ||
śrī-bhagavad-vākyaṁ—
na tathā me priyatamo brahmā rudraś ca pārthiva |
na ca lakṣmīr na cātmā ca yathā gopī-jano mama ||
bhaktā mamānuraktāś ca kati santi na bhū-tale |
kintu gopī-janaḥ prāṇādhika-priyatamo mama ||
na māṁ jānanti munayo yoginaś ca parantapa |
na ca rudrādayo devā yathā gopyo vidanti mām ||
na tapobhir na vedaiś ca nācārair na ca vidyayā |
vaśo’smi kevalaṁ premṇā pramāṇaṁ tatra gopikāḥ ||
man-māhātmyaṁ mat-saparyāṁ mac-chraddhāṁ man-manogatam |
jānanti gopikāḥ pārtha nānye jānanti marmaṇi ||
nijāṅgam api yā gopyo mameti samupāsate |
tābhyaḥ paraṁ na me pārtha nigūḍha-prema-bhājanam ||
(Ādi Purāṇa; cited in Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.1.34–40; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.4.184, 213)

“Also a statement of Śrīmad Arjuna [to Śrī Kṛṣṇa] in Ādi Purāṇa: ‘Which bhaktas of Bhagavān throughout the three worlds know you in truth? With whom are you always pleased? For whom do you have unparalleled prema? The reply of Śrī Bhagavān: ‘O royal, neither Brahmā, nor Rudra, nor Lakṣmī, nor myself are so beloved to me as the gopīs. How many devoted bhaktas do I have on the surface of the earth? [So many.] The gopīs, however, are beloved to me more so than [even] my life [so, it goes without saying they are more dear to me than all my other bhaktas]. The sages and yogīs do not know me, O tormenter of enemies. Not even Rudra or any of the other devas know me as the gopīs do. I am not captivated by austerities, by [study of] the Vedas, by observances of conduct, or by knowledge. [Rather, I am captivated] Only by prema. The gopīs are the evidence (pramāṇa) of this. The gopīs know my greatness, my service, my desire, and my intent. O Pārtha, no one else knows [these] in truth. O Pārtha, there are no greater vessels of highly confidential prema for me than the gopīs, who care even for their own bodies as my own [i.e., they care for their own bodies only because they consider them instruments for my service].”

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ṣaṣṭhi-varṣa-sahasrāṇi

śrī-bṛhad-vāmane ca bhṛgv-ādīn prati śrī-brahma-vākyaṁ—
ṣaṣṭhi-varṣa-sahasrāṇi mayā taptaṁ tapaḥ purā |
nanda-gopa-vraja-strīṇāṁ pāda-reṇūpalabdhaye |
tathāpi na mayā prāptās tāsāṁ vai pāda-reṇavaḥ ||
bhṛgv-ādi-vākyaṁ—
vaiṣṇavānāṁ pāda-rajo gṛhyate tvad-vidhair api |
santi te bahavo loke vaiṣṇavā nāradādayaḥ ||
teṣāṁ vihāya gopīnāṁ pāda-reṇus tvayāpi yat |
gṛhyate saṁśayo me’tra ko hetus tad vada prabho ||
śrī-brahma-vākyaṁ—
na striyo vraja-sundaryaḥ putrāḥ śreṣṭhāḥ śriyo’pi tāḥ |
nāhaṁ śivaś ca śeṣaś ca śrīś ca tābhiḥ samāḥ kvacit ||
(Bṛhad-vāmana Purāṇa; cited in Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.1.31–33)

“A statement of Śrī Brahmā to Bhṛgu and others in Śrī Bṛhad-vāmana Purāṇa: ‘Austerity was practiced by me for 60,000 years to attain the foot-dust of the women of Nanda’s cowherd pasturelands. Still, their foot-dust was not attained by me.’ The reply of Bhṛgu and so forth: ‘[If] The foot-dust of Vaiṣṇavas is honored even by those like yourself, [then] there are many Vaiṣṇavas in the world such as Nārada [whose foot-dust you could honor]. [Still,] Avoiding theirs [i.e., their foot-dust], the foot-dust of the gopīs is honored even by you. I have a doubt about this. Please say, O Prabhu, what is the reason for that?’ The reply of Śrī Brahmā: ‘O sons! The beauties of Vraja are not women. They are superior even to Śrī [i.e., Lakṣmī]. Neither I, nor Śiva, nor Śeṣa, nor Śrī are ever equal to them.”

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sa ca tad-vraja-lokānāṁ śrīmat-premānuvartinā

sa ca tad-vraja-lokānāṁ śrīmat-premānuvartinā |
kṛṣṇe śuddhatareṇaiva bhāvenaikena labhyate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.81)

“And that [i.e., Goloka] is attained only through one-pointed, exceedingly pure bhāva for Kṛṣṇa which follows the beautiful prema of those residents of Vraja.”

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evaṁ pariṣvāṅga-karābhimarśa

evaṁ pariṣvāṅga-karābhimarśa-
snigdhekṣaṇoddāma-vilāsa-hāsaiḥ |
reme rameśo vraja-sundarībhir
yathārbhakaḥ sva-pratibimba-vibhramaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.33.17; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 299)

“Thus, by embracing [them], touching [their] hands, affectionately glancing [at them], unrestrainedly playing [with them], and smiling [at them], the Lord of Ramā enjoyed with the beauties of Vraja like a boy frolicking with his own reflection.”

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kālāhi-vaktra-vilasad-rasanāgra-jāgrad

kālāhi-vaktra-vilasad-rasanāgra-jāgrad-
gopī-dṛg-añcala-camatkṛti-viddha-marmā |
śarmādiśatv aruṇa-ghūrṇita-locanāntaḥ-
sañcāra-cūrṇita-satī-hṛdayo mukundaḥ ||
(Govinda-vilāsa; cited in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.2)

“He whose core is pierced
By the astonishment produced by the gopīs’ side-long glances,
Which are vigilant like the flickering tip of the tongue
In the mouth of a black snake;
He by the movements along the reddish edges
Of whose rolling eyes
The hearts of chaste women
Are pulverized—
May [he,] Mukunda
Beget delight.”

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tṛptāv anya-janasya tṛptim ayitā duḥkhe mahāduḥkitā

tṛptāv anya-janasya tṛptim ayitā duḥkhe mahāduḥkitā
labdhaiḥ svīya-sukhāli-duḥkha-nicayair no harṣa-bādhodayāḥ |
sveṣṭārādhana-tatparā iha yathā śrī-vaiṣṇava-śreṇayaḥ
kās tā brūhi vicārya candra-vadane tā mad-vayasyā imāḥ ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 13.113)

“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa presents a riddle:]
‘They attain satisfaction from another person’s satisfaction,
Are greatly troubled by [by another person’s] trouble,
Experience no elation or misery
Because of the personal pleasures and troubles they undergo,
And are devoted to the worship of their own Iṣṭa
Like the multitudes of blessed Vaiṣṇavas here—
Consider and tell [me],
O you of moon face,
Who are they?’
[Śrī Rādhā replies:]
‘They are these friends of mine!’”

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rāgeṇaivārpitātmāno loka-yugmānapekṣiṇā

rāgeṇaivārpitātmāno loka-yugmānapekṣiṇā |
dharmeṇāsvīkṛtā yās tu parakīyā bhavanti tāḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 3.17)

“Those [beloveds of Śrī Kṛṣṇa] who have offered themselves [to Kṛṣṇa] purely out of rāga [i.e., intense desire], are indifferent to the two worlds [i.e., their standing in this world and the next], and have not been accepted [by him] by means of dharma [but rather on account of his rāga for them] are [called] parakīyā.”

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ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis

ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis
tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ |
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi ||
(Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.37; cited in Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.92; Ujjvala-nīlāmaṇi: 3.55; Locana-rocanī-ṭīkā and Ānanda-candrikā-ṭīkā on Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 4.3; Bhagavat Sandarbha: 96; Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 177, 186, 188; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.4.72, 2.8.161)

“I serve him, Govinda, the Original Person, the existent Self (Ātmā) of all who resides solely in Goloka and solely with they who by their own nature are potencies ever-manifest [alt., ever-imbued, or, ever reciprocally adored] with rasa constituted of consciousness and bliss.”

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