mūrtimanta bhāgavata—bhakti-rasa mātra |
ihā bujhe—ye haya kṛṣṇera kṛpā-pātra ||
(Caitanya-bhāgavata: 3.3.529)
“Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is simply manifest bhakti-rasa. One who is a recipient of Kṛṣṇa’s grace understands this.”
asmākaṁ tu mataṁ tat te’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ ity-ādi-vacanatas tathā bhakter anāyāsa-siddhatva-śravaṇāt tathā bhaktir eva bhaktim utpādayati iti nyāyāc ca śrī-bhagavat-kṛpayā tad-eka-mātrāpekṣasya sukhaṁ sampadyate |
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā: 2.2.213)
“Our view, however, is that in accord with statements such as tat te’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ [in SB 10.14.8], because it is heard that bhakti is established without difficulty, and in accord with the principle that bhakti itself produces bhakti, the happiness [i.e., the superlative happiness of niṣṭhā in bhakti] of one who depends only on him [i.e., Bhagavān] manifests [just by] by the grace of Śrī Bhagavān [i.e., taking up any other process, such as karma or jñāna, for the sake of citta-śuddhi is unnecessary].”
vinu sata-saṁga viveka na hoi |
rāma-kṛpā vinu sulabha na soi ||
sata-saṁgata muda maṁgaka mūlā |
soi phala siddhi saba sādhana phulā ||
(Rāma-carita-mānasa: 1.2.4)
“Without sādhu-saṅga, discernment (viveka) does not manifest, and without Rāma’s grace, that [i.e., sādhu-saṅga] is not readily attained. Sādhu-saṅga is the root of joy and well-being; siddhi [i.e., spiritual realization] is its fruit, and all sādhanas are its flowers.”
caitanyacandrera kṛpā hañāche i̐hāre |
caitanyacandrera ‘vātula’ ke rākhite pāre? ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.6.41)
[Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī’s father tells his mother:] “Śrī Caitanyacandra’s grace has come upon him. Who can detain a man mad for Caitanyacandra?”
tvām asau yācate natvā viluṭhan yamunā-taṭe |
kākubhir vyākula-svānto jano vṛndāvaneśvari ||
kṛtāgaske’py ayogye’pi jane’smin kumatāv api |
dāsya-dāna-pradānasya lavam apy upapādaya ||
yuktas tvayā jano naiva duḥkhito’yam upekṣitum |
kṛpā-dyota-dravac-citta-navanītāsi yat sadā ||
(Stava-mālā: Prārthanā-paddhati, 5–7)
“Offering obeisance to you,
And rolling about on the bank of the Yamunā,
This person of agitated heart,
Begs with cries of sorrow,
O Vṛndāvaneśvarī!
Although a transgressor,
Although unfit,
And although foul-minded,
Please bestow upon this person
Just a tiny portion of the gift
Of a share of [your] service.
It is not proper for this sorrowful person
To be neglected by you,
For the fresh butter of your heart
Is always melting under the sunshine of your grace.”
nidānaṁ tu paraṁ premṇaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-karuṇā-bharaḥ |
kasyāpy udety akasmād vā kasyacit sādhana-kramāt ||
yathodārān milaty annaṁ pākvaṁ vā pāka-sādhanam |
sādhakasyocyate śāstra-gatyāyaṁ sādhana-kramaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.215–216)
“But the primary cause of [such] prema is an abundance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace. That manifests for some without cause and for some through a course of sādhanas, just as either cooked food or the ingredients for cooking come [to someone] from a generous person. This course of sādhanas for a sādhaka [through which an abundance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace manifests] is [now going to be] described [by me] in accord with śāstra.”
kalpāgā amṛtāmbudher jhaṣa-varāḥ premāmbudheś cātakā
meghasyāmṛta-pāyino vara-vidhoḥ padmāni caṇḍa-tviṣaḥ |
bhṛṅgāḥ padma-vanasya nāka-sadanā viṣṇor mahānto hi te
bhaktā gaurahareḥ paraṁ mayi kṛpāṁ kurvantv ananya-gatau ||
(Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 2.16)
“O desire-trees along the ocean of nectar! O topmost fish in the ocean of prema! O cātakās of the cloud [of mādhurya]! O drinkers of nectar from the best of moons [of prema]! O lotuses under the hot sun [of saṅkīrtana]! O bees in the lotus cluster [of bhāva]! O [you who resemble] sky-abodes of Viṣṇu! O great ones! O bhaktas of Gaurahari! Please bestow your abundant grace upon me. I have no other shelter.”
api sphārāmode pratipada-sudhā-koṭi-madhure
purāṇa-grāmāntar-vahati tava līlā-rasa-jhare |
mano-vatsaḥ pātuṁ viṣaya-viṣa-garte viśati me
kṛpā-yaṣṭyā tūrṇaṁ damaya tam amuṁ tarṇaka-pate ||
(Stava-mālā: Nandotsavādi-carita, 11)
“Although the stream of your līlā-rasa, abundantly fragrant [i.e., imbued with the fine fragrance of your qualities and renown] and sweet at every step with the highest grade of nectar, flows through the old village [i.e., the Purāṇas led by Śrīmad Bhāgavatam], the calf of my mind enters a ditch to drink the poison of viṣaya. O calf-keeper [i.e., O Kṛṣṇa], please quickly restrain it with the stick of your grace [so that it drinks only your līlā-rasa and no more the poison of viṣaya].”
tad ahaṁ tvad ṛte na nāthavān
mad ṛte tvaṁ dayanīyavān na ca |
vidhi-nirmitam etad anvayaṁ
bhagavan pālaya mā sma jīhaya ||
(Stotra-ratna: 51)
“Therefore, without you, I do not have a master, and without me, you do not have a suitable recipient for your grace. This is our relationship, formed by destiny. O Bhagavān, please protect me; do not ever reject me.”
‘sukṛti-labhya phelā-lava’ bole bāra-bāra |
īśvara-sevaka puche—prabhu! ki artha ihāra ||
prabhu kahe—ei ye dilā kṛṣṇādharāmṛta |
brahmādi-durlabha ei—nindaye amṛta ||
kṛṣṇera ye bhukta-śeṣa, tāra ‘phelā’ nāma |
tāra eka lava pāya, se-i bhāgyavān ||
sāmānya bhāgya haite tāra prāpti nāhi haya |
kṛṣṇera yāte pūrṇa kṛpā, sei tāhā pāya ||
sukṛti-śabde kahe—kṛṣṇa-kṛpā-hetu puṇya |
sei yāra haya, phelā pāya sei dhanya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.16.96–100)
“Prabhu said again and again, ‘A morsel of phelā attainable by sukṛti.’ The servants of Īśvara asked, ‘Prabhu, what is the meaning of this?’ Prabhu replied, ‘This is that in which Kṛṣṇa has placed the nectar of his lips. This is rare for Brahmā and others to attain, and it belittles amṛta. The remainder of what Kṛṣṇa has eaten is called phelā (remnants). One who attains one morsel of this is fortunate. Attainment of this does not come about from ordinary fortune. One who receives Kṛṣṇa’s full grace attains this. The word ‘sukṛti’ refers to puṇya (purifying action) the cause of which is Kṛṣṇa’s grace [or, puṇya (purifying action) which is the cause of Kṛṣṇa’s grace]. One who has this [type of puṇya] attains [Kṛṣṇa’s] phelā and is fortunate.’”
